Sparta, WI Plant: 41 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

While staging material for a maintenance task, the employee tripped over a chain hoist and landed awkwardly on a guard the employee had just removed. The resulting injury was a fracture to the fingertips of both the left ring and middle fingers, as well as five sutures.

Employee climbed down from haul truck, jumped off bottom step, landed on uneven ground with right foot and rolled ankle. Employee was put on crutches/restrictions on 08/21/18.

Employees were removing a hopper with a chainfall attached. With the hopper secured, last bolt was removed, the employees did not realize hopper was top-heavy, hopper flipped back and crushed employee hand between hopper and HDPE pipe that was below.

Employee was driving an end loader feeding material. Employee backed up loader while grasping the steering wheel with left hand and looking over right shoulder, the loader made contact with a hole in the pad area, jarring the employee in the cab. Employee reported incident 06/14/18. PT prescribed 07/05/18

As ee was removing teeter water piping in the Hydrosizer using a pipe wrench the end of the pipe came out and fell pinching ee thumb between the pipe wrench and the shell of the Hydrosizer steel plate.

On 01/31/18, EE reported that while working in the rail yard ee slipped on ice & twisted left ankle. EE was not wearing ice cleats at time of the event. EE was offered & refused medical treatment. On 02/05/18, a medical evaluation and diagnostics revealed a fracture on left ankle. EE was put on restricted duty as of 02/05/18.

At 9:02 am an employee noticed flames coming from the rental heater. Three employees tried to use fire extinguishers on the flames but it wouldn't extinguish. They called 911 and the fire dept. came around 9:25 am. and extinguished the fire by 9:38 am. The United rental heater was a 2012 Almand MH1000 which was a total loss.

While doing a screen change on a Rotex Mineral Separator, an operator was tightening a bolt with a wrench. The wrench slipped and the operator's hand contacted an edge on the equipment. The operator suffered a laceration on right hand (third finger) that required 4 stitches.

At night, a Maintenance Tech slipped on a sanded patch of ice and fell to the ground - hitting face. The upper rim of safety glasses cut forehead / brow directly above left eyebrow. EE was taken to the local hospital where EE received 5 stitches to close the wound. EE returned to work to finish the shift. EE has not missed any regularly scheduled work.

Abandoned farmhouse at entrance to mine property was set on fire / arson. Fire was not the cause of mining operations. No miners were at risk as plant was shut down for weekend - no shift at work. Building had no electricity or active heating sources. Fire Marshal investigated scene on 08/14/16 and indicated suspicious cause - most likely arson.

Operator was tightening a bolt on a pipe flange with a wrench when the wrench slipped off the bolt, pinching his finger between the wrench and a beam. Operator was wearing gloves at the time.

Squatting down to move into work position and felt knee pop. Treated using first aid until 9-26-14 when it became reportable due to medical treatment.

A Service Worker suffered a fatal heart attack at a residential property owned by the company and adjacent to the active mine site. The Service Worker was removing an inactive LP gas tank when he fell ill. EMS was called by his coworker, and the victim was rushed to a local hospital. The fatality was due to natural causes and was not related to any mining activities.

Employee was using a hand bender to straighten out a ground rod. His right, ring finger became stuck in the frame work of the bender. As he put pressure on the board, the momentum of his body caused the bender to twist. This forced his finger to twist in a sideways direction, ultimately, resulting in a finger fracture.

EE was working on a scaffold approx. 5 feet high, cutting a lentle over the door to the Dryer MCC bldg. the saw hit a piece of rebar causing it to bind and kick back. This action caused the scaffold to move near the edge of the concrete stoop it was on. EE lost his balance during this move, causing him to fall. A spotter was with him but unable to react quickly enough.

The employee was working with a co-worker to set up a light plant, fading light conditions, poor communication with co-worker, and improper body positioning all contributed to the injury.

Employee was pulling cable off of a large spool of wire. While he was pulling, he felt a sharp pain in his groin/abdomen. He continued his work shift. Over the weekend the pain and a present bulge did not subside. Employee sought medical treatment on 9/25, where he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia.

Employee was handling rebar and dropped one end and the other end came up and hit him in the neck area causing a laceration and chipped tooth.