Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-10-25	Carlisle	Pa	Geodis	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Fall, slip, trip
An employee was placing cardboard into a compactor when he fell onto a 4-foot metal cart that was directly behind him, striking the corner of the cart and resulting in injury to his abdomen.
2021-09-14	Rego Park	Ny	New Hampshire House Condominium	Brain	Fall onto or against object on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was moving a garbage cart from a compactor. He fell and hit his head on a pipe, suffering internal bleeding in the cranium.
2021-06-11	Claysburg	Pa	Champion Home Builders, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
Employees were lifting a dumpster out of a compactor when the load shifted. An employee's finger was caught between the fork and the dumpster resulting in amputation of his left pinky finger at the first knuckle.
2021-05-27	Saint Petersburg	Fl	Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was unloading a cart of unsellable merchandise into a trash compactor. He lifted a broken picture frame and was impaled by a protruding shard of glass. The employee was hospitalized with a cut artery and a suspected tear to the liver.
2021-03-31	Seguin	Tx	Vitesco Technologies	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
A temporary employee had just transferred trash and recyclables into a metal trash bin and tried to push the bin into the arms of a trash compactor. The employee pushed the start button and held it down to raise the bin and empty the trash into the compactor, but when the compactor was at its furthest point, he noticed that trash was dangling down. He had reached into the bin to pull out the trash when the bin slid the rest of the way down the compactor arms and caught his fingers against the co
2021-03-30	Orlando	Fl	Universal Orlando Resort	Wrist(s)	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was walking to a trash compactor. He stepped up onto a wood platform and fell to the ground about 2 feet below, suffering a broken left wrist. He was hospitalized.
2021-02-22	Dallas	Tx	COMMUNITY WASTE DISPOSAL, LP	Nose, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was about to unload the garbage from a garbage compactor. When he released the lever on the door, it swung open and struck him in the face. He suffered a broken nose and a facial laceration.
2021-02-22	Pinellas Park	Fl	Carr & Sons Masonry, Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee was moving a mini-compactor to another work area. The employee was caught between a skid steer and the mini-compactor, resulting in a compound fracture of the lower right leg that required hospitalization.
2021-02-15	Pierre	Sd	Envirotech Waste Services	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee's left thumb tip was amputated when the lid of a compactor closed on the finger.
2021-01-15	Sebring	Fl	Ogg Construction, Inc.	Leg(s)	Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area
An employee was getting ready to compact dirt using a compactor when a skid steer backed into him, pinching his right leg between the compactor and the skid steer and resulting in a lower leg fracture that required surgery.
2021-01-13	Athens	Ga	Caterpillar, Inc.	Knee(s)	Fall on same level due to slipping
An employee was placing cardboard into a compactor and dropped a piece of cardboard on the ground. When the employee turned to pick up the cardboard, he slipped on the carboard and landed on his right knee, resulting in a knee joint fracture.
2021-01-11	Lake Mary	Fl	U.S. Postal Service	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Ran off driving surface, nonroadway
On January 11, 2021, an employee was driving a tow motor when it went off the side of a truck. The employee was pinned between the truck and a compactor, suffered a spleen injury, and was hospitalized.
2020-09-17	Baton Rouge	La	Ronaldson Field Landfill	Multiple body parts	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
Two employees (mechanic and operator) were changing the wheels on a landfill compactor. The operator was operating a wheel loader and lifted a large metal compactor wheel off the ground to be installed on the compactor. The mechanic was signaling directions to the operator to align and set the wheel in place. While signaling and moving the wheel onto the machine, the wheel shifted on the loader forks and pinned the mechanic between the forks and the wheel. The mechanic suffered a fractured rib,
2020-09-11	Kenton	Oh	Sekisui Plastics U.S.A., Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by or caught in swinging door or gate
On September 11, 2020, an employee was hospitalized after their right ring finger was caught in a jammed garage door near the compactor as it was being forced closed with the forks of a forklift. The finger was lacerated.
2020-08-22	Dakota	Il	BERNER FOOD AND BEVERAGE	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
On August 22, 2020, the injured employee and a coworker were removing a trash gondola out of a compactor. Both were positioned outside of the compactor. As they were attempting to slide it down to the base of the gondola tipper, the gondola moved and caught the injured employee's fifth digit on his right hand and amputated it at the nail bed.
