Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Army Test and Evaluation Command, Bldg. 100 White Sands Missile Range, WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, NEW MEXICO 88002
on — Amputations, affecting the fingertip(s).
Final narrative
An employee was setting and securing a liftgate on the back of a pickup truck when their left index and middle fingers were crushed. The employee's fingertips were medically amputated.
An employee was climbing down from a tractor trailer bed when they lost their footing and grabbed onto the roll-up door to stop the fall. The roll-up door then fell onto the employee's hand, resulting in a hand fracture that required surgery.
An employee was attempting to remove a tarp from a flatbed trailer when the trailer handle struck the employee in the chest, resulting in two broken ribs and a punctured lung.
An employee was near a backhoe while the operator was getting a broom. The broom handle struck the lever that actuates the swing of the backhoe bucket. The bucket then struck the injured employee, pinning him to the outrigger. The employee suffered crush injuries to the chest.
The injured employee was being trained on loading trucks in the load out bay. The injured employee and his supervisor climbed the stairs that run parallel to the truck and trailer, walked to the upper platform used for observation and sample taking, and saw that the lid of the grain trailer was closed. The employees began working to open the lid which appeared to be stuck due to cold weather. The injured employee pulled on one of the pivot arms that connect the lid to the main body of the trailer. As the lid began to open, the employee s right hand slipped down on the pivot arm and his index finger was caught between the pivot arm and the base of the pivot arm. The employee s right index finger was fractured and three nerves were severed. The employee was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 541713)
An employee was removing a block of wood from a hydraulic table cart when the platform came down on his left middle finger, catching it against the cart and resulting in a fingertip amputation.
An employee was servicing an exterior mounted environmental control unit while on a 10-foot ladder. He pushed through a pre-made knockout hole on the panel. Upon bringing his arm down, a sharp area along the panel frame lacerated the top of his hand. The employee required surgery.
On 7/31/2025, an employee was training to ride an ATV when it went into a draw and she went over the front of the ATV, landing on the ground. The employee sustained a fractured arm.
An employee was standing behind a frac pump. A discharge hose failed and the employee was burned by hot water on the left upper abdomen. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee working as a contracted firefighter was using a bulldozer to push back an active fire line when they became entrapped in flames, resulting in first- and second-degree burns.
An employee was assisting with the delivery of pipe racks to the drilling rig. The driver was releasing the tie-down lock straps that were holding the pipe racks on the trailer. When the last strap was released, one of the pipe racks rolled off the trailer and struck the employee while they were on the passenger side of the trailer bed. The employee sustained an open wound to the hand and fractures to their left leg and spine.