Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at SMS Group LLC, Big River Steel, OSCEOLA, ARKANSAS 72370
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was using an overhead crane to load a roll. The employee had the crane's remote in his right hand while lining the hoist strap up with his left hand. The strap tightened and pinched his left index and middle fingers against the roll, amputating both fingertips.
An employee was installing a split ring onto a roll. As the employee went to reposition and remove the key, the chocking table was activated. This caused the roll to shift and catch the employee's left finger between the roll neck and the chock in the key area of the roll neck. The employee sustained amputation of the left index finger.
An employee was sharpening peeler blades when their shirt was caught in the grinding wheel. The employee sustained tendon damage and a crushed right hand.
An employee was preparing to cut lumber on a panel saw when the clamp engaged and caught the employee's left middle finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 333249)
An employee was cleaning the floor by a belt conveyor when their right arm contacted the pulley/belting. His arm was pulled into the conveyor assembly, resulting in a fracture to his upper arm.
A backhoe tractor was moving gravel into a 1-foot-deep trench, and an employee was helping spread the gravel. The trench had been partly filled and the tractor was returning to it with a load of stone when its raised bucket struck the employee, who was standing in the trench. He was hospitalized, having suffered an abdominal injury that caused internal bleeding.
An employee was inside the frame of a traveling water screen that was up on sawhorses. The employee was working to fit a foot-shaft assembly onto the boot section when their left index finger was crushed and fractured between the sprocket and the set collar or chain. The fingertip was amputated.
On July 26, 2025, an employee was assembling a custom-designed automation line. During troubleshooting, he made contact with a photoelectric sensor that was part of the machine s part detection system. This triggered a small pneumatic crimping cylinder, which activated and came down on the tip of his right thumb, resulting in a partial amputation without bone loss.
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.