Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Amputations
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Tarkett USA, Inc., 16077 Industrial Parkway, MIDDLEFIELD, OHIO 44062
on — Amputations, affecting the Finger(s), fingernail(s), unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee was working as a color weighman operator. The employee located the weigh station hopper and removed the vent sock and clamps to access the inside of the hopper through the vent hole. After using a pole to clear the bottom of the hopper, the employee reached through the vent hole to access the top of the hopper. The employee's right hand came in contact with the rotary air lock, causing partial amputations to two fingers.
An employee was adjusting a tuft of carpet as it entered a rolling machine. The employee's safety vest was pinched by a protruding gear shaft, and she was pulled into the machine. The employee sustained a fractured humerus and was hospitalized for surgery.
An employee was backing up a stand-up forklift. The employee's arm was crushed between the forklift and a pillar, causing an open wound from the wrist to above the elbow. The employee required surgery.
An employee was driving a fork truck. As his truck and another one approached each other, the employee's left foot was caught between the two. The foot was severely injured and the employee was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was attempting to clear a jam inside a dust collector chute when a rotating part in the chute amputated three of the employee's fingertips.
On December 31, 2023, an employee was performing sanitation on a packer conveyor and was walking in the passageway when their shirt collar was pulled into the conveyor above the passageway. The employee was strangled and became unconscious. The conveyor was not guarded at the time.
On 12/25/2023, at approximately 1:00 PM, a converting pulp mill was plugged up. An employee was going to use compressed air to clean the machine. He thought he dropped a baffle behind the teeth of the machine. When he reached for the baffle, his cut-resistant glove was caught by the teeth (blades). The employee sustained a laceration and partial amputation to the right index finger.
An employee was clearing a jam in a surge hopper when they sustained a right wrist fracture, three finger amputations, and a laceration. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
A maintenance employee was conducting repairs on the conveyor belt of an automatic palletizer. The employee's shirt fell in front of a sensor causing the equipment to energize. The employee's right middle finger was caught by chains within the conveyor belt motor resulting in a partial amputation.
On December 14, 2023, an employee was clearing a jam on the exit roll of a sander when a belt grabbed his glove through an opening in the guard, pulling his left middle finger into a pulley and resulting in a fingertip amputation.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 493110)
On October 30, 2025, an employee was working to adjust a stackable metal shipping container. As the container dropped into place, it caught the employee's hands in an area between the upper and lower cross-members. The employee suffered a laceration to the left ring finger that required stitches, bruising to the right ring finger, and fractures to the right middle finger that necessitated medical amputation of the fingertip.
An employee was operating an extruder and performing a spool swap over from the right spindle to the left spindle. After rewiring the new spool, the employee's clothing got caught in the turning shaft when the left spindle started back up. The employee's left arm was pulled into the machine, resulting in a fractured humerus and lacerations to her triceps. She was hospitalized and required surgery.
An employee was resetting a warehouse racking system utilizing an order picker. They fell approximately 5 feet from the order picker to the concrete floor and sustained fractured ribs.
An employee was working to deliver mail to an apartment building. She was waiting for a customer to move, to obtain clearance to the mailboxes. The door swung inward and closed on her right little finger. The top half of her finger was surgically amputated.
An employee fell from a step ladder while reaching for a tie-off point. He impacted the ground, and landed on his bolt bag which contained tools. The employee was hospitalized with fractured ribs, and a lacerated spleen and kidney.
On October 30, 2025, an employee was working to adjust a stackable metal shipping container. As the container dropped into place, it caught the employee's hands in an area between the upper and lower cross-members. The employee suffered a laceration to the left ring finger that required stitches, bruising to the right ring finger, and fractures to the right middle finger that necessitated medical amputation of the fingertip.
An employee was moving a scissor lift through a doorway. The employee was pinned between the scissor lift and the doorframe, sustained a back injury, and was hospitalized.
An employee was setting up communication equipment for a meeting. They were walking and tripped over a speaker on the ground. The employee sustained a leg injury.