Fort Collins, Colorado is a beautiful place to live and work. It’s also one of the most dangerous cities in the United States when it comes to machinery accidents. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, Fort Collins is one of the top 25 cities in the country when it comes to machinery accidents.
What’s behind this high number of accidents? There are many factors at play, but one major contributor is the prevalence of older equipment in the city. As machines get older, they become more difficult and dangerous to operate. This can lead to mistakes being made, which can then lead to machinery accidents.
In the past five years, there have been over 20 machinery related accidents in Fort Collins, Colorado. According to the latest report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these accidents resulted in four injuries and three fatalities.
The most common type of accident in Fort Collins is a fall involving a machine. In fact, 60% of all machine-related injuries in the city are due to falls.
Another common cause of accidents in Fort Collins is contact with moving parts, such as belts or gears. Contact with moving parts is responsible for 38% of all machine-related injuries in Fort Collins.
The most dangerous part of any job is the moment when you don’t know what’s going to happen next. That’s why it’s so important to keep your machinery safe by following the safety guidelines set forth by OSHA. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident at work, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney to get started on your case.
Manufacturing Companies
Fort Collins Colorado is home to a variety of manufacturing companies. Some of the more well-known companies located in Fort Collins are
| #EANF# Woodward, Inc. Tolmar Holding, Inc. Otter Products, LLC Water Pik, Inc. New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc. Tolmar, Inc. |
Zila, Inc. Super Vacuum Manufacturing Co., Inc. In-Situ, Inc. Fort Collins Nissan, Inc. Rodelle Inc. Sonex Labs LLC Multicut North America Inc |
These companies contribute to the economy of Fort Collins by providing jobs and revenue for local businesses.
Machinery Accidents
In the last year alone, there have been several machinery accidents in Fort Collins, Colorado. Each one has resulted in injuries and damages to both businesses and individuals. These accidents highlight the importance of safety inspections and proper maintenance procedures. If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a machinery accident in Fort Collins or anywhere else in Colorado, please don’t hesitate to contact an attorney for help.
Here are accident reports for Fort Collins since 2021:
| AccidentDate | Employer | City | State | Description | Injury | Body Part | Event | Injury Source | Other Injury Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18/11/2021 | Paradise Creations LLC. | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was digging a hole to plant a holly tree near the corner of a retaining wall. After the tree was set in place, he grabbed a branch to reorient it. The branch snapped; he fell off the edge of the wall onto a step landing about 4 feet below, then rolled down a few steps. | Traumatic injuries and disorders | Nonclassifiable | Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet | Walls | Limbs, branches-unattached |
| 17/11/2021 | Bell Flight | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was manually engaging the ground handling wheels for a helicopter. He lost his grip on the tool, which struck him above the right eye. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Forehead | Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker | Handtools-power not determined | |
| 17/11/2021 | HENSEL PHELPS | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was holding the support structure of a concrete chute. The concrete was not releasing; the employee was shaking the chute when his left middle fingertip was caught between the concrete bucket and a metal box. Half an inch of the fingertip was amputated. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Contact with objects and equipment | Buckets, baskets, pails | |
| 16/11/2021 | Conatser Construction Inc | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was standing outside a 5-foot diameter concrete manhole riser installing sealant near an excavator. The excavator moved forward and pinned the employee against the riser. The employee sustained a broken leg and ankle and was hospitalized. | Fractures | Ankle(s) and leg(s) | Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area | Excavating machinery | |
| 16/11/2021 | Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company | Fort Worth | Tx | On November 16, 2021, an employee was standing on a work platform to clean out an equipment bay on the side of on an aircraft. The employee walked across the platform to retrieve equipment and stepped off an area of the platform that was unprotected due to a retracted slide out. His elbow struck the work platform, resulting in an elbow fracture that required surgery and hospitalization. | Fractures | Elbow(s) | Other fall to lower level | Scaffolds-staging | Nonclassifiable |
| 15/11/2021 | Americold Logistics | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was using a forklift to retrieve pallets to load a trailer. As the employee came through a door, another forklift's forks entered the compartment of the employee's own vehicle. The employee's foot was injured. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Foot (feet) | Nonroadway collision with other vehicle | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered |
