| Date | City | State | Employer | Body Part | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-08 | Midland | Tx | Sunset Well Service, Inc. | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was performing maintenance on rig tongs. The rig tongs became energized and pinched the employee's gloved hand, and their left ring finger was amputated at the first knuckle. | |||||
| 2021-07-14 | Stanton | Tx | Byrd Oilfield Services, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| Employees were creating a joint in casing. When the employees reversed out the tongs, the tension in the casing pushed the tongs toward the injured employee. The injured employee's finger was pinched between the casing safety door and the tongs and their fingertip was amputated. | |||||
| 2021-07-08 | Carrollton | Oh | Consolidated Wellsite Services LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was working on a stand-alone rig. The employee had just broken off the tubing swivel with the tongs and was preparing to make the last connection. He placed his left hand near the opening of the tongs to push the tongs off the connection, but the Kelly hose was caught on the back of the tongs. The employee used his right hand to push the Kelly hose out of the way. The hose caught the operating handle and engaged the tongs causing the amputation of his left index and middle fingers an | |||||
| 2021-05-23 | Saint Clairsville | Oh | Wyoming Casing Services | Toes(s), toenail(s) | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part |
| An employee was operating power tongs and running casing into a hole. The CRT tool fell 40 feet from the top drive striking the casing stump and the employee. The employee suffered four amputated toes on their right foot and a puncture wound on their back and was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2020-08-20 | Edison | Nj | Unis, LLC | Ankle(s) | Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c. |
| An employee was working on slab lifter tongs with another employee. The employee was placing a stone slab wedge to separate bundles so that the clamps could pick up a stone slab. The 400-pound stone slab overturned, pinning the employee between the stone slab and the unloading dock. The employee sustained a broken ankle and was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2020-07-24 | Lake City | Florida | K3 Directional Drilling, Inc. | Forearm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was using steel tongs to attach a 15-foot metal rod to the existing drill rod string. The drill rod began rotating and the employee was stuck by the pipe tongs causing a left forearm fracture. | |||||
| 2020-01-03 | Crane | Texas | Sunset Well Service, Inc. | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was performing maintenance on tongs when the tongs engaged, amputating the employee's right index fingertip. | |||||
| 2019-08-27 | Pyote | Texas | Schlumberger Technology Corp | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee's fingers were pinched in tongs, resulting in an amputation. | |||||
| 2019-08-08 | Kermit | Texas | Basic Energy Services | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was operating tongs when the tongs lacerated the employee's right thumb. | |||||
| 2019-07-04 | Dekalb | Illinois | Forge Group Dekalb LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was working on a trim press in a forge shop with tongs and a swab. He was putting oil on the trim press when the machine was activated, causing a partial amputation to his right index finger and the next two fingers. | |||||
| 2019-07-02 | Garden City | Kansas | American Warrior Inc | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, n.e.c. |
| An employee was sitting power tongs down on a base. The employee's right hand was resting on the rig where the tongs come down and the tongs smashed and deeply cut the employee's right thumb. | |||||
| 2019-06-06 | Portland | Texas | HardRock Directional Drilling, LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee was assisting with removing the chain tongs from the drill string. The chain struck his finger and pinched it against the drill head. The employee was hospitalized with a broken finger. The employee was wearing impact gloves. | |||||
| 2019-05-26 | Niles | Ohio | Arconic Inc. | Multiple body parts | Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c. |
| An employee was opening vertical coil tongs that were on the floor. As the employee began to open the device, it fell over and struck him on the right side. The employee suffered a right leg fracture and three broken ribs. | |||||
| 2019-05-01 | La Junta | Colorado | Lewis Bolt & Nut Company | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery, n.e.c. |
| An employee had been burning off old cloth that was on tongs so it could be replaced. To cool off the tongs, the employee accessed the water coolant stream on the upsetter forging machine. The employee slipped and stepped on the pedal that engaged the machine and half of his left pinky finger was amputated. | |||||
| 2019-04-23 | Omega | Oklahoma | Basic Energy Services | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was attempting to change tong heads when the tongs activated and amputated his left thumb. | |||||
| 2019-04-12 | Petal | Mississippi | Franks International, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c. |
| An employee was removing casing. The casing swung from the rig and struck the employee's right index finger against the rig tongs, smashing the fingertip. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2019-02-06 | Bedford Park | Illinois | Commercial Forged Products | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c. |
| When a machine cycled, the tongs inside it whiplashed and struck an employee on the right side, by the ribcage. | |||||
| 2019-01-08 | Bowling Green | Ohio | VTECH SYSTEMS, INC. | Hand(s) | Contact with hot objects or substances |
