Explosion n.e.c. · Fractures and soft tissue injuries
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Petro Automotive Group Inc., 5249 Old Hwy 11, HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI 39402
on — Fractures and soft tissue injuries, affecting the Upper arm(s).
Final narrative
Two employees were performing metal fabrication work in the garage. The injured employee was using a high-speed handheld grinder when an explosion occurred. Scrap metal struck the employee's right forearm, penetrating the area above elbow and causing bone fractures as well as torn ligaments. The employee was hospitalized.
The general contractor, their subcontractor, and the local utility company were re-energizing a transformer when it exploded. The top of the transformer blew off and hot oil projected into the air. The injured employee was a bystander to the event and was outside of the exclusion area. Hot transformer oil rained down on him and he sustained first, second, and third-degree burns, as well as hearing loss both temporary and permanent in nature.
An employee was testing a 40mm single-shot tactical launcher with the launcher mounted on her right shoulder and the barrel stabilized with her left hand. After the trigger was pulled, the 40mm barrel tore apart radially and she sustained injuries to her left extremity including the bicep, forearm, index finger, middle finger, and thumb.
An employee was using a forklift to dump metal into a furnace. The furnace exploded, causing burns to multiple parts of the employee's body. The employee was hospitalized.
Two employees went up to a roof to inspect a whistling noise at a work site. Exhaust from a generator near flammable roofing material caused a flash fire. The flash fire resulted in several explosions of materials. The injured employee suffered first- and second-degree burns to their face and neck.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 441110)
An employee was working underneath a vehicle when the vehicle began to roll and a tire caught the employee's left ear. The employee sustained a laceration and partial amputation of their ear, requiring hospitalization and surgery to reattach the ear.
A car was being backed out of a bay so that another car could pull into it. The car's brakes did not respond, and the car reversed quickly. The injured employee approached the car to stop it, and it pinned his right leg against a lift. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was exiting the company shuttle van when his shoe became caught on the door of the vehicle, causing him to fall out of the van to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured hip that required surgery.
An employee was working to change the tires and brakes on a vehicle. He pulled the vehicle out of the bay. The brakes failed, and the car drifted backward into another bay where it pinned the injured employee against the arm of a vehicle lift. The injured employee sustained seven fractured ribs on his left side.
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.