Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies/AERT, 810 JEFFERSON, SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS 72764
on — Amputations, affecting the finger(s), fingernail(s), unspecified.
Final narrative
A temporary employee was cleaning debris on a conveyor belt with his left hand when the belt caught his glove and pulled his index finger into the conveyor, resulting in an amputation.
Two employees were repairing the hydraulic engagement pins on a rented front-end wheel loader. The machine controls were activated to move the attachment pins and an employee's finger was caught between the pins and the bushings. Their right index finger was partially amputated.
An employee was cleaning the conveyor on a piece of equipment when they slipped and their right hand was pulled into the chain sprocket. The employee's fifth fingertip was amputated.
An employee was throwing blankets onto a blanket folding and stacking machine. A blanket got stuck in the machine and she attempted to remove it when the machine contacted her right little finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 321219)
Two employees were investigating smoke originating from a screw at the base of a dry fuel silo. While they were in the ground-level hopper area, a dust explosion occurred. Both employees were burned. One suffered burns to both arms, the face, and the left side of the torso; the other was burned on the face and chest, as well as suffering circumferential burns to the arms.
At 8:00 a.m. on April 22, 2025, an employee was responding to a tracking fault on the bottom head of a six-head sander. While he was straightening the belt, his right hand was pulled in, wedged, and lacerated. He was hospitalized.
On January 20, 2025, an employee was walking between buildings when they slipped on ice and fell. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to their left tibia and fibula.
An employee was swapping motor leads to change the rotation on a river well pump motor when an arc flash occurred. The employee sustained second-degree burns to their hands and forearms.
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.