| Date | City | State | Employer | Body Part | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-10-27 | Odessa | Tx | Mighty Wash #8 | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery |
| An employee entered a mechanical room when the towel she was carrying got caught in equipment, resulting in a fractured left hand. | |||||
| 2021-10-26 | Beatrice | Ne | Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center | Upper arm(s) | Fall on same level due to tripping over an object |
| An employee was reaching for paper towels while cleaning up when her left foot caught on a box and she fell to floor, landing on right arm and shoulder. The employee suffered a fracture of the right humerus bone. | |||||
| 2021-07-06 | Boyce | La | Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc. | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Contact with objects and equipment, n.e.c. |
| An employee was cleaning the shower. She bent down to wipe the floors and her hand was caught in the towel rack. Skin was removed from her finger and she was hospitalized for surgery. | |||||
| 2021-06-28 | Swedesboro | Nj | Thomas Foods International | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was servicing a box machine. While wiping the gears with a paper towel, the employee was caught by the machine, resulting in partial amputations to their left middle and index fingers. | |||||
| 2021-03-29 | Robinson | Il | TBM Building Services | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Struck by or caught in swinging door or gate |
| An employee was filling a towel dispenser in a warehouse restroom. The restroom door closed on the employee's left hand, causing an amputation of the little finger. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2021-03-07 | Newington | Nh | TEXAS ROAD HOUSE | Hand(s) | Nonstructural fire, n.e.c. |
| An employee was cleaning a grill with a towel. The towel caught fire and burned his hand. He was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2021-02-28 | Desoto | Tx | Kohl's Distribution eFulfillment Center | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was oiling a chain and used a towel to remove excess oil when the towel was caught by the machine, resulting in a partial amputation of the right index finger. | |||||
| 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. | |||||
| 2020-09-20 | Tamuning | Gu | Menzies Aviation (USA) Inc. | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was performing maintenance on a baggage belt and was using a towel to clean the belt. The belt pulled the towel and the employee's left hand into the belt. His left middle finger was caught in the chain and sprocket and amputated. | |||||
| 2020-09-04 | Milford | Ct | True Blue Car Wash, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle |
| An employee was using a towel to dry tire rims on a vehicle that had just exited the car wash. After stopping at the bump stop, the vehicle began to slowly roll backwards. When this occurred the employee's right ring finger became stuck in the tire rim and amputated above the first knuckle. | |||||
| 2020-08-05 | Buena | Nj | Comar, LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was wiping grease off a machine with a paper towel. The towel got caught in the machine, pulling his hand in and partially amputating his right ring finger. | |||||
| 2020-07-10 | Coppell | Texas | DFW Support Services | Multiple body parts | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was unjamming a towel when he was pulled between two conveyor belts. He suffered injuries to his neck and legs. | |||||
| 2020-07-02 | Saint Ann | Missouri | PANDA EXPRESS | Nonclassifiable | Fall, slip, trip |
| An employee was wiping down a hood filter area with a towel. The employee slipped and fell into hot water, suffering burns. | |||||
| 2020-02-19 | Miami | Florida | PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS, INC. | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was cleaning a dough roller with a towel. The machine caught the employee's right hand, breaking it. | |||||
| 2020-02-07 | Vincentown | New Jersey | The Mentor Network | Leg(s) | Fall on same level due to slipping |
| While carrying towels, an employee slipped on liquid air freshener on the ground and fell, suffering a broken leg. | |||||
| 2020-01-27 | Wyoming | Pennsylvania | DIAMOND MANUFACTURING COMPANY | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was cleaning the outfeed rolls on a press with kerosene and a towel when the employee's right hand was pulled into the roll opening, resulting in a right ring finger amputation. | |||||
| 2019-08-21 | Montgomery | Pennsylvania | Hope Enterpises, Inc. | Hip(s) | Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet |
| An employee was standing on a chair in a restroom while opening a paper towel dispenser when he fell to the floor and fractured his hip. | |||||
| 2019-08-14 | Rock Island | Illinois | HILL & VALLEY, INC. | Fingertip(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee was wiping down a pastry press with a paper towel. The press pinched the employee's finger, causing the amputation of the fingertip. | |||||
