Blaschak BreakerCoal

During company shutdown for repairs and maintenance, employee felt irritation in right eye. After allergy medication, it did not go away so employee went to the ER and found an abrasion on the eye.

Employee was working at the raw coal hopper throughout the day. In that area, 3 welders were working continuously throughout the entire shift. Employee was in the area of the welders throughout the day without wearing sufficient PPE (Welders mask). The next day employee was unable to come to work due to a potential welder flash.

Employee was walking approaching chemical batch station when EE slipped on dry concrete spraining right knee.

Employee stepped on shaker arm and when employee went to step down, foot slipped on the wet wood and caused employee to fall back and hit the back of head and neck on the wall causing a contusion

Employee was dumping tractor trailer in bagging plant hoppers. They reached up to pull tailgate latch and it would not open. So they pulled harder to get it open and strained a shoulder. Employee did not seek treatment or have lost time until 6/15/22.

Employee was releasing the air pressure off the air line feeding the plasma cutter by pulling the trigger and not realizing the gun was pointed towards their knee which caused a burn. They did not seek medical treatment or have lost time until 6/13/22.

Employee's knife slipped while cutting a piece of rubber. Knife cut left pinky finger requiring 2 stitches.

Foreign Body in Eyes

Threshold Shift in Hearing Test

REPLACING GREEN WRAPPING AT THE BAGGING PLANT. EMPLOYEE PLACED RIGHT HAND ON THE CENTER CAP AND LEFT HAND UNDER THE WRAPPING ROLL TO LIFT IT UP. THE CENTER CAP FELL OUT AND THE ROLL FELL SMASHING A FINGER BETWEEN THE ROLL AND A PIECE OF IRON CAUSING THE TOP OF LEFT HAND MIDDLE FINGER TO CUT OFF NEAR THE CUTICLE.

HURT BACK WHILE PUTTING TOP SEAL BELTS BACK ON THE BAGGER.

Employee was burning grating and reached over to grab a piece that the employee cut off and burnt arm on one of the hot nipples that was sticking out.

Dirt fell off of hard hat when taking it off at the end of the shift while cleaning up. It got into EE's eye causing an infection.

Re-installing screens to AC vibrating screen deck, a steel hold-down strap sliced hand due to a jagged edge along its length when passing it to another employee.

Employee was light-headed, dizzy, and had a loss of balance. EE sat down and an ambulance was called for EE.

While cleaning and prepping rail cars, EE felt a strain in EE's lower back while bent over. Employee reported the accident on 4/16/2019. EE did not seek medical attention until 8/14/2019.

Employee was burning bolts off of the bottom shaker screen. When switching hand to burn it, employee knocked the oxygen lever on torch. The burst blew coal dirt under employee's glasses into eyes.

Dismounting forklift, employee felt sharp pain in ankle.

Employee was standing on the ground letting the steel hang out of the back of the bed of a truck with right leg on the bumper while welding. The cutting wheel pinched, kicked out and cut EE's inner right thigh.

Employee was driving a rock truck when employee got a call for it to be serviced. Employee then parked it at the truck garage. While entering the replacement truck employee slipped and fell on shoulder/back. Employee attempted to maintain 3 point contact and wasn't distracted by talking.

Employee was disassembling steering shaft to replace u-joints using electric impact gun and wrench to remove retainer bolt. The retainer clip spun around catching EE on EE's left thumb causing a cut requiring stitches

Stepped on a small crate to get up to a higher pallet to count bags of coal for inventory. The small crate was empty and cracked when employee stepped on it. The crate flew up and hit ee and ee fell down and landed on the broken crate. Broke 4 ribs.

Employee was lifting grate and pain went into right groin.

Standard Threshold Shift - Audio Exam.

Lifting suction pipe. First thought had pulled a muscle in lower groin, but 2 weeks later it popped out.

while moving broken baffle out of coal line, a sharp piece of angle iron came in contact with employee's top of hand causing a cut.

