Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at SPARTECH LLC, 2500 Spartech Dr., CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI 63701
on — Amputations, avulsions, enucleations unspecified, affecting the Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s).
Final narrative
While trying to remove dust from a hopper, an employee sustained a partial amputation to his left ring fingertip. The equipment was running at the time.
Amputation Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s) Machinery unspecified
An employee was adjusting a powered roller on a printing press when the roller caught their tool and their finger was pulled into the roller, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
An employee was building wooden pallets when a pneumatic nail gun discharged a nail into their leg. The employee sustained a laceration and was hospitalized.
An employee was setting up two extruder lines when their left index finger was caught in a nip point and they sustained a partial fingertip amputation.
An employee climbed a 14-foot straight ladder in a utility space to reach and close a compressed air supply shut-off valve. As he was reaching out, the ladder kicked out from beneath him and he fell approximately 10 feet to the floor, landing on and fracturing his right hip.
Two employees were setting up a mandrel in the spindle of a machine. The mandrel was side-shifted while an employee's hand was on the mast of a powered industrial truck. The employee suffered crushing injuries that resulted in amputations to the middle and ring fingertips.
An employee was working to remove a product blockage from a piece of equipment. The employee was struck by a metal bar near the deck of the pin mixer equipment and sustained blunt force trauma to the torso.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 326113)
A subcontracted engineer was advising maintenance how to make a modification to the embossing roll system on a new line. Maintenance was bringing the motor and gearbox down with a crane. The load shifted when it was a few inches from the ground. The engineer went to catch/maneuver the gearbox and the fingers on his left hand were crushed between the I-beam base of the gearbox and the concrete floor. A finger was amputated.
On July 30, 2025, an employee was assisting co-workers in using a hoist to position an injection molding tool onto a work table. As the tool was being lowered, the slide section shifted, trapping and amputating the employee's right thumb tip.
An employee was manually lifting a film roll when their right middle fingertip was pinched between the roll and a metal beam, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
At about 10:00 a.m. on July 13, 2025, an employee was cleaning the adhesive from running rollers using a rag soaked in cleaning solvent to prevent contamination. The rag was caught between two rollers and pulled the employee's right hand between the rollers. The employee sustained right hand crushing injuries, de-gloving injuries (palmer and dorsal sides), and fractures. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery. The machine was not locked out/tagged out at the time.
An employee working on a sheet line was removing masking from the underside of plastic sheeting that was being lifted by a vacuum lift. The plastic sheet measured 4 feet wide, 14 feet long, and approximately 1 inch thick, and it weighed approximately 300 pounds. The vacuum lost suction and dropped the plastic sheet onto the employee's arm, pinning it between two sheets and resulting in a broken right forearm.
An employee was readjusting a safety hook to remove hardware from gang forms when his feet slipped. He fell to the ground, resulting in a broken left arm and wrist.
An employee was on a step ladder in a store aisle, making room on shelving for merchandise. She fell from the step ladder to the floor, suffering two fractures in her left leg. She was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was closing the side cargo door to a company van. The tip of his finger got caught between the door and the door jamb, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee lost his footing while climbing an inclined ladder. He stumbled down one step and was able to stabilize himself by holding the railing and twisting his body, but he suffered an internal abdominal injury and was hospitalized.