| 2019-07-22 | Lawrenceville | Georgia | CINTAS | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to environmental heat |
| An employee had been delivering uniforms, mats, and towels. The employee was sweating, lost consciousness and was hospitalized due to dehydration. | |||||
| 2019-07-12 | Mcdonough | Georgia | Ken's Foods, Inc. | Arm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| A temporary employee was towel drying a moving belt conveyor. The employee's arm became caught between the conveyor and a product quality control roller. The employee sustained compression injuries to the arm and was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2019-06-02 | Fort Edward | New York | Protrans Services | Hand(s) and arm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| On June 2, 2019, at approximately 3:00 a.m. an employee was working on the line in the converting department. The employee's duties were to flip packs of towels as they exited the bundler and before they entered the case lift. The employee flipped a pack and noticed it did not flip completely over. As the employee tried to retrieve the pack, his left arm slipped and his left hand was caught in the conveyor rollers. The employee was hospitalized with hand and arm injuries. | |||||
| 2019-04-05 | Bay Lake | Florida | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US, Inc. | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was attempting to remove a stuck towel that was caught in a bin dumper machine when her finger was caught between the bin and bin dumper machine, cutting and lacerating her left index fingertip. | |||||
| 2019-04-04 | Austin | Texas | Subramaniam Holdings, LP | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery |
| An employee was spraying the gears of a citrus machine. The gears caught a towel tucked into his pants, then pulled in his right index finger. The finger was crushed and was amputated up to the first knuckle. | |||||
| 2019-02-05 | Kissimmee | Florida | FIVE STAR LAUNDRY | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery |
| An employee was lubricating the towel folder and got his right hand caught between the chain and sprocket resulting in a laceration that required surgery. | |||||
| 2019-02-04 | Akron | Ohio | Splash Car Wash | Multiple head locations | Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c. |
| An employee was repairing the overhead dry and shine automatic towel dryer of the car wash when it fell onto the employee. The employee sustained severe head and facial fractures and lacerations including a broken jaw and teeth. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2019-01-22 | Fort Worth | Texas | Sovereign Pharmaceuticals, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| After operating a liquid pharmaceutical machine to make a batch, an employee began to disassemble the machine for cleaning. The employee placed a towel in the machine, which sucked in the towel and the employee's left hand. The employee sustained a partial left index fingertip amputation. The machine was not turned off and was not locked/tagged out at the time of the incident. | |||||
| 2019-01-07 | Smyrna | Georgia | Cenveo Corporation | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was attempting to clean the printing plates of an envelope machine with a towel when his fingers were caught in the printing rollers, resulting in a partial amputation of the third and fourth right-hand fingers. | |||||
| 2018-08-22 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | Jefferson Regional Medical Center | Lower leg(s) | Struck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c. |
| An employee was responding to a request for assistance for a sick patient in a cardiac rehab outpatient unit. The employee was running to get towels when the employee's knee struck a bench. The employee then fell backwards incurring additional injuries. The result was a fracture of the left tibia plateau, requiring hospitalization and surgery. | |||||
| 2018-07-27 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | BAMA PIE | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery |
| An employee was drying a pump outlet pipe with a towel. The pump's turning blades caught the employee's finger, amputating it to the first joint. | |||||
| 2018-07-24 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | PECO Energy Company | Hip(s) | Fall on same level, n.e.c. |
| While reaching for a paper towel dispenser, an employee lost balance and fell to the floor, suffering a broken left hip. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2018-07-19 | Westwego | Louisiana | Crosby Dredging, LLC | Head, neck, and trunk | Contact with hot objects or substances |
| An employee was removing the cap from a hot radiator. The cap exploded when the employee's wet towel touched it and hot radiator fluid burned the employee's face, neck and torso. | |||||
| 2018-05-15 | Independence | Missouri | CENTERPOINT MEDICAL CENTER | Brain | Fall on same level, n.e.c. |
| An employee was walking to a linen cart to get towels when she lost her balance and fell, striking her head on the floor. | |||||
