EE who had pre-existing chronic back pain upon hiring at the mine, and regularly sees a chiropractor, experienced discomfort while lowering an object during a shift. The employee went to personal chiropractor for an adjustment and returned to normal duties without any restrictions or time away on a subsequent shift
Smart Sand, Inc.Metal/Nonmetal
- Fatalities
- 0
- Total incidents
- 52
- Years on record
- 2012–2026
- Latest incident
- Feb 2026
Reportable incidents
52 on file2026 · 1 incident
2024 · 1 incident
While performing cleanup around the wet plant, employee was operating a mini track dingo. While operating, the EE's wrist was caught between an angled crossbeam and the operating joystick. EE was able to return to work with restrictions.
2023 · 3 incidents
Employee was removing a bolt overhead when the tool slipped and EE received a small laceration which could have healed itself by location, but the employee requested sutures. EE did not receive any work restrictions.
Employee experienced shoulder pain after pulling and securing a rope from one barge to another. Employee received an injection for pain at the doctor office but was cleared to work for employee's next shift.
During reinstallation of a tail pulley guard, the guard shifted. The employee tried to stabilize the guard when it shifted, and a piece of expanded metal cut through the employee's glove. The employee received 3 stitches in the left hand to ensure fast healing. Employee did not receive any work restrictions and returned to full duty the next scheduled shift.
2022 · 4 incidents
Employee was replacing a belt when EE cut EE's hand. The utility knife slipped while cutting the belt and cut through EE's glove requiring sutures. Employee returned to full duty without missing any days of work and without restrictions.
Employee picked up tools before leaving the morning line out meeting, and strained EE's back. Employee was given lifting restrictions and an injection for the pain from a doctor. Employees returned to full duty 3 days later.
Employee was replacing plastic PEX tubing on a conveyor. EE cut index finger and was treated with sutures. Employee returned to full duty, without missing any days of work and without work restrictions.
Employee bent down to connect a small utility trailer to a hitch and felt a pain in their back. The employee received work restrictions from a chiropractor, limiting them to ""no lifting"" while on restricted duty.
2019 · 9 incidents
Employee was obtaining an item from personal vehicle in parking lot during lunch break and slipped, causing pain in right knee. Employee has history of personal injury with right knee and the slip caused recurrence of pain. The AM after the employee slipped, EE went to the doctor and received a non-steroidal injection to reduce any inflammation. EE returned to work that shift.
10/16 Office worker c/o back pain after walking up a stairway. Medical treatment refused by employee. 10/22 - Employee visited doctor and had clean x-rays, receiving no restrictions. Employee worked all shifts without issue until 10/25. 10/25 - PT restricted employee from climbing stairs.
In the course of performing normal duties during a shift, an employee experienced pain in the left shoulder. Employee thinks this may have occurred during a Rotex screen change. Employee visited a doctor two days later, receiving lifting restrictions.
Employee was rigging poly-pipe and struck shoulder on mast of telehandler. Employee finished shift without issue, but then began to experience shoulder pain. After visit to physician, employee was advised to rest left arm and limit use.
Employee stepped over a stockpile retaining wall and slipped, cutting EE's leg on a conveyor frame. This resulted in sutures in EE's right shin.
Employee was changing teeth on excavator bucket and small fragment broke off and was embedded in side. Employee was evaluated by physician, and after attempting to remove object, physician opted to leave object in place as it was determined not to be harmful. Employee was given preemptive antibiotics and tetanus shot, and returned to work without restrictions or lost time.
An employee cut EE's finger on a conveyor frame while cleaning beneath the conveyor. The employee received three stitches on EE's right index finger. Employee returned to full duty, without missing any days of work and without work restrictions.
Employee misjudged the last rung of step ladder, missed rung and went to floor. Twisted right knee with wrench in pants pocket. Dislocated knee cap, eventually diagnosed with tear in ACL, given light duty work restrictions
Employee was walking back to the office on a plowed main road and lost balance. Employee did not fall, but in the process of regaining balance developed some lower back pain. Employee received lifting restrictions, but has returned to work.
2018 · 14 incidents
Employee has been mobile equipment operator for 6 years with operator, prior to employee was a tool and die machinist for 14 years. Employee had hand pain predating work as a miner, and sought treatment recently. On November 28th, it was determined by a doctor to be work related.
Employee tripped while walking and was diagnosed with an unspecified bruise on ee right thigh. Employee requested restrictions limiting ladder use for mounting mobile equipment at assessment.
At approximately 9am on October 22nd, employee sustained a back injury from losing balance and falling backwards from about 4-5 feet. The fall appears to be from an existing diabetic medical issue.
Employee was using a drill in the shop and the drill bit slipped, resulting in a cut on the arm. Employee received stitches to close the laceration, and was given clearance to return to work without restrictions.
Employee received first aid treatment after small cut on finger. EE was prescribed an antibiotic and given limited use of right hand work restrictions.
While at work site, employee had incidental contact with pipe and received cut on finger. Received 4 stitches on finger and was released & returned to work same day.