2020-07-27	Lakeland	Florida	Greystar Real Estate Partners	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Other fall to lower level
An employee was walking on a concrete block wall near a trash compactor. The employee fell from the wall to the ground, suffering a broken rib, broken left wrist, and bleeding around the kidneys. The employee was hospitalized.
2020-06-30	Conyers	Georgia	GFL Environmental	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was emptying trash containers in the back of a compactor truck when his hand was contacted by the compactor blade, resulting in a partial amputation to the distal phalanx of his left middle finger.
2020-06-22	Billerica	Massachusett	Charles George Companies	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
While closing a refuse compactor's door, a piece of cardboard started to fall out. The employee grabbed the cardboard and the compactor's door closed on his left hand, crushing two fingers.
2020-06-15	Saint Louis	Missouri	Dominium	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by discharged object or substance
An employee was fixing a hydraulic hose on an industrial trash compactor. While his right hand was holding the hose that goes to the ram of the compactor, the compactor actuated. Up to 6500 PSI of hydraulic fluid shot out of a small hole in the hose and pierced a hole in the pad of the employee’s right index finger.
2020-04-15	Cohasset	Massachusett	ABBY ENTERPRISES, INC.	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Part of occupant’s body caught between vehicle and other object in nonroadway transport incident
An employee was operating a soil compactor in a building. The compactor backed into the structural framing of the building and the employee was caught between a steel I-beam and the compactor's steering wheel. The employee suffered possible internal injuries.
2020-04-14	Portland	Texas	Quanta Pipeline Services, Inc	Ankle(s) and leg(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was climbing the steps of the compactor roller and fell to the ground. The employee sustained fractures to the right ankle, fibula, and tibia.
2020-03-10	Saint Louis	Missouri	CLEAN-TECH COMPANY	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Other fall to lower level
After crushing boxes inside a dumpster, an employee was climbing out of the dumpster when something caught his trousers and caused him to fall. He landed against the metal edge of a nearby compactor table and suffered three broken ribs.
2020-02-27	Peachtree City	Georgia	Sany America, Inc.	Leg(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was standing on the steps of a single drum compactor, cleaning its windows. His left foot slipped from the wet front frame and he fell to the ground, breaking his leg.
2020-02-26	Delcambre	Louisiana	Bagwell Energy Services	Lower leg(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was blowing excess sand off a pneumatic trash compactor skid that had recently been sandblasted prior to painting. While repositioning himself onto the platform, the weight shifted to one side, forcing the equipment to tip and pin him to the ground. The employee's right fibula and tibia were broken.
2020-02-20	Miami	Florida	Winn-Dixie Corporation	Brain	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was working from a pallet to remove a bale from a compactor when he fell backwards, striking his head on the ground and requiring hospitalization.
2019-09-20	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	Republic Service	Wrist(s) and arm(s)	Other fall to lower level
A driver climbed on top of a garbage truck to close the doghouse door on the compactor. He slipped and fell, suffering a broken right wrist, a compound fracture above his right elbow, and a dislocation to the elbow. He was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
2019-09-18	Newington	Connecticut	PCX AeroStructures, LLC	Brain	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was putting carboard boxes into a compactor when he became dizzy and fell, striking his head on the ground.
2019-08-26	Chicago	Illinois	Able Services	Foot (feet)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was emptying a garbage compactor when a metal bar fell on and injured the employee's foot.
2019-08-22	Cedar Hill	Texas	Gap Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was on a compactor platform throwing cardboard into the trash compactor when she fell 1 foot off the ledge of the platform to the ground, breaking her tibia.
2019-08-19	Albertville	Alabama	MITCHELL GROCERY CORP.	Lower leg(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was using his foot to push down material that was stuck in the automatic baler's loading hopper. His foot went through the cardboard into a void area causing the him to lose his balance and fall into the loading hopper then into the compactor ram area. The ram cycled and his feet were caught between the ram and a side of the compactor area. The employee suffered a broken tibia and the right foot was crushed. The employee's right leg was later amputated below the knee.
2019-08-19	Decatur	Arkansas	FNA GROUP	Foot (feet)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
A temporary employee suffered a foot amputation while operating a cardboard compactor.
