DateCityStateEmployerBody PartEvent
2021-11-16ThrockmortonTxNordex USA, Inc.Multiple body partsOther fall to lower level
An employee was climbing down a fixed ladder on a wind turbine tower. He fell and landed on a platform on the tower level below, suffering head trauma, a broken leg, and loss of consciousness. He was hospitalized.
2021-11-05PeytonCoTowers NorthwestFinger(s), fingernail(s)Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was pulling a cable up a communication tower using a capstan winch. His left arm contacted the winch line and became entangled under the rope and drum. He suffered three broken arm bones, constriction wounds, and lacerations to the arm. His middle and ring fingers were medically amputated.
2021-10-27BostonGaEnergy Systems Southeast, LLCMultiple body partsFire
An employee was removing a compressor from an HVAC unit located at a cell tower site. He was using a torch to disconnect a copper line from the compressor. When the line came loose, a flash fire occurred, resulting in second degree burns to the employee's face and wrist.
2021-10-23HuntsvilleAlWilliams Erection Company, Inc.Finger(s), fingernail(s)Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was connecting a structural steel beam when the beam became stuck on surrounding iron while being lowered into position by a tower crane. The employee dislodged the iron and the beam fell, pinching the employee's left ring fingertip and amputating it at the distal joint.
2021-10-21Mason CityIlWilliam Charles Electric, LLCHead and trunkStruck by falling object or equipment
An employee working inside a wind tower was hit in the head by a falling object, resulting in a skull fracture and broken ribs that required hospitalization.
2021-09-27SulphurLaWastewater Specialties, LLCMultiple body partsExplosion or fire on water vehicle
Five workers of two employers (Wastewater Specialties, LLC and Westlake Chemical Lake Charles South) were hospitalized when a flash fire in a vessel occurred. Two employees were on an elevated platform welding a flange onto a 54-inch segment of process piping at the quench tower. Three other workers were engaged in a hydro blasting operation. Employee 1 suffered head trauma, lacerations, and burns. Employee 2 suffered a lower leg/ankle injury. The other workers sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns
2021-09-03LakewoodCoTerumo BCTHand(s) and arm(s)Direct exposure to electricity
A cooling tower fan had stopped working. The breaker feeding the fan had been turned off, and an employee was investigating the problem with the fan. The subpanel was connected to a variable-speed motor; a circuit overloaded and an arc flash burned the employee's left arm, forearm, and hand.
2021-08-09BentonvilleArLITHKO CONTRACTING LLCFingertip(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was steadying a wall form as a tower crane lowered it. The employee's left middle finger was pinched between the ribbed area of the formwork and a clamp. The fingertip was amputated.
2021-07-29CaleraOkAMG Technology Investment Group, LLCBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
An employee was at a site where a communications tower was being installed. The employee was tying rebar when he became ill and then fainted due to a heat-related illness.
2021-07-26AshfordWvRokstad PowerBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
After carrying a suitcase generator (weighing 45-50 pounds) from a tower to a substation about 125 feet away, an employee felt hot, collapsed, and was hospitalized, suffering from possible heat exhaustion/heat stress.
2021-07-09Carol StreamIlJetco, LtdMultiple body partsOther fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
The injured employee was descending a fixed ladder in the base cone of a spheroidal design water tower. Another employee above him was lowering a plastic, 5-gallon bucket full of tools with a rope. The handle on the bucket broke and the bucket and its contents fell on the injured employee causing him to let go of the ladder and fall approximately 10-12 feet to the lower level. The injured employee sustained fractured vertebrae, a concussion, and lacerations to the face and head.
2021-04-28CartersvilleGaNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICEHeadStruck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was removing weights from the base of a sensor wind tower. The tower tilted and struck the employee, causing a head injury that required staples.
2021-04-08LamarCoRailWorks Signals & Communications, Inc.Foot (feet)Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
Employees were putting in the helical foundation to install a PTC tower when they hit rock and stopped work. An employee took the boom truck remote control and climbed onto the boom truck bed and proceeded to disconnect the foundation adapter plate from the helical foundation. The employee then lifted the boom to remove the helical foundation from compression and pushed the foundation over toward the ground at the back of the boom truck. At that time, the injured employee came around the back of
2021-03-12RochesterNyPFAUDLER, INC.HeadStruck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was leaving the facility for the day. As the employee was about to exit the building, he stopped at a table that stores hand sanitizer and face masks. At the same time, the work platform adjacent to the table was struck by a transfer car that was being repositioned. When the transfer car struck the tower, it dislodged a service part (2" steel blind flange) from one of the platform levels, which then fell and struck the employee on the head. The employee sustained a laceration, contus
2021-02-23AmesOkBLATTNER ENERGY INCFinger(s), fingernail(s)Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was removing bolts from a crane to disconnect the crane from a wind tower. When the crane was being lifted up, the employee's left hand caught on a bolt and was pulled into the bolt, resulting in an amputated thumb and ring finger.
