Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-11-18	Fort Worth	Tx	Paradise Creations LLC.	Nonclassifiable	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was digging a hole to plant a holly tree near the corner of a retaining wall. After the tree was set in place, he grabbed a branch to reorient it. The branch snapped; he fell off the edge of the wall onto a step landing about 4 feet below, then rolled down a few steps.
2021-11-16	Boynton Beach	Fl	The Owen Group Corp	Upper and lower limb(s)	Direct exposure to electricity
An employee was digging a hole when they cut a conduit that was leaking water in order to cap it off. The conduit contained a live electrical line that flashed and resulted in burns to the employee's arms and leg.
2021-10-29	Clewiston	Fl	Energy Erectors, Inc.	Pelvis	Fall from collapsing structure or equipment 6 to 10 feet
An employee was digging a trench using a mini excavator. The edge of the trench caved in and he slipped and fell about 6 feet. He suffered a broken pelvis and was hospitalized for surgery.
2021-09-15	Amesbury	Ma	NATIONAL GRID USA	Leg(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee was marking up an area for digging on a residential property. The employee fell over a two-foot wall and fell to the ground. The employee sustained a broken leg.
2021-08-18	Plant City	Fl	AG LABOR LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee had been digging with a shovel in a farm field and laying plastic in the heat. The employee felt hot, fatigued, and experienced dry mouth and shaky legs. The employee was hospitalized for heat stroke.
2021-08-06	Fremont	Oh	Willis & Sons Inc	Hand(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
On August 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m., an employee was struck by the bucket of a backhoe that was digging a pit for a trench box, resulting in a severe hand injury.
2021-06-28	Westerly	Ri	FERREIRA CONSTRUCTION CO.	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee was hand digging in a trench 4 feet deep. As the employee was about to exit the trench using a ladder, he tripped on a pipe and fell against a spreader bar with a locking pin sticking out. The employee's lower torso impacted the locking pin when he fell, resulting in a severe bruise and contusion.
2021-03-24	Dover	Ok	Farrar Construction Co. Inc.	Forehead	Struck by falling object or equipment
A backhoe struck a vent pipe while digging next to it, causing the weld at the bottom of the pipe to fail. The pipe fell and struck an employee on the hardhat. The employee suffered a forehead laceration.
2020-10-12	Kissimmee	Fl	Jr. Davis Construction Company, Inc.	Leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
A crew was digging with a rubber-tired backhoe to raise a valve can. The excavation was approximately 3.5 feet deep. Dirt from one side of the excavation collapsed into the hole and pinned the injured employee's leg against the existing utility in the excavation. The employee was hospitalized for a broken leg.
2020-10-03	Beeville	Tx	UAG Ventures AC, LP	Leg(s)	Overexertion involving outside sources
An employee had been digging a 3-foot hole to perform plumbing activities. The employee sustained a leg cramp and was hospitalized.
2020-09-10	West Palm Beach	Fl	Ivy H. Smith Company, LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was digging and was hospitalized for heat stress.
2020-07-16	Lake Park	Georgia	Champion Irrigation, Inc.	Toes(s), toenail(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was helping to install steel piping for a water well. A well digging machine was holding the pipe vertically and moving it into position when the pipe came out of the holder and fell on the employee's left foot. Several toes were crushed and had to be amputated.
2020-04-01	Irving	Texas	SAI Construction	Hand(s)	Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
Two employees were digging and dewatering an excavation when one of them came into contact with a live underground power line. One employee suffered an electric shock and left hand burns; the other was also shocked. Both employees were hospitalized.
2019-09-06	Pottstown	Pennsylvania	Henkels and McCoy	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was using a digging bar to break rock that was preventing a trench box from fitting into an excavation. The tool caused a compound fracture to the employee's ring finger.
2019-08-27	Tipton	Missouri	CO-MO Connect	Lumbar region	Struck by falling object or equipment
An employee and his crew were removing a broken power pole. The top portion of the pole was hung in a tree and still attached to the power lines. The crew was digging the bottom broken section out of the ground when they heard the top portion crack. The broken pole fell on the employee and injured his lower back.
