Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids · Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at PLUG POWER INC, Wal Mart Distribution Center, PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA 73075
on — Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns, affecting the forearm(s).
Final narrative
Employees were replacing a check valve at the hydrogen pad. An employee was using wrenches to undo a fitting on a stainless steel line that carries hydrogen gas when hydrogen gas released and something caused a flash fire. The employee sustained second-and third-degree burns to their forearms.
An employee was retrieving a part off of a storage rack in a maintenance area. When she turned around, she tripped on a battery puller cart and landed on her knee, resulting in a fractured kneecap.
Employees were pulling cables through a stationary unit under the 200-pound battery storage tray. The injured employee's hand was on top of the battery tray to assist with the cabling. The tray was sitting on the frame and had not yet been secured in place and was cantilevered. The tray tipped and slid down toward the employee's foot pinning it against a nearby part, causing a compound fracture of the right tibia.
An employee was cleaning a cordless drill. As they applied brake fluid to the drill and pulled the trigger, the fluid ignited. The employee suffered burns to the face, hands, and arms.
An employee was spraying glue to the floor of an enclosed cargo trailer. The fumes made contact with the heater causing a flash fire. The employee suffered burns to their face and right hand.
An employee was replacing a valve in the gas line to the fryer. The shutoff valve malfunctioned resulting in a gas leak that then ignited. The employee sustained burns requiring hospitalization.
An employee turned a corner while walking, tripped over the corner of a pallet on the floor, fell onto her arm, and broke it. She was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was moving a transformer from inside a shop. He was rolling it down a ramp when it tipped over onto his right foot and big toe, resulting in crush injuries and a laceration.
Employees were moving an electrical cabinet by using two wheeled equipment skates. One of the wheels of the skates became caught in a crack in the floor, causing the equipment to tip over and land on an employee's right foot. The employee's foot was fractured.
An employee was using an industrial magnet to lift and maneuver a weldment. While the frame was being set down on the welding table, the magnet disengaged prematurely; the frame fell and crushed the employee's left ring and middle fingers. The employee underwent medical amputations to the middle finger (at the first knuckle) and the ring finger (just past the second knuckle).
An employee was working on an order when they were struck by a forklift. This caused the employee to bump into a machine. The employee suffered a laceration to the right thigh, requiring hospitalization.
An employee was helping to move a 1,300-pound coil on a cart. The steel caster hit a crack in the concrete, the weld holding the caster onto the cart broke, and the coil and cart tipped over onto the employee. He was hospitalized with a laceration on his forehead and a pelvic fracture on his right side.
An employee was working in the food service warehouse when he experienced chest pain, difficulty breathing, and lost consciousness. The employee sustained carbon monoxide poisoning.
An employee was cutting a piece of metal rod with a metal cutting machine. His right middle finger became caught between the rod and the machine's table. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated.
An employee was working at her desk. She went to stand up and fell to the floor beside the desk. The employee sustained a hip displacement and required surgery.
An employee was processing wood boards at a chop saw when the saw malfunctioned and the blade cut her left hand and fingers. She was hospitalized and her little finger was surgically amputated.