2021-01-30ClevelandOhHarmon Inc.PelvisStruck by object or equipment, n.e.c.
A crew placed a crate of windows on top of the roof of a building using a tower crane. After landing the crate and unstrapping it, a gust of wind blew the straps, causing the straps to reattach to the crate's corner and lift the crate. The crate struck the injured employee in the hip resulting in a broken pelvis.
2021-01-12NicholvilleNyWarren W. BreezeeMultiple trunk locationsOther fall to lower level more than 30 feet
An employee was securing a third antenna mount to a cell tower. While adjusting his position on the tower, to move the mount being winched into place, he fell approximately 145 feet to the ground, resulting in a broken back, broken pelvis, broken ribs, spleen trauma, and other contusions.
2020-10-19Fernandina BeachFlThe L.E. Myers Co.Hand(s) and arm(s)Direct exposure to electricity
On October 19, 2020, around 4:00 p.m. two line crew members were removing a fallen static transmission line when the line broke from the top of the tower and contacted the energized line on the opposite side of the tower causing an arc flash. The employees suffered burns to their hand and arms.
2020-10-15BridgerMtMortenson ConstructionFinger(s), fingernail(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was connecting the tower to the spike when his finger was caught between the two. The employee's right index finger was amputated at the first knuckle.
2020-10-06LincolnNeContitechBODY SYSTEMSExposure to other harmful substances
An employee became ill from Legionella bacteria suspected to have come from a chiller tower in the workplace.
2020-10-03Point ComfortTxTurn2 Specialty Companies LLCFingertip(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
Two employees were moving a pallet of tower trays and beams using a hydraulic pallet jack when a board from the pallet became caught under one of the wheels of the pallet jack. An employee was removing the board when the hydraulics were released, lowering the pallet onto the employee's hand and resulting in partial amputation of the left index fingertip.
2020-09-29New YorkNyPlanned CompaniesBack, including spine, spinal cordOther fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was climbing a stepladder to check the coolant level on a roof. When the employee tried to open the cooling tower door, the handle broke off and he slipped and fell. He landed on his back about 3 feet below. He was hospitalized.
2020-09-25GainesvilleTxThe Industrial CompanyAbdomen, except internal location of diseases or disordersInjured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was using a push-pull slam wrench to land a base section of a wind tower. The tool struck the employee's abdomen, causing a mid-section hematoma.
2020-09-24BaytownTxBrandsafway, LLCChest, except internal location of diseases or disordersFall or jump curtailed by personal fall arrest system
Two employees were inside a man basket suspended by a tower crane. They were erecting a suspended scaffold for a CAT 3, which processes hydrocarbons. The suspended man basket descended about 14 feet in 1-2 seconds before stopping. The basket did not strike the ground, but one of the employees fell out of the basket and was hanging off the side. The employees were wearing fall protection at the time. Both employees were hospitalized. Employee 1 sustained four fractured ribs and contusions to the
2020-09-15SintonTxSystem OneFinger(s), fingernail(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
A temporary employee was installing a structural steel brace for a cooling tower being erected. An unsupported brace slid off a column and the employee's right index and middle finger were pinched between the two. The employee suffered amputations to both fingers below the knuckles.
2020-08-21EliotMeMurphy Electric & Industrial Control, LLC.Leg(s)Fall on same level due to tripping on uneven surface
An employee was attempting to punch a hole into the cooling tower support beam using the hydraulic punch set. The employee's foot slipped out on uneven ground and the employee fell to the ground dropping the tool onto his leg and fracturing it.
2020-08-20Stone MountainGaMaxim Crane WorksUpper and lower limb(s)Indirect exposure to electricity
An employee was disassembling a mobile crane. Part of the crane came in contact with a service line for a cell tower. The employee sustained electrical burns to the left arm and right foot.
