SOUTHWEST STEEL PROCESSING, LLC

An employee was attempting to remove bolts from the dye machine on the main press line using a torque wrench. When the trigger was pressed, their right index finger got caught between the tool and the surface of the machine, resulting in amputation at the first knuckle.

An employee was using a ratchet puller to remove a clutch plate off a press while standing on a 10-foot portable ladder when he fell to the ground below, fracturing his left heel and right ankle.

An employee climbed a ladder to put a chain on the trim press. On the way up the ladder, the employee opened the electrical box of the trim press to make sure nothing was wrong with the electrical box. He did not close the door of the electrical box after checking it, but continued up the ladder to replace the chain. On the way down the ladder, after he changed the chain, the employee grazed the electrical box with his shoulder, shocking him and causing him to fall approximately six feet.

An employee was using his left hand to push an axle down the line on a raised track work area while holding the remaining axle back with his right hand. A finger on his right hand was caught between the rail and the dust guard of the axle, resulting in a fracture and a laceration.

An employee was moving metal out of a cart. He had removed one piece and was working to move another when the metal shifted. His right ring finger was crushed between the two pieces, and he suffered a partial amputation to the finger pad at the tip.

A load of steel angles was being lowered when the lifting chain hit the load, causing it to slide toward an employee. An angle slid and pinched the employee, catching both of their legs between the beams and an angle. The employee suffered two fractured legs.

Employees were replacing a 24" pig trap door. A strap was shackled on the pig trap door and connected to a forklift. Welders began to cut the door off. An employee was holding onto the door when the cut was finished. The door shifted and caught his fingers, resulting in a hand injury and amputation.

An employee used a crane to set down a bar. The bar measured 9 inches by 16 feet. The strap got stuck under the bar, and the employee asked another employee to jog the roll. The bar rolled and pinched the injured employee's left hand, resulting in a fingertip amputation.

An employee used a crane to set down a bar. The bar measured 9 inches by 16 feet. The strap got stuck under the bar, and the employee asked another employee to jog the roll. The bar rolled and pinched the injured employee's left hand, resulting in a fingertip amputation.

An employee was loading a steel forming machine with steel to be processed. He went to move a cooling hose out of the way and his left thumb was crushed by the forming roller, resulting in injuries that required surgical amputation.

An employee was advancing a rail to line up for welding with a secondary rail on the weld line when his right middle and ring fingers were caught between the rails. The employee sustained an amputation to the top knuckle of the middle finger and a fracture to the ring finger. The machine was guarded at the time.

An employee was working near molten metal and experienced heat illness symptoms including cramps. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was preparing bundles of 24-foot square metal tubing to be loaded onto a truck and cut the safety band for a bundle. While the employee was removing a piece of dunnage from a bundle, they bumped the bundle with their leg. The metal tubing then fell forward and struck the employee, causing a fractured left ankle.

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.

An employee was helping two other employees to push a pallet of tile on a loading dock. He suffered a broken fibula and was hospitalized.

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.