Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Oelke Construction, 202 Main St. NE, LOWELL, ARKANSAS 72745
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
On November 22, 2021, at approximately 1:55 PM, an employee was breaking concrete steps using a jackhammer when a piece of concrete gave way under the machine. The jackhammer and the employee were pushed forward due to the momentum. The employee's right ring fingertip was crushed, resulting in amputation.
A mixer truck driver was delivering a load of concrete to a jobsite. The driver was operating the controls outside of his truck when a 6x10-foot fascia wall gave way. One of the concrete fascia panels struck the driver's right calf resulting in amputation of the leg below the knee.
An employee was receiving a 32-by-8 panel wall that weighed 3,500 pounds. As the crane was going up, the cable of one of the clanks became caught on the panel wall. The panel wall collapsed and struck the employee's right leg, resulting in right leg fractures and amputation below the knee.
An employee was moving conveyors in a warehouse to another location using rolling casters. The legs became detached from the bottom of the conveyor, and the employee's right index finger was caught in the conveyor pinch point, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
The injured employee was standing behind a table. She jumped out to scare another employee, but tripped and fell on the tile floor, injuring her right ankle/foot. She was hospitalized with a dislocated ankle that required surgery.
An employee was installing insulation in a wall when she tripped on a hole (12" deep) and fell, hitting her head on the concrete floor. The employee sustained fractures to her leg and wrist, and lacerations to her head. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was loading a 4-inch wooden door into a pickup truck when he felt a pop in his right side behind his shoulder blade. He was hospitalized later that day and underwent surgery, having suffered a collapsed right lung.
An employee was operating an ironworker (steel punching/shearing) machine. A piece of the tooling broke off and struck the employee's neck; a fragment was lodged in his neck. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
On October 25, 2025, an employee was stringing up a new reel of tire tread on a machine. The employee pulled a 6-inch tail and proceeded to spool up the liner. As the machine was jogged to begin the liner wrapping process, the liner caught the employee's glove and pulled their right arm into the liner, causing a fracture to the arm.
An employee was doing a cable change on top of an electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane. They were positioned between the cable drum and the drive shaft. While rotating the cable drum, the employee reached for the new cable that was to be installed. The grease fitting on the drive shaft caught their fall harness and pulled them underneath the drive shaft. The employee was pinned between the drive shaft and two pieces of angle steel, resulting in a fracture to their left hip.
On October 5, 2025, an employee was pulling a pressure washer hose when it it disconnected from the cooker. The employee was struck by jets of high-pressure water, resulting in lacerations to their left thigh requiring surgery. The employee was hospitalized.