2020-08-19DonaldsonvilleLaCOOLING TOWER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Multiple trunk locationsOther fall to lower level
An employee was tasked with maintenance work on top of a cooling tower. While leaving the tower, the employee lost his footing and fell to the ground, resulting in a head laceration, bruised lung, and spinal fractures.
2020-08-14SarasotaFlPinecraft Scaffolding, Inc.Back, including spine, spinal cordOther fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet
While erecting stair tower scaffolding, an employee fell about 6 feet and landed on a concrete slab. The employee suffered a back injury.
2020-07-17Fort MyersFloridaSNS ErectorsLeg(s)Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was making precast connections at the construction of a new air tower. The anchor gave way and the employee fell 3 to 4 feet to the next level resulting in a fractured left leg.
2020-07-07Kansas CityMissouriDun-Par Engineered FormBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
An employee developed dehydration while removing bracing from a shoring tower.
2020-07-05RothschildWisconsinTC Lodging PartnersHead and trunkOther fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee became dizzy while descending a water park tower, falling down three stairs and hitting her middle back and the back of her head.
2020-07-04HewittTexasFedEx GroundNonclassifiableOther fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet
An employee fell approximately 10 feet from the second elevated platform to the first elevated platform of an elevated sort tower and landed on the guard rail resulting in a fracture injury.
2020-07-02TrentTexasGE RenewablesBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
An employee was working on a wind tower when he began to experience cramping. He was hospitalized for heat stress.
2020-06-30WilliamsburgKansasJMZ CorporationMultiple body partsDirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
An employee was sitting on a tower platform running a new cable to the top for a new antenna installation. A gust of wind blew the other end of the cable, causing it to swing and then strike proximal transmission lines. An arc occurred, and the current went into the employee's left arm and out his lower left side. He descended a fixed ladder with assistance and was hospitalized with electrical burns to the left arm, buttock, and thigh.
2020-06-23GilbertWest VirginiMcDaniel Electric, IncMultiple body partsOther fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet
Two employees were accessing a water tower. They climbed a ladder to access a walkway. One of the employees fell from the walkway to the ground, a distance of 23 feet. The employee suffered multiple fractures including a fractured pelvis, upper arm and two ribs.
2020-06-18LawtonOklahomaMidco Diving & Marine ServicesBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
After working on a water tower at a height of approximately 120 feet, an employee returned to the ground and felt ill. He was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.
2020-06-12WheelingIllinoisD & M Painting CorporationNonclassifiableOther fall to lower level more than 30 feet
Two employees were working inside of a water tower to erect scaffolding when they fell approximately 40 feet to the ground.
2020-06-05SeymourTexasRun EnergyHead, neck, and trunkDirect exposure to electricity
An employee was walking into a wind tower to check on a restart failure inside the cabinet at the base of the wind turbine. An arc flash caused burns to the employee's chest, neck, and face.
2020-06-03StonewallTexasFuellgraf Chimney & Tower, Inc.Chest, except internal location of diseases or disordersOther fall to lower level 26 to 30 feet
An employee was climbing down a fixed ladder on a TV broadcast tower. The employee fell 25-30 feet to the ground. He suffered broken ankles, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a spinal cord injury and was hospitalized.
2020-06-01SealeAlabamaStrong Tower EnterprisesMultiple body partsFall from collapsing structure or equipment
Employees were decommissioning a tower. The tower collapsed while two employees were on it. One employee was hospitalized for a fractured pelvis and legs.
2020-06-01LamarColoradoFieldCore Service Solutions, LLCForearm(s)Direct exposure to electricity
An employee was tucking cables into an electrical cabinet up the tower on a wind turbine when he was electrically shocked, suffering burns to the left forearm that required hospitalization.
2020-05-27Sioux FallsSouth DakotaMaguire Iron, Inc.NonclassifiableOther fall to lower level more than 30 feet
An employee was painting a water tower with a pneumatic paint sprayer. While on top of the water tower, the employee slipped and fell over the edge striking the catwalk and then the ground about 100 feet below. He was hospitalized for multiple fractures. The employee was wearing a harness with a lanyard attachment, but the lanyard was not attached to an anchor point.
2020-05-22SaritaTexasRenewable Energy Systems Americas, Inc.Fingertip(s)Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was rigging the motor on a tower when his right hand was caught in a pinch point, resulting in an open fracture with an amputation of the right middle distal fingertip.
