Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Stella-Jones, 13539 Hway 45, SCOOBA, MISSISSIPPI 39358
on — Thermal burns second degree, affecting the Hand(s), finger(s) unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee was re-lighting a fire in a wood waste boiler using diesel fuel when the diesel flashed and caused second-degree burns to their hands.
An employee was using a torch to loosen a bolt on a water trailer. Natural gas was present in the water and it ignited, causing a fire. The employee sustained third-degree burns to their upper leg.
An employee had been removing phosphorus pentasulfide while on a scaffold. He was using a non-sparking tool to dislodge the phosphoric material. The employee noticed a flash of flame. He descended the scaffold, but the flash ignited residual phosphorus pentasulfide that was on the outside of the employee's personal protective equipment (PPE). He sustained thermal burns to his right hand and right calf.
An employee was taking a butane gas sample as part of the hydrocarbon refining process. A component disconnected and the butane ignited, resulting in first- and second-degree burns to the employee's forearms and to their face, including their cheeks, chin, and neck.
An employee was troubleshooting a power washer in the field. Because there might have been water in its fuel, he brought it back to the shop and drained about a gallon of fuel from the tank into a plastic container. Some of the fuel spilled onto the floor and ignited. The employee was stomping out the fire when he lost his balance and tripped into a stool, which caused the plastic container to spill more fuel onto the fire. The employee's pants and shirt caught on fire, and he fell, abrading his knee while trying to get through the flames. As well as the knee abrasion, he suffered burns to the left leg and left lower quadrant of the torso. He was hospitalized.
An employee was fueling a gasoline-powered pressure washer with a safety fuel can. During the transfer the fuel ignited, causing a fire. The employee sustained burns to his nose, and his right hand and forearm.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 321114)
An employee was working from a step ladder and putting grease in a fitting on a cylinder door. His leg was caught between two of the ladder's rungs and the ladder folded up. He fell and broke his leg.
On June 10, 2024, an employee was grinding mulch in a tub grinder. A front end loader was unloading mulch into the tub grinder and ran over his ankle, breaking it and also causing a hairline fracture to his pelvis. He was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
On January 17, 2024, an employee was working on a roller machine when a piece of metal lacerated their right forearm, causing tendon injury. The employee was hospitalized and underwent surgery.
An employee had been warming his hands at a stationary heater near the stacker operator. He was by the rear passenger-side of his parked forklift when another forklift reversed and struck him. His left leg was pinned between the two forklifts and he sustained a fractured fibula.
An employee was troubleshooting the cause of a noise coming from the tilt hoist infeed motor. To replace the bolt on the tilt hoist flywheel, the employee turned it with his hands to ensure the bolt was on. One hand on top of the bolt and one hand on the bottom of the belt when his right little finger was lacerated and partially amputated at the first joint.
An employee was checking a pole-type transformer tank for leaks. A hydraulic clamping device was lowered onto his right thumb and crushed it against the sharp edge of the bottom of the tank. He suffered a partial transphalangeal amputation to the thumb.
The injured employee was standing behind a table. She jumped out to scare another employee, but tripped and fell on the tile floor, injuring her right ankle/foot. She was hospitalized with a dislocated ankle that required surgery.
An employee was going into a trailer to mark product for shipment and the trailer pulled away from the dock. The employee fell out of the trailer, contacted the dock plate, and then fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a punctured lung, fractured ribs, and contusions.
An employee was hooking up bundled tie-downs with a chain. While he was holding a hook, the other hook was unlocked. This caused the employee's hook to slide down and pinch his right index finger between the chain and the shackle. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip (without bone loss), as well as an open fracture.
An employee was operating a gas tugger to lift metal sheeting. His left hand was pulled into the pulley, which crushed his left thumb, resulting in avulsions and other tissue damage. He was hospitalized and required surgery.