2019-08-08	Lucas	Kansas	Heartland Hay	Hand(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was operating a hydraulic compactor during product packaging. The compactor amputated the employee's left hand.
2019-07-30	Sewickley	Pennsylvania	Masonic Village of the Grand Lodge of PA	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by falling object or equipment
An employee was putting trash into a compactor when a large chair fell onto his chest, breaking his ribs.
2019-07-25	Austin	Texas	Daryl Flood Logistics, Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was putting a box into a trash compactor when his leg was caught in the compactor, breaking his left tibia and deeply lacerating his leg above the left knee.
2019-07-25	Christiana	Pennsylvania	Leacock Paving, LLC	Multiple trunk locations	Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area
An employee was operating a plate compactor when a dump truck backed into him. The tire ran over his leg and pelvis. He was hospitalized with a broken pelvis and tailbone and required a skin graft on his leg.
2019-06-21	Sarasota	Florida	Resource Recovery Systems, LLC	Hand(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was trying to release the brake on the engine twister of a compactor bailer using a crescent wrench. The twister motor spun out and the wrench struck the employee's right hand causing an injury that required surgery.
2019-05-29	Bellevue	Ohio	Magretech, LLC	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Explosion
On May 29, 2019, an employee was hospitalized after being struck in the chest by a piece of metal while troubleshooting the chip compactor after an explosion inside the machine. The employee sustained a chest burn and bruise.
2019-05-20	Albertville	Alabama	Emmaus Foods LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was compacting cardboard and crushed their left ring and pinky fingers in the compactor's safety gate.
2019-05-07	Maple Heights	Ohio	SHERWOOD FOOD DISTRIBUTORS	Foot (feet)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was pushing boxes down into the trash compactor with his foot. The compactor came down on his foot and fractured it.
2019-05-02	Dallas	Texas	Valet Living, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Exposure through unintentional needlestick or sharp injury
While operating a trash compactor on a client's property the injured worker noticed hydraulic fluid on the ground. He had punched the start button on the compactor and it began its cycle. While the compactor was cycling, he looked for the source of the hydraulic leak and in doing so reached forward to touch the hose. The hose became pressurized when the hydraulic ram reversed. There was a hole in the line and hydraulic fluid injected into his right thumb. He was hospitalized for chemical exposur
2019-02-26	Model City	New York	Modern Corporation	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to traumatic or stressful event, n.e.c.
An employee was inspecting a compactor and saw an electrical wire near the compactor. The employee then suffered a panic attack involving shortness of breath, dizziness, and heart racing.
2018-09-20	Clearwater	Florida	Archer Western - De Moya JV II	Ankle(s) and leg(s)	Fall or jump from vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway
An employee was operating a roller/compactor when he went down an uneven slope and jumped out of the vehicle. He stepped into a rut in the side of the slope and fractured his lower right leg/ankle.
2018-09-19	East Point	Georgia	JEROME BRADFORD ENTERPRISES, INC.	Lower extremities	Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
An employee was operating a compactor truck in a parking lot. The compactor tipped over; the employee was thrown out, then its rollover protection system struck his right leg, causing an amputation injury. A seat belt was not being worn at the time of the incident.
2018-09-14	Cape Coral	Florida	Pospiech Contracting	Foot (feet)	Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee was compacting dirt using a plate compactor when a rubber-track mini-excavator ran over his left foot, breaking two bones.
2018-09-05	Orlando	Florida	PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, INC.	Foot (feet)	Part of occupant’s body caught between vehicle and other object in nonroadway transport incident
An employee was on a stand-up forklift, putting trash in a compactor. As he was discarding some netting it snagged the operator control, causing the forklift to move forward. His foot was caught between the forklift and the compactor, resulting in a fracture to the left foot.
2018-09-04	College Station	Texas	SSC Services Solutions	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was moving a vibratory plate compactor from the bucket of a mini-excavator. The employee's right little finger was caught on the excavator's bucket hook. It was dislocated and severely lacerated, requiring surgery.
2018-08-29	Covington	Georgia	Westrock	Foot (feet)	Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area
An employee was carrying trash to a compactor when a forklift backed up over his right foot. His foot was crushed and required hospitalization.
