Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Interfor US, Inc., 911 Old River Rd, BLOOMINGDALE, GEORGIA 31302
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
On January 16, 2021, an employee and a coworker were troubleshooting feed issues with the planer mill strapper. While the injured employee was placing the pin in the bump gate to check the banding track for alignment issues, the co-worker started locking out the strapper and lowered the bump gate. Stored energy pinched and amputated the injured employee's right middle finger between the gate and the pin.
An employee was installing a feed roller. The employee's left index finger was caught between the roller and a choker. The employee suffered an avulsion to the finger, and the fingertip was partially amputated at the hospital.
An employee was attempting to remove a center sleeve from a clutch with a hammer. The hammer struck their left thumb while loosening a bearing. The thumb was fractured and lacerated above the knuckle.
An employee was moving 2x10 boards in the sorter bay using a 6-foot, 2-inch pike pole. Another board fell into the bin and struck one end of the pike pole, causing the pike pole to pivot on the handrail. The opposite end went upward and struck the employee's head behind his right ear. The employee sustained a concussion and an intracranial hemorrhage.
An employee was repairing a wire inside a machine that sweeps logs onto a conveyor belt when the machine struck the employee. The employee suffered a broken right shoulder and was hospitalized.
An employee was operating a forklift and unloading a truck. After the truck was unloaded, the employee got off the forklift and proceeded to adjust the dock plate with a hook tool. The dock plate slipped and the employee went to adjust the plate with their hand when their left middle finger got caught. Their finger was amputated above the first joint.
An employee was rotating a carbide granulator blade when his finger was caught between the blade and a stationary part of the machine. The employee's right middle finger was partially amputated and they suffered an avulsion to the right ring fingertip.
An employee was using a CNC metal lathe machine in manual mode to check that the thread blocking tool made contact with the jaws. As the employee was manually spinning the spindle, his index fingertip was crushed between the spindle's jaws and the grooving insert, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
During a material handling operation, an employee's fingertip was caught under an air conditioning unit as the unit was lowered onto a cart. The employee's fingertip was amputated.
An employee was removing a bolt from a tractor hub when their right index finger was caught between the hub and the frame. The employee's fingertip was crushed and the employee was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 321113)
An employee was repairing a photo eye on the infeed roll case when they dropped a tool. The employee went to grab the tool and his fingers contacted the chain and sprocket of the infeed roll case. His fingers were pulled into the pinch point and the fingertips were crushed, resulting in amputation of one fingertip.
An employee was troubleshooting dispersing equipment. A belt and pulley system was energized, and the moving belt caught the employee's right ring finger. He suffered a partial amputation at the first knuckle, below the nail.
An employee was cleaning the photo eye sensors of a piece of equipment between the saw that cuts lumber into lengths and boards. The employee stepped on a metal grate that gave way and fell 8-10 feet. The employee was able to remove himself from the conveyor. His tibia was fractured just below the knee.
While refilling a lubricant tank, an employee observed that a pump was not operating correctly. While troubleshooting the issue, the employee reached toward the back of the pump to check for proper airflow. Their left index finger contacted moving components in the pump's piston mechanism, resulting in partial amputation of the fingertip.
An employee was helping to lift the grating from a floor draining system when the grating slipped and landed on his hand, resulting in the amputation of his right middle finger at the first joint.
During a workshop meeting in a hotel, an employee heard a drilling noise, so he walked outside to see what it was. An explosion occurred (possible gas line) and his face, ear, and hair were burned. He also fell and sustained a pelvic fracture.
An employee was using a tool to remove a rag from a roll on the tube mill. The roll pulled the tool and the employee's right hand into the roll, resulting in a partial amputation of the little finger and a fracture to the index finger.