Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at CHS, Inc., 41380 257th Street, MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA 57301
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was repairing a tire on a piece of machinery. The employee was attempting to pry rubber back to replace a seal when the prybar slipped and caused the tip of his left index finger to be pinched between the two-piece metal rim, resulting in the amputation of flesh.
On May 16, 2024, at 3:25 PM, an employee was loading guardrail components onto the forks of a forklift in an outdoor area when he slipped and fell to the ground, resulting in a fractured left leg that required hospitalization and surgery.
Two employees were riding in a utility task vehicle when a front wheel locked up during a turn. The vehicle turned onto its side, and the employee who was a passenger suffered a broken leg and required surgery.
An employee fell from a water truck's working platform to the ground 43 inches below, striking their head on the concrete floor. The employee suffered broken ribs and a brain bleed.
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 493130)
An employee was helping clean the bag house. He checked under the auger in the dust collection system to feel for airflow. His right hand was sucked up into the auger blade, resulting in amputation of the middle finger to the distal joint. Surgery was required to amputate to the finger to the second knuckle.
On August 22, 2025, an employee was working to remove a blockage of grain from a spout in the basement. The gate was manually closed from the floor above to stop the flow of grain to the leg. The gate closed down on the employee, causing the amputation of their left middle fingertip.
An employee was walking with a pole hand tool when he slipped on fertilizer product that was on the floor and fell backward. The employee sustained fractured ribs and a collapsed right lung.
On June 22, 2025, at approximately 4:30 PM, an employee was working in a field with knife-style anhydrous applicator equipment used to fertilize corn. The employee inhaled anhydrous ammonia. The employee had difficulty breathing and speaking. They were hospitalized with a respiratory tract injury/irritation.
An employee was moving a tensile strength test device with a dolly. The device fell from the dolly onto the employee's right leg, causing a compound fracture.
An employee was walking past a crossover conveyor when a ramp came down and hit them in the back. The employee sustained a broken back vertebra, as well as a concussion, and was hospitalized.
An employee was using a hook tool to pull a pallet onto the lift gate of a tractor trailer. The hook detached from the underside of the pallet, causing the employee to fall backward off the lift gate. The employee landed on the concrete parking lot about 5 feet below, suffering fractures to the skull and two thoracic vertebrae.
An employee was walking on a truss table when he lost his balance and fell approximately 3 feet to the floor. The employee sustained a dislocated and fractured left ankle.