Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-10-29	Cheshire	Oh	Ohio Valley Electric Corporation	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was adjusting the position of a preheater basket, which was on a hoist chain. The employee was guiding the basket when the chain was engaged to raise the load. The employee's right little finger was pulled between the chain and the load block, and the fingertip was amputated (without bone loss).
2021-09-30	Monticello	Fl	IPS Corporation	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
On September 30, 2021, an employee was operating a hole punch machine that is activated by a pneumatic foot pedal. The employee was punching holes completely through heater pans when a piece of plastic from one of the heater pans got stuck inside the hole. The employee attempted to remove the piece of plastic when the foot pedal was pressed and the machine blade struck his right index fingertip, resulting in an amputation without bone loss.
2021-08-29	Columbus	Oh	Plaskolite, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
An employee was working on an extruder barrel heater when he contacted a 480-volt terminal. He suffered an electrical burn to the right little finger.
2021-06-01	Denver	Co	Cutler Repaving, Inc.	Hand(s) and arm(s)	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was troubleshooting the preheater of a repaver and sustained burns to the left hand and arms.
2021-05-28	Caldwell	Tx	Bassler Energy Services	Nonclassifiable	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
A crew of three Bassler Energy Services employees were about to clean out a heater treater vessel bottom. The vessel had been depressurized and its contents had been evacuated below the manway. When the crew opened the vessel to begin pressure-washing the manway face, fumes ignited and the resulting flash fire burned two of them. One suffered burns to the face, cheeks, and neck; the other suffered burns to the hands. One employee was hospitalized.
2021-05-26	Del Rio	Tx	Backer Marathon	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery
An employee was crimping heaters, which were not staying in place. As she tried to fix them, a crimper crushed the tip of her finger, causing a fingertip amputation.
2021-05-13	Big Lake	Tx	BP Surface Solutions, LLC	Multiple body parts	Explosion
A five-man crew had been subcontracted by Laredo Petroleum to replace the fire tubes on a heater treater and clean the inside of the tank. Three employees with Dorado Construction Group were contracted as a roustabout crew to clean the tank and replace the fire tubes, one employee of Mulholland Energy Services was contracted to operate the vacuum truck and remove the sludge from the tank, and one employee of Permian Service Co., LLC was hired to operate a hot oil truck to provide water to the r
2021-05-13	Odessa	Tx	Borregos Truck & Backhoe Services	Multiple body parts	Contact with hot objects or substances
Employees were cleaning out a heater treater using hot water to remove debris. When an employee opened the door to the heater treater, remaining hot water hit him in the face, chest, and hands, causing first- and second-degree burns.
2021-02-25	Fairfield	Al	Ranger Environmental, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Direct exposure to electricity
An employee was picking up a paper towel from the floor near a two-phase electrical heater. Loose wiring on the heater and stand shocked the employee's left ring and index fingers.
2021-02-24	Watonga	Ok	Cyclone Drilling Inc.	Cheek(s)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was standing in front of a heater, watching a casing being floated into a hole to seal it. A ball valve failed and burst apart, fracturing the employee's cheekbone and lacerating his cheek.
2021-02-09	Commerce	Ga	Lazer Spot, Inc.	Hip(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment
An employee opened the back door of a trailer and a boxed hot water heater fell from the top of a double stacked row and struck him on the shoulder, knocking him to the ground and resulting in a right hip fracture.
2021-02-05	Medina	Oh	Comfort Systems USA	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery
An employee was working on a rooftop heater when the v-belt pulley pulled the employee's glove inward, resulting in the amputation of his thumb.
2021-02-01	Triadelphia	Wv	Brennan Services	Nonclassifiable	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
Employees had been pumping out oil and gas waste water from a tanker truck. Vapors/fumes from the condensate mixed in with the waste water caught fire when a torpedo heater started up and a spark shot out of the back. Two employees sustained multiple second and third degree burns and were hospitalized.
2020-10-15	Ackerly	Tx	Flower Grove Co-op Gin	Nonclassifiable	Explosion of nonpressurized vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was coming out of a room and turned off the light switch. An explosion occurred due to a propane line running through the ceiling in the office which provided gas to a heater. Three employees were injured; two of them were hospitalized with burns.
2020-10-05	Dallas	Tx	Lipman-Texas, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was pulling some film from a double tray sealer when the cutter blade/heater came down and amputated part of her finger.