2019-08-20	Danbury	Connecticut	E-J Electric T & D LLC	Wrist(s)	Struck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was hand digging a shallow trench for an electrical conduit installation. While digging the trench, the employee encountered tree roots. To remove the tree roots, he cut partially through the roots with his personal utility knife. After cutting the majority of the exposed roots, he placed the utility knife outside the trench. He then attempted to pull the remaining roots and the sudden release of the roots caused his arm to rotate backwards, allowing his left wrist to contact the ut
2019-08-01	Fort Worth	Texas	Rescue Rooter Fort Worth	Nonclassifiable	Exposure through intact skin, eyes, or other exposed tissue
An employee was digging in a customer's yard when he came into contact with pesticides that had been used to treat the yard. He developed a rash the next day and was hospitalized for dermatitis and cellulitis.
2019-07-09	Houston	Texas	Centerpoint Energy Entex	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was hand-digging to access a natural gas line. He became ill and was hospitalized, suffering from heat stress/exhaustion.
2019-06-29	Metz	West Virgini	Michels Corporation	Jaw, chin	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
Employees were "daylighting" (exposing) a 2-inch pipeline in the ground to remove the pipeline. Thirty feet of pipe was already exposed. An excavator was digging down 6 inches to expose the pipeline. When the bucket of dirt was rotated away from the pipeline, the tooth of the bucket struck the pipe causing the far end of the pipe to shift and strike an employee at the far end of the pipeline (30 feet) in the neck and jaw. The employee was hospitalized for a fractured jaw.
2019-06-20	Saint Petersburg	Florida	Calello Plumbing LLC	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Multiple types of overexertion involving outside sources
An employee was digging a trench for a new water service line when they became short of breath and had chest pain. The employee was hospitalized with a collapsed lung.
2019-05-27	Decatur	Texas	Basic Energy Services	Fingertip(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
While conducting fracking operations, an employee was digging out sand from the auger to a blender when the auger released and struck the employee's left middle finger, resulting in a laceration and amputation of the fingertip.
2019-05-08	Brooklyn	New York	Chesapeake Drilling Corporation	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
The injured employee was holding a cart carrying a 10' section of drilling pipe. A crew attached a snatch block to the section of pipe to lift the piece and connect it to the rig to continue digging deeper. As the crew began to lift the section of pipe off the cart, dirt had accumulated on the chain causing the pipe to fall around 6 inches and crush the injured employee's right hand between the cart and the pipe. The employee suffered fractures and lacerations to his fingers.
2019-03-21	Sewickley	Pennsylvania	MONGIOVI & SON EXCAVATING INCORPORATED	Ankle(s)	Fall, slip, trip
An employee was attempting to straighten a digging bar that was wedged in a backhoe. When the bar moved, the employee lost balance and fell breaking the left ankle.
2019-01-09	Salineville	Ohio	New River Electrical Corporation	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
A line crew was digging post holes with a vehicle-mounted auger. The crew had finished digging a hole and was attempting to stow the auger back onto the vehicle. They had just stowed the Kelley bar when a restraining strap broke. The Kelley bar then sprung loose and hit an employee in the chest. The employee was hospitalized with a spleen injury and seven broken ribs.
2018-06-26	Cincinnati	Ohio	AMS Construction, Inc.	Leg(s)	Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone
An employee was digging a pole hole inside a construction work zone on a city street when a motorist who had fallen asleep at the wheel drove their car into the work zone and struck the employee. The employee suffered a right leg fracture.
2018-05-25	Helotes	Texas	LaborMax Staffing	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was digging a trench. The employee stood up, got dizzy, and lost consciousness resulting in hospitalization for heat stress due to dehydration.
