Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Georgia-Pacific, 4411 Midland Blvd, FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS 72904
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
On June 16, 2023, at 7:45 AM, an employee was operating a plate forming press and went to remove a piece of tape from inside the machine. The machine cycled and amputated their left ring fingertip.
On 7/17/2021, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a temporary employee was operating a battery powered pallet jack. While walking backward, he tripped over the forks of a parked forklift. The pallet jack continued moving, rolling up onto his right leg and fracturing the ankle and foot. The employee was hospitalized.
A maintenance employee was servicing a piston cylinder when the rod and rod head came loose from the framework holding it. He and another maintenance employee were lifting the cylinder with a hoist and the cylinder head fell approximately 20-24" and struck the employee's left ring finger, causing a fracture and a partial degloving. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
A coater operator was working at a board machine, adjusting the coater wipe at the coater rolls. The rolls caught the employee's right forearm, crushing it. He was hospitalized and his right hand was surgically amputated.
An employee was sharpening peeler blades when their shirt was caught in the grinding wheel. The employee sustained tendon damage and a crushed right hand.
An employee was preparing to cut lumber on a panel saw when the clamp engaged and caught the employee's left middle finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 322220)
An employee was working to clean a glue roller with a scraper tool. The tool and the employee's left thumb were pinched between two rollers, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was shadowing coworkers while in training on the wide extrusion line. The employee went to clean the roller with a rag and cleaner when his right index finger got caught between a powered roller and a rubber roller. The employee sustained an amputation to a finger.
While operating a machine, an employee noticed that a piece of plastic material was stuck to a chrome roll. The employee was removing the plastic when their arm came into contact with the rollers. The employee suffered a contusion to the upper arm between the elbow and the shoulder.
On June 9, 2025, a machine operator was using a sorting machine to sort/clean plastic sheets. While she was freeing stuck sheets on the lift table, the table engaged and crushed her against the top railing, trapping her torso. The employee was hospitalized with contusions to her back.
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.