Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source · Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Nelson Wire & Steel, 1015 New Salem Road, NEW SALEM, PENNSYLVANIA 15468
on — Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified, affecting the nonclassifiable.
Final narrative
An employee was using an acetylene/oxygen torch to cut bad wire off a spool when sparks from the process ignited the employee's shirt, resulting in burns to the employee's skin that required hospitalization.
Two employees were performing work on an automated welder. One employee was operating the main control panel and the injured employee was working at the rear of the machine. When the machine was restarted, it pinched the injured employee's pinky finger causing an amputation of the fingertip.
An employee was welding metal parts. The employee turned to the left and their work uniform came in contact with the location on the part that had just been welded. The employee's uniform ignited, causing burns to their shoulder and back.
An employee was welding steel dump ramp slides. He leaned over and a previous weld caught his hoodie on fire. The employee sustained burns on his left side from the armpit to the waistline.
An employee was using a fiber wheel to cut a 55-gallon drum to make a trash can. As they were cutting, sparks flew into the barrel and fire came out of a hole on the barrel, catching the employee's shirt on fire. The employee sustained burns to their abdomen and chest, requiring hospitalization.
An employee was removing tubing caps and cleaning tubing ends with solvent. Their flame-resistant pants became soaked with the cleaning solvent and were ignited by a propane torch used for removing tubing caps. The employee was hospitalized with burns to their legs.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 332618)
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An employee was building slings. They were placing wire rope in a pneumatic vise when their right index finger was caught between the vise and the wire rope, resulting in a fracture that required hospitalization and surgery.
At about 7:15 a.m. on August 28, 2025, an employee was using a construction compactor to stabilize the dirt of a dam that had just been built. The dirt gave way underneath the compactor, which tipped on its left side. The employee fell out and was crushed and pinned between the compactor and the dirt. He was hospitalized, having suffered a broken sternum and broken ribs on both sides, as well as a laceration to the left leg by the ankle joint.
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An employee was carrying cups back to the kitchen when her foot got caught on a cart and she fell face-first. During the fall, a piece of glass from a cup cut the inside of her mouth, severing an artery. She also sustained a laceration on her lower lip. The employee was hospitalized.