Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Gibbon Packing, LLC, 218 E Hwy 30, GIBBON, NEBRASKA 68840
on — Fractures, affecting the lower leg(s).
Final narrative
An employee was moving cattle from the holding pen to the kill pen. A cow turned back, charged, and headbutted the employee's left leg, resulting in a tibia fracture.
An employee was operating a hide puller when his hand became caught in the hide puller chain. He sustained shoulder and wrist injuries that required surgery.
An employee was observing the hide puller from an elevated catwalk to troubleshoot an issue. He was struck in the head by the hide puller and sustained a fractured skull.
An employee entered a pen in the maternity barn to bottle-feed a calf. A cow spun around and head butted the employee into the metal enclosure fence three times. The employee sustained a punctured liver.
An employee was moving cattle when they were rammed by a cow. The employee sustained fractures to their L2 and L5 vertebrae, left sacral wing, and pelvis. They also suffered internal hemorrhaging in the abdominal.
An employee was loading hogs onto a trailer. After they were loaded, he was pinning the gate when one of the hogs charged and pinned the employee between the gate and the wall. The employee sustained a collapsed lung.
An employee was moving cattle from a pen to a tub when a bull got around the cattle guard. The employee climbed over the cattle guard to move away from the bull and the bull struck his arm, resulting in a fracture.
An employee was scraping dried glue from the top lid of a hot glue pot. His left hand slipped and came into contact with the hot glue. He then suffered burns to his hands and fingers as he tried to remove the glue. He was hospitalized.
An employee was in a scissor lift approximately 20 feet above the ground to place a plastic tarp on a catwalk in order to catch condensation. They positioned the lift opposite the work area and stepped out of the scissor lift onto an I-beam. The employee fell from the I-beam to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a skull fracture on the right side of their head and injuries to the chest and both eyes.
A maintenance employee was called to look at a pallet conveyor machine where a chain had fallen off a sprocket wheel. When the employee grabbed the loose chain, a light sensor caused the machine to restart. This created a pinch point between the chain and sprocket that caught the employee's left little finger. The finger was surgically amputated at the second knuckle.
The injured employee was standing by one of the stationary computers along the wall. There was a half-pallet located approximately 3 feet behind the employee that consisted of 12-pound boxes stacked six boxes high. A forklift was transporting a pallet that came in contact with the stationary pallet behind the injured employee, causing four boxes to fall and contact their legs. The injured employee was hospitalized with leg injuries.
An employee was using a box strapping machine to place straps on boxes when his right middle finger was caught in the machine, resulting in an open fracture to the distal phalanx.
An employee was stacking concrete blocks for a concrete bunker. As a block was swinging into place, the employee's left leg was pinched between two blocks, resulting in injuries to his left heel and lower leg.
An employee was climbing a ladder to inspect a vent in a restaurant dining area. The ladder slid out on the floor and the employee fell approximately 12 feet onto the ladder and the floor. He was hospitalized with a dislocated shoulder and a back injury.
An employee was filtering a fryer with a fryer filter machine. After going around the corner and then returning to the fryers, the employee stepped into the filter machine. The hot oil burned the employee's right ankle, and the employee was hospitalized.
An employee was cleaning out corn from a grain bin. The sweep auger in the bin was activated and caught his trouser leg. His leg was pulled into the auger, which injured his calf and caused leg fractures and lacerations.