| 2018-05-09 | Conyers | Georgia | Dover Food Retail | Hand(s) and arm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was overseeing and monitoring the glass manufacturing process at a press machine when he noticed marks (contamination) on a glass pack as it exited the press. He then walked to the entry side, grabbed a paper towel, and attempted to clean the rollers in the press, which was running at the time. His right hand contacted the roller and was pulled into the press. His right hand and part of his forearm were crushed, requiring hospitalization. All required personal protective equipment wa | |||||
| 2018-03-03 | Coral Gables | Florida | Full Service Professionals | Head | Struck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c. |
| An employee was walking beneath a ladder to get some towels when he hit his head on the ladder, suffering a contusion and requiring hospitalization. | |||||
| 2018-01-29 | Mcdonough | Georgia | Autosales, Incorporated | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was cleaning grease marks around the drive chain area of a gear/sprocket with a shop towel. The chain caught the towel, pulling it and the employee's hand into the drive chain/sprocket. The employee suffered a partial amputation to the right index finger and three crushed fingers. | |||||
| 2017-09-17 | Clearwater | Florida | Car Wash Headquarters, Inc. | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to environmental heat |
| An employee was hand drying a vehicle using a towel when he experienced cramps in his left arm. He was hospitalized for dehydration. | |||||
| 2017-07-28 | Decatur | Georgia | Marshalls Distrubution Center | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was performing preventative maintenance on a conveyor. While using a towel to wipe down the equipment, the employee sustained an avulsion to the left index finger and an amputation to the first knuckle of the left middle finger. The equipment was running at the time. | |||||
| 2017-07-13 | Aurora | Colorado | WalmartStores, Inc. #3566 | Brain | Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet |
| An employee was on the second step of a ladder pulling down a box of paper towels. The box moved, and he twisted and fell to the floor, hitting his head. He was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2017-06-29 | Tuscaloosa | Alabama | Tuscaloosa Organic Baking Co., LLC | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was cleaning a sheeter/molder machine with a towel when the towel and his left index finger were pulled into the machine, partially amputating his fingertip. The machine was energized at the time. | |||||
| 2017-06-15 | New Iberia | Louisiana | CVS Pharmacy | Upper and lower limb(s) | Other fall to lower level |
| An employee was descending a ladder with a roll of paper towels when the employee missed a rung and fell to the ground, fracturing the left wrist and left leg. | |||||
| 2017-06-06 | Houston | Texas | USPS | Brain | Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c. |
| An employee was hit in the head by a paper towel cover that opened as he was trying to dry his hands. | |||||
| 2017-05-22 | Smithfield | Pennsylvania | BERKLEY MEDICAL RESOURCES, INC. | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was operating a machine that prints logos onto fabric materials when the machine began to leak ink. As the employee was attempting to remove ink from the roller using a towel, the rollers caught the towel and pulled her hand into the machine. Her right little finger was crushed and de-gloved. Her finger had to be surgically amputated. | |||||
| 2017-05-11 | Bozeman | Montana | Big Sky Publishing, LLC | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was using a towel to clean water drops off a press ink ball when the loose end of the towel was drawn into the press. The employee's finger was also drawn in and amputated. | |||||
| 2017-04-03 | Channelview | Texas | Tex-Trude LP | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| The injured employee was cleaning the lower plates of a printing press with a towel wrapped around his right hand. A second employee was cleaning/setting up the upper portion of the press. The injured employee's hand was pulled into the press, due to the towel; partially amputating his right thumb and crushing the right ring finger. | |||||
| 2017-03-07 | Mobile | Alabama | Kimberly Clark Corporation | Fingertip(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
| An employee was attempting to place a core plug into a core at the hard roll towel area and pinched his left middle finger between the core and the core plug resulting in amputation of the fingertip. | |||||
| 2017-02-21 | Elgin | Illinois | Hydrox Laboratories | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was performing maintenance on a roll-on ball dispensing machine. He was wiping the machine with a towel when his finger was pulled into the machine and was crushed between the drive pulley and belt. His left index fingertip was amputated. The machine was in operation at the time of the incident. | |||||