| 12/11/2021 | Cargill Meat Solutions | Fort Morgan | Co | An employee was attempting to pick up a hide from the ground while holding a skinning knife in one hand and lacerated his chin. | Cuts, lacerations | Jaw, chin | Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker | Knives | |
| 11/11/2021 | Dinklage Feed Yard Inc. | Fort Morgan | Co | An employee was stepping off a front-end loader when he slipped and hit his head on concrete. The employee was hospitalized. | Intracranial injuries | Brain | Other fall to lower level | Bucket, front-end, end, and pay loaders | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 10/11/2021 | Golden Aluminum, Inc. | Fort Lupton | Co | An employee was draining a filter bowl of molten metal during a cast shutdown when the molten metal spilled from the bowl onto the employee's legs, resulting in burns to the backside of his legs. | Heat (thermal) burns | Leg(s) | Contact with hot objects or substances | Molten or hot metals, slag | |
| 08/11/2021 | Dustrol Inc. | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was servicing a mill with a reported hydraulic leak. A positive wire from a battery came into contact with a hydraulic hose causing a flash fire. The employee sustained burns to the upper body. | Heat (thermal) burns | Multiple body parts | Fire | Nonclassifiable | Lubricating greases, cutting oils |
| 03/11/2021 | Department of Defense Education Activity | Fort Buchanan | Pr | An employee was hospitalized when he suffered electrical shock while servicing a school's HVAC system, causing burns to his hands and chest pains. | Electrical burns | Hand(s) | Direct exposure to electricity | Heating, cooling, and cleaning machinery and appliances | |
| 01/11/2021 | Thornton Steel Company, LLC | Fort Worth | Tx | The injured employee was helping to unload metal tubes from a trailer. A co-worker was operating an overhead crane to lift a bundle of tubes. The load started to go sideways instead of in a straight line. As a result, the injured employee took a step backward and fell to the ground, sustaining two fractured ribs, a fractured right cheekbone, and a concussion. | Fractures (except skull fractures) and concussions | Head and trunk | Other fall to lower level | Nonclassifiable | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 01/11/2021 | Federal Bureau of Prisons FMC Carswell | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was using a carpentry jointer to trim a piece of wood. The jointer partially amputated the employee's left ring finger. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Boring, drilling, planing, milling machinery | |
| 28/10/2021 | Fort Worth F&D Head Company | Fort Worth | Tx | Two employees were replacing a seal on a press machine. A maintenance employee was using a forklift to raise/lift the seal while the injured employee was standing on a ladder using a piece of angle iron as leverage to replace the seal. As the maintenance employee lifted the forks of the forklift to seat the seal in place, the injured employee's left middle finger was caught between the seal and the angle iron, resulting in a fingertip amputation. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment | Angle irons | Presses, except printing |
| 28/10/2021 | Anheuser-Busch, LLC | Fort Collins | Co | An employee was fabricating a metal tray using a brake press and amputated their left middle fingertip. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Brake presses | |
| 27/10/2021 | Davis Iron & Metals | Fort Smith | Ar | An employee was cutting copper tubing with an alligator shear. Oil from the copper tubing got onto the employee's gloves causing the employee's left hand to slip into the jaw of the shear. The employee sustained a partial amputation to the left middle fingertip. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Shearing machines | Lubricating greases, cutting oils |
| 25/10/2021 | Akima Support Operations | Fort Hood | Tx | An employee was replacing a windshield wiper arm on an up-armored Humvee. The employee pulled on the wiper blade arm and it broke free, causing the employee to lose balance and fall 3 feet to the maintenance bay floor. He sustained a fractured right shoulder and bleeding in the head. | Cerebral and other intracranial hemorrhages | Brain | Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet | Humvee | Floor, n.e.c. |
| 20/10/2021 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Fort Worth | Tx | A walking tug operator was helping move an aircraft from a test facility turntable. The handle on the tug struck him in the abdomen, pushed him backward into a large external overhead door, and pinned him against it. He suffered broken ribs, a liver laceration, and a broken back vertebra. | Fractures and other injuries, n.e.c. | Multiple trunk locations | Struck by rolling object or equipment-other than powered vehicle, n.e.c. | Material and personnel handling machinery | Garage doors |
| 18/10/2021 | Rice Insulation & Glass | Fort Myers | Fl | When an employee turned a piece of metal during a metal cutting operation, it caught the sawblade and kicked up. This moved his index finger into the blade, which amputated part of the fingertip. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker | Cutting handtools-powered | |
| 16/10/2021 | Golden Aluminum, Inc. | Fort Lupton | Co | An employee's left hand was caught between a mill's spindle shaft and an input roller when the spindle shaft activated, resulting in a partial amputation of their index finger at the last joint, as well as crush injuries to their middle finger and thumb. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery | Milling machines | |
| 14/10/2021 | Builders FirstSource | Fort Atkinson | Wi | An employee was trying to pick up some strapping from the ground. He tripped and fell to the ground, suffering a broken wrist. He was hospitalized. | Fractures | Wrist(s) | Fall on same level due to tripping over self | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces | |
