Struck by running powered equipment during maintenance, cleaning, testing · Amputations, avulsions, enucleations unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Plastipak Packaging, Inc., 4211 Amberjack Blvd., PLANT CITY, FLORIDA 33566
on — Amputations, avulsions, enucleations unspecified, affecting the Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s).
Final narrative
An employee was troubleshooting a loose chain on a conveyor belt when their left index finger was pulled into a sprocket and the fingertip was amputated.
Amputation Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s) Conveyors belt, slot, chain
On July 31, 2024, two employees were working to raise a base mold into its position on a blow molding machine. The injured employee lifted up on the base mold with his right hand and was holding the support when a second employee used a metal bar to lift the base into its fully-raised position. The injured employee's fingers were caught between the base support and the mold-holding unit resulting in the amputation of their right ring fingertip.
On September 8, 2022, an employee was installing the top rail on a guardrail system. The employee's right index finger was pinched between the guardrail and a post, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
On June 14, 2022, an employee was adjusting the height of the work table on the box strapper. The employee loosened the bolts on the carriage and had their left hand resting in the area beneath the unit. The table dropped, resulting in distal tip amputations to their middle and ring fingers.
An employee was doing maintenance work in a tunnel under a production line. The employee fell approximately 9 feet through an open manhole, landed on the concrete level below, and suffered neck and back injuries.
While taking a level reading from a silo, an employee stepped out and slipped on a mixture of condensation and mud. The employee fell to the ground and sustained three broken ankle bones.
A temporary employee turned off a planer machine, opened the housing, and began clearing a jam. The machine's spinning blade caught his right hand and degloved the index finger.
An employee was using a tool to remove a rag from a roll on the tube mill. The roll pulled the tool and the employee's right hand into the roll, resulting in a partial amputation of the little finger and a fracture to the index finger.
A production sanitation employee was pre-rinsing an incline conveyor and noticed cheese stuck between the belt idler. The employee went to remove the cheese and their glove got caught and pulled their left forearm into the conveyor. The employee's arm was fractured. The machine was not locked out/tagged out at the time.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 326199)
An employee was operating a drill and tap machine. He was placing a part with his right hand and removing a part coming in on the left side. He saw a part that was crooked and went to straighten it. The machine clamped down on his left index finger, degloving the top part of the finger and resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was performing maintenance on a roll cutting machine in a warehouse. The employee was removing excess grease from the bearings when the machine's chain caught their right index finger. The fingertip was amputated by the chain and sprocket.
During fiberglass work, an employee mixed a methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) catalyst with a cobalt chemical that they thought was a dye. A chemical reaction occurred, resulting in an explosion. The employee sustained second-degree burns on his back and a blister on his right arm.
An employee was walking when she tripped over a box on the ground and fell. The employee was hospitalized with a severe dislocation to the hip and leg that required surgery.
An employee was helping a coworker transport a tall palm tree with a mini skid steer. The employee was severely shocked by a high-voltage electrical wire above the ground.
An employee was retrieving a Christmas tree from a shelf using a ladder. He missed a step and fell to the concrete floor. He sustained injury to his head and wrist.
An employee was operating an agricultural tractor during sugarcane harvesting. The employee sustained a lumbar sprain due to vibration or motion from the tractor.
An employee was moving a 3-ton condensing unit, strapped down on a dolly, out of a garage. The strap broke, causing the employee to fall backward onto the brick pavered driveway. The employee suffered injury to a spinal ligament in the neck.