Struck by object or equipment, unspecified · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Taylor Forge Engineered Systems, 208 N. Iron, PAOLA, KANSAS 66071
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
Two employees were using an overhead crane to set a flange onto a pallet. They set the flange on 2x4 pieces of wood so they could get the hooks out from the flange. The employees then used a magnet to pick up the edge of the flange to remove the 2x4's from underneath. The magnet came loose and came down on the injured employee's left little finger, amputating the fingertip.
An employee was checking the function of newly installed actuators when they were struck by a pressurized release pipe. The employee suffered fractures to the orbital socket and shoulder, requiring hospitalization.
An employee was completing a service call and looking at a water pump when the pump cover plate struck their forehead. The employee sustained a forehead laceration and fracture requiring hospitalization.
An employee was removing chains from a steel tube. A sorting hook attachment was caught on the staging area cross member. When he raised the chains, the sorting hook snapped back and struck the employee's face causing a fractured jaw.
An employee was in the sawmill basement using a push broom and shovel to clean wood chips and sawdust. The employee's right arm was struck by a wooden board between the wrist and elbow, resulting in a fracture.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 332312)
On October 21, 2025, an employee was operating a saw when a pneumatic clamp caught their right middle finger. The employee suffered a partial amputation to the finger.
An employee completed an end cut on a metal shim and started transferring the metal shim from the saw conveyor to two saw horses in the area. The employee set one end of the shim (7 feet long x 8 inches wide, weighing 218 pounds) on one of the saw horses, then slid the other end onto the other saw horse and the shim fell from the first saw horse. The employee's left index fingertip was pinched between the saw horse and the shim, resulting in a skin avulsion. The fingertip was amputated later.
An employee was using a crane to move a 44-foot, 3,343-pound I-beam. As the beam was moving west, it straightened out (north to south), beginning to swing south toward the northwest corner of a building. The crane then sent the beam southward, directly toward the corner of the building. The beam caught the tips of the employee's left index, middle, and ring fingers against the building. The last joints of the middle and ring fingers were amputated, and the last joint of the index finger was partially crushed.
An employee was moving steel beams with an overhead crane when the bundle struck a bollard and became unstable. As the employee reached to stop the material from shifting, his thumb was pinched in-between the beams, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was rigging a steel joist to be lifted by a crane. The joist fell and pinned the employee against the concrete ground. The employee sustained fractures to multiple ribs, his right arm, right tibia, and an open fracture to his right ankle, as well as a dislocated right hip.
An employee was working to remove a product blockage from a piece of equipment. The employee was struck by a metal bar near the deck of the pin mixer equipment and sustained blunt force trauma to the torso.
An employee was moving a rack onto a lower conveyor in the south heat treat area when their finger got caught between the part tray and the rollers, resulting in a fingertip fracture and amputation.
An employee was climbing a ladder to get on top of the breakroom. The ladder slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to his upper back, left foot, and ankle.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee bent over to pick up a rubber mat from the ground. When he grabbed the corner of the mat, a rattlesnake hidden under it bit his left middle finger near the first knuckle. He was hospitalized.