Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at The Williams Companies, 1407 5th Avenue, MCPHERSON, KANSAS 67460
on — Fractures , affecting the Rib(s), oblique area.
Final narrative
An employee was using a pipe wrench to loosen a piece of pipe above a 2-inch swedge. The wrench slipped and he lost his balance and fell backward, turning as he fell. His left side came into contact with a guardrail behind him and he suffered four rib fractures. He was hospitalized.
Hospitalized Rib(s), oblique area Source, secondary source unspecified
An employee was transporting used filter media (containing pyrophoric iron sulfide) from an inlet gas separator in the bed of a truck. The material ignited. While the employee was removing items from the truck bed, a gas can was exposed to the fire and off-gassing vapors ignited. The employee suffered first- and second-degree burns to both arms, the chest, the neck, and the right ear. The employee was hospitalized.
Employees were preparing a pig receiver and pig launcher. The block valves had been closed, and the receiver and launcher had been blown down; liquids were draining from the opening of the launcher. A forklift was being used to open the receiver hatch. The hatch struck the forklift's forks, and liquids at the receiver and launcher ignited. An employee suffered second-degree burns to the face and right hand, as well as first-degree burns to the left and right lower legs, and was hospitalized.
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.
An employee was talking to a child on the playground, when the child grabbed her hand to lead her away. The employee stepped, lost her balance, and fell over. The employee was hospitalized with a fracture of her lower left leg and required surgery.
An employee was lowering a safe stack beam inside a trailer. The beam released, causing the employee to fall back and strike his head on the trailer floor. He was hospitalized with a brain bleed and a concussion.
An employee was on the ground working to close a trailer door. The door was caught by the wind and blew the employee backward. He landed on his back and sustained four fractured ribs, requiring hospitalization.
An employee was operating an aerial work platform. While the employee was maneuvering the lift through a set of double doors, their head was caught between the door frame and the platform's vertical mast. The employee suffered a skull fracture that required surgery.
An employee was transporting used filter media (containing pyrophoric iron sulfide) from an inlet gas separator in the bed of a truck. The material ignited. While the employee was removing items from the truck bed, a gas can was exposed to the fire and off-gassing vapors ignited. The employee suffered first- and second-degree burns to both arms, the chest, the neck, and the right ear. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was using a pipe threading machine to thread a 2-inch diameter gas pipe during the rebuilding of a gas meter. The pipe was in a vise mounted on the back of the crew truck. A few pieces of metal chips or shavings caused the threading machine to jam. The employee started to back the pipe up, but it jammed in that direction as well. While reaching to pull the handle back up into place to try and start again, the machine rotated about an inch and pinched his middle fingertip against the edge of the truck s back step. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated without loss of bone.
The injured employee was manually lowering a ramp on a heavy equipment trailer with the assistance of another employee. The injured employee was standing behind the trailer ramp. After removing the safety pins, the ramp descended quickly and struck the injured employee, causing them to fall to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to their sternum and L1 vertebra.
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.
An employee was moving a rack onto a lower conveyor in the south heat treat area when their finger got caught between the part tray and the rollers, resulting in a fingertip fracture and amputation.
An employee was climbing a ladder to get on top of the breakroom. The ladder slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to his upper back, left foot, and ankle.
Two employees were removing a circuit breaker. The injured employee was using wrenches in the removal process. One of the wrenches contacted an adjacent door, resulting in an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to their neck, face, and ear, as well as momentary vision loss due to the flash.
An employee bent over to pick up a rubber mat from the ground. When he grabbed the corner of the mat, a rattlesnake hidden under it bit his left middle finger near the first knuckle. He was hospitalized.