Pedal cycle incident, n.e.c · Skull fracture and intracranial injury
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Sumitomo Rubber USA, LLC, 10 Sheridan Drive, TONAWANDA, NEW YORK 14150
on — Skull fracture and intracranial injury, affecting the brain.
Final narrative
An employee was on a tricycle in the plant when the seat broke off. The employee grabbed at the handle bars and the tricycle tipped over backward. The employee struck their head on the concrete floor and sustained a fractured skull and concussion requiring hospitalization.
An employee was troubleshooting a tire building machine that had a bladder shaft jammed with a locking pin. The employee was turning the shaft with a wrench while his left index finger was inside the locking pin hole to determine the bladder shaft position. As the pressure on the bladder shaft was released, the locking pin fell back to home position, allowing the bladder shaft to retract. The employee's left index fingertip was amputated.
An employee was building tires on a machine when his right hand was caught between the shell and hub of the bladderless bead rings. The employee sustained amputations to their index finger and middle fingertip.
An employee was working on a fabric calendar line. As he was cleaning paint off a tension roller, the fabric caught his glove and pulled his left hand and forearm under the roller. He suffered a compound fracture to the forearm.
An employee was making a pizza delivery on an E-bike when the front tire fell off the bike, causing the employee to fall to the concrete ground and sustain a facial fracture.
An employee was walking down the stairs onto a sidewalk after delivering a package when they were struck by a bicycle, resulting in injuries that required hospitalization.
An employee rode a bike off the back of a truck that was approximately 4 feet off the ground. He fell off the bike and hit his face on the concrete, breaking his jaw.
On or about May 16, 2016, an employee was riding a mountain bike on a bike trail when he hit a jump and fell onto his bike. He was hospitalized and required surgery for possible internal injuries.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 326211)
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 adjusting a pallet on a conveyor when it came off the conveyor and struck his right ankle, breaking the tibia and fibula. The employee was hospitalized.
At 2:45 p.m., an employee was outside the plant during a break before his next shift. He was speaking with an associate when he suddenly fell from the third-level steps to the ground, striking his head on the concrete. The employee was hospitalized due to internal brain bleeding, a wound to the back of his head requiring staples, and heat-related dehydration.
Two employees were replacing a motor on an overhead conveyor. The old motor fell to the floor, causing a piece of the concrete floor to fly up and strike the injured employee in the face, around the eye. The injured employee sustained a right orbital fracture, a zygomatic arch fracture, and a sphenoid fracture. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
An employee was changing the bladder on a hydraulic press. As he lowered the bladder, his left foot was pinned between its bottom ring and the bottom mold of the press. The second toe on the foot was amputated.
An employee was operating a battery-powered broom to clean demolition debris off the top of the outermost bridge girder. The girder was approximately 11 feet above the demolition scaffold below. The employee fell approximately 8 feet to wind bracing below. The employee was hospitalized with a pelvis/tailbone fracture. Fall protection was in place at the time.
An employee slipped while descending in a stairwell, fell, and suffered multiple contusions/bruises to the head, neck, shoulders, knees, and back. She was hospitalized.
An employee was directing trucks as they entered and left a highway work zone. A vehicle struck them, resulting in multiple fractures and other injuries. The employee was hospitalized.