2018-05-22	Charleston	West Virgini	Mountain State Pipeline & Excavating LLC	Multiple body parts	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
On May 22, 2018, at approximately 8:40 a.m., an employee was in the enclosed cab of an excavator preparing the ground for the installation of a silt fence. While the employee was digging around the base of a dead oak tree, a limb broke off of the top of the tree and fell onto the cab of the excavator. The limb shattered the glass sunroof, and the employee was struck by glass and broken limbs. The employee was hospitalized for a skin graph to the right index finger, cut on the head and cheek, an
2018-05-17	Dallas	Texas	Tri Dal, LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was using a shovel and digging to locate a gas line when the employee began to feel symptoms of heat exhaustion, including muscle cramps, nausea, and dizziness.
2018-04-20	West Palm Beach	Florida	GL Staffing Services	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
While digging holes into the ground outside, an employee suffered from dehydration, renal failure, and a muscle injury, requiring hospitalization.
2018-02-06	Mont Belvieu	Texas	CAM Field Solutions, LLC	Hip(s) and leg(s)	Fall through surface or existing opening
An employee was helping an operator close a barbed wire gap. The gap was stretched across some digging mats (placed that morning) on a temporary crossing that was used to contain cattle. While attempting to close the gap, he walked backwards on the construction mats and stepped in a hole between them. He then fell backwards, landing on his right hip. The mats were uneven and were elevated right where he landed. He was hospitalized with a broken right hip/femur, requiring surgery.
2017-10-17	Sun City	Florida	Welch Tennis Courts, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Nonclassifiable
An employee was digging a hole near a broken electrical panel when he made contact with the panel, suffering a 1-inch cut on his left pinky finger. He was hospitalized.
2017-08-09	Crystal City	Texas	Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was working with a four man crew to remove and replace rotted electrical poles outside. He had been digging, tamping, pushing, pulling, and setting poles when he became ill and slouched over. He was hospitalized for multiple heat-related illnesses.
2017-07-26	San Antonio	Texas	KJ Works	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was digging a ditch for an electrical line when he suffered from dehydration and heat exhaustion.
2017-07-22	Richland Springs	Texas	H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction, Inc.	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Fall, slip, trip
An employee was repairing a digging chain when he fell backward, fracturing ribs and lacerating his head.
2017-07-13	Paris	Texas	Oscar Renda Contracting, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee suffered from heat-related illness while digging a hole to find a water leak in a 1-inch service line, requiring hospitalization.
2017-06-15	Clearwater	Florida	APG Electric	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee became dehydrated while digging a trench, requiring hospitalization.
2017-06-07	Washington	District Of	FORT MYERS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION	Lower leg(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was hand digging a hole when an excavator struck his right leg. His right leg had to be amputated at the knee.
2017-04-14	San Antonio	Texas	Works of Art Irrigation & Lanscape Services	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was unloading large trees from the top of an 18-wheeler when the strap came loose from the backhoe digging arm. The arm then swung and hit him in the left upper body, causing him to fall 4 feet to the ground. He suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone, and a head abrasion.
2017-04-05	Riviera Beach	Florida	Cheney Brothers, Inc	BODY SYSTEMS	Direct exposure to electricity
An employee was relocating a parking sign. While digging the relocation hole, the employee made contact with a cracked, buried PVC pipe. The employee initially thought it was irrigation piping, but upon closer examination saw electrical wiring and received a shock while attempting to isolate the exposed wiring.
2017-02-01	Hereford	Colorado	Ultra Energy Services, LLC	Toes(s), toenail(s)	Struck by discharged object or substance
An employee was digging a hole in the ground using a high pressure vacuum truck while standing on the edge of the hole. As he was digging, his foot slipped under the stream causing an injection wound to his left foot that resulted in the amputation of a toe on the left foot.
2017-01-25	Rosenberg	Texas	Digco Utility Services	Upper and lower limb(s)	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
The injured employee was standing at the edge of an excavation when an excavator hit a natural gas line while digging resulting in a fire. The injured employee suffered first degree burns to the lower right arm and thigh.