Cut finger while using a knife to cut a piece of belt.

Tightening bolt on side seal area of bagging machine when hand slipped hitting the corner of a piece of metal on the machine.

Slipped or fell into discharge chute hitting right knee on edge of stainless discharge chute.

Employee was moving an almost empty can of welding rods to replace it with a full can. When picking up the can a sharp edge cut finger.

Drilling holes in concrete to install lag bolts to fasten rubber at ends of scale. Drill bit stuck, spinning drill around while grabbing finger.

Standard Threshold Shift - Audio Exam

Slipped and skinned shin while putting a new feed belt on at the screening plant.

Preparing to fuel a piece of equipment from the fuel truck. When starting the pump, fuel oil squirted from a hole in the hose, striking employee in face.

Employee was getting out of cab of truck and grabbed handle to turn to go to back of truck. He stepped on back plate/battery box cover to bend down and lift ring off gate handle. He then pushed gate handle down and upon standing up had sharp pain in lower back and right leg.

Was putting a jack under the truck and bent down to pick up an air hose and pulled his back. He did not receive medical treatment until 4/28/15.

Rock picking: removing a rock from the coal and pulled shoulder.

While reaching into re-attach broken chain line, employee got his finger against a sharp piece of plastic on a return idler resulting in laceration.

Employee was house cleaning, sweeping the floors. He was wearing gloves and reached into wire mesh screening to move it and cut his right middle finger.

Employee was stripping a wire for the turn signal on truck #83 at the truck maintenance garage. He was using a razor blade. The blade slipped and cut a finger on his left hand.

Beltrami was tightening a spring break on #85 tractor with a wrench and pulled his right shoulder.

Employee slipped on ice in parking lot while walking to the office building. He tried to catch himself falling by grabbing the banister, but jabbed his ribs into it as he fell.

Slipped on ice while walking from parking lot to the water tank. Bruised/swollen knee.

Employee was crawling around catwalk installing new conveyor belt. He felt a rip in the right knee while coming from a crouch position to standing up.

Employee was walking up metal stairs and slipped on the third step. He caught himself by grabbing the railing but resulted in straining his back.

Employee was walking into the hopper building and tripped on scale. He tried to catch his fall and tore his upper right bicep.

Employee lifting wood pallets above head onto fork lift when dust/debris fell down into right eye.

Dropped a tire and strained back when he caught it to pick it back up.

Pulling a shoot down a cable slipped and bent finger

Rinsing walls with garden hose when dirt got into eye.

Was under loader and got dirt/metal in eyes.

Employee was notified by letter from the Department of Health and Human Services that he may show signs of Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. He asked at this time to open a Worker's Compensation claim.

Caught foot under wire and fell twisting knee.

Employee fell down office trailer outside stairs.

Employee was picking rock from rock table and another rock hit his finger.

Lifting bag to add lime to water treatment system and he felt something full in his back.

Employee states he was using a cutting torch to cut bolts off of hinges that were holding planks down and a piece of hot metal popped and went under his safety glasses into his right eye.

Grinding under truck, got piece of steel in eye.

Using air gun to tighten bolts on coal shaker. Gun slipped and hit his hand on piece of angle iron. Lacerated left hand.

Slipped and fell down plant steps.

EE states that he was installing a grate in floor at the truck garage, he was removing a piece o metal grating off the truck when the metal grating slipped and struck 2 fingers on his hand.

EE caught his right hand in moving drive belt. Lacerated right ring finger.

Independent hauler was tarping his truck, after picking up load of coal and fell off truck.

Slipped on ice & twisted ankle.

Climbing up on picking table to clear blockage and strained his calf muscle in his left leg.

Stepped on floor grate in water plant. Grate was out of place and it gave way causing he to fall through opening. He caught himself on floor buy soffered bruises, strains and a back sprain.

Lifting and moving heavy roller and strained back.