| 14/10/2021 | FedEx | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was conducting a visual inspection of conveyor belt equipment and saw a string hanging down in the equipment area. He reached to grab the string when the belt pulled his gloved left hand into the conveyor, resulting in injuries to the index, ring, and middle fingers that required surgery and possibly resulted in two amputations. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery, n.e.c. | Conveyors-belt | |
| 13/10/2021 | Sunbelt Chemical & Equipment Inc | Fort Smith | Ar | At 2:30 p.m. on October 13, 2021, an employee was on top of a pump truck, replacing the cone insert on the cyclone tank. He fell about 11 feet, striking a mounted toolbox before hitting the ground. He suffered a broken right leg below the knee, a compressed lower back vertebra, and a contusion to the right buttock. He was hospitalized. | Fractures and other injuries | Multiple body parts | Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet | Truck-motorized freight hauling and utility, n.e.c | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 12/10/2021 | Heil Environmental | Fort Payne | Al | An employee was installing an empty cylinder onto an assembly body support bracket. The cylinder slipped and caught the employee's left index finger against the bracket. The employee suffered an amputation just below the nail. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Contact with objects and equipment | Parts and materials | |
| 08/10/2021 | Conti Corporation | Fort Lauderdale | Fl | An employee was working on electrical floor boxes when a boom lift ran over his right leg, breaking his femur. | Fractures | Thigh(s) | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | Aerial lifts, scissor lifts-except truck-mounted | |
| 06/10/2021 | Hooks & Associates Inc | Fort Smith | Ar | At 8:50 a.m. on October 6, 20201, an employee was positioned behind a metal shear to help hold a piece of material about to be cut. As the shearing machine was engaged, its vertically moving backstop pinched the employee's left arm against a table below, in place to catch clippings. The employee suffered broken bones just above the wrist and was hospitalized. | Fractures | Forearm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Shearing machines | |
| 04/10/2021 | INDUSTRIAL SHADEPORTS, INC. | Fort Lauderdale | Fl | On October 4, 2021, an employee was trying to lubricate a bandsaw blade when it caught the oil container he was using. The blade then lacerated the top of his right hand. | Cuts, lacerations | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning | Band saws | Containers |
| 03/10/2021 | US Army Garrison Fort Carson | Fort Carson | Co | A piece of unexploded ordnance at an Army range was disturbed and exploded. An employee suffered lacerations and fractures to the face. | Fractures | Face | Explosion, n.e.c. | Explosive devices | |
| 29/09/2021 | Equipment Depot | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was assisting a co-worker in flipping over a pallet jack when his left little finger was caught in the wheel of the pallet jack, resulting in a partial traumatic transphalangeal amputation , as well as a laceration on his left ring finger. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Struck by powered vehicle-nontransport | Pallet jack-powered | |
| 26/09/2021 | Francis Engineering Inc | Fort Lauderdale | Fl | An employee was cutting and grooving a steel pipe. The cutting machine caught the employee's glove, amputated the tip of the employee's index finger, and lacerated the middle finger. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Bending, rolling, shaping machinery | Belts, gloves, neckties, scarves |
| 25/09/2021 | Army and Air Force Exchange Services | Fort Mccoy | Wi | An employee was moving an oven on a dolly in a restaurant. The oven fell off the dolly and caught part of the employee's finger against the wall, causing a partial fingertip amputation. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part | Ranges, cooking ovens, grills, toasters, food warmers | Cart, dolly, hand truck-nonpowered |
| 23/09/2021 | TrinityRail Maintenance Services, Inc. Plant 4025 | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee stepped onto a steel grate covering a 24-inch by 24-inch, 18-inch-deep area of a longer concrete pit containing heated water. The grate shifted and gave way, and the employee stepped into the hot water resulting in thermal burns to both lower legs. | Heat (thermal) burns | Lower leg(s) | Fall through surface or existing opening less than 6 feet | Grates and drains in floor surface | Confined spaces |
| 20/09/2021 | Pride Industries | Fort Polk | La | An employee was using a 15-foot ladder to access a chill water line on a ceiling. The employee fell from the ladder to the concrete floor, suffering a broken left arm, left leg, and hip. | Fractures | Multiple body parts | Other fall to lower level | Movable ladders | Floor, n.e.c. |
| 20/09/2021 | North Texas Flameproof & Wood Specialty | Fort Worth | Tx | A blade change was underway on a table saw. An employee plugged the saw back in to complete a test cut; the wood caught and the employee's thumb was pulled into the blade and lacerated. The employee was hospitalized. | Cuts, lacerations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Table saws | |
| 17/09/2021 | Westrock | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was clearing a jam in a piece of equipment used to process paperboard scraps when their right hand contacted blades in the equipment, resulting in the amputation of two fingers. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning | Paper production machinery | |