2020-05-07Miramar BeachFloridaGCF Concrete Inc.Toes(s), toenail(s)Struck by falling object or equipment
On May 7, 2020, an employee was helping to set up a scaffold tower on ground level when the jacking system fell over and struck his right foot, resulting in the amputation of one toe. He was hospitalized.
2020-04-23AustinTexasCAPFORM, INC.Multiple back regionsStruck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment
Two employees were taking cross-braces off a shoring tower and handing them to a third employee at the base of the frame. They were working from the top down, and had removed the braces from the top two sections; as they began to remove the braces from the bottom section, the tower tipped over and landed on the employee on the ground. The employee suffered three broken vertebrae and three dislocated vertebrae in the back.
2020-04-13HitchcockTexasW Baker Steel LLCLeg(s)Fall through surface or existing opening
An employee was about to remove the stair tower so that he and other crew members could replace it with a new tower. He was at the stair landing between the bottom floor and the second floor. He stepped up the first stair tread. The angle clip that held the tread in place was rotted. The employee fell through the stairs to the ground, breaking his right leg.
2020-03-11GriffinGeorgiaBerry Global Inc.Finger(s), fingernail(s)Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee working as a tower operator was performing a task that requires the blending of compounds used to fabricate plastic. While operating the regrind machine, the employee's left middle finger was partially amputated.
2020-01-30Johns CreekGeorgiaUnited Maintenance, Inc.Multiple body partsOther fall to lower level less than 6 feet
On January 30, 2020, an employee was quoting repairs on a cooling tower basin. He was standing on the concrete area that the boilers are on, discussing the repairs with the customer and a subcontractor. He attempted to step off of the platform but was closer to the edge than he realized, causing him to lose balance and fall about 20 inches to the ground below. He suffered a broken hip and broken right wrist.
2020-01-27Alum BankPennsylvaniaCreative PultrusionsThigh(s)Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was attempting to put a clevis on a section of fiberglass walls stored on a cart. The sections are used to make cooling towers. The employee moved a piece to clear the clevis and approximately 10-12 4'x30' sections fell over and struck the employee on his left femur. The employee was knocked to the ground and the pieces landed on his leg. He sustained a broken left femur that required surgical repair.
2020-01-20SnyderTexasINVENERGY SERVICES LLC Hand(s)Direct exposure to electricity
An employee was replacing a converter box in a wind tower. He contacted an electrical line and suffered burns to the left hand. He was hospitalized.
2020-01-16El PasoTexasOsburn Contractors, Inc. Multiple body partsFall through surface or existing opening
An employee was stacking and organizing materials at a tower construction site when he fell through a 3-foot-by-6-foot hole that had been covered by plywood. He landed on a lower-level floor and suffered fractures to the left femur, left foot, left arm, and pelvis.
2019-09-20TampaFloridaMASONRY BUILDERS, INC.Ankle(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was bending down, reaching through a tower frame for a work platform to bind straps and frames together in preparation for shipping. The frame flipped over and landed on his left ankle, dislocating and fracturing it. He was hospitalized.
2019-09-16New YorkNew YorkNortheast Structural Steel, Inc.Chest, except internal location of diseases or disordersStruck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was dismantling a temporary tower when a swivel hook appeared to shear, dropping a section of the steel tower 10 feet. The section hit the employee, who sustained a fractured sternum.
2019-09-09SnyderTexasVestas American Wind Technology, Inc.BODY SYSTEMSDirect exposure to electricity
An employee sustained an electric shock on his right ring finger while troubleshooting a wind tower. He was hospitalized.
2019-08-29North RidgevilleOhioJ W DidadoShoulder(s) and backOther fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet
An employee was descending from a transmission tower when he fell 25 feet to the ground, suffering a separated shoulder and L2 and L3 vertebrae injuries. He was hospitalized and had surgery.
2019-08-16RankinTexasRES America Construction, Inc.Head and trunkFall through surface or existing opening more than 30 feet
After erecting and connecting a base to a mid tower section, employees were preparing to lower tools. An employee fell through a hatch (open so that tools could be lowered) to the concrete 60 feet below and suffered fractured ribs, a fracture to the T-12 vertebrae, a knee injury, and laceration to the back of the head.
2019-08-15SeilingOklahomaNextEra Energy ResoucesBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
An employee climbed up an electric wind tower nacelle to perform maintenance activities when he became ill, experiencing dizziness and fatigue. He was hospitalized with possible heat exhaustion.