2020-10-04	Stephenville	Tx	Schrieber Foods, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was performing scheduled maintenance on the side seal heater section of a filler. He was manually moving the heater bars back and forth when the cylinder engaged and retracted back from a closed position, pinching his finger between the heat bar and the frame of the sealer. He sustained an amputation to a finger.
2020-07-28	Houston	Tx	Sonifi Solutions, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was unloading a heater and a tool belt from the company truck. The employee felt ill, so he started walking back to his vehicle but passed out in the elevator of the parking garage, hitting a handrail as he fell. He was hospitalized with a laceration on the head, a bruised rib, and heat exhaustion.
2020-05-21	Stoughton	Wisconsin	I-K-I Manufacturing Co., Inc.	Trunk	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was removing a pump for a hot water heater when hot water burned his torso.
2020-05-14	Brookville	Pennsylvania	Matson Lumber	Ankle(s)	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was doing maintenance on a circular head saw blade splitter. The employee was straightening the splitter with an adjustable wrench and cheater pipe extension. The wrench slipped off the splitter, causing the employee to fall backwards onto a platform and suffer a dislocated/fractured right ankle.
2020-05-06	Kermit	Texas	Skye Blue Services, LLC	Head and trunk	Explosion of nonpressurized vapors, gases, or liquids
Three employees were cleaning a heater treater when a gas build-up caused an explosion in the building. Two of the employees received minor injuries; the third was hospitalized, having suffered a severe laceration across the forehead, burns to the face and neck, and a fractured spine.
2020-02-09	Adairsville	Georgia	Vista Speciality Alloys, LLC	Multiple body parts	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was standing near a cannon-type heater trying to warm himself. The employee's shirt ignited due to contact with the heater. The employee sustained second degree burns to the left front, side, and back torso, and the left thumb, fingers, and palm.
2020-01-27	Neosho	Missouri	Opal Foods LLC	Brain	Other fall to lower level
An employee was on a ladder installing a tankless hot water heater. While descending the ladder, the employee missed a step and fell, suffering a laceration to the head and a brain bleed.
2020-01-23	Horicon	Wisconsin	Deere & Company	Foot (feet) and ankle(s)	Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
An employee was driving a stand-up reach forklift with a load elevated in the air. The load caught a ceiling-mounted heater, causing the forklift to tip backwards. The employee's left foot was caught between the forklift and the ground, causing several fractures to the foot and ankle.
2019-09-06	Belgium	Wisconsin	Cedar Valley Cheese, Inc	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
During unloading of a commercial water heater from a delivery truck, an employee's left index finger was pinched between a fork on the unloading vehicle and the top edge of the water heater. The left index finger was lacerated approximately 1 inch from the tip. A portion of the left index finger was surgically amputated.
2019-08-01	Hurst	Texas	Cinemark	Ankle(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was checking a movie theater auditorium when he fell down the stairs, breaking his ankle.
2019-07-31	Ulysses	Kansas	Merit Energy Company	Face	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was troubleshooting a heater treater on a water tank. A flash back from the heater burned the employee's face.
2019-07-19	Hallandale Beach	Florida	Glenny's Stone Works, Inc.	Nonclassifiable	Struck by object or equipment
An employee was struck by an 80-gallon water heater in a staging area. The employee suffered fractured vertebrae and was hospitalized.
2019-07-08	Cantonment	Florida	Industry Services Co., Inc.	Multiple body parts	Vehicle or machinery fire
On July 8, 2019, an employee was using a forklift (to unload a heater from a truck) when it caught fire. The employee suffered second and third degree burns to 40 percent of his body and hospitalized.
2019-07-03	Eakly	Oklahoma	Equity Exchange	Leg(s)	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was working on grain fertilizer equipment. The cheater bar he was using slipped, causing him to fall and break his leg.
2019-05-14	Tea	South Dakota	JR Koop, Inc.	Arm(s)	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was trying to find a gas leak on a heater that was returned by a customer. In order to test the fuel injector spray pattern, the employee pressed the start button. Fuel was expelled from the engine and caught fire. The employee's right arm was burned.
2019-05-01	Houston	Texas	Locke Investments, LLC	Face	Struck by falling object or equipment
An employee was lifting a cover for a hole using a crane. A cheater bar that was inside the cover fell and struck the employee's face causing a laceration requiring hospitalization.
2019-04-15	Lake Buena Vista	Florida	WALT DISNEY WORLD CO.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee fell down two steps in a theater. She hit her head and suffered two broken fingers and a strained back.
2019-04-07	Summit	New Jersey	CVS Health	Hip(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee tripped over a space heater cord, fell and broke her hip.