| 07/09/2021 | OK FOODS INC. | Fort Smith | Ar | An employee was winching cages down to a drop-deck live-haul trailer. The terminal tractor moved in reverse and the employee was pinned between the fifth wheel and the trailer kingpin area. The employee suffered multiple fractures and lacerations. | Fractures | Nonclassifiable | Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area | Industrial vehicle, material hauling and transport-powered, n.e.c | |
| 04/09/2021 | American Airlines | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was driving an electric bag tug from one airport concourse to another. While turning right to enter a bag room area, the employee's tug collided with another tug. The employee suffered two broken ribs on the left side; a lacerated spleen (with internal bleeding); and contusions and abrasions to the left side of the head, forehead, left knee, and left arm. | Internal injuries to organs and blood vessels of the trunk | Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Nonroadway collision with other vehicle | Airport utility vehicle-powered | Airport utility vehicle-powered |
| 02/09/2021 | SUNNYGROVE LANDSCAPE & IRRIGATION MAINTENANCE, LLC | Fort Myers | Fl | An employee was standing on the side of a road after a vehicle incident. Another vehicle swerved and hit the employee. | Traumatic injuries and disorders | Nonclassifiable | Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle on side of road | Highway vehicle, motorized | |
| 30/08/2021 | Industrial Divers Corp. Inc. | Fort Lauderdale | Fl | An employee was on his second SCUBA dive of the day, stacking tires for removal from the seabed of a failed artificial reef. He developed vertigo and nausea, which worsened when he surfaced. He was hospitalized, suffering from decompression sickness. | Caisson disease, bends, divers' palsy | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to change in water pressure | Water pressure-high or low | |
| 25/08/2021 | Lineage Logistics | Fort Worth | Tx | An potential employee's left leg was pinned and broken between the forklift he was operating and another forklift. | Fractures | Leg(s) | Nonroadway collision with other vehicle | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered |
| 24/08/2021 | Willbanks Metals, Inc. | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee was guiding a steel plate into a press brake. The plate slipped from the clamp that was suspending it in the air. It fell on the employee, who suffered a broken wrist. | Fractures | Wrist(s) | Struck by falling object or equipment | Metal plates, metal panels | Clamps, couplings |
| 13/08/2021 | TEC Staffing Services | Fort Smith | Ar | An employee was using an air gun to blow saw dust off wood when his hand contacted the router bit on the machine, resulting in a left thumb amputation. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning | Boring, routing, notching machines | |
| 11/08/2021 | FCI Fort Dix | Fort Dix | Nj | A employee was closing a door. The door closed on a finger on the employee's right hand, and the fingertip was amputated. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Struck by or caught in swinging door or gate | Doors, except garage and vehicle | |
| 09/08/2021 | PepsiCo | Fort Myers | Fl | An employee was walking behind a walkie-rider powered industrial truck. It rolled over his foot and broke his ankle in two places. | Fractures | Ankle(s) | Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 05/08/2021 | Texas Health Resources | Fort Worth | Tx | An employee fell and suffered a fractured right femur. | Fractures | Thigh(s) | Fall on same level | Floor | |
| 05/08/2021 | First Staff Employment | Fort Smith | Ar | An employee was operating a stand-up forklift when its steering tire got stuck in a hole in the concrete dock. Another forklift was being used to push the employee's lift when its fork entered the employee's cab and broke his left foot. He was hospitalized, requiring surgery. | Fractures | Foot (feet) | Collision between a moving and standing vehicle, nonroadway | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered |
| 31/07/2021 | Phillips and Jordan, Incorporated | Fort Pierce | Fl | An employee was using a hammer to attach a cross-arm on a form. The hammer handle hit the tip of his little finger and fractured it. | Fractures | Fingertip(s) | Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker | Hammers, except sledge-nonpowered | |
| 30/07/2021 | Sims Crane & Equipment Co. | Fort Myers | Fl | An employee was on a straight ladder gathering equipment to be used at a jobsite. When they began descending the ladder, they fell 8 feet from the ladder to the ground below, resulting in fractured wrists, a fractured cheekbone, and a laceration on their hand. | Fractures | Multiple body parts | Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet | Straight ladders | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 29/07/2021 | United Parcel Service | Fort Smith | Ar | At 3:00 p.m. on July 29, 2021, an employee developed heat-related illness while driving a package delivery car. The illness caused the employee to get into an accident, and the employee was hospitalized. | Effects of heat and light | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to environmental heat | Heat-environmental | |
| 28/07/2021 | Bilfinger, Inc | Point Comfort | Tx | An employee was removing a 1-inch tube from a furnace undergoing routine maintenance. The 40-foot long tube shattered and fell, hitting the employee on the back. The employee suffered multiple spine fractures and was hospitalized. | Fractures | Back, including spine, spinal cord | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part | Pipes, ducts, tubing | Furnaces, heaters |
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