Entangled in non-running object · Amputations involving bone loss
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Cobalt Cattle Company LLC, 1291 Old Santa Fe Drive, SUBLETTE, KANSAS 67877
on — Amputations involving bone loss, affecting the Finger or thumb tip(s), nail(s).
Final narrative
Multiple employees were working to treat a bloated animal in a cattle pen. They put a head restraint on the animal. A chain attached to the head restraint device caught the injured employee's index finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation around the fingernail area that required surgical amputation at the first knuckle.
An employee was on a horse when it was spooked and bucked the employee off. The employee landed on their hips and legs and suffered a broken femur. The employee was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
Three employees were pulling tension cable (similar to rebar) through the walls of a condo using a motor system. Two employees were needed to hold the cable while the third employee drilled the mounting locations. When the third employee activated the drill, the cables twisted. They caught the right index finger of one of the other two employees, amputating his fingertip.
An employee was in an elevator pit working on the hoisting cables and compensator sheave. He moved the cables back onto the sheave groves. One of the cables spun, twisted out of the grove, grabbed his glove, and pulled his hand into the sheave. The tip of his right thumb was caught under a cable and was amputated approximately at the knuckle just below the nail.
An employee was lowering an above-head gate with chains while moving a cow into a lane. Their fingers got tangled in the chain as the gate dropped, resulting in a lacerated thumb and crushed index and middle fingers.
A crew was removing old distribution poles. As they were removing the bottom section of a pole post, a winch line became tangled with slack. Two of the employees climbed on top of the crew's truck to fix the issue. The load then pulled the winch line tight around the finger of one of the employees, causing the amputation of their fingertip.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 112111)
An employee was helping to remove attachment forks from a loader. The attachment failed to come off. The employee went to shake the attachment as the loader lowered the forks. The employee's left index finger became caught under the attachment, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
An employee was in a cow pen, freeing a heifer that was stuck in the bottom cable of the pen fence. Once the heifer became untangled and returned to her feet, she charged at the employee and headbutted his lower left leg from behind. He suffered a compound fracture to the tibia and was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was sorting cows in a pen when a cow struck a gate the employee was standing behind. The gate subsequently struck the employee, causing him to fall backward and hit his head. The employee suffered a closed head injury that required hospitalization.
An employee was servicing a master lift station and setting up a power analyzer when an arc flash occurred. The employee sustained burns to their hand, arm, neck, and face.
An employee was moving cattle out of a pen via horseback. The employee's horse lost footing and fell on its side with the employee still on it. The employee was hospitalized with a dislocated right collarbone and eight fractured ribs.
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.