2019-03-21	Shullsburg	Wisconsin	White Hill Cheese Company, LLC	Multiple head locations	Other fall to lower level
On March 21, 2019, a maintenance technician was working from an extension ladder to get to the ceiling of a structure to perform maintenance of a heater unit. The employee fell from the ladder, suffering head trauma and fractures to the skull and lower jaw. The employee was hospitalized.
2019-03-06	Vicksburg	Mississippi	Mississippi Lime Company	Multiple trunk locations	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was in a truck bay, servicing 18-wheeler trucks. A propane heater ignited an oil rag on his clothes, causing third-degree burns on his front and back. He was hospitalized.
2019-02-15	North Freedom	Wisconsin	JP Cullen & Sons Inc.	Leg(s)	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee caught fire while warming up next to a heater. The employee suffered second-degree burns to the left leg.
2019-01-31	Coatesville	Pennsylvania	Arcelormittal Plate, LLC.	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
An employee was injured due to carbon monoxide exposure from a gas heater.
2019-01-21	Tioga	North Dakota	Sundhagen Sand & Gravel, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was inside a semi truck scale. He was thawing out the scale using a portable propane heater. A flash fire occurred within the confined area of the scale and caused second degree burns across 70% of his body.
2019-01-16	Humble	Texas	Lawler Foods	Brain	Nonclassifiable
An employee had been assigned to perform a heater inspection. The employee planned to use a ladder to access the roof. The employee was found on the floor of the facility with a concussion.
2019-01-16	Pooler	Georgia	Thomas Concrete, Inc.	Face	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was standing on an A-frame ladder about 12 to 15 feet above the ground while attempting to light a waste oil heater that hangs from the ceiling. The employee pushed the reset button (electric ignition) and a flame came out of the heater, causing second degree burns to the employee's face.
2019-01-15	Pineville	Louisiana	Auto Tech of Louisiana	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was prepping a vehicle to be dismantled by removing parts when gas splashed near the heater, causing it to ignite. The employee was burned on the face and hands.
2019-01-03	Boise	Idaho	Western Recycling	Lower leg(s)	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was standing next to a propane heater when his clothes caught on fire, burning his lower legs.
2019-01-02	Billings	Montana	Best Buy	Lower leg(s)	Fall on same level due to slipping
An employee was at a customer's home installing home theater equipment when the employee slipped on icy stairs and fell, suffering a broken tibia and fibula. The employee was hospitalized.
2018-09-16	Bryan	Texas	TEXAS STEEL CONVERSION INC	Hip(s)	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was adjusting a pipe with a cheater bar when the pipe struck him and he fell on his side, breaking his hip and requiring surgery.
2018-06-18	South Bay	Florida	MPW Industrial Services, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Struck by discharged object or substance
An employee was lancing heater tubes with pressurized water equipment. When he pulled the lance out, the pressurized water struck his left bicep and chest, resulting in abrasions and hospitalization.
2018-05-09	Montgomery	Alabama	Rheem Manufacturing Company, Inc	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
Two employees were running a test on a prototype tankless water heater that ran on natural gas when the unit started to overheat. The carbon monoxide alarm sounded and the employees evacuated the room, but one employee was exposed to the gas and required hospitalization.
2018-04-04	Lebanon	Ohio	Heat Sensor Technologie, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery
An employee was filling heaters in a filler and moving to a capping machine when the employee's middle finger was smashed between a cartridge heater and the machine press, resulting in a partial amputation.
2018-03-05	Blue Rapids	Kansas	Farmers Cooperative	BODY SYSTEMS	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was using chemical paint remover in the basement area when a heater's pilot light ignited the fumes. The employee was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
2018-02-19	Pensacola	Florida	Bureau of Prisons - Dept of Justice	Foot(feet) and leg(s)	Contact with hot objects or substances
Employees were transporting hot water in a large plastic garbage bin from a kettle to a sink to wash dishes, because the water heater was not working, when the bin tipped over. The hot water splashed the injured employee on the back of the legs, calves, and feet, causing second degree burns.
2018-01-24	Laurel	Mississippi	MASONITE CORPORATION	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was changing a preheater feed screw. He was using a 4-foot-long piece of pipe to bump the blow-back cylinder and make it retract so that the feed screw could be removed. The cylinder then moved forward instead of retracting, which forced the pipe back. The pipe pinned the employee's hand between the end of the pipe and a very heavy flange that was part of the machine frame. The employee's right index finger was amputated.
