Fall through surface or existing opening 11 to 15 feet · Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at ECOLAB, Inc., 130 White horse pike, LAWNSIDE, NEW JERSEY 08045
on — Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury, affecting the lumbar region.
Final narrative
An employee was walking a crawl space, looking for signs of pests. The employee fell through the ceiling to the ground 12 feet below, suffering a lower back injury.
An employee was removing bees while standing 6-7 feet up on a telescoping ladder when the ladder slipped and they fell to the concrete pavers below. The employee was hospitalized with an open fracture to the left elbow that required surgery.
On August 29, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., an employee was cleaning out the air pump and hoses that were used for a chemical solution. The air pump was on while boil-out chemicals (hot water with caustic chemicals) were in the tank. As the employee turned to close the drain valve on the tank, the hose disconnected from the pump and sprayed the employee with the boil-out liquid. The employee received second-degree burns to their left hand, their left leg (from knee to ankle), and the back of their right leg. They were hospitalized to treat the burns.
An employee was traveling forward on a stand-up electric forklift. As the employee passed through a forklift door and attempted to make a right turn and the rear of the vehicle fishtailed into a pallet rack, resulting in a laceration to his left little finger and injuries to his left ring and middle fingers.
An employee parked his work vehicle in a customer's parking lot when a robber approached the employee with a gun and asked for his money and wallet. The robber started shooting; the employee sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and hand.
An employee was changing out a pump in a waste water treatment plant. The pump was pressurized and when he disconnected the hose, it sprayed peracetic acid in the employee's face, resulting in chemical burns.
An employee was checking an HVAC unit in the attic when they fell approximately 15 feet through the rafters to the floor. The employee sustained fractures to the ribs and scapula as well as a collapsed lung.
An employee was removing grating to change metal chip hoppers located in a pit. The employee lost his balance and fell approximately 12 feet from the grate, landing in the metal chip hopper. The employee sustained a sprained right foot, a left foot fracture, and a fractured L5 vertebra.
An employee was reviewing the next steps to take with the foreman when some material fell from above and landed near them. The injured employee then looked up, took a step on the catwalk, and fell through a gap, landing on the ground 15 feet below. The employee sustained three fractured vertebrae and a head laceration.
0n November 16, 2023, an employee was climbing onto a catwalk to cut valves for unit heaters in a building. The employee fell 14 feet through the attic onto the concrete floor, resulting in a fractured pelvis.
An employee was removing a rooftop curb when they fell approximately 15 feet through an opening in the roof, resulting in a fractured leg that required hospitalization.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 325611)
An employee was using an electric pallet jack to retrieve a chemical tote from a staging lane. He inserted the pallet jack under the tote and began to back up. After moving backward for approximately 15 feet, the employee tripped on a collapsible tote. As he fell, the pallet jack ran over his left foot. His ankle was lacerated and his foot was fractured.
An employee was installing network infrastructure at a client's distribution center. He was transporting a box measuring approximately 23 inches by 12 inches to a truck yard and walking along a narrow path adjacent to a trench that measured approximately 5.5 to 6 feet deep, 10 to 12 feet long, and 18 to 24 inches wide. Gravel on the path shifted beneath the employee's foot, causing him to lose balance and fall into the trench. He landed on his left side and struck a 4-inch PVC conduit pipe located at the bottom of the trench. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to his fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs on the left side.
An employee mixed sodium hydroxide pellets into a 55-gallon drum of hot water. A chemical reaction occurred and mixture splashed out of the drum, causing burns to the employee's face and neck. Personal protective equipment was not in place at the time.
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An employee assisted in cleaning material from a conveyor pit. After the pit was cleaned, the employee proceeded to replace metal safety plates to ensure other employees did not fall into the pit. While replacing one of the last plates, the employee mis-stepped and fell approximately 5 feet into the pit. The employee was hospitalized with back/side bruising, elbow bruising, bone bruises, and/or fractured ribs.
An employee was walking on the sidewalk. When they stepped off the curb, they fell to the ground, resulting in fractures to their tibia, fibula, and a metatarsal.