| An employee was removing parts from an oven. The employee removed one part with tongs, went to remove the second part, and lost balance. The employee's left hand touched the first part and was burned. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2018-09-04 | Stanton | Texas | Lewis Casing Crews, Inc. | Lower leg(s) | Struck by object or equipment |
| An employee was operating the tongs at a rig when the winch line broke and the equipment struck the employee's lower right leg, breaking the tibia. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2018-07-17 | Westbrook | Texas | ROBINSON DRILLING OF TEXAS, LTD | Multiple trunk locations | Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c. |
| An employee was using tongs to pull a pipe out of a hole when he lost his grip on the tongs and they swung around, striking him. He suffered two pelvic fractures and a tear in his bladder. | |||||
| 2018-07-15 | Watford City | North Dakota | Youngquist Brothers Oil & Gas | Multiple body parts | Fall onto or against object on same level, n.e.c. |
| An employee was working on the work-over rig floor when he slipped on some hydraulic fluid and fell into casing tongs, injuring his head and shoulder. | |||||
| 2018-06-27 | Lancaster | Ohio | Anchor Hocking, LLC. | Wrist(s) | Contact with objects and equipment |
| An employee was removing a jammed piece of glass with tongs when the glass punctured through the employee's glove and cuff. The glass lacerated the employee's wrist and became embedded in it, requiring hospitalization. | |||||
| 2018-06-10 | Clarksburg | West Virgini | Mountain States Pressure Services | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| On June 10, 2018, at approximately 3:30 p.m., an employee suffered a partial amputation to the left middle finger while greasing the gears of the power tongs. | |||||
| 2018-06-05 | Plains | Texas | Z J Falcon, LTD | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was securing a set of chains to the slip for the blowout preventer (BOP) when the tongs engaged causing the slip to grab pipe and begin to spin. The injured employee's right hand was caught between the slip and BOP, amputating the index fingertip. | |||||
| 2018-05-15 | Wickett | Texas | Brigade Energy Services, LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery, n.e.c. |
| An employee was checking the tong heads on some tubing tongs when the tongs engaged and amputated the first digit of the employee's left index finger. | |||||
| 2018-02-02 | Greeley | Colorado | SPN Wells Service Rigs | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| An employee was attempting to raise the tongs up off the rig floor with a hoist when a safety pin became hung on the floor grating. The employee had his hand on the tongs while trying to see what they were hung up on. At that time, the tongs came free from the floor grating and caught the employee's left pinky finger between the tong body and mid rail resulting in amputation. | |||||
| 2018-01-31 | Midland | Texas | Integrity Services, LLC | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was tripping pipe (drilling the pipe down) and screening a drill collar into a stump. He and another employee pushed the tongs into the spinning pipe. The tongs then bit back, crushing him between the tongs and the derrick leg. He received fractures to his upper torso and punctured both lungs. | |||||
| 2017-09-29 | Arboles | Colorado | Fellabaum Enterprises, Inc. | Fingertip(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee was holding a fixed centralizer while casing tongs were being used to join together casing when the centralizer slipped from his hand. As he attempted to grab it, his fingertip was caught and amputated in the casing tongs. | |||||
| 2017-07-29 | Ringgold | Louisiana | Reliance Well Service Inc | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker |
| An employee was using a sledgehammer to hit a piece of pipe. The hammer deflected and smashed his right pinky finger between the head of the hammer and the tubing tongs. The employee sustained a laceration and fracture to his right pinky finger resulting in hospitalization. | |||||
| 2017-07-26 | Eldorado | Texas | Basic Energy Services | Foot (feet) | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part |
| An employee was using hydraulic tongs to run pipe in a hole when the slips failed, causing the tongs to come down on the employee's right foot, fracturing it. | |||||
| 2017-07-26 | Tioga | North Dakota | Key Energy Services | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery |
| An employee was tripping pipe when his finger was caught and amputated between a set of power tongs and a pipe wrench. | |||||
| 2017-07-18 | Anton | Colorado | WW DRILLING, LLC | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee used tongs to pull a pipe apart and was trying to remove them from the pipe when the tongs struck and broke his ribs. | |||||
| 2017-05-11 | Big Spring | Texas | Basic Energy Services, L.P. | Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet |
| A well-servicing rig crew was tripping pipe out of a hole when the safety pin on the tongs (torqueing device) broke, allowing the tongs to strike an employee and knock him off the work platform. He fell 10 feet, fracturing his ribs and back and lacerated his liver. | |||||
| 2017-02-24 | Freeport | Illinois | ANCHOR-HARVEY COMPONENTS, LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| On February 24, 2017, a temporary employee was using tongs with his right hand to remove the hot metal/stamped piece from the point-of-operation on the forging punch press and placed it on the nearby heat belt (conveyor). Then, the employee sprayed the point-of-operation with his left hand holding the sprayer bottle. The employee reached into the point-of-operation with the sprayer bottle and his left hand was caught and crushed by the closing dies of the forging punch press. His left index fing | |||||
| 2016-09-11 | Delmont | Pennsylvania | Wyoming Casing Service, Inc. | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c. |
