Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Republic Services, 101 Barber Boulevard, GARDENDALE, ALABAMA 35071
on — Fractures, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was using a hydroseeding machine, attached to a bulldozer, to plant grass on a slope at a landfill. The hitch connecting the hydroseeding machine to the bulldozer broke, and the hydroseeding machine rolled down the slope with the employee on it. The employee suffered broken and bruised ribs, a broken shoulder, and a cut on the ear.
On June 24, 2025, at 3:25 p.m., an employee had just finished dumping his truck at the recycling facility when they took a break in their truck. They began to experience signs of heat-related illness and left the cab of the truck before temporarily losing consciousness and collapsing. The employee was hospitalized due to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and acute kidney distress.
An employee was servicing the compactor. They were reconnecting the turnbuckle on a receiver box when the turnbuckle slipped and fell, crushing the employee's left middle fingertip. The employee was hospitalized for surgery.
An employee was tarping and strapping down a garbage container when they slipped on broken glass on the floor and fell. The employee sustained a dislocated shoulder and a brain bleed.
An employee was using a dozer to clear a plot of land. The dozer struck the ground after getting stuck on a tree stump, causing the employee to hit their head on the cab roof. The employee sustained a spinal compression injury.
On August 31, 2023, an employee was operating an excavator to complete a demolition job. As the excavator drove into the first floor of the building, the floor collapsed. The vehicle and employee dropped approximately 8 feet, causing the employee to sustain a back injury.
An employee was standing on a walk-behind lawn mower when the mower spun out of control. His right ring fingertip became caught in the handlebar, resulting in an amputation.
An employee was loading a bundle of 3/8-inch rebar using a standup skid loader. While transporting the load, the equipment tipped forward, throwing the employee over the controls and into the mast of the skid loader. The employee sustained several teeth avulsions, a mouth laceration, and bruising/swelling around the face.
An employee was driving a forklift to deliver lumber to a work site when the forklift tipped forward onto the forks. The employee struck his head on a metal railing on the forklift, resulting in a laceration, a concussion, and temporary loss of consciousness.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 562111)
An employee was operating the compaction levers on a truck when a motor vehicle crashed into the back of the stopped truck. The employee sustained fractured ribs and contusions.
A maintenance employee was moving a forklift from the loading dock when the forklift fell off the dock. The employee was struck by the overhead portion of the roll bar, injuring his right knee. He was hospitalized and underwent surgery.
An employee was standing on the driver side rear step of a trash truck while traveling down a road to collect residential trash. The employee went to signal the driver and slipped off the step while the truck was traveling 8-9 miles per hour. He fell 18 inches to the ground and was hospitalized with a fractured ankle that required surgery.
An employee was traveling down the maintenance aisle of a warehouse on a single-pallet front rider jack. The jack malfunctioned, causing the brakes to apply; the employee fell forward onto the concrete warehouse floor. The employee suffered an injury to the left leg and was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was operating a metal roller machine to roll a small piece of metal. The employee's right index finger became caught between the metal and the machine, and the fingertip was amputated.
An employee was directing a truck driver to a dump site when the truck's peanut trailer slipped off the kingpin. As the trailer fell, a ladder attached to it lacerated the employee's ear. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was unloading a forklift from a trailer to the ground. The employee was climbing down the ladder of the trailer when their foot slipped through one of the rungs, causing them to fall backward onto the forklift forks. The employee was hospitalized for fractured ribs.