Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Kinder Morgan, 7725 CR 142, BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS 72315
on — Fractures, affecting the multiple leg locations, n.e.c. .
Final narrative
On August, 18 2022, at 3:57 PM, three employees were preparing to unload a barge. The barge cable broke and struck the employees. Employee 1 sustained a fractured femur and tibia. Employee 2 sustained a hairline fracture to the spine. Employee 3 sustained a hairline fracture to the tailbone. All three employees were hospitalized.
On August 18, 2025, an employee was lifting a box weighing approximately 30 pounds to prepare it for shipping. He turned to place the box on a bench behind him and felt a pop in his back that caused immediate pain. The employee was hospitalized for herniated discs and required surgery.
An employee was removing a trailer hitch and caught their left middle finger between the tongue of the trailer and the trailer jack, resulting in an amputation to the finger.
Three employees were changing out a belt on a residual cooling fan when the injured employee's middle finger got caught between the belt and pulley. The employee sustained a fingertip amputation.
An employee was diagnosing an alarm on a compressor skid. They were changing out a liquid level switch on the natural gas compressor system when there was a flash fire/explosion. The employee sustained burns to their face and ear, and severe burns to both hands. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was assisting with loading product (sacks of dirt) onto a barge. The sack of dirt swung and pinched the employee between it and other sets of product on the barge. The employee suffered a neck compression injury and was knocked unconscious.
An employee was on a barge adjacent to a lift that was being tested. As the load was lowered, a nylon stiffener broke free from existing structural steel and fell 80 feet, striking the employee in the right forearm. The employee sustained two broken bones in the forearm.
An employee was offloading cargo from the hatch of a motor vessel onto a dock when the cargo (bagged cement) struck the employee and caused them to contact a nearby hatch wall. The employee sustained injuries to their neck, right lower back and right leg.
An employee was walking across the barge when they stepped across a barge gunnel lid that was hidden due to coal spillage. The lid came up and struck the employee, resulting in abdominal bruising.
An employee was climbing up an A-frame ladder to gain overhead access to install ship ventilation equipment. The employee's safety glasses bumped the sprinkler head diffuser, which knocked his glasses off and caused a laceration to his left lower eyelid and an injury to the sclera.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 488320)
While preparing to install a new spool piece for a vapor and spent sulfuric acid line, an employee was working to ensure there was no residual product or pressure in the line before removing the 6-inch hose. The valve was cracked, and some spent acid still in the line sprayed out. The employee was standing off to the side and at a distance, but was still contacted by the hot acid, resulting in corrosive and thermal burns to their upper torso and mid-thighs of both legs.
An employee was driving a utility tractor rig when it struck the rear trailer of another utility tractor rig, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The glancing impact caused damage to the cab, and he sustained a laceration on right side of his face, a cervical fracture, two fractured left ribs, and a pelvic fracture. The employee was hospitalized.
The injured employee was standing by the controls for the electric spud system on the barge, preparing to raise the spuds. Meanwhile, an excavator was moving a mat on the deck. As the excavator swung from port to starboard, it's counterweight struck the injured employee s shoulder, causing them to lose balance and fall against the spud controls. The employee sustained bruises and contusions to their right shoulder and chest.
An employee was standing on the outside edge of a hopper barge while watching a skid steer push ore for an excavator (with a clamshell bucket) to unload. The excavator was on a work barge. The bucket of the excavator struck the employee and caused a near-amputation of their right arm and fractures of the ulna and radius of the left arm. The right arm required surgery.
An employee was inspecting a conveyor to see why it was not running. The employee entered the the conveyor motor area, tripped on a piece of angle iron welded to the floor, and fell. The employee sustained a fractured orbital bone.
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.