Vehicle struck by falling or flying object(s), nonroadway · Traumatic injuries or exposures unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Gem State Processing, LLC, 951 Hwy 30, HEYBURN, IDAHO 83336
on — Traumatic injuries or exposures unspecified, affecting the Lower leg(s).
Final narrative
An employee was driving a forklift to a shipping dock. While he was rounding a corner, a stack of totes fell, and the top of one of the totes struck the outside of his left calf. He was hospitalized.
Hospitalized Lower leg(s) Forklift, order picker, platform truck powered
An employee was using a portable 8-foot ladder to perform work on a ricer auger under a cooker. He was removing auger bolts with an electric impact gun. The vibration from the bolt removal caused mash from the cooker to fall and burn his right forearm. He then fell from the ladder, landing on the ground 2 to 3 feet below and suffering two broken thoracic vertebrae.
An employee was working on a dehydrator circulation fan that was moving due to centrifugal force. The employee attempted to stop the fan with a wrench. His hand was forced into the framework resulting in a partial amputation to the right middle finger.
An employee was diagnosing a destoner pump to determine if it would spin freely. The tip of his right ring finger was caught between the belt and the sheave, and the fingertip was amputated.
While bagging product on the packing line, an employee attempted to remove debris from the bagger. The employee's thumb got caught in a roller, amputating the tip.
The injured employee was sitting in a parked forklift while another forklift was moving two metal tire racks. The top rack was empty and the bottom rack contained tires. As the racks were being lowered to the ground, they fell and the top rack struck the injured employee. The employee was hospitalized with lacerations and a fracture to the left foot, and they required surgery.
An employee was pushing brush and trees using a dozer during clearing and grubbing operations when a log fell onto the tracks of the dozer. The log penetrated the operator's cab and struck the employee, resulting in an ankle dislocation and a leg fracture.
An employee was reversing a forklift in the warehouse when the lift struck a stack of boxes. The boxes fell onto the protection cage of the forklift and the employee's left little finger was crushed, resulting in medical amputation of the fingertip.
Two employees were driving groundskeeping mowers to cut the grass on a golf course. As the two mowers passed each other, one mower struck and threw a golf ball into the right leg of the employee operating the second mower. The injured employee was hospitalized with two fractures in their lower right leg.
Two order pickers turned into the same aisle in a warehouse. One of them hit a pallet, which fell and landed on the right leg of the employee operating the other order picker. The leg was broken above the ankle.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 311423)
Two forklift drivers were stopped next to each other and were talking. The injured employee leaned out of their forklift as the other forklift was leaving and they became pinned between the two forklifts. The injured employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a lacerated lung.
At about 3:30 p.m. on May 8, 2025, an employee slipped and fell backward while walking around equipment. He landed on the ground, near a water trench into which a steam line and a condensation return line were piped. Hot water from the trench burned his back between the shoulder blades.
An employee was troubleshooting a motor when their right little finger became pinched between the belt and pulley, resulting in amputation of the fingertip.
A crew was preparing a 20-foot section of 12-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe to be swung into a welder using an excavator, where it would be welded onto a longer run of pipe. One employee was facing the longer pipe in the welder while the 20-foot section was being rigged. The 20-foot section moved and struck the employee's left knee. The employee's left leg was broken below the knee.
An employee was making adjustments to and cleaning product from pelletizer processing equipment when their right hand was caught in the rotary cutter resulting in lacerations and amputation of the little finger.
An employee was diagnosing the lack of flow of product to a powder bin. The employee removed the rotary star valve below the bin. While he was reinstalling the valve, his right middle finger was crushed between its shaft and its housing. The finger was partially amputated.
An employee was standing on a multi-purpose ladder installing head flashing over a window. Their feet were approximately 6 feet off the ground and three rungs from the top. The employee lost their grip on the drill they were using and the ladder tipped over. The employee fell from the ladder to the ground, resulting in a fractured left wrist, bruised chest, and lacerations to their face and lip.
An employee was inspecting the overhead area of a single-person lift and repositioning the lift through a double doorway. As they were transitioning through the doorway, they were caught between the doorframe and the vertical mast of the lift. The employee was hospitalized with injuries to the nose, left maxillary sinus, left orbital bone, and left jaw, with fractures at the maxillary sinus area.
An employee was loading a 4-inch wooden door into a pickup truck when he felt a pop in his right side behind his shoulder blade. He was hospitalized later that day and underwent surgery, having suffered a collapsed right lung.