Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-11-16	Grand Prairie	Tx	PENSKE LOGISTICS LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Vehicle or machinery fire
An employee was using a fire extinguisher to put out a smoldering fire on a truck tailgate. The employee inhaled some of the smoke and fire extinguisher powder, suffered respiratory distress, and was hospitalized.
2021-07-31	Lowell	Ma	The Lowell General Hospital	Brain	Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving
A nurse was sitting at a nurse's station. A patient struck the nurse on the head with a fire extinguisher, knocking the nurse unconscious.
2021-07-18	Shawano	Wi	AARROWCAST INC	BODY SYSTEMS	Fire
An employee used a 20-pound dry chemical fire extinguisher to extinguish a fire under the furnace on a melt deck. The employee began to have trouble breathing and was hospitalized, suffering from smoke inhalation.
2021-04-09	Sulligent	Al	US Ecology Sulligent, Inc	Forehead	Struck by discharged object or substance
An employee was moving a 30-gallon poly drum containing a halon fire extinguisher. He opened the container to verify its contents. Once he unlatched the drum ring, the lid flew off of the drum and struck the left side of his face. He suffered a fracture to the left eyebrow and was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
2020-09-27	Edison	Nj	Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Medical Center	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
An EMT was restocking the vehicle, when her co-worker leaned on the fire extinguisher expelling foam. The EMT developed shortness of breath and was hospitalized.
2020-09-09	Emmett	Ks	Day and Zimmermann	Lower leg(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee was performing fire watch duty when she walked backward and tripped over a fire extinguisher that was staged on the ground. She fractured two bones right above her ankle.
2020-07-05	Panama City	Florida	Sodexo Operations, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Fall on same level due to slipping
An employee slipped and fell while walking behind a café serving line. She caught a wall-mounted fire extinguisher as she fell; it fell onto her hand when she landed on the floor, amputating her left index finger at the first knuckle.
2020-02-05	Houston	Texas	Vallen	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was pulling a 150-200 lbs. wheeled fire extinguisher unit up a 6" lip when he lost his balance, slipped, and fell backwards down a nearby grading of stairs. The wheeled fire extinguisher unit fell with the employee and landed on his right hand. His right hand sustained multiple injuries including a broken index and middle finger.
2020-01-14	West Plains	Missouri	REGAL BELOIT CORPORATION	Brain	Struck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was walking and hit his head on a fire extinguisher wheel. He fell to the ground, struck his head on the floor, and was knocked unconscious. He was hospitalized with a head injury.
2020-01-08	Albany	Ohio	Synergy Sand LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Vehicle or machinery fire
An employee was driving a truck when it caught fire. After pulling it over and using a fire extinguisher, she suffered from smoke inhalation and was hospitalized.
2019-07-26	Glen Cove	New York	Glen Cove Hospital	Thigh(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment
An employee was holding the door open for a co-worker when a fire extinguisher fell off the wall and landed on the employee's left leg. The employee sustained a broken femur.
2019-05-16	Salina	Kansas	Standard Beverage Corp	Multiple body parts	Vehicle or machinery fire
An employee was using a fire extinguisher on the brake area of his semi-trailer when a tire exploded causing burns to his neck and left hand along with debris in his left eye.
2019-04-17	New Athens	Ohio	NLS Paving	Multiple body parts	Vehicle or machinery fire
An employee was using a handheld propane torch to heat the end of another tool. The employee turned the propane torch off and set it on a truck. The truck caught on fire. The employee and another employee tried to suffocate the fire, then used fire extinguishers to put the fire out. Both employees sustained burns to the right arm and face. One employee also sustained a burn to the back. They were both hospitalized.
2019-02-12	Smethport	Pennsylvania	Dean Hushon Insulation, LLC	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Other fall to lower level
An employee was climbing a straight ladder that was secured to a boiler. On the third or fourth step of the ladder, the employee's foot slipped causing him to fall backwards and hit a fire extinguisher that was on the wall before falling to the concrete ground. The employee was hospitalized due to an injury to his twelfth vertebrae.
2019-02-11	Mount Sterling	Illinois	Dot Foods, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to other harmful substance-multiple routes of exposure
An employee took a sweeper outside because the sweeper had caught on fire. Maintenance came outside with a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The extinguisher chemicals flew into the employee's face and the employee swallowed some of it. The employee was hospitalized with difficulty breathing.
2019-01-16	Riverside	Rhode Island	Athena Orchard View LLC	Toes(s), toenail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee opened the top of the copier, which contacted a fire extinguisher on the wall. The fire extinguisher fell onto the employee's left foot. The employee sustained a partial amputation of the middle toe.
2019-01-16	Blue Springs	Missouri	HY-VEE	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee fell while mopping floors. A fire extinguisher was knocked off the wall and landed on his right index finger, causing an amputation up to the first knuckle.
2018-09-21	Minocqua	Wisconsin	Kwik Trip, Inc.	Arm(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee had replaced a fire extinguisher on a wall and was turning when her foot caught on the base of an air dryer. She fell to the floor, suffering a broken right arm and facial injuries (including a possible broken nose).
