Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., 2000 NW HIGHWAY 24, TOPEKA, KANSAS 66618
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
Two mechanics were working to replace bearings on a cooling rack on a mixer. The mechanics were rotating the chain around the sprocket by hand to get to the master link chain. The chain slipped and an employee's right hand was caught between the chain and the sprocket resulting in amputation of the middle fingertip.
AmputationFingertip(s)Special process machinery, n.e.c.
More severe injuries at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
An employee was operating a golf cart when the employee's knee struck an I-beam, fracturing the patella. The employee's knee was outside the vehicle at the time of the incident.
An employee had hooked his powered industrial vehicle (PIV) onto an empty rolling rack that is used to haul tire components. While attempting to pull it out, the tip of his right index finger was smashed between the empty rack and the light pole on the PIV. The right index fingertip was surgically removed.
An employee was finishing a curing cycle and removing a steam line from a pot heater. The line was still under pressure at the time and the steam released, contacting the employee and causing second degree burns to the thigh and crotch area.
An employee was placing extruded rubber into a storage rack when a broken spring caused a section of the rack to fall uncontrollably, pinching the employee's right middle finger between two sections of the rack. The employee's fingertip, including the nailbed, was amputated.
An employee was rolling a roll of liner so he could lift it using a forklift. The roll slipped off the carrier and injured the employee's lower left leg.
An employee was operating a forklift and unloading a truck. After the truck was unloaded, the employee got off the forklift and proceeded to adjust the dock plate with a hook tool. The dock plate slipped and the employee went to adjust the plate with their hand when their left middle finger got caught. Their finger was amputated above the first joint.
An employee was rotating a carbide granulator blade when his finger was caught between the blade and a stationary part of the machine. The employee's right middle finger was partially amputated and they suffered an avulsion to the right ring fingertip.
An employee was using a CNC metal lathe machine in manual mode to check that the thread blocking tool made contact with the jaws. As the employee was manually spinning the spindle, his index fingertip was crushed between the spindle's jaws and the grooving insert, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
During a material handling operation, an employee's fingertip was caught under an air conditioning unit as the unit was lowered onto a cart. The employee's fingertip was amputated.
An employee was removing a bolt from a tractor hub when their right index finger was caught between the hub and the frame. The employee's fingertip was crushed and the employee was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 326211)
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 adjusting a pallet on a conveyor when it came off the conveyor and struck his right ankle, breaking the tibia and fibula. The employee was hospitalized.
At 2:45 p.m., an employee was outside the plant during a break before his next shift. He was speaking with an associate when he suddenly fell from the third-level steps to the ground, striking his head on the concrete. The employee was hospitalized due to internal brain bleeding, a wound to the back of his head requiring staples, and heat-related dehydration.
Two employees were replacing a motor on an overhead conveyor. The old motor fell to the floor, causing a piece of the concrete floor to fly up and strike the injured employee in the face, around the eye. The injured employee sustained a right orbital fracture, a zygomatic arch fracture, and a sphenoid fracture. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
An employee was changing the bladder on a hydraulic press. As he lowered the bladder, his left foot was pinned between its bottom ring and the bottom mold of the press. The second toe on the foot was amputated.
An employee was working to remove a product blockage from a piece of equipment. The employee was struck by a metal bar near the deck of the pin mixer equipment and sustained blunt force trauma to the torso.
An employee was moving a rack onto a lower conveyor in the south heat treat area when their finger got caught between the part tray and the rollers, resulting in a fingertip fracture and amputation.
An employee was climbing a ladder to get on top of the breakroom. The ladder slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to his upper back, left foot, and ankle.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee bent over to pick up a rubber mat from the ground. When he grabbed the corner of the mat, a rattlesnake hidden under it bit his left middle finger near the first knuckle. He was hospitalized.