2018-01-12	Alexander	North Dakota	Zavanna, LLC	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was troubleshooting the natural gas supply for a freshwater heater. The employee opened a valve on a scrubber that released gas and it ignited, burning the employee's legs, hands, and face.
2018-01-09	Texas City	Texas	Sprint Waste Services, LP	Nose, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Injured by handheld object or equipment
An employee was trying to shift a palette using a cheater bar when the cheater bar gave way and hit his nose, breaking and lacerating it.
2018-01-05	Blasdell	New York	Ebenezer Railcar Services, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was attempting to warm up near a stand-up propane heater when his buttocks and the back of his thighs contacted the heater housing. The interior flame then ignited his denim jeans, causing burns to his lower body.
2018-01-05	Williston	North Dakota	Wisco Inc.	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was warming up a hydraulic cylinder with a propane heater when hydraulic fluid shot through a pinhole leak in the feed line toward the propane heater and ignited. The employee suffered burns to the face and hands.
2018-01-05	Louisville	Mississippi	Taylor Machine Works, Inc.	Multiple upper extremities locations	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was attempting to warm himself near a commercial floor heater. As he walked away from the heater, he felt heat close to his neck and realized his clothes were on fire. He rolled to extinguish the flame, but his left and right shoulders received second and third degree burns and both hands suffered first degree burns.
2018-01-03	New York	New York	FEDEX OFFICE	Brain	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee tripped over a space heater while retrieving a package and fell to the same level, suffering a concussion.
2018-01-02	Houston	Texas	Greens Bayou Foundry	Multiple body parts	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was eating lunch while sitting near a space heater. The heater then ignited his jacket, causing second and third degree burns to his back and hands.
2017-09-20	Monroe	Ohio	The Home Depot	Brain	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was loading water heaters and fell from a freight cart resulting in a head injury.
2017-08-05	Rockaway	New Jersey	Suburban Propane	Multiple body parts	Contact with hot objects or substances
While servicing a water heater, an employee suffered burns to the hands and face.
2017-07-11	Bolingbrook	Illinois	Action Plumbing	Nonclassifiable	Other fall to lower level
Two employees were moving hot water heaters from the ground to a third floor balcony. While moving the equipment in a box on a forklift, an employee stepped into the box to retrieve the last hot water heater and the box fell off the forklift. The employee fell three stories and fractured vertebrae.
2017-03-30	Glen Rose	Texas	Skipper Industries, Inc.	Brain	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was using a pipe wrench with a cheater bar to tighten a nipple when the pipe wrench broke and the cheater bar struck the employee's head, causing blunt force trauma.
2017-03-21	Saugus	Massachusett	Wheelabrator Saugus, Inc.	Nonclassifiable	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was cleaning out a super heater hopper and was burned by hot ash.
2017-03-16	Wildwood	Florida	Suburban Propane	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee suffered burns to his face and hands from a flash fire that occurred while lighting the pilot light to a propane water heater.
2017-03-03	Three Rivers	Texas	Diamond Shamrock Refining Company, L.P.	Face	Fire or explosion
On 3/3/17, two employees were lighting the Stabilizer Reboiler Heater (21-H-205). An internal vapor ignition impacted the heater integrity and both employees that were in the process of lighting the heater were injured. One of the employees was admitted to the hospital for further treatment of burns to the face.
2017-02-23	Gallipolis	Ohio	C.J. Hughes Construction	Skull	Injured by handheld object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was attempting to loosen a bore with a cheater pipe wrench when the wrench spun around and hit the employee's head, fracturing the skull.
2017-01-25	Sunrise	Florida	Regal Entertainment Group	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Overexertion in lifting-single episode
On 1/25/2017 at 12:07 PM, an employee was stocking goods in a movie theater. While moving cases of water bottles, two at a time, his back gave out and the employee fell to the floor. The employee was admitted to the hospital for a back injury.
2017-01-25	Fort Worth	Texas	Benjamin Franklin Plumbing	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Fall from collapsing structure or equipment 6 to 10 feet
An employee was inspecting a water heater in the attic of a residence and fell 8 feet when the ladder gave way, landing on his back.
2017-01-23	Chester	Oklahoma	River Rat Oilfield Services, LLC	Nonclassifiable	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
A crew of three employees had just repaired a heater/treater water leg 3" vitriolic coupling and had pressured it up with a pump. A leak appeared at a bolt on the unit and the two injured employees proceeded to tighten it. While the two were tightening the bolt, they heard a pop and something gave away. They were drenched with liquid and gas. The third employee saw this and shut the pump down and was going to isolate the unit when it caught fire near the coupling. The fire spread to the two dren
2017-01-17	Baileyville	Maine	Woodland Pulp, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery, n.e.c.
