Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-10-29	Alton	Il	ALTON STEEL, INC.	Foot (feet)	Struck by falling object or equipment
A falling chunk of scrap metal struck an employee on the foot, breaking bones.
2021-08-15	North Jackson	Oh	Extrudex Aluminum Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck against moving part of machinery or equipment
An employee was pushing scrap metal through a metal saw when the saw struck the employee's left little finger, resulting in amputation at the first knuckle.
2020-08-05	Weirton	Wv	ArcelorMittal-Weirton, LLC	Hand(s)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was using a piece of I-beam to pound out a piece of scrap metal from a mandrel when his hand got caught between the I-beam and the scrap metal, leading to a cut and a smashed hand.
2020-06-11	San Antonio	Texas	Manchester, Inc.	Head and trunk	Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
An employee was removing a lug on a cylinder mount. He fell from the railing, outside the shredder, approximately 12 feet onto concrete and scrap metal. The employee was unconscious and sustained internal bleeding and head injuries.
2020-04-20	Corsicana	Texas	Oil City Iron Works, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was loading metals into a loader with a scrap crane when his right middle finger was caught between a crane magnet and the scrap metal and amputated.
2020-03-07	Jewett	Texas	TMS International	Multiple body parts	Ignition of clothing from controlled heat source
An employee was cutting up scrap metal. There was a hole at the connection in the hose of the hand torch which caused the employee's shirt to become saturated with oxygen. When the employee lit the torch, his shirt caught on fire. The employee was hospitalized with burns on his stomach, right arm, and back.
2020-03-06	Appleton	Wisconsin	Miller Electric Manufacturing Co.	Multiple body parts	Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee was traversing south in a walkway, entering a T-intersection in the mechanical components department. A forklift that was hauling a hopper full of scrap metal came from the right and turned left into the intersection. The hopper struck the employee on the left side knocking the employee to the ground. The employee sustained a right forearm contusion, two or three fractured ribs on the left side, a fracture of the left upper femoral head, a fractured vertebra, and a concussion.
2020-03-04	Vinton	Texas	Kayoi Steel Group America	Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
After recharging the furnace, there was an explosion inside the furnace. An employee was hit by a hot piece of scrap metal that flew out of the furnace while he was using the lance. The scrap metal struck the employee in the left shoulder near the arm pit.
2020-02-24	Garland	Texas	General Packaging Corporation	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was unloading palletized scrap metal from the bed of a bobtail truck using a pallet jack. The pallet of scrap metal started to fall over the edge at the end of the truck causing the pallet jack to raise up and crush the employee's right index finger between it and the scrap metal. The fingertip was amputated.
2020-02-15	Decatur	Alabama	Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was directing a crane operator with hand signals to pick up a piece of scrap steel off the floor when his hand was caught between the sheet of scrap metal and the lifting device (grab). The employee sustained a finger amputation and a laceration.
2020-01-27	North Little Rock	Arkansas	THE TENENBAUM FOUNDATION	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
The injured employee and a co-worker were receiving and inspecting scrap metal. A large scrap electrical cabinet needed to be moved to a different area for processing. Prior to moving it, they wanted to inspect the inside of the large electrical cabinet to ensure there were no unacceptable materials in the box. There was a large electrical control panel on top of the electrical box and it was sitting at an angle. As the injured employee lifted the door, the control panel shifted and fell, striki
2020-01-20	Brooklyn	New York	Benson Metal Corp	Brain	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was operating an excavator to sort scrap metals when a pipe flew off from being sheared by another excavator and pierced through his operator cab's glass. The metal pipe them struck him, causing a head concussion.
2019-09-03	Racine	Wisconsin	Summit Packaging Systems, Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Part of occupant’s body caught between vehicle and other object in nonroadway transport incident
An employee was operating a stand-up forklift, delivering a gaylord container of scrap metal to a recycling dumpster. The employee's left foot and leg were crushed between the forklift and a bollard that protects a concrete wall. This resulted in amputation of the leg below the knee.
2019-05-06	Brownsville	Texas	HRP Brownsville, LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Contact with objects and equipment
An employee was helping to move pieces of scrap metal. When the magnet crane was loading the scrap metal, the employee's left ring finger was caught and crushed between two pieces of scrap metal. The employee was hospitalized.
