Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at West Virginia Pipeline, Inc., 300 Pipeline Road, PRINCETON, WEST VIRGINIA 24739
on — Heat (thermal) burns, unspecified, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
On December 12, 2022, an employee was tying over a gas line using an impact gun when the gun caused sparks that resulted in a flash fire. The employee suffered burns to their face and hands.
HospitalizedMultiple body parts, n.e.c.Coal, natural gas, petroleum fuels and products, unspecified
More severe injuries at West Virginia Pipeline, Inc.
An employee was standing behind a backhoe monitoring the work and waiting to gather broken asphalt. The backhoe's brake system dislodged and the equipment rolled backward about 5 feet and over the employee's right foot, resulting in fractures to his metatarsals. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was performing oversight for the welding of a pipeline launcher door on a construction project. Two welders were performing arc welding, one on the interior diameter of the pipeline launcher door, and the other on the outside diameter of the launcher door when a flash fire occurred. The injured employee sustained first- and second-degree burns to the face, neck, back, and hands.
While on a scissor lift, an employee was grinding a steel pipe. Sparks from the grinder ignited some nearby rags that had been used to apply coating treatments to the pipe. This fire subsequently ignited the employee's clothing. The employee sustained burns to approximately 46% of their body and was hospitalized.
An employee was working in an area where another company was also working. The other company's employees were using an electric hydraulic pump to remove the bolts of the frac valve. The wiring of the torque wrench and pump unit were then charred and a flash fire occurred. The employee sustained second-degree burns to their face and neck.
On October 17, 2023, an employee was at a sink while using a solvent to unclog a vacuum trap dip tube that contained solids from pinacolborane distillation. During this process, the sink caught on fire and the solvent bottle containing tert-butyl methyl ether fell into the burning sink. The employee attempted to remove the solvent bottle which also caught on fire and suffered burns to their neck and left hand.
An employee was under a railcar cleaning up dust with a vacuum hose. The hose caused a spark that caused a flash fire that ignited the employee's clothing. The employee sustained second- and third-degree burns over 83% of his body.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 237110)
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.
On October 7, 2025, employees were conducting trenching operations for the installation of a new sewer line system. The excavator's bucket was detached and put inside the trench as it was being exchanged for a different-sized bucket. An employee entered the trench with a shovel to move some dirt located at the front end of the pipe. The excavator bucket shifted and slid, striking the employee s right foot and trapping it against the ground. The employee sustained a fractured right tibia.
Employees were working to dislodge a large truck that was stuck in a rut using tow straps and a front-end loader with the bucket removed. An employee connected the straps to the loader and truck and another employee slowly engaged the loader to close the coupler. The injured employee's arm became caught in a pinch point. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured arm.
An employee was lifting a piece of 30-inch line stopping equipment using a jack screw. A lifting eye weld snapped and the load dropped. The end of the jack screw then landed on the employee's heel and crushed it. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was conducting routine maintenance on a mixer. New lid pins had been installed, and the employee was rotating by hand to ensure they had been installed correctly. The employee's left middle finger was caught between the lid and top of a pin. The momentum from the mixer continued, causing a crushing injury to the finger. The employee underwent a medical amputation from the top knuckle to the tip of the finger.
An employee was climbing down a 15-foot multipurpose ladder. The employee fell about 8 feet, landing on the concrete floor and the ladder itself. The employee suffered several injuries, all on the right side: broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken temporal bone, broken shoulder, multiple fractures to the cheekbone, and a brain bleed.
An employee was rolling up the landing gear on his trailer when the handle began to unwind and struck his face, fracturing his jaw. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.