| 2017-01-26 | Amarillo | Texas | Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. | Arm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| On January 26, 2017, at 3:00 PM, an employee was performing his rounds such as checking the hide conveyor for fats and paper towel build up to prevent a future problem. The conveyor was running and one of the hooks caught the employee's right arm tearing some of the muscle tissue from the arm. He was hospitalized where he had several surgeries due to E. Coli from the hide conveyor. | |||||
| 2016-10-04 | Trion | Georgia | Moount Vernon Mills | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee noticed that there was lint built up on a mounted fan. He then got a paper towel and began to wipe the lint off. His finger went between the guard, and the fan blades amputated his left index fingertip. The fan was on at the time. | |||||
| 2016-09-17 | Pacific | Missouri | PLZ | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was cleaning a conveyor motor chain with a rag and oil when the towel he was using to wipe off excess oil was caught in the chain, along with his hand. Two of his fingers were smashed, and his right thumb tip was partially amputated. The chain was moving and the guard was removed at the time of the incident. | |||||
| 2016-07-21 | New York | New York | SoulCycle | Fingertip(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment |
| An employee was cleaning and adjusting the chain on the stationary fixed gear bike (35 pound flywheel) when the towel in his right hand got caught in the chain pulling his right hand in between the cog and chain and amputating the right index fingertip. | |||||
| 2016-06-20 | Chicago | Illinois | Five Star Laundry Chicago, LLC | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was feeding a towel into the towel folding machine when the employee's left hand was caught and lacerated in the machine. | |||||
| 2016-05-10 | Cape Girardeau | Missouri | PROCTOR & GAMBLE PAPER PRODUCTS | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was preparing to replace a gear box while his fingers were wrapped with a paper towel. A chain near the gear box caught the paper towel and pulled his fingers into an in-running nip point, amputating his right index and middle fingertips. | |||||
| 2016-04-02 | Hawk Point | Missouri | Rose Acre Farms, Inc. | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was laying on her back while installing a chain on the sprocket of an egg packer. While she was jogging the machine, her towel became caught. When she attempted to grab the towel, her right middle fingertip was amputated. | |||||
| 2016-02-15 | Richfield | Idaho | Glanbia Foods Inc. | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee was drying the star valve with a paper towel when the machine turned on. The valve rotated and sucked the towel and the employee's finger into the rotating equipment resulting in the amputation of the middle finger to the first knuckle. | |||||
| 2016-01-10 | Norwich | Connecticut | Atlantic City Linen Supply, LLC | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| On or about January 10, 2016, an employee's left hand was lacerated by a belt while troubleshooting a towel folder machine. The employee was hospitalized. | |||||
| 2015-10-22 | Louisville | Kentucky | Zoom Group | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was reaching over a conveyor to retrieve a towel and her left hand became caught in the conveyor resulting in multiple broken bones in the hand. | |||||
| 2015-10-03 | Totowa | New Jersey | Corbion Caraan | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning |
| An employee had greased a chain drive on a label machine. He was cleaning excess lubricant with a paper towel when the towel got caught in the sprocket and pulled his finger in, amputating his fingertip. | |||||
| 2015-05-22 | Saint Louis | Missouri | BJC HEALTHCARE | Upper arm(s) | Fall on same level due to slipping |
| An employee was in the restroom on the morning of 05/22/2015. After washing her hands, she reached for the paper towel dispenser, and then slipped on the floor as a result of water droplets. She fell backwards and landed on her right arm fracturing her humerus. | |||||
| 2015-05-18 | Boulder | Colorado | Boulder Brands | Arm(s) | Fall on same level due to slipping |
| An employee was injured when he fell/slipped while performing clean up/janitorial services. He was cleaning equipment with a dough scraper, water bucket, and towel. He was attempting to retrieve a tool when he slipped and fell, pinning his right arm under his body and breaking his right arm. | |||||
| 2015-04-07 | Lock Haven | Pennsylvania | First Quality Tissue, LLC | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation |
| An employee was working on a line that manufactured two-ply paper towels in the converting area. While attempting to rethread a sheet to create the two-ply, he fingers got pinched between two rollers. He sustained a laceration of the third and fourth digits and a partial amputation of the distal tips; no digits were fully amputated. | |||||