2019-07-30West SpringfieldMassachusettSuezArm(s)Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet
An employee fell approximately 50 feet from the roof of a water tower to the ground, suffering a broken arm that required hospitalization.
2019-07-30WarrensburgMissouriMidwest Underground Technology IncMultiple body partsOther fall to lower level more than 30 feet
An employee was performing a structural upgrade on a tower. The employee's fall protection detached when a part of the tower was removed. The employee fell about 180 feet, striking an ice cover and an ice bridge, and suffered injuries to both legs, the right arm, and the chest.
2019-07-25Port LavacaTexasE. F. Erwin, Inc.Multiple trunk locationsFall to lower level
An employee was aligning an elevator inside a tower when the employee fell from a height and suffered a head injury, broken pelvis, and broken back.
2019-07-24StrathamNew HampshirAnnseal Inc.BODY SYSTEMSIndirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
An employee was sealing cracks in the highway with a wand that dispenses rubber sealant from a slowly moving truck when the truck's light tower struck overhead power lines. Electricity traveled through the vehicle and down the wand where it shocked the employee.
2019-07-15DriftwoodTexasSpeakeasy Telecommunications Co., LLCMultiple body partsOther fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet
An employee was coming down from a tower. He stepped onto a transformer cover and fell approximately 4 to 8 feet. He sustained two broken ribs, cuts to the face, and a dislocated shoulder.
2019-06-30BlackfootIdahoGlanbia Foods, IncShoulder(s) and arm(s)Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was cleaning under a cheese tower conveyor belt when hot water (175 °F) was released on the employee, burning the left shoulder and arm.
2019-06-19LaurelMississippiFrequencies Wireless SolutionsNonclassifiableOther fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet
An employee fell approximately 25 feet while making his way down a cell phone tower.
2019-06-13AustinTexasPatriot Erectors Inc.Fingertip(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was standing on a level surface and was using his hands to guide an iron column, which was being moved by a small tower crane. As he was guiding the suspended column, his finger was caught between a flange of the column and a tie-back cable (for a swing-stage) that was behind him. This resulted in a crushed right index finger and a laceration to the right middle finger. Following the injury, his right index fingertip was amputated at the hospital (from the top knuckle up), and his mi
2019-06-01MoranKansasB & M Energy and InfrastructureAbdomen, except internal location of diseases or disordersFall through surface or existing opening 6 to 10 feet
An employee was up a tower in a wind turbine. A metal plate (a blade access cover) moved, causing the employee to fall about 7-10 feet into the inside of a blade. The employee suffered internal abdominal injuries.
2019-05-21FitchburgWisconsinKraemer Brothers, LLCLower leg(s)Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment
An employee was dismantling a shore tower at a construction site. The shore tower tipped over and struck the employee causing a compound fracture to the lower left leg.
2019-05-14AuroraNebraskaNedelco Inc.Back, including spine, spinal cordOther fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet
An employee was performing a self rescue operation as part of his annual recertification as a tower climber. The employee attempted to lower himself to the ground using the release mechanism on his climbing equipment. When he was approximately 8 feet off the ground, he fell to the ground and landed on his back, fracturing his vertebrae.
2019-05-13Oak GroveLouisianaCarlton Structural Services Corp.Multiple face locationsFall from collapsing structure or equipment 21 to 25 feet
An employee was picking up rigging shackles at the foundation base of a purposed cell tower. A climber on the tower had a tool pouch with a wrench that came loose off of his belt. The tool bag and metal wrench fell and struck the employee in the face, lacerating his upper lip and breaking his jaw and teeth.
2019-05-11SarasotaFloridaLiberty Equipment NonclassifiableDirect exposure to electricity
An employee received an electrical shock and burns while securing the power cable to the tower crane.
2019-04-24Altamonte SpringsFloridaMACY'S, Inc.Knee(s)Trip without fall, n.e.c.
A maintenance employee was working on the roof. He was walking down the fixed stairs from the cooling tower when he missed a step and both his knees gave out. He caught himself on the rail and did not fall. He suffered from torn tendons behind both kneecaps, requiring hospitalization and surgery.
2019-04-18PetersburgTexasWanzek ConstructionMultiple body partsFall through surface or existing opening
While cleaning inside a wind turbine tower, an employee stepped through an open access hatch and fell to the deck below. The employee sustained fractures to the face, arms and legs. Fall protection was not worn at the time of the incident.
