Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, unspecified · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Sun Chemical Corporation, 205 South James Street, NEWPORT, DELAWARE 19804
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was working to connect a tote-size sac of crystalline chemical to the iris of a process feed chute. The crystals feed down the chute through the iris, then through a rotating vane valve. There are two panels covering the vane valve. The sac of crystalline chemical emptied down the chute just halfway before the crystalline chemical got blocked. The employee opened the panel covering the vane valve to unblock the material. The valve vane amputated the employee's right index finger down to the knuckle.
An employee connected a hose from a chemical tank car containing about 34,000 pounds of aniline to a dripless connection, then actuated the pumping system to transfer the aniline (Aminobenzene) into an onsite holding vessel. The employee was splashed with aniline while disconnecting the transfer hose after the tank car was fully emptied. The employee's right thigh was contaminated with aniline; the employee was treated for aniline poisoning and hospitalized.
An employee was attempting to unclog salt that was damp from recent humid weather. The salt was added to the process through a 10-inch-long pipe with a rotary gate valve at the end. The employee's finger was caught in the turning valve, resulting in an amputation.
An employee was changing mud cups in the hopper cylinders of a concrete pump truck. The cylinders moved and three of the employees fingers were amputated.
An employee was standing on the rig floor next to a polishing unit. His hand was placed on the polishing unit when the pump was lowered, resulting in amputation of their right thumb, ring, and middle fingertips.
An employee was using air to blow out the air wash to the blender and grinder station. As the employee reached to verify that the air wash was clean, the unit pinched and amputated their fingertip.
An employee was retrieving a lost drill pipe with a lifting bail when their left thumb got pinched between the table and handle of the lifting bail while trying to re-thread the pipe to lift it out. The employee suffered an amputation to the left thumb.
An employee was removing a core chuck from a stationary roll when their right ring finger was pinched between the chuck and the roll. The employee's fingertip was amputated.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 325130)
An employee connected a hose from a chemical tank car containing about 34,000 pounds of aniline to a dripless connection, then actuated the pumping system to transfer the aniline (Aminobenzene) into an onsite holding vessel. The employee was splashed with aniline while disconnecting the transfer hose after the tank car was fully emptied. The employee's right thigh was contaminated with aniline; the employee was treated for aniline poisoning and hospitalized.
On February 20, 2023, an employee was climbing down a 6-foot step ladder that was leaned against a pallet of material when the ladder moved, causing the employee to fall. They were hospitalized with a pelvis and elbow fracture.
An employee was stacking containers adjacent to a self-closing door. The door closed on the employee's pinky finger resulting in a fingertip amputation.
A flagger was directing traffic flow in a highway work zone. They were standing approximately 1.5 feet behind the shoulder's demarcating line, next to and slightly behind a traffic drum. As they were directing traffic into and out of the driveway of a parking lot, a car attempted to get around a truck and struck the traffic drum, which subsequently struck the employee, who was thrown 15 feet and landed on top of concrete aggregate. The employee suffered pelvic and rib fractures, T10 and L3 vertebra fractures, and internal bleeding.
An employee was troubleshooting a power washer in the field. Because there might have been water in its fuel, he brought it back to the shop and drained about a gallon of fuel from the tank into a plastic container. Some of the fuel spilled onto the floor and ignited. The employee was stomping out the fire when he lost his balance and tripped into a stool, which caused the plastic container to spill more fuel onto the fire. The employee's pants and shirt caught on fire, and he fell, abrading his knee while trying to get through the flames. As well as the knee abrasion, he suffered burns to the left leg and left lower quadrant of the torso. He was hospitalized.
An employee was backing up a tram (towing powered industrial equipment) to connect it to a trash bin. The employee's left forearm/wrist was caught and crushed between the tram and the bin. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee went to lift a carton and tripped on a different carton that was on the floor. She fell on the floor in the backroom and sustained a fractured right hip, and abrasions to her arm and knee. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.