Kettle River Mill Site: 78 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Occupational illness diagnosed as being caused by prolonged noise exposure.

EE was entering the crusher building. He slipped on some ice on the cement just outside the building, fell and injured his left ankle (fractured in 3 places; surgical insertion of pin required).

THE EE WAS STEPPING OFF THE BOTTOM RUNG OF A LOADDER WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL ONTO A PLASTIC SUCTION LINE CONTAINING COPPER SULFATE ACIDIC THE LINE BROKE AND SPRAYED THE SOLUTION IN HIS EYES. HIS EYES WERE FLUSHED FOR 20 MIN AND HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE CHECKED OUT. THE DR PERSCRIBED AN ANTIBIOTIC CREAM FOR HIS EYES AND HE WAS RELEASED. NOTE HIS SAFETY GLASSES FELL OFF WH

THE EMPLOYEE WAS PREPARING TO VACUUM WATER FROM A SUMP. HE SLIPPED ON WET CONCRETE AND FELL ONTO A 1 FT HIGH CONCRETE FOOTING ON HIS UPPER BACK. HE BRUISED HIS BACK AND WAS RELEASED TO FULL DU TY THAT DAY. HOWEVER HE DID NOT REPORT TO WORK ON 9/8/03, COMPLAINING OF BACK PAIN. HE REPORTEDLY HAS A HISTORY OF BACK PROBLEMS AND HIS CHIROPRACTOR TOLD HIM HE SHOULD NOT PERFORM LABOR. HE

THE ELECTRICAIN WAS USING A HACKSAW TO CUT AN ALUMINUM LUG THAT WAS HELD BY A VISE. WHEN THE SAW BLADE CUT THROUGH, THE EMPLOYEE;S FINGER STRUCK THE EDGE OF THE LUG. IT TOOK 2 SUTURES TO CLOSE THE WOUND.

EE TOOK LEAVE ON 2/8/02 TO HAVE AN OLD BACK CONDTION TREATED. TODAY 2/22/02 WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE DR CONSIDERS THE CONDITION OCCUPATIONALLY RELATED. THE EE HAS A BULGED DISK IN AN AREA THAT HE HAD SURGERY ON IN 1995 AND THAT WAS NOT DETERMINED TO BE OCCUPATIONALLY RELATED AT THAT TIME.HE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH INFLAMATION, PAIN & MUSCLE SPASMS SINCE 1995 BUT DID NOT HAVE AN

EMPLOYEE SCRAPED HIS RIGHT ARM IN SEVERAL SPOTS WHILE CLEANING A CYCLONE SCREEN FULL OF CRUSHED ROCK. THE SCRAPES WERE MINOR, HOWEVER A COUPLE OF SPOTS BECAME INFECTED. HE DID NOT REPORT THE INCIDENT AND DID NOT VISIT THE DOCTOR UNTIL 1-10-02. HE IS BEING TREATED FOR INFECTION WITH A COURSE OF ANTIBIOTICS.

EE WAS HOSING DOWN SUMP. HE SLIPPED ON ICE AND FELL, BRUISING HIS RIBS. HE WAS RELEASED FOR FULL DUTY ON 1-13-01, HOWEVER, THE DR. TOLD HIM TO NOT EXERT HIMSELF FOR A FEW DAYS, SO I FIGURE ITS RESTRICTED DUTY.

THE EMPLOYEE IS AN ELECTRICIAN WHO WAS CHANGING PARTS ON A RECTIFIER. HE TWISTED AROUND AND PICKED UP THE PART BEING CHANGED AND FELT PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK. HE DID NOT REPORT IT UNTIL 12-13-0 0 AND WENT TO THE DOCTOR ON THAT DATE. HE WAS PLACED ON RESTRICTED DUTY UNTIL 12-18-00 FOR A PULLED MUSCLE.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO UNLOADE A LIME. LIME WORK GOEE GOT SPRAYED WITH LIME THE LINE GOT INTO A RASH OR HIS ARM AND BURNED HIM THE INJURY WAS FLUSHED AND HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMEN T.

EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING A JACK LEG FROM UNDER MILL #1. THE JACKLEG CAME LOOSE AND BUMPED THE LADDER HE WAS USING CAUSING HIM TO BUMP SOMETHING WHICH FELL ON THE OTHER EMPLOYEE,

OTHER EE WERE ALIGNING HOLES FOR A PAIN, USING A 6 FOOT PRY-BAR AGAINST SPRING PRESSURE ON THE ROCK BREAKER. THE BAR TIP SHIFTED AND SLIPPED. EE'S FALL WEIGHT UPON THE BAR'S RELEASE, APPARENTL Y SPAINED AND SUBSEQUENTLY BROKE HIS RIGHT ANKLE

EE WAS ATTEMPTING TO BLOW OUT THE CARBON TRANSFER LINE WHEN PLASTIC FITTING FAILED. THE LINE BLEW APART PEPPERING HIS FACIAL AREA WITH HIGH PRESSURE, EMBEDDING CARBON PARTICLES TO HIS FACE.

EE WAS CHIPPING NORDBAK FROM TRUNION LINER APPROX. 6 HRS WAS WEARING SAFETY GLASSES AND SHIELD/VISOR EYE BECAME IRRITATED, HE IRRIGATED EYE, AND WENT BACK TO WORK EYEBALL WAS SCRATCHED AT PUPI L, UNKNOWN AS THE ANY IMPAIRMENT.

EE WAS WORKING IN ROD MILL, HE TURNED AND TWISTED KNEE.

EE WAS DIGGING OUT JAW CRUSHER, WHILE LIFTING A ROCK TO PULL OUT, IT WAS DROPPED AND ANOTHER ROCK BESIDE IT STRUCK MY RIGHT HAND.

EE WAS TRYING TO OPEN ACTIVATED GATE VALVE. HE WAS PUSHING IN AN UPWARD MOTION WHEN GATE RELEASED SENDING HIS ARM FORWARD (HYPER EXTENDED). HAD A PREVIOUS ELBOW INCIDENT REPORTED IN 1996.

HAND CAUGHT IN TAKEUP PULLEY OF CONVEYOR BELT

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME IN RIGHT HAND, RESULTING IN NUMBNESS AND PAIN.

TIGHTENING BOLTS ON A RADIATOR WITH RATCHET WHEN IT SLIPPED OFF THE BOLT STRIKING HER ON THE R. SIDE OF HER NOSE.

EE STRAINED HIS LOWER BACK TRYING TO CLOSE A VALVE.

EE WAS LIFTING & CARRYING A BEARING HOUSING WHEN HE EXPERIENCED BACK PAIN.

ELECTRICIAN WAS WORKING IN CABLE TRAY WHEN HE TWISTED AGGRAVATING HE SCIATICA.

EE MOVED HIS HAND OUT OF THE FIRST POSITION TO PLACE A CHARGING ROD. THE ROD ROLLED AND SMASHEDHIS R HAND AGAINST THE BRACING.

EE SLIPPED OFF STEP OF WATER TRUCK SCRAPING HIS SHIN ON STEP RESULTING IN A PUNCTURE WOUND REQUIRING 2 STITCHES.

EE WAS MODIFYING A NEW FLOW BIN CHUTE FOR CYNADIDE PRODUCT WHEN A PIN HE WAS REPLACING CAUSED A 10% CYANIDE SOLUTION TO BE SPLASHED INTO HIS MOUTH & ON HIS FACE.

EE WAS GRINDING/CHIPPING SOME SLAG. OVERHEAD WHEN A SMALL PIECE OF SLAG WENT IN HIS EYE. IT WAS REMOVED BY THE DR AND A BURN TREATED WITH OINTMENT.

EE WAS WELDING FROM 7AM UNTIL 1PM ON THE PLANT AIR COMPRESSOR WHEN HE NOTICED HIS EYES BURNING.

EE WAS SETTING UP SCAFFOLDING WHEN HE PULLED IT INTO PLACE HE FELT A PULLING SENSATION IN HIS LOWER BACK.

FINGER WAS PINCHED UNDER PRYBAR WHILE CLEARING FEEDERS IN THE MILL.

GPF-PAIN IN LEFT ARM DIAGNOSED AS CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME.