| An employee was working on a rig floor. A casing basket fell into the tongs of a nearby rig, and the tongs would not release. Both retaining chains to the tongs released and the tong movement lever activated. The tongs swung and hit an employee, pinning him between the tongs and a derrick mast. He suffered one broken rib and one bruised lung. | |||||
| 2016-08-18 | Allison | Texas | Texas CES Inc. | Hand(s) and arm(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee's glove was caught in the tubing while making connections with tubing tongs. The employee's arms were twisted around the tubing resulting in injuries to his arms and hand. | |||||
| 2016-06-22 | Norman | Oklahoma | AAA Well Service, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| An employee was lifting power tongs from a tong cradle when his finger was caught between the tongs and tong cradle. His right middle fingertip was amputated. | |||||
| 2016-05-25 | Midland | Texas | War Horse Energy Services, LLC | Forearm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was removing tong dies from hydraulic tongs when the tongs engaged and broke the employee's left forearm. | |||||
| 2016-02-11 | Chicago Ridge | Illinois | Oak Steel Supply Company | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| An employee was unloading coils from a truck using an overhead crane and was injured when his finger was crushed between the rigging coil tongs and the coils that were being picked up by the rigging. | |||||
| 2016-01-27 | Denver City | Texas | WLP Energy Services, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| While an employee was operating a drill collar clamp on a workover rig, his right pinky finger was caught between the clamp and the tubing tongs, amputating the fingertip. | |||||
| 2015-11-23 | New Town | North Dakota | Wyoming Casing Services | Hand(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| An employee was installing casing joints in a well using tongs when the bite of the tongs malfunctioned and the tongs bucked unexpectedly. The employee's hand got crushed between the tongs and the derrick, causing hand fractures. | |||||
| 2015-10-16 | Heidelberg | Mississippi | Elite Tubular Services, LLC | Eye(s) | Fall on same level, n.e.c. |
| The elevator lifting a 30 foot long pipe at an oil well shifted causing the bottom of the pipe to strike an employee in the back. This employee then fell against a second employee pushing the tongs into his face and causing employee 2 to fall and strike his head against the guardrail. Employee 2 was knocked unconscious for several seconds and was hospitalized with a fracture of the bottom orbital bone below the left eye. | |||||
| 2015-04-21 | Anthony | Kansas | Lariat Services, Inc. | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| An employee working on the drilling floor was picking up the jerk chain for the tongs when the driller applied tension to the chain. The employee got the fingers of his left hand pinched between the headache post and the chain. | |||||
| 2015-03-31 | Jefferson | Ohio | PRESRITE CORP. | Jaw, chin | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part |
| On or about 3/31/2015, at approximately 9:50 p.m., an employee was hospitalized with a chin laceration. The employee was operating a mechanically powered hot trim press. After the press cycle, the work piece became stuck in the upper die of the press. The work piece then fell from the die and struck the hand tongs the employee was holding, which caused the tong's handle to strike the employee in the chin. | |||||
| 2015-03-26 | Amarillo | Texas | Express Energy Services, LLC | Wrist(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was stabbing up in the derrick while a pipe was being brought up on an elevator. As the employee reached to unlatch the elevator, the tongs engaged, striking the employee's left hand resulting in a broken wrist. | |||||
| 2015-03-24 | El Dorado | Arkansas | Walker Well Service | Foot (feet) | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part |
| An employee was operating the elevators and tongs to run pipe out of the hole when the drilling line broke. The block fell and struck his foot. | |||||
| 2015-03-12 | Bison | Oklahoma | Shebester-Bechtel Well Service | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee's right ring finger was smashed between hydraulic tongs and a truck bed while running rods. The employee lost the finger from the nail to the end. The employee was transported to the hospital and treated. | |||||
| 2015-02-20 | La Salle | Colorado | Ensign Well Services | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee working on an oil-and-gas service rig suffered partial amputations of the right middle and right ring fingers after his hand was caught between the tong plate and the pin that secures the tongs. | |||||
| 2015-01-23 | Winnsboro | Texas | Key Energy Services Incorporated | Fingertip(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| A crew of employees was performing workover services. The crew was attempting to break out a crossover sub, on top of the casing scraper, using tongs. The employee was using a 36-inch wrench on top of the tongs. The tong operator engaged the tong before the employee removed his hand. The tong pinched the employee's finger between the tong and the wrench. The employee lost the fingertip of his right middle finger. | |||||
| 2015-01-04 | Kingsville | Missouri | STAHL SPECIALTY COMPANY | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Contact with hot objects or substances |
| On or about January 4, 2015, an employee was injured while running a gas sample. The employee was dipping out a sample with a sample cup using tongs. When he put the cup in, the hot metal splashed on him, causing burns to the ring finger and little finger on his right hand. The employee was admitted to the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. | |||||