After using a 4 1/2"" angle grinder to grind weldments on channel steel framework for a platform under the breaker's shaker arms ee's eye became increasingly irritated from an apparent minute piece of welding slag or dirt.

Stepped on edge of platform and board broke. Fell forward hurting right arm & leg.

EE was using an electric saw to cut boards for a floor. He set the saw down after making a cut and it jammed up and struck his hand when a small piece of wood dislodged from it while the blade was still spinning.

Employee was using an electric angle grinder to remove the rough edges of metal siding that he was applying to the side of a building at the Coal Breaker.

Employee states his eye became increasingly irritated (over days) from an apparent minute piece of welding slag or dirt that entered his eye, despite wearing safety glasses, while welding and using an electric hand grinder to fabricate metal for repairs in the coal plant.

Heart attack

Employee states he strained his back (aggravating an on-going condition) while loading bags of sand into a portable sandblaster machine.

While helping to install a clutch assembly into a dump truck, the truck's starter, which had been loosened and moved out of the way to make room, slipped and fell down approx. 2 ft. striking ee's hand.

EE was using drill press and cut his finger on the tip.

Pulling large rock off picking table-suspected hernia.

He slipped and started to fall; grabbed onto wall and sliced hand.

Employee states his eye became increasingly irritated (over days) from an apparent minute piece of welding slag that entered his eye, despite wearing saftey glasses, while using an electric hand grinder to grind a spot of weld off an axle from a dump trailer that he was repairing.

Strained back lifting heavy rock.

Employee states he pulled his lower back muscle ""sometime during the day"" while either helping to lift a travel shaft from a dragline shovel or while handling rolls of wire mesh to make screens for the coal plant.

As another mechanic was using a hammer to drive a steel pin into a house roller of a dragline shovel, a piece of metal slag broke loose while hammering and struck EE in the corner of his right eye, while standing at least 10' away.

EE pulled his back on 1/11/06. Did not seek treatment at that time. Later went to the Dr. on 1/16/06. EE advised us on 08/01/06 that he was going to get surgery and will be off 4-6 weeks.

INSERTING WATER HOSE INTO TUBE TO CLEAN OUT BLOCKAGE. BENT OVER AND FELT PAIN IN ABDOMEN.

REACHED HAND INTO OPERATING COAL BAGGING MACHINE TO REMOVE A PIECE OF BAG, GOT HIS FINGERS CAUGHT IN DRIVE CHAIN.

GRINDING METAL GOT PIECE IN EYE.

EMPLOYEE WAS CLOSING DOOR ON RAIL CAR & SLAMMED IT ON HIS HAND.

WINDING UP TARP ON TRAILER, GOT A SHOOTING PAIN IN RIGHT LEG & LOWER BACK

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN A BLOCKED OVERHEAD DRAIN, WHEN DRAIN OPENED, WAS STRUCK BY DEBRIS ABOUT THE HEAD AND FACE AREA, CAUSING LACERATIONS OF FACE AND HEAD.

EMPLOYEE FELL OFF OF TRAILER. HIT LEFT ELBOW OFF OF STEPS. EMPLOYEE SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION AND X-RAYS AT LOCAL HOSPITAL.

EE WAS PULLING A ROCK OFF OF A SHAKER AND IT BOUNCED OFF THE OTHER SIDE AND HT THE EE 6"" BELOW HIS RIGHT ARMPIT.

EE WAS GETTING UP IN THE TRUCK WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL TO THE GROUND TWISTING LEFT KNEE AND LEG. LEFT KNEE HURT WHEN BENT. ON 2-23-00 EE SAID ABOIL HAD FORMED AND HAD TO BE LANCED.

EMPLOYEE WAS PULLING TRUCK HANDLE; THE HANDLE WAS FROZEN AND TWISTED LOWER BACK. MSHA REPORT SUBMITTED BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE BILLS BEING SUB- MITTED FROM CHIROPRACTOR AS OF RECENTLY.