2016-10-18	Sarasota	Florida	Associated Diversified Services, LLC	Upper and lower limb(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was digging a ditch underneath a digger derrick that was lifting a transformer onto a pole. The rope holding the transformer broke and the transformer fell, hitting and fracturing the employee's arm, leg, and heel.
2016-09-28	Darlington	Wisconsin	WS AG CENTER, INC.	Thigh(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was digging out a trench when the trench collapsed and broke the employee's femur.
2016-09-18	Commerce City	Colorado	Cheaper Rooter	Pelvis	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was digging an excavation when the excavation collapsed on the employee. The employee suffered a broken pelvis.
2016-07-22	Moundville	Alabama	Dominion Construction Co., Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was fixing a water line at the sawmill near the kettle burners and was digging around the line with a shovel when he experienced leg and hand cramps. He was hospitalized for dehydration and heat trauma.
2016-07-21	New York	New York	Triumph Construction	Forearm(s)	Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
An employee was using a digging bar to loosen sand located over a cable buried in a shunt box when he impacted the primary cable. An electric flash occurred, causing first degree burns on his left forearm and a piece of sand to become lodged under his eyelid.
2016-07-13	Fernandina Beach	Florida	Yellowstone Landscape-Southeast, LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was digging up the irrigation piping system because it was not working and was planning on troubleshooting the system. While he was digging, he felt dizzy, got cold chills, and then sat down and drank water to cool down. When he stood up, he began to vomit and required hospitalization for dehydration. The temperature and percent relative humidity at the time of the incident was 89 degrees and 59%, respectively.
2016-06-23	Grafton	West Virgini	Gudenkauf Corporation	Pelvis	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
On June 25, 2016, at approximately 12:10 p.m., two employees were digging with hand tools around a main telephone pole when the push pole fell and struck one of the employees. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured pelvis that required surgery.
2016-06-16	San Antonio	Texas	Z & L Concrete Contractors	Multiple trunk locations	Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle on side of road
An employee was in a drainage ditch, digging and preparing the area for concrete work, when a driver lost control of his car on the highway, drove across two lanes, across the frontage road, and into the drainage ditch. The car hit the employee, who was hospitalized with a fractured pelvis, fractured ribs, and knee injury.
2016-04-13	Rockaway	New Jersey	MORETRENCH AMERICAN CORPORATION	Foot (feet)	Exposure through intact skin, eyes, or other exposed tissue
On 4/13/16, an employee was working on a road/street/underpass project, installing "mini piles" that consisted of digging holes and inserting rebar, casing, and grout/lye. Grout/lye entered the employee's rubber boot, burning his right foot and requiring hospitalization.
2015-10-29	Houston	Texas	Viking Fence Corp.	BODY SYSTEMS	Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
While digging a hole for a fence post installation, the employee struck a live 277V electrical line and was shocked.
2015-07-14	Mableton	Georgia	Inglett & Stubbs LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was digging a ditch to lay conduit when he began to feel ill. He was taken to the emergency room and was diagnosed with heat illness.
2015-05-20	Washington	District Of	Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc.	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
While digging pits under the foundation of the building, a piece of concrete fell and struck two employees. One employee was treated and released with a hand injury; the second employee was hospitalized with a chest injury.
2015-05-08	Farmers Branch	Texas	Precision Landscape Management , LP	Ankle(s)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was digging with a shovel when the shovel hit his ankle. He received a hairline fracture on his ankle.
2015-03-02	Ormond Beach	Florida	Irby Construction Company	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment
A telescopic Kelly bar dropped on an employee's hand while he was digging a hole with an auger, crushing his left index finger.
2015-02-03	Douglasville	Georgia	AT & T Communications	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was walking behind a ditch witch, digging a ditch for underground fiber optic lines. The equipment hit a rut in the ground and fell to the side, trapping the employee's right hand between the controls and a tree. The right thumb was severely cut and was barely hanging on by two pieces of flesh. The employee was transported and admitted to Grady hospital.