2019-04-23	Lake Charles	Louisiana	Gulf Machine Shop, Inc.	Arm(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
A forklift was lifting a piece of scrap metal. The scrap metal cut the strap tying it to the forklift and fell onto an employee. The skin on the employee's right arm was removed.
2019-04-18	Van Buren	Arkansas	Davis Iron & Metals	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was removing a metal obstruction from a bailer guide when the ram moved and pinned the employee's right index finger between the scrap metal and the bailer resulting in amputation of the fingertip.
2019-03-15	Toledo	Ohio	Custom Ecology, Inc.	Pelvis	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was delivering scrap metal at a site and entered the truck trailer to sweep leftover metal for the crane magnet when the employee was hit by the magnet. The employee sustained a pelvic fracture and was hospitalized.
2019-02-09	Minerva	Ohio	Imperial Aluminum	Multiple body parts	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was attempting to remove remelt aluminum for a sow mold as it was not full. Ice on the piece of scrap metal he was using caused the molten metal to pop and splash onto his left wrist and the right side of his face, causing first- and second-degree burns. He was hospitalized.
2019-02-05	Bedford Park	Illinois	Alliance Steel Corporation	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was pushing steel scrap with one hand into a container when a finger was pinched between a piece of scrap metal and the edge of a metal bar railing amputating the fingertip. The employee was wearing gloves at the time.
2019-01-08	Chicago	Illinois	Tower Automotive	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck against object or equipment
An employee was taking off his coat to start his shift when his left index finger hit scrap metal, causing a laceration that required hospitalization and surgery.
2018-09-26	Oshkosh	Wisconsin	Muza Metal Products, LLC	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
On September 26, 2018, an employee was using a hardware insertion machine to repair a bent metal panel. The employee was holding some scrap metal (being used to help flatten the panel) when the machine's downward-acting plunger engaged with the panel. The employee's right second finger was pinched, resulting in a fingertip amputation.
2018-09-20	Middletown	Ohio	Stein, Inc.	Multiple leg locations	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
On September 20, 2018, an employee was cutting scrap metal with a cutting torch when the employee cut into a metal cylinder that had hydraulic fluid inside it. The torch ignited the fluid, and the employee received burns above both calves and below the waist, requiring hospitalization.
2018-06-25	Lima	Ohio	OMNISOURCE CORP.	Foot (feet)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
On June 25, 2018, an employee's right foot was crushed by scrap metal falling from a roll-off box that was being unloaded. He suffered a fracture and was hospitalized.
2018-06-21	Antioch	Illinois	Panacea Products Corporation	Multiple body parts	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was standing on a 41-inch-high railing, shifting scrap metal inside an 8-foot container. He fell from the railing to the concrete below, breaking his pelvis, clavicle, and four ribs and suffering a contusion on the back of the head.
2018-03-26	Providence	Rhode Island	SMM New England Corporation	Multiple body parts	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was erecting signage while other employees loaded scrap metal into a ship for export. During these loading operations, a piece of metal fell from a grapple and struck the employee's side and back. He suffered five broken ribs and two fractured vertebrae, requiring hospitalization.
2017-10-11	Hatfield	Massachusett	Brockway-Smith Company	Hand(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee's left hand was lacerated by a chop saw while cutting scrap metal.
2017-10-02	New York	New York	JC Steel Corporation	Toes(s), toenail(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment
An employee was injured and hospitalized after a piece of scrap metal dropped on his toe.
2017-09-08	Wooster	Ohio	Rayco Manufacturing	Fingertip(s)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was throwing scrap metal into a bin when the metal bounced back and pinched the employee's left pinky finger between the metal and the bin, amputating the fingertip.
2017-07-15	Cohoes	New York	T & T Inc. of New York	Nonclassifiable	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
While conducting maintenance and repairs to the building, an employee became dizzy and fainted, falling into a pile of scrap metal. The employee suffered multiple fractures and lacerations, requiring hospitalization.
2017-04-17	Chicago	Illinois	Universal Scrap Metals, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
The employee had just returned from picking up a semi-trailer of scrap metal from a third-party and was opening the doors to the semi-trailer before backing into the loading dock. When the employee opened the door on the driver's side, scrap metal fell from the trailer onto the employee resulting in a broken hip and leg and internal injuries requiring surgery.
2017-04-10	Houston	Texas	Onpoint Industrial Services, LLC.	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was operating a forklift to lift a hopper/bin filled with approximately 950 lbs. of scrap metal. The employee's left hand fingers were caught between the forks and the bin while trying to release the waste into a dumpster resulting in the amputation of two fingertips.