2018-08-09	Follansbee	West Virgini	Aven Fire Systems Inc.	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Fall through surface or existing opening 16 to 20 feet
On August 9, 2018,at approximately 12:25 a.m., an employee was walking along a grated walkway while inspecting fire extinguishers at a third-party facility when the grating gave way. He then fell approximately 20 feet and injured his back, requiring hospitalization and surgery.
2018-06-08	Alsip	Illinois	Reliable Fire Equipment Company	Eye(s)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
On June 8, 2018, at approximately 12:00 p.m., an employee was attempting to repair a pipe hose on a wheeled fire extinguisher. The employee's right eye was struck with a steel pipe he was using for leverage causing cuts around the eye, swelling and impaired vision.
2018-03-07	Ocala	Florida	Custom Window Systems	Hand(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was pulling a cart of glass windows to be loaded onto a truck when he backed up to a pillar and his left hand was caught and lacerated between the cart's handle and a fire extinguisher. He was hospitalized.
2017-10-01	Columbus	Ohio	Thirty-One Gifts	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee inadvertently struck a wall-mounted fire extinguisher, which then dislodged from the wall and struck the employee's left hand, fracturing the pinky finger and requiring surgery.
2017-07-10	Missoula	Montana	Michaels Stores, Inc	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
While moving fixtures, an employee bumped into a fire extinguisher that then fell on and amputated the employee's left index finger.
2017-03-24	Fort Payne	Alabama	International Fire Protection, Inc.	Ankle(s)	Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee was inspecting and servicing fire extinguishers when a client's forklift struck the employee's left ankle from behind, breaking it and requiring hospitalization.
2017-03-17	Allentown	Pennsylvania	Crothall Health Care Services	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was bending to pick up a broom that was laying on the floor against the wall in the linen department when a fire extinguisher fell off the wall and landed on his right thumb. His thumb was amputated from just below the thumbnail up.
2016-09-29	Trinidad	Colorado	Bamm Inc	Nonclassifiable	Vehicle or machinery fire
An employee was venting a container with water and condensation at an oil site when a vacuum truck at the site caught fire in the engine compartment or cab. While retrieving a fire extinguisher from the truck, the employee received first and second degree burns and required overnight hospitalization.
2016-09-19	Gosnell	Arkansas	Harsco Metals & Minerals	Lower leg(s)	Vehicle or machinery fire
An employee had a small grease fire on his equipment. As he grabbed the fire extinguisher and handed it down to a coworker, he lost his footing and fell down, fracturing his right leg beneath the knee.
2016-09-13	West Bend	Wisconsin	Homes for Independent Living of Wisconsin LLC	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
An employee was trying to de-escalate a resident having a mental breakdown. The resident sprayed the entire contents of a fire extinguisher in the basement of the building. The employee inhaled the fire extinguisher contents and experienced breathing distress, requiring hospitalization.
2016-07-06	Plymouth	Massachusett	Plymouth Rehab Healthcare Center	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to other harmful substances
An employee suffered a severe allergic reaction while cleaning up a fire extinguisher discharge, requiring hospitalization.
2016-02-29	Kermit	Texas	Key Energy Services, LLC	Hand(s)	Contact with objects and equipment
An employee was performing maintenance on a truck. The truck brakes were on fire and employees used a fire extinguisher to suppress the flames. The employee then began adjusting the brakes and sustained a hand injury.
2016-02-02	Texarkana	Texas	RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT	Face	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
A fire extinguisher fell while it was being serviced, striking an employee in the face. The employee was hospitalized.
2015-11-06	Waco	Texas	Baylor University, Waco	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
An employee attempted to contain an active fire using a fire extinguisher when she suffered smoke inhalation. She was hospitalized.
2015-10-24	Jacksonville	Florida	Riverwood Center, LLC	Upper and lower limb(s)	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was melting butter in 4 to 5 quart pot on a gas stove when the pot caught on fire. A co-worker used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The injured employee took the pot with hot butter and while walking towards the door leading to a hallway and outside the building, she fell on the kitchen floor. The hot butter burned her right arm and thigh. She was admitted to the hospital.
2015-10-14	Mohegan Lake	New York	Jericho Project	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Intentional injury by other person, n.e.c.
A client threw a fire extinguisher at an employee. A second employee attempted to block it and got hit by the fire extinguisher, sustaining a back injury. Both employees were hospitalized.
2015-08-24	Chicago	Illinois	ABM Parking Services	BODY SYSTEMS	Vehicle or machinery fire
A parking attendant used a fire extinguisher to fight a car fire. The employee felt shortness of breath after the incident. The employee was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
2015-08-19	Huntington	West Virgini	Cabell Huntington Hospital	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
An employee was hospitalized after suffering breathing difficulties related to a compressed air spray operation to spray paint fire extinguishers conducted on August 19, 2015. A respirator wasn't worn and no monitoring was conducted to determine employee exposure during spray operations.