Employee was operating a front end loader. The loader hit a bump in the road while approaching a stockpile, which caused the operator's head to hit the sun visor resulting in a laceration. The operator returned to work without restrictions on March 19th.
Employee noted back pain at the end of shift after performance of normal duties. On March 12th, the employee was cleared to return to work without restrictions.
Employee was headed to clock out, didn't follow the treated walking path and slipped on ice.
Injured employee was flagging an operator to lift a piece of poly pipe, when the forklift raised the pipe ice began sliding out of the pipe striking the injured employee.
Employee was carrying a piece of I beam and slipped allowing the beam to fall on left index finger.
The employee was helping sort out steel beams. The beams were standing on 4x4 boards, when a forklift picked up a beam off of the front of the stack and the rear beams slumped due to a depression in the ground causing the rear beam to become unstable and roll over onto the employees foot.
Concrete crew placing concrete pad with pump truck. Temperatures single digits, wind chill sub-zero digits. Hose line blockage, became loose, started to whip. Hose operator moved out of the way, lost footing, fell onto the rebar mat hitting head. Hose operator sustained laceration above right eyebrow.
2017 · 2 incidents
Vision in EE's left eye became blurry. Upon examination, EE was diagnosed with cephalgia, or cluster/migraine headaches. EE was released the same day. It was recommended EE take a day off to rest and given Tylenol. EE returned to work without restrictions on 11/16/17.
Employee called over radio needed help in Dry 2. A groundsman answered and found EE on floor. Groundsman asked employee what was wrong and employee briefly fainted. Employee regained consciousness seconds later, was awake and alert being transported to hospital. Employee was evaluated/treated for fatigue/dehydration. Released and returned to work full shift that night.
2016 · 1 incident
The operator was accessing a covered conveyor to replace rollers. While going from one side of the covered conveyor to the other, the operator felt a sharp burning pain in EE's right knee. The operator felt pain the rest of EE's shift and visited the doctor immediately after EE's shift.
2015 · 5 incidents
Operator was lowering ""Y"" pipe with a come-a-long. Chain of come-a-long encountered safety latch, releasing pipe. Pipe fell 1 foot coming in contact with other pipe. Operator's leg was pinched in between the two pipes.
Operator shoveling, felt a pain in his lower back. Left work for the day, went to doctor. Doctor determined lower back sprain.
Operator was lifting Rotex frames into a Rotex machine. Operator suffered an injury to his right shoulder.
Grounds employee was reinserting a wire mesh screen into the bottom deck of a Rotex mineral separator. While pushing the screen in, the employee felt a sharp pain in his lower back. The employee was able to walk and function but was clearly in physical discomfort.
The miner was changing a cutting edge on a John Deere 3230 skid steer. When trying to remove a worn bolt, the pliers slipped off the bolt cutting through the miners glove and cutting the pad of his right pointer finger. The injury resulted in five stitches to the right pointer finger.
2014 · 7 incidents
Miner was operating 740B Cat Haul truck, he positioned the haul truck for loading. In the process of loading, the miner started to back up his haul truck and came in contact with the excavator bucket.
An employee leaving the mine property for lunch, was involved in a motorcycle accident. A deer jumped in front of the employee, he over corrected and veered off into the ditch area.
The miner was using an extension ladder to remove a rock from a tail pulley. Bottom of the ladder slipped out from under the miner and he fell to the ground.
A maintenance employee was lowering the tail pulley & bearing on to an adjuster with a lever chain hoist. Using his left index finger to hold the bolt in place he was lowering the unit when the reverse braking on the chain hoist failed.
Two miners were working with the access door on the dryer. One miner was holding the door and the other miner was checking the seal. When suction from the fan caused the door to slip from the miners fingers smashing the other miner's middle finger in the door.
The miner was entering the dryer building, when the east side door closed on his left hand, ring finger.
Miners were removing ice built up in belt feeder 2. The miner was using a long handled scrapper. When it became hung up on a shaft. When it finally came loose, the handle struck employee in the scrotum area.
2013 · 4 incidents
While changing a screen in Rotexes, the wrench slipped off the holding clip and cut his knuckle on his right hand.
He was operating a front end loader dumping sand into the hopper. While driving up the ramp the loader ran over a large rock jolting the operator in his seat. Injuring his lower back and hip.
Two Miners were shoveling under C-21 splitter gate, located at the north east side of the Wet Plant. One miner shoveled in the direction of the other miner and hit the second miner on accident in the upper lip, busting it open.
Miner was assisting in ongoing maintenance of the feed hopper on belt feeder number 1. While he was moving a sheet of steel with a co-worker, the steel sheet was caught on frozen ground. When he pulled the sheet to loosen it, he said that his lower back ""popped"" causing pain. Smart Sand notes cold weather as conditions possibly associated with this accident.
2012 · 1 incident
When this accident occurred employee's specific activity was to mark an area for the installation of a fence in the northwest corner of the mine property. This area is not close to active mining, and does not have any equipment or improvements. This new fence is necessary to prevent trespassing on the Smart Sand property and incursion to a nearby rail line.