2018-08-22	Fords	New Jersey	Code Environmental Services, Inc	Multiple body parts	Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
An employee was operating a soil compactor when it rolled over. As a result, he suffered arm, collarbone, and rib fractures.
2018-07-19	Greeley	Colorado	Northern Colorado Disposal Inc	Leg(s)	Struck by object or equipment rolling freely
An employee was going to remove the tarp from a compactor. Another employee was unloading a roll-off container in the transfer station and didn't realize the injured employee was there. The injured employee's right leg was pinched between the roll-off container and the compactor, resulting in a right leg amputation.
2018-06-14	Goshen	New York	INTERSTATE WASTE SERVICES	Neck, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was standing/walking nearby as a compactor was being unloaded. The door of the compactor failed, swung open, and struck/pinned the employee, who suffered a severe laceration to the back of the neck. The employee was hospitalized.
2018-06-04	Dawsonville	Georgia	Gold Creek Processing, LLC	Ankle(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping
An employee was walking near the trash compactor, tripped and fell sustaining a bilateral ankle fracture.
2018-06-01	Fonda	New York	Keymark Corporation	Fingertip(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
A maintenance employee was working on a bailer compactor. He inserted a screwdriver into the chain to give it slack to reset the chain to the sprocket. The screwdriver slipped, and the chain came down catching his left ring finger between the chain and sprocket and amputating a small part of the fingertip.
2018-05-19	Carlisle	Pennsylvania	Lowe's Home Center, LLC	Ankle(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee fell off a step ladder while throwing trash into a compactor resulting in a broken left ankle.
2018-05-18	Houston	Texas	WCA	Scalp	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was observing a driver trainee dumping a loaded trash compactor when he was struck by the compactor's metal container door, causing him to fall backwards and strike his head on the ground, suffering a laceration to the back of his head.
2018-03-22	Columbus	Ohio	FARO SERVICES, INC.	Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e)	Fall, slip, trip
An employee was taking trash to the compactor, tripped on the stairs and fell fracturing the right clavicle.
2018-02-24	Guntersville	Alabama	Farm Fresh Foods LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was unjamming a cardboard compactor with a metal rod. The compactor pulled the metal rod in and the employee's hand was caught in the compactor, resulting in partial amputation of the ring finger on the left hand.
2017-09-16	Omaha	Nebraska	ROLL ENTERPRISES, INC	Foot (feet)	Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
An employee was operating an earth compactor to compact soil so cement could be poured for a new driveway. The employee drove up an incline and then turned the compactor so it was parallel to the hill. The compactor tipped over, causing injury to the employee's left hip and breaking his left foot.
2017-09-15	Lancaster	Ohio	DK Manufacturing Lancaster, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
On September 15, 2017, an employee climbed onto a trash compactor to clear a jam and fell approximately five feet to the concrete surface below the compactor. The employee lost consciousness, suffered a seizure, fractured ribs and a wrist, and lacerated the spleen.
2017-08-31	Far Hills	New Jersey	Peter Rubinetti Private Disposal LLC	Upper arm(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was compacting garbage in a garbage truck when the compactor blade cut the employee's left upper arm.
2017-08-10	Chicago	Illinois	SODEXO, Inc. dba JW Marriott	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was helping coworkers remove a dumpster to the trash compactor room when the employee was pinned between the dumpster bar latch and a wall in the trash compactor room, suffering a chest injury that required hospitalization.
2017-06-29	Bellefontaine	Ohio	VALLEY INTERIOR SYSTEMS	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
On June 29, 2017, an employee was emptying a trash dumpster. He used a forklift to set the dumpster over the trash compactor. Once it was set, he exited the forklift and used the lever on the side of the dumpster to dump the trash. On his way back up, his finger was caught and fractured in a pinch point between the dumpster and compactor, requiring hospitalization.
2017-06-14	Burleson	Texas	Hallmark Cards	Multiple body parts	Fall on same level due to tripping on uneven surface
An employee had just put trash into the compactor and stumbled on an uneven floor surface causing the employee to fall. The employee suffered right-side injuries to the hip, shoulder and elbow.
2017-05-27	Lombard	Illinois	The Millard Group, Inc.	Brain	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was taking a rolling trash cart to the building's compactor in the horizontal flat dock area when he fell about 1 foot from the dock to the lower concrete level and suffered a concussion.