2019-04-17SyracuseNew YorkSyracuse UniversityFinger(s), fingernail(s)Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
An employee was changing transmission belts on a 40-hp cooling tower fan, when the fan turned on and amputated the left index finger.
2019-04-15RiceboroGeorgiaHEAT TRANSFER SYSTEMS OF GEORGIA, LLCFinger(s), fingernail(s)Caught in running equipment or machinery
While working at a cooling tower, an employee was adjusting/leveling a motor and fan. The fan was turned on, which activated the belt and pulley. The employee's left hand contacted the fan's belt and pulley, resulting in a partial amputation (first joint) of the fifth digit.
2019-02-24AtlantaGeorgiaFox Theatre, Inc. Chest, except internal location of diseases or disordersJump from collapsing structure or equipment 11 to 15 feet
An employee was climbing a light tower on stage during the loadout of a show. The tower began to tip and the employee jumped so it would not fall on him. He landed on the stage more than 10 feet below, suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung.
2019-02-18GulfportMississippiMillerco, Inc.Ankle(s)Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
Employees were conducting a training exercise on rescuing employees at a cell tower. One employee, acting as the victim, was being brought down by another. The descending apparatus came down to the ground too fast. In the fall (about 15 feet), the employee acting as the victim broke both ankles and needed to be hospitalized.
2019-02-02Big LakeTexasB L Casing ServicesMultiple body partsStruck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was standing on a drilling rig when a piece of guarding fell from the tower and struck the employee's head, causing a contusion to the left eye, a laceration to the cranium, and fractures to cervical vertebrae and the left scapula.
2019-01-22New YorkNew YorkEmpire State Realty Trust Inc.Fingertip(s)Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning
Employees were replacing a cooling tower fan belt. After the new belt was installed, the injured employee started up the equipment and the belt caught the employee's glove resulting in amputation of the thumb tip.
2018-09-15DecaturAlabamaDAIKIN AMERICA, INC.Finger(s), fingernail(s)Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was using a ratcheting air tool to remove bolts from a tower when the employee's left third finger was caught in the tool, resulting in an amputation of the distal phalanx.
2018-08-23SaritaTexasIEA Constructors, Inc.Fingertip(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was lifting the tongue of a pull behind mobile light tower when their right ring finger was pinched between the tower's tongue and the ground resulting in a fingertip amputation.
2018-08-20ColumbiaMissouriREINHARDT CONSTRUCTION COMPANYFinger(s), fingernail(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was attempting to flip over a concrete column form using a tower crane to access and tighten the pipe braces on the bottom side of the form. His hand was on a partially suspended form when his left thumb was pinched between the form and the pipe brace, resulting in a partial thumb amputation (just below the first knuckle).
2018-08-19HopeArkansasBAKERY FEEDSMultiple foot (feet) locationsFall from collapsing structure or equipment 21 to 25 feet
An employee was repairing a tower master where cables come out of a bucket to load modules of dough into a trailer. He climbed into one of the buckets and a kink formed in the cable, which slid off a U-bolt and jerked, dropping about 4 feet. Later, the cable came loose and the bucket fell about 25 feet to the ground with the employee still inside. He fractured his right foot and pinky toe and injured his vertebrae, requiring hospitalization.
2018-08-13DavenportNebraskaD & K Agri Sales IncUpper and lower limb(s)Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
A crane operator was lifting a vertical pipe inside a steel tower structure so the pipe could be cut to size when the pipe started spinning. An employee went to check on the pipe when it came loose and fell approximately 6 feet, crushing the employee against the tower structure. The employee suffered injuries that resulted in a medical amputation of the left hand and left leg.
2018-07-27WinfieldWest VirginiService Electric CompanyFinger(s), fingernail(s)Fall, slip, trip
On July 27, 2018, a lineman fell while guiding a steel tower foundation leg in place. His thumb was caught in a pinch point in the tower frame, suffering a fracture.
2018-07-27SyracuseNew YorkCasler Masonry, Inc.Chest, except internal location of diseases or disordersFall from collapsing structure or equipment less than 6 feet
An employee was leaving a mobile scaffold platform while holding a tower section that had just been unbolted. The employee and the tower section fell to the ground about 3 feet below, landing on an outrigger and suffering four broken ribs and blood in the lungs.