2017-03-31	Sturtevant	Wisconsin	Graham Packaging Company	Eye(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was manually lifting individual pieces of scrap metal and throwing them into a metal bin when he was struck in the right eye by a metal rod that was ejected from the bin. He was wearing gloves and eye protection at the time.
2016-08-22	Orlando	Florida	Advanced Disposal Services, Inc.	Pelvis	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was torching a trash dumpster to dispose of the scrap metal when one of the sides being cut fell over and struck him, fracturing his pelvis.
2016-06-07	West Jefferson	Ohio	G Tekt North America Corp	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee was moving parts by hand when he tripped over a sliver of scrap metal, fell to the ground, and smashed his left middle finger. He was hospitalized.
2015-12-03	Hartford	South Dakota	Central States Manufacturing, Inc.	Fingertip(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee attempted to retrieve a small strip of scrap metal behind the shears. The employee's foot actuated the machine via the treadle while the employee's fingers were in the point of operation, amputating the right middle fingertip.
2015-11-23	Longmont	Colorado	Andersen Sales and Salvage	Multiple body parts	Nonclassifiable
An employee was attempting to dump scrap metal from a dumpster into his truck using a robotic arm. He was found disoriented in the cab of his delivery truck with a broken collar bone and concussion.
2015-09-24	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	Alter Trading Corporation	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was sorting scrap metal by hand. The employee's finger got caught between a piece of metal and the handrail that it was being tossed over into a bin. The piece landed on the fingertip and pinched it between the rail, resulting in an amputation.
2015-09-15	Bedford	Ohio	I Schumann and Company	Leg(s)	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
The employee was working with another coworker in the process of charging a furnace (place scrap metal into the furnace). The injured worker's coworker was on a PIV that had a hopper on the lifts. In the hopper were briquetted radiators (compressed radiators in bales). As the hopper was being moved on the PIV, the hopper latching mechanism malfunctioned causing the hopper to tip and the briquetted radiators to fall out and roll into the injured employee's leg.
2015-06-16	Williston	Florida	A & N Corporation	Nonclassifiable	Bending, crawling, reaching, twisting-single episode
An employee was squatting and bending down to reach scrap metal chips from underneath the CNC machine and pinched nerve. He was treated at the hospital.
2015-06-13	Reserve	Louisiana	CARGILL	Fingertip(s)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was throwing away a piece of pipe that was oddly shaped and heavier at the base. He threw it into the scrap metal trash bin and it rebounded against his middle finger, still placed against the edge of the trash bin, amputating his right middle fingertip from the top joint down.
2015-05-09	Hempstead	Texas	EAST TEXAS PRECAST	Multiple face locations	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was using an oxy-torch to cut a scrap metal drum in half. The scrap metal drum was 13 feet long and 10 feet high and was lying on the ground horizontally during the work process. The employee came across a small piece on the side of the drum; when he went to cut it with the torch, he fell forward, falling 5 to 6 feet onto his face. He received facial contusions and cuts from metal shavings that were on the work floor during the cutting process. The employee received in-patient hospit
2015-04-25	Temple	Pennsylvania	Royal Green, LLC	Fingertip(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was helping a customer unload scrap metal at the scrap metal facility in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, when the employee's finger got caught between the tailgate. The employee sustained a left middle finger amputation just below the nail; there was no nerve damage, and the fingertip could not be reattached. The employee was wearing gloves at the time.
2015-03-21	Montgomery	Alabama	Rheem Manufacturing Company, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Contact with objects and equipment
While removing scrap metal from a lathe, an employee's right thumb was crushed between the lathe and saddle.
2015-03-18	Galesburg	Illinois	Progress Rail Services Corporation	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
The last digit on an employee's pinky finger was amputated when caught between a metal plate attached to a pump and a trailer bed while unloading scrap metal into the Peddlers Yard. Suitable safeguarding was not in place at the time of the incident.
2015-01-06	Nitro	West Virgini	Veolia Environmental Services	Ankle(s)	Other fall to lower level
On January 6, 2015, an employee was working from a ladder, cutting a metal tank into scrap metal. The employee stepped off the ladder and onto a tank where he slipped and fell. The employee fractured his right ankle and was admitted to the hospital for surgical repair of the fracture.