2017-05-01	Woodstock	Georgia	Regal Entertainment	Brain	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was using an extension ladder to change a light bulb outside near the trash compactor when the employee fell approximately 5 feet to the ground, suffering fractured ribs and a brain injury.
2017-04-24	Woodside	New York	BIG APPLE COMPACTOR COMPANY INC.	Tooth (teeth)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was lifting a trash compactor off the shipping skid using a forklift. The compactor started to lean over and the employee was struck by the falling compactor as he tried to catch it. The employee suffered injuries to the face and mouth and lost a few teeth.
2017-04-14	Riceboro	Georgia	SNF HOLDING COMPANY	Arm(s)	Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
An employee was operating a forklift and was attempting to retrieve a trash bin from the compactor when the forklift overturned. The employee's arm was broken.
2017-04-14	Austin	Texas	Republic Services, Inc.	Eye(s)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was securing the back of a compactor with a bungee cord when the bungee cord struck and injured the employee's left eye.
2017-01-04	Springdale	Arkansas	JV MANUFACTURING, INC.	Multiple trunk locations	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was MIG welding the dog house of a self-contained compactor when a spark ignited and his shirt caught on fire. He sustained first and second degree burns to his upper torso and third degree burns to his back.
2016-10-19	Jefferson	Georgia	H.G. GEORGIA MERCHANTS, INC.	Leg(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
On October 19, 2016 at 9:40 p.m. an employee entered a compactor to get his glove and the compactor broke both legs. The employee was hospitalized.
2016-10-11	Springfield	Ohio	Scioto Services	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was emptying trash into a compactor using a 1/2-ton tilt truck. He attempted to lift and dump the tilt truck up and over the compactor's gate bar when it fell. As he grabbed the bottom stabilizer bar, it caught and partially amputated his right middle finger.
2016-09-16	Commerce City	Colorado	Walmart	Leg(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was on a ladder cleaning out a compactor chute when he fell from the ladder and broke his leg.
2016-08-24	East Hartford	Connecticut	Northeast Contractors, Inc	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An excavator was lifting a compactor out of an excavation. The cable that was used to lift the compactor slipped and an employee was repositioning the cable when his finger was caught between the cable and the compactor resulting in a fingertip amputation.
2016-08-04	Herrin	Illinois	Southern Illinois Healthcare dba Herrin Hospital	Hand(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was emptying the trash and cleaning off the compactor when the compactor activated and caused two fractures to the employee's left hand/finger.
2016-07-25	Waynesboro	Georgia	Fluor Corporation	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was pushing a plate compactor into an excavator bucket when his left pinky finger entered the thumb of the excavator, fracturing it.
2016-07-09	Sewell	New Jersey	Gold Medal Environmental of New Jersey	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was collecting trash when the compactor pinched and amputated his left little finger.
2016-06-23	New Castle	Delaware	Waste Management of Delaware	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was servicing a dumpster and placing it into its metal compactor housing. The dumpster did not make contact with the interlock switch. When the employee attempted to reposition the dumpster, the dumpster shifted and pinched his left thumb. He attempted to remove his left hand, and his thumb tip was amputated.
2016-06-14	Stoughton	Massachusett	Republic Services	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by or caught in swinging door or gate
An employee was servicing a customer's compactor that was inside a large cinder block enclosure with two access gates. As he was closing the left gate, a gust of wind quickly blew the gate closed, pinching his thumb where the gates meet in the middle. He suffered a partial finger amputation.
2016-05-31	Lakewood	Ohio	Giant Eagle	Foot(feet) and leg(s)	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was placing trash into the compactor. The employee lost their balance and stepped back, missing the step and falling to the floor. The employee suffered contusions to the left leg and foot.
2016-03-10	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	Ikea	Wrist(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was placing a piece of waste wood in the compactor and caught a wrist between the wood and the side of the compactor breaking it.
2016-02-10	West Islip	New York	Good Samaritan Hospital	Wrist(s)	Fall on same level due to slipping
An employee slipped and fell on the cement while taking trash to the compactor, sustaining a fractured right wrist that required surgery.
2016-01-16	Dallas	Texas	Premier Employee Solutions, LLC	Knee(s)	Fall through surface or existing opening
An employee was using a broom to push cardboard down the trash chute. He tripped and fell into the compactor injuring his knee.