PULLING ON A LARGE FOLDED CANVAS TENT AWNING WHILE TRYING TO REPOSITION FOR LIFTING REPORTED ON 10/4/96 TO DR ON 10/4/96

EE HIT HIS LEFT HAND WITH A HAMMER WHILE CHISELING OUT A NIPPLE THAT WAS RUSTED INTO A FITTING.

EE WAS UNLOADING A TRUCK WHEN HE STEPPED DOWN SLIPPING AND CAUGHT HIS RIGHT SIDE ON THE VEHICLES TOE BOARD. HE WAS EXAMINED AND DID NOT GO TO A PHYSICAN UNTIL 8 DAYS LATER WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOS ED WITH SORE RIBS AND PLACED ON RESTRICTED DUTY UNTIL THE 16TH.

WRENCH SLIPPED FORWARD WHILE TIGHTENING A BOLT CAUSING RIGHT ELBOW TO STRAIGHTEN.

EE WAS KNEELING ON DEBRIS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DISLODGE A BLOCKAGE IN THE MILL FEEDERS.

EE WAS WIGGLING A CHEATER BAR ON A CHAIN BINDER TO REMOVE IT. WHEN THE BAR, WHICH WAS UNHOOKED, POPPED UP UNDER PRESSURE.

EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING IN THE MILL TORQUING BOLTS ON A DOUBLE DECK SCREEN WITH A 600 LB TORQUE WRENCH. EMPLOYEE WAS STANDING BETWEEN TWO SUPPORT BEAMS HOLDING ONE SUPPORT BEAM WITH ONE HAND WHIL E PULLING ON THE WRENCH WITH THE OTHER WHILE PULLING ON THE WRENCH HE FELT PAIN BETWEEN HIS SHOULDER BLADES.

EMPLOYEE WAS WORKIGN INT EH REFINERY MOVING A GOLD BAR FROM MOUCO TO THE COOLING TUB WITH LIFTING TONGS. WHILE MOVIN GHTE BAR SLIPPED FROM THE TONGS IN THE LOOKING TUB. WHEN THE EMPLOYEE RE- POSITIONED THE TONGS AND LIFTED THE BAR HE FELT PAIN IN HIS BACK.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPED A SKIN RASH ON BOTH FOREARMS WHILE WORKING IN THE REFINERY. TESTS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE THE CAUSE OF THE RASH. DR. ISSUED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.

WHILE STRIPPING A GASKET WITH A POCKET KNIFE THEKNIFE SLIPPED CUTTING THE LEFT INDEX FINGER AT THE SECOND KNUCKLE.

EMPLOYEE WAS LIFTING AN ENGINE COWLING ON A SMALL FORKLIFT. THE COWLING SLIPPED FROM THE EMPLOYEES GRASP AND A METAL BURR ON THE COWLING CUT THE EMPLOYEES LEFT HAND.

EE SPRAINED HIS BACK WHILE HE WAS LIFTING AND POSITIONING A SCOOP TRAM DUMP CYCLINDER PIN. ( PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR BACK PAIN).

EE WAS USING A JACK HAMMER TO BREAK UP CONCRETE. THE HAMMER SLIPPED AND SMASHED HIS RIGHT LITTLE FINGER INJURY REQUIRED THREE STITCHES.

EMPLOYEE WAS ENTERING MILL SITE. HE STOPPED TO LOOK AT A TRUCK, PULLED GATE OPEN AND STRUCK THE SIDE OF HIS HOSE. THE RESULTING LACERATION REQUIRED FOUR STICHES.

WHILE ASSISTING WITH THE REMOVAL OF A CLAMPING BAR THE EMPLOYEE WAS HIT ON THE TIP OF THE LEFT 4TH FINGER. LEFT 4TH FINGER REQUIRED REMOVAL OF THE FINGERNAIL AND ONE STITCHES.

EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING 3" CRUSHER SCREEN. WENT TO MOVE SCREEN FROM LOADER BUCKET WHEN SCREEN SHIFTED PINCHING TIP OF LEFT RING FINGER.

EE WAS PUTTING DRILL BIT IN BIT INDEX, WHEN HE SLICED LEFT INDEX FINGER ON ANOTHER BIT. LEFT INDEX FINGER REQUIRED 3 STITCHES.