Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at U.S. Cotton, LLC, 15501 Industrial Parkway, CLEVELAND, OHIO 44135
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee was replacing a 3-inch belt that had fallen off a flywheel. When he placed the belt back on the flywheel, the spinning wheel caused his left hand to be pulled into a pinch point. He suffered amputations to the index and middle fingers.
An employee's left index finger was amputated as he was troubleshooting a machine. The machine was not locked out or guarded at the time, and was running.
Two employees were repairing the hydraulic engagement pins on a rented front-end wheel loader. The machine controls were activated to move the attachment pins and an employee's finger was caught between the pins and the bushings. Their right index finger was partially amputated.
An employee was cleaning the conveyor on a piece of equipment when they slipped and their right hand was pulled into the chain sprocket. The employee's fifth fingertip was amputated.
An employee was throwing blankets onto a blanket folding and stacking machine. A blanket got stuck in the machine and she attempted to remove it when the machine contacted her right little finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 339113)
An employee was running a can coder that runs on a conveyor belt. The employee was stepping over the rollers when she slipped or tripped. She fell to the floor and sustained a fractured right ankle, requiring surgery.
On August 25, 2025, at approximately 4:47 p.m., an employee was manually raising a malfunctioning loading dock door when his right middle finger was caught in a pinch point, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
An employee was replacing the heating element on a small steam sterilizer when they were burned by hot water and steam on their arms, chest, abdomen, and thighs.
A STERIS installer had uncrated a drying cabinet and was working with a STERIS installation specialist to tilt the cabinet up. As the unit was being tilted up, it slid forward, causing both employees to lose balance. The drying cabinet fell on the installer s right middle finger, resulting in an open fracture and amputation of the distal fingertip.
An employee was operating an automated bagging and packaging machine to bag hydrocolloids. A bag was stuck in the machine. As the employee was removing it, the blade amputated the top of their right index finger.
An employee was working to deliver mail to an apartment building. She was waiting for a customer to move, to obtain clearance to the mailboxes. The door swung inward and closed on her right little finger. The top half of her finger was surgically amputated.
An employee fell from a step ladder while reaching for a tie-off point. He impacted the ground, and landed on his bolt bag which contained tools. The employee was hospitalized with fractured ribs, and a lacerated spleen and kidney.
On October 30, 2025, an employee was working to adjust a stackable metal shipping container. As the container dropped into place, it caught the employee's hands in an area between the upper and lower cross-members. The employee suffered a laceration to the left ring finger that required stitches, bruising to the right ring finger, and fractures to the right middle finger that necessitated medical amputation of the fingertip.
An employee was moving a scissor lift through a doorway. The employee was pinned between the scissor lift and the doorframe, sustained a back injury, and was hospitalized.
An employee was setting up communication equipment for a meeting. They were walking and tripped over a speaker on the ground. The employee sustained a leg injury.