Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source · Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at GFL Environmental Services USA, Inc., 13737 Plant Road, ALPINE, ALABAMA 35014
on — Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified, affecting the hand(s) and arm(s), n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was using a torch to repair a roll-off tarp arm. The employee lit the torch using his right hand and used his left hand to turn the knobs in order to regulate the oxygen and acetylene. The oxygen hose came apart and caught on fire, resulting in the employee's glove catching on fire as well. The employee received burns to his palm and lower arm.
HospitalizedHand(s) and arm(s), n.e.c.Belts, gloves, neckties, scarves
More severe injuries at GFL Environmental Services USA, Inc.
On November 30, 2023, an employee was getting out of a waste disposal truck on the passenger side. The employee fell, suffered a broken left hip, and was hospitalized.
An employee was welding metal parts. The employee turned to the left and their work uniform came in contact with the location on the part that had just been welded. The employee's uniform ignited, causing burns to their shoulder and back.
An employee was welding steel dump ramp slides. He leaned over and a previous weld caught his hoodie on fire. The employee sustained burns on his left side from the armpit to the waistline.
An employee was using a fiber wheel to cut a 55-gallon drum to make a trash can. As they were cutting, sparks flew into the barrel and fire came out of a hole on the barrel, catching the employee's shirt on fire. The employee sustained burns to their abdomen and chest, requiring hospitalization.
An employee was removing tubing caps and cleaning tubing ends with solvent. Their flame-resistant pants became soaked with the cleaning solvent and were ignited by a propane torch used for removing tubing caps. The employee was hospitalized with burns to their legs.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 562211)
An employee was backing up a garbage truck at a landfill to empty the truck. A concrete platform gave way, causing the vehicle to slide down into the landfill pit 20 feet below. The employee was flung backward and forward, hitting his head on the dashboard of the vehicle. The employee was hospitalized with a concussion.
An employee was kneeling beneath a loading dock, inspecting the area for future installation of an automatic dock plate. The existing manual dock plate fell off the dock and onto the employee, fracturing their hip.
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 descending a ladder. As he stepped down, his foot landed on a pipe, which caused him to lose traction and fall. He sustained multiple torn ligaments, a shattered tibia, and a compound fracture to the heel bone. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was unloading a truckload of sulfuric acid/soda ash water mixture at a water treatment plant. Residual mixture in a hose cap spilled onto his right forearm, burning it. He was hospitalized.
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.