2015-11-13	San Angelo	Texas	Republic Services, Inc.	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was moving a board inside a trash truck hopper. The blade was moving at the time. The employee's left ring fingertip was amputated between the compactor blade and the side wall of the hopper.
2015-10-09	Kissimmee	Florida	Save-A-Lot	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee amputated a fingertip while shutting the safety gate to the cardboard compactor.
2015-10-02	San Angelo	Texas	Lone Star Beef Processors, L.P.	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was putting a combo inside the trash compactor. Once the combo was inside, he turned on the trash compactor, but the equipment failed to operate normally. He attempted to adjust the combo, and as soon as the combo was adjusted, the compactor reacted quickly and crushed/amputated his right middle fingertip.
2015-08-18	Abilene	Kansas	RUSSELL STOVER CANDIES	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched between two stationary objects
An employee was dumping a plastic trash cart into a compactor. Her right ring fingertip got stuck between the plastic receptacle and the metal frame around it. She sustained a fingertip amputation.
2015-07-31	San Antonio	Texas	GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SAN ANTONIO	Thigh(s)	Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee carrying a tote walked up to the large trash compactor to dump the tote contents. A coworker rolled up a pallet jack carrying a large box to the compactor and struck the employee, pushing him into the trash compactor. The employee's right upper leg broke, requiring hospitalization.
2015-07-30	Milford	Pennsylvania	Econo-Pak	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee operating a baler-compactor was injured at 2:52 PM on July 30, 2015. The employee's right hand was caught between the machine and a raised bucket. The employee was hospitalized overnight and required surgery to amputate two right-hand fingers.
2015-05-22	Willoughby	Ohio	Lowes Home Center	Skull	Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee was working outside at the rear of the facility. A forklift operator was emptying a load of boxes into the trash compactor and struck the employee on the side of her head just below the ear. The employee sustained a fracture to the bone below the ear. It is unknown if the forks or the boxes struck the employee.
2015-05-20	Hot Springs	Arkansas	Sears Store #2126	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by or caught in swinging door or gate
An employee was using the baler compactor and he manually closed the gate on his right ring finger. The injury resulted in a partial amputation of the right ring finger up to the first knuckle.
2015-05-07	Ridgway	Pennsylvania	Clarion Sintered Metals, Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was placing cardboard into the cardboard compactor chute while standing on a work platform with railings. The employee stepped through the railings to step on the cardboard and push it down further into the chute. The compactor was engaged at the time. The employee's leg got caught and became entangled in the moving cardboard. The employee suffered a broken leg and required hospitalization for surgery. The leg had to be amputated at the knee.
2015-05-02	Columbia	Mississippi	Crown Healthcare Laundry Services	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee operating a forklift had his hand on the roller and was turning and caught his hand between the roller and the compactor breaking his finger and cutting his hand.
2015-04-14	Omaha	Nebraska	NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER	Lumbar region	Overexertion in lifting-single episode
An employee was lifting a garbage can and dumping it into the garbage compactor when the employee suddenly felt pain in the lower back.
2015-03-24	Walhalla	North Dakota	Industrial Builders	Nonclassifiable	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, n.e.c.
An employee was admitted to the hospital after being pinned between a remote control dirt compactor and pylon.
2015-03-12	Pearl	Mississippi	True Blue Inc	Hand(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was working on the back of a garbage truck and saw a piece of metal. When he reached in to retrieve it, his hand got caught in the compactor.
2015-02-18	Alpharetta	Georgia	Advanced Disposal	Multiple pelvic region locations	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was injured and required hospitalization for a crushed pelvis and ruptured urethra when a waste compactor was activated and the anchor bolts holding it down broke, trapping the employee between the compactor and a wall.
2015-02-03	Woodlyn	Pennsylvania	WAWA	Nonclassifiable	Caught in running equipment or machinery
An employee in Store 035 at 510 Fairview Road, Woodlyn, PA 19094, was injured when his left arm was caught in a trash compactor.
2015-01-23	Chicago	Illinois	Allied Waste Transportation, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Contact with objects and equipment
An employee received a transphalangeal amputation of his left pinky finger while offloading a compactor at the customer's location.