U.S. Forest Service, Darrington Ranger District

An employee was performing an inspection of the seed warehouse when they fell 30 feet from a catwalk to the ground. The employee sustained facial injuries and a compound fracture to the left femur.

An employee was on a cherry picker approximately 30 feet high, selecting boxes of merchandise from warehouse racking to place onto a pallet. The employee fell and sustained neck and back injuries.

On November 6, 2023, an employee was installing roofing materials on a multi-residential construction site 35 feet above ground level. The anchor on the employee's personal fall arrest system became unattached and the employee fell to the ground. They sustained multiple fractures.

On October 12, 2023, an employee was stacking insulation on a roof when they fell 35 feet through a skylight to the concrete floor below. The employee sustained an ankle and pelvis fracture.

On the fifth or sixth floor deck, an employee was supervising iron workers who were measuring to place rebar. The employee was struck by a wooden tool box that was being lifted by a tower crane. The employee then struck a wooden fence and fell approximately 50 feet to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to both legs and lacerations.

An employee was loading the back of his truck with buckets of oil. As he was coming down off the truck, he slipped on a surface that was wet due to rain and fell about 3.5 feet to the ground, landing on his left elbow/arm. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured left humerus and required surgery.

On September 25, 2025, an employee climbed an aluminum extension ladder and was on top of the roof of a building She was walking around on the roof, inspecting and evaluating it. She was descending the ladder when the ladder slid to the right and twisted around as she hung onto it. She then fell 10-12 feet to the paved parking lot and the ladder landed on top of her. She sustained a fractured left collarbone, multiple other fractures, and had bruising to the left side of her abdomen.

An employee was supervising a crew as they felled a dangerous tree during a forest fire. The tree struck the employee as it fell, breaking bones.

An employee was riding a horse and leading several pack mules along a trail. A few mules started acting up, causing the horse to stir. The employee then fell off the horse and landed on a stiff woody protrusion that impacted her chest/rib area. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a punctured lung.

An employee was working on a tree thinning unit and was cutting a 6" diameter tree. During the back-cut when the chainsaw kicked back. The saw struck her, resulting in a 3-inch laceration on her left leg below the knee. She was hospitalized and required surgery.

An employee was drilling a hole into the sealed hold of a vessel so a marine chemist could test its atmosphere. Upon drilling the hole, a gas that was under pressure was released and caught fire at the drill motor, where the employee was holding it. The employee was burned.

An employee was performing restoration activities outside a 45-gallon condensation tank of a boiler system. As they were performing post-maintenance activities after repairing one of the two discharge pumps, one of the discharge valves would not open. The employee closed the intake pump to cool off the system and open the discharge valve. Two employees opened the inlet valve to return the tank to service. After they cracked open the inlet valve, a side wall of the tank blew out, causing the injured employee to suffer steam burns to half their body.

An employee was testing and troubleshooting the gang cylinder valve located in the gang area of the sawmill. The employee's fingertip was amputated by the gang cylinder valve.

An employee was unlocking containers on deck. The employee was de-lashing while standing on the edge of the lid. The lashing bar he was holding came off the cone, causing him to turn 90 degrees and strike a railing behind him. The employee sustained four fractured ribs.

An employee parked a side-by-side on the fixed internal ramp aboard a cargo ship. They exited the side-by-side and went to inspect the cargo below. The side-by-side rolled toward the employee and struck them as they were walking toward the edge of the ramp. The employee was knocked off the ramp and landed on the lower deck approximately 8 feet below. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured shoulder.