Struck by running powered equipment during maintenance, cleaning, testing · Avulsions, enucleations without bone loss
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Virtue Oilfield Rentals, LLC, 35.321743 -94.433491, FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS 72901
on — Avulsions, enucleations without bone loss, affecting the Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s).
Final narrative
An employee was tripping tubing when the tongs became stuck on the tubing. The employee was rocking the tongs up and down to remove them from the tubing. The handle he was holding onto landed on top of the tubing stump and crushed his right middle finger. About 1/4" of the fingertip was amputated without loss of bone.
Amputation Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s) Rig tongs, power tongs
More severe injuries at Virtue Oilfield Rentals, LLC
After running a survey and putting air back on the hole, two employees were standing in the doorway of the doghouse watching the flow line to see if there was a gas flare. The pilot light for the flow line was not ignited. The injured employee used a propane torch to igniting the pilot light. A flash fire resulted due to down-hole gas that had come out of the flow line. The injured employee sustained second degree burns to their face, forearms, and hands.
A temporary employee turned off a planer machine, opened the housing, and began clearing a jam. The machine's spinning blade caught his right hand and degloved the index finger.
An employee was using a tool to remove a rag from a roll on the tube mill. The roll pulled the tool and the employee's right hand into the roll, resulting in a partial amputation of the little finger and a fracture to the index finger.
A production sanitation employee was pre-rinsing an incline conveyor and noticed cheese stuck between the belt idler. The employee went to remove the cheese and their glove got caught and pulled their left forearm into the conveyor. The employee's arm was fractured. The machine was not locked out/tagged out at the time.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 213112)
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An employee had been conducting crane operations. The employee went to stop a piece of oil and gas equipment for tubular running from falling over to the ground. Their right hand was caught between a rolling ladder and the equipment, resulting in fractures to the index and middle fingers. They were hospitalized and the middle finger required surgery.
An employee was working to install a drive belt on a water pump. He was holding the belt on both sides of the pulley, working to route it over the top. As he pulled down with his right hand, the pulley rotated and the belt slid over it, pulling his left little finger between the pulley and the belt. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip as well as a fracture to the ring finger.
An employee was operating an ironworker (steel punching/shearing) machine. A piece of the tooling broke off and struck the employee's neck; a fragment was lodged in his neck. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
On October 25, 2025, an employee was stringing up a new reel of tire tread on a machine. The employee pulled a 6-inch tail and proceeded to spool up the liner. As the machine was jogged to begin the liner wrapping process, the liner caught the employee's glove and pulled their right arm into the liner, causing a fracture to the arm.
An employee was doing a cable change on top of an electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane. They were positioned between the cable drum and the drive shaft. While rotating the cable drum, the employee reached for the new cable that was to be installed. The grease fitting on the drive shaft caught their fall harness and pulled them underneath the drive shaft. The employee was pinned between the drive shaft and two pieces of angle steel, resulting in a fracture to their left hip.
On October 5, 2025, an employee was pulling a pressure washer hose when it it disconnected from the cooker. The employee was struck by jets of high-pressure water, resulting in lacerations to their left thigh requiring surgery. The employee was hospitalized.