An employee was servicing a heater when his right hand was caught in an inclined conveyor adjacent to the heater. The employee suffered a finger amputation on the right hand.
2016-10-11	Mcconnelsville	Ohio	Miba Bearings LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was troubleshooting a machine. The hydraulic clamps were not functioning properly. When the employee placed his hand on the side of the heater, the clamp closed, pinching and amputating his left middle finger.
2016-10-06	Kingman	Kansas	Great Lakes Polymer Technologies, LLC	Brain	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was changing dies when a metal guard flipped down, causing the insulator on the energized 240V (die heating element) heater wires to break. The employee suffered an electrical shock to his shoulder, lost consciousness, and then collapsed forward, hitting his head on a metal track.
2016-07-16	Baytown	Texas	Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., LP	Elbow(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee was walking on the north side of the H-602 hot oil heater unit when he tripped over a scaffold pole and landed on both elbows. The employee was admitted to the hospital with two fractured elbows. The right elbow fracture required surgery.
2016-04-12	Colorado Springs	Colorado	NEXGEN PHARMA, INC.	Nonclassifiable	Fall from collapsing structure or equipment 16 to 20 feet
An employee in a scissor lift was helping to repair a heater approximately 17 feet above ground level when the lift platform collapsed. The employee sustained injuries upon impact with the platform.
2016-04-09	Hidalgo	Texas	TST NA Trim, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c.
A maintenance employee was troubleshooting a water heater in the ceiling when he lost his balance. He grabbed onto a wire that supports the ceiling, and the sharp wire cut his left-hand middle finger and tore a tendon.
2016-04-05	Elmsford	New York	AvalonBay Communities,Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Inhalation of harmful substance-single episode
Two employees were overcome by carbon monoxide fumes while troubleshooting a hot water heater. One of the employees was hospitalized overnight.
2016-03-11	Fort Myers	Florida	Amerigas, Inc.	Brain	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was standing on the lift gate of a truck, unloading a junk pool heater into a dumpster, when he lost his balance and fell to the concrete below. He suffered head trauma due to head contact with the asphalt.
2016-03-08	Oakwood	Texas	Barrilleaux, Inc.	Jaw, chin	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was using a pressure washer to clean a forklift. The pressure washer lost pressure, so the employee walked around the pressure washer to try and see what was wrong. At that time, the "caps" blew off of the heater element on the pressure washer, striking the employee in the jaw and fracturing it.
2016-03-04	Panama City	Florida	National Boiler Service, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was replacing a bearing in a space heater when his leather glove was caught at the edge of the separator bar (the rotating mechanism inside of the heater) as it turned. His right thumb was caught between the separator bar and the outer shroud (the heater's fan with a filtration system) and was amputated from the first joint.
2016-02-08	Auburn	Massachusett	F.W.WEBB Company	Leg(s)	Fall on same level due to slipping
On or about February 8, 2016, an employee was delivering a water heater to a homeowner when he slipped on snow-covered ice and broke his leg, requiring surgery.
2016-01-28	Birmingham	Alabama	Noland Company	Neck, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee cut the truck seal with a bolt cutter and opened the trailer door. When the door was opened, three hot water heaters fell out and one of the heaters struck the employee on the head causing a neck fracture.
2016-01-11	Bridgeport	Texas	NTX Valve and Pump, LLC	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was attempting to warm spray paint cans in front of a heater when the cans caught fire and burned the employee's hands and forehead.
2016-01-07	Orlando	Florida	Florida Hospital Orlando	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee's left thumb was smashed between a hospital bed frame and a radiant heater, resulting in the bone being exposed. She was hospitalized and had surgery.
2016-01-07	West Wareham	Massachusett	COVANTA Energy of SEMASS	Upper and lower limb(s)	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
While working on a sorting line, an employee was sprayed by a flammable chemical when the bottle that it was in got stuck on the conveyor. The ignition source was a portable heater that was being used to keep the employee warm. The employee received 1st and 2nd degree burns to the right hand and right leg.
2015-12-30	Madison	Wisconsin	J.H. Findorff & Sons, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
A mechanic was repairing a heater in a Bobcat skid steer loader. The employee was in the cab and the door closed on the employee's finger removing a piece of tissue from the left ring finger.