2018-07-11LincolntonGeorgiaAmerican Tank Maintenance, LLCThigh(s)Struck by object or equipment
An employee was climbing a fixed ladder up to a water tower when a stranded metal safety cable located beside the ladder came loose at the top anchor point and struck his leg, puncturing his right thigh.
2018-07-10PasadenaTexasWood GroupBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
An employee was working with another employee, torqueing the manways on a tower. He came down around 2:30 p.m. due to the weather and went back up around 3:30. Around 4:45 the two finished the job. They came down and walked back to the lunch tent to rest, at which point the employee began vomiting. He was hospitalized for heat-stress-related illness.
2018-06-29Newport NewsVirginiaNewport News Shipbuilding Division of Huntington Ingalls IndustriesMultiple body partsOther fall to lower level 26 to 30 feet
An employee was working on an aircraft carrier in drydock. While climbing across from one tower of free standing staging to another, he fell, landing on the dock floor about 30 feet below. He was hospitalized, having suffered two compound fractures in his left arm that required surgery, bruised kidneys/spleen, and a broken left wrist.
2018-06-21HugoColoradoM.A. MORTENSON COMPANYFingertip(s)Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was using a forklift to install a lifting beam on the top of a tower section when his finger was pinched between the beam and the forklift, resulting in an amputation of his left ring fingertip.
2018-06-19Saint PetersburgFloridaJohns Hopkins All Children's HospitalBODY SYSTEMSExposure to environmental heat
An employee felt dizzy and nauseous after working in a cooling tower. He collapsed, blacked out, and then vomited. He was hospitalized for dehydration and a fractured left big toe.
2018-06-07TalbottonGeorgiaRobinson Paving Upper and lower limb(s)Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was pumping liquid asphalt from a storage tower to a distribution truck when the employee was sprayed with the hot asphalt resulting in burns to the right thumb and index fingers and the left foot. The valve was not shut down at the time.
2018-05-17SouthamptonPennsylvaniaNew Age Industries, Inc.BODY SYSTEMSVehicle or machinery fire
An employee was working at an injection molding machine. A fire started at an extruding tower, when some silicone tubing broke and fell into the oven. The employee tried to fight the fire and suffered smoke inhalation.
2018-04-17HolyokeColoradoNE Colorado Cellular, IncHip(s)Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
An employee was helping another employee move a RRU from the top of a wooden tower pole to the bottom. Another employee was holding onto a piece of conduit when a gust of wind picked up the conduit. The conduit came down, striking and possibly fracturing the injured employee's right hip.
2018-04-01Sun ValleyIdahoSun Valley ResortMultiple trunk locationsStruck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was on skis patrolling the mountain at the end of the day. As the employee transitioned from groomed to ungroomed terrain, the ski binding failed and one ski came off. The employee lost control and pitched into a lift tower, losing consciousness momentarily and suffering broken ribs, a lacerated kidney, and a collapsed lung.
2018-03-31ChalmetteLouisianaCLEAN HARBORS INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC. BODY SYSTEMSEngulfment in other collapsing material
An employee entered a tower and was vacuuming out adsorbent that was stuck to the inside walls when the adsorbent became detached from the wall and engulfed the employee. The employee suffered upper body trauma and partial asphyxiation, requiring hospitalization.
2018-03-29TulsaOklahomaTrinity Structural Towers, Inc.Finger(s), fingernail(s)Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was preparing to buff the inside of a flange. He set the buffer down inside the tower while the section was being rotated. He noticed that the buffer cord was going to be pinched between the tower section and a stop, so he attempted to grab the cord. The tower section then amputated his right little finger at the first knuckle.
2018-03-20MiamiFloridaAllegiance Crane and EquipmentBrainOther fall to lower level 16 to 20 feet
An employee was descending a tower crane when he fell approximately 20 feet from one landing to the lower landing located inside the tower crane. He sustained head injuries and was hospitalized.
2018-03-16PensacolaFloridaKitkar Holdings, LLC.Upper arm(s)Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was standing by a frame machine (pulls automotive body and frames) while his co-worker was operating it when the machine's hydraulic tower (8-foot, L-shaped machine part) came off and hit the employee's right upper arm, breaking it. He was hospitalized.
2018-02-27AthensOhioO'Blenness Memorial HospitalLeg(s)Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet
A maintenance employee accessed a cooling tower from a fixed ladder. While descending the fixed ladder, the employee fell approximately 6 feet to the roof surface, fracturing the right leg.