Flathead National Forest

An employee was injured while conducting snow surveys. He was ejected from a snowmobile and sustained a back and neck injury.

An employee was preparing a tank car for loading while chipping away solidified product in the manway opening of the tank car. A pressure noise within the tank car startled the employee, causing him to stumble backward and fall approximately 10 feet over the guard railing at the chemical loading rack to the ground. The employee suffered fractured vertebrae, a fractured right wrist and ankle, and a dislocated jaw.

An employee was installing an electrical tray remover from a ladder. As he was descending, his missed a step and fell 6-7 feet to the floor. The employee suffered a head injury.

Two employees were installing spray foam insulation in the attic of a new residential construction. The injured employee fell 8 feet from an A-frame ladder to the floor. The employee suffered lacerations, abrasions, and a head injury.

An employee was on a raised platform attaching wires to electrical boxes. The employee fell approximately 8 feet to the floor below and struck an exit sign on the way down, resulting in an injury to his face.

An employee was in a forklift man basket fixing a garage door opener when they fell approximately 8 feet to the concrete ground below. The employee suffered head and back injuries as well as kidney bruising.

An employee was using a chainsaw to cut downed trees. The employee slipped and fell, and the chainsaw lacerated their left hand.

A crew of approximately 20 employees were constructing hand lines when a dead tree collapsed and injured three of the employees, including two hospitalizations. One employee was hospitalized due to shoulder injuries, and the other employee was hospitalized due to collapsed lungs, spinal injuries, and a broken tibia and fibula.

An employee was cutting brush and shrubs. A bee stung the employee on the base of their neck. The employee sustained an allergic reaction and was hospitalized.

An employee was engaged in initial smokejumper training which includes physical fitness testing, tree climbing training, chainsaw and crosscut certification, as well as initial introduction to equipment and smokejumper-specific safety procedures. Some of the training involves carrying 110 pounds of equipment. The employee reported tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing. The employee was hospitalized with a lung injury.

An employee participated in smokejumper training, which includes carrying weight. He suffered from dehydration and was hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis.

An employee was fixing an issue with seed cleaning equipment when he slipped on the ladder he was on. He went to catch himself and his hand went into a moving belt and pulley on the cleaner. The employee sustained the amputation of his right middle and index fingertips just below the fingernails.

An employee was riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to move a bison herd. He was riding up the side of a steep hill when the ATV struck a rock and rolled, ejecting the employee before rolling over him. The employee suffered broken vertebrae in his back that required hospitalization.

An employee was clearing out dirt from an underground pipe when he was bitten by a rattlesnake on his hand.

An employee was climbing in the spreader area to remove a pasta jam when his right little finger was cut by the rotary cut-off knife. The employee sustained a laceration and fracture, resulting in an amputation.

A smoke jumper parachuted out of a helicopter during a forest fire response, landed on steep rugged terrain, and suffered femur and rib fractures and a liver laceration. The employee was hospitalized.