2015-10-16	Krotz Springs	Louisiana	Specialty Welding and Turnarounds	Lower leg(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping, n.e.c.
An employee was welding on a heater. While exiting the heater, he stepped on a beam and his foot got stuck in his safety harness. He fell on his right knee and fractured his tibia.
2015-09-24	Three Rivers	Texas	VALERO THREE RIVERS REFINERY	Multiple head locations	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was working on a heater when the fuel gas system detonated and caused a flash fire. The employee was burned on the right side of the face and ear.
2015-09-21	Lakewood	Colorado	CBRE, Inc	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee bled a water heater gas line after replacing it and then attempted to start the gas water heater. This provided an ignition source, resulting in a flash fire with flame front. The employee received first and second degree burns on exposed facial and hand skin.
2015-09-09	Saint Joseph	Missouri	Greg's Appliances and Sales	BODY SYSTEMS	Indirect exposure to electricity, 220 volts or less
An employee was checking on a heater-type coil in a refrigerator/freezer unit in the basement of the facility. The employee was working on the unit with two alligator clips in each hand while possibly standing in water; the plug was 110 voltage. The employee sustained a possible electrical shock.
2015-09-01	Coalgate	Oklahoma	Coal County General Hospital	Multiple face locations	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
A maintenance employee was in the laundry room lighting a water heater pilot. He had been using canned air to clear lint/dust from the area, then attempted to light the pilot, which caused a flash fire in his face. He suffered burns on his face and injuries to his eyes, requiring hospitalization.
2015-07-17	Austin	Texas	6B Plumbing, LLC	Foot (feet) and ankle(s)	Other fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet
An employee was unloading water heaters from a forklift. The heater box bottom was faulty and came loose, causing a shift in weight that resulted in the employee falling two stories. The employee's feet and ankles broke.
2015-07-07	Point Comfort	Texas	Derrick Construction Company, Inc.	Head and neck	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
A crane was removing a heater from a platform. The heater was lifted up to tighten the chains before resuming the lift, but the heater stack (7 ft. pipe) broke off of the heater. The broken piece struck an employee, who suffered a severe concussion and broken bones in the neck.
2015-07-07	Wall Township	New Jersey	Mark Gannon Plumbing, Heating & Cooling LLC	Nonclassifiable	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee suffered burns while trying to repair a water heater.
2015-05-12	Lake Forest	Illinois	Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital	Lower leg(s)	Contact with hot objects or substances
On May 12, 2015, an employee's lower left leg was burned by a space heater while sitting at their desk.
2015-04-24	Arvada	Colorado	Boral Construction Materials	BODY SYSTEMS	Direct exposure to electricity
On April 24, 2015, an employee sustained an injury from an electric shock while resetting the power on a water heater, requiring hospitalization.
2015-03-24	Wheatland	Pennsylvania	JMC Steel Group	Multiple body parts	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was burned on his lower back and posterior by a heater used to warm equipment and the general environment. He was wearing personal protective equipment.
2015-03-02	Houston	Texas	MSF ELECTRIC INC	Thoracic region	Other fall to lower level
The injured employee was standing halfway up a fold-down attic ladder, receiving instructions on what materials/equipment would be needed to fully repair the attic heater. While descending the ladder, the employee missed a step, fell, and fractured a vertebra in the thoracic area of the back.
2015-02-27	Brownsville	Pennsylvania	Brownsville Marine Products, LLC	Nonclassifiable	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was standing near a pot belly natural gas heater, and his clothing caught on fire. The employee was admitted to the hospital.
2015-02-20	Maplewood	Missouri	Gross Mechanical Contractors	Multiple body parts	Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
On February 20, 2015, an employee conducting preventative maintenance work on a heater was injured when the scissor lift he was standing on was struck by the structural steel beam for a gantry crane. He suffered multiple fractures on both sides of his body, as well as a dislocated left hip, when he fell approximately 15 feet to the ground.
2015-02-20	Dobbs Ferry	New York	Gabriel Steel Erectors Inc.	Leg(s)	Contact with hot objects or substances
A propane heater burned the back of an employee's legs.
2015-02-12	Pyote	Texas	Cimarex Energy	Multiple body parts	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
On or about February 12, 2015, a worker was trying to light the heater treater In The Barriers Well, but the gas valve was not fully shut causing the gas to flash in his face. The Well was shut in and the worker was trying to get it back online. The worker sustained injuries to his face and right hand.