U.S. Vanadium - Benton, LLC: 287 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

Employee was emptying a hopper containing hot material and opened the clam shell under the hopper the wrong way and hot material fell on top of EE's right foot resulting in the burn. The employee was wearing safety steel toes but they were low top.

EE was using a utility knife to cut a piece of conveyer belt. The knife slipped and punctured a 1/4 inch cut into EE's left forearm requiring 2 stitches.

Baghouse pulsed air which blew dust into right eye when worker looked into an inspection port door to see why screw wasn't working correctly.

Employee was using a wheelbarrow with a reasonable load but it was on a slight slope and it gained momentum and they were holding onto the handle as it rolled into an outer equipment guard. Employee was wearing leather gloves but, the weight/momentum combined with hitting that metal guard cover caused two fingernails on left hand to be removed after it was smashed in between.

EE was closing a diverter and put EE's foot up on a ledge/lip to use leverage and the boot tip stuck as EE put EE's strength into closing the diverter and the torque caused a pop in the right knee. EE doesn't know yet if there is any damage to the cartilage.

EE walked out of EE's control room and the toe of EE's boot caught the grating which made EE fall down to EE's knee which caused a cut to EE's knee requiring stitches.

EE was cutting a hose with a knife and it slipped resulting in EE cutting their front right thigh. 3 stitches were required.

Was pulling bags off of cages in the baghouse and they were full of material and when EE torqued with EE's arms to pull bag off the shoulder popped out of socket. It did not appear to be a full separation. The pain was tolerable and I could feel a slight separation in EE's ligaments on EE's right shoulder.

EE was removing the guard on the bearing housing near the heat shield and smashed the finger between the heat shield and the guard.

Employee was turning a bolt with a fixed point (standard) wrench to tighten it. The wrench slipped unexpectedly off the bolt and the employee's arm came into contact with a metal angle nearby. The employee sustained a 3 cm laceration which was treated at a local medical facility, including stitches

Employee was performing maintenance troubleshooting on a Rotex. Upon climbing down onto the platform, he placed his foot onto a chunk of dirt causing him to lose his balance causing pain in his right knee. He was treated by the company Doctor and diagnosed with a sprain.

Two employees were bagging material into totes. The forklift operator raised the forks while the other employee's hands were close by, pinching one finger between a fork and a chute. The employee was treated at a nearby hospital. The employee's wound was cleaned and dressed, and he was given prescription medication.

On 4/1/14, the employee informed Human Resources that he had injured his back while assisting maintenance employees work on a mixer. He did not report this injury to any supervisors, and witnesses have provided statements verifying he made no mention of an injury while at work during this time. The workers compensation claim is being challenged.

Employee was walking from his workstation to the bathroom when he slipped and fell on a concrete surface. The employee broke his ankle in the fall. He was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Two employees were fitting a pipe flange on ground level. The flange was tack welded in place. The tack weld failed causing the flange and assembly to fall approximately 8' pinching the mechanics finger between the flange and a hard metal surface below. The injured employee received sutures to close a laceration to his left index finger and a prescription for antibiotics.

EE did not use his safety equipment as required by company policy. He had on his harness and tie off cables were attached to his harness, he did not tie off. He fell and broke arm and bruised hip.

Employee slipped and struck his knee causing a fracture.

Employee tripped on protruding bolt causing him to jam his hand between two doors and dislocate his small finger.

Picked up an empty 5 gallon bucket and felt pain in his back

Employee was cutting brackets when a gust of wind blew debris into his eye. Glasses and face shield were used.

A maintenance employee was retracting a short length of compressed air hose into the reel. The air hose forcefully hit the stop and whipped. The hose whip caused the metal fitting to strike him in the mouth breaking the end of a front permanent tooth.

While rotating pipe to finish weld, flange rotated pinning employee's foot causing a contusion.

While rotating pipe to finish weld, flange rotated pinning employee's foot/ankle causing a fracture.

Employee was removing metal shavings from a table when a piece of metal punctured his glove and then his left hand. He was taken to the clinic for this injury on 3-25-13.

Employee was assisting with staging of materials and an iron beam rolled over onto her ankle and fractured the tibia bone above the ankle. Two screws will be put in it to stabilize and help the bone to heal.

Picked up two steel beams with a forklift. One of the beams was not centered on the forks. By hand, worker pulled the beam to center and left thumb was pinched between the beams. The bone of the thumbnail digit of the left thumb was broken.

Operator Error-Operator was backfilling area blind. View was blocked by injured employee

A subcontractor was using a home made tool to bend silo panel flanges during the installation of finished product storage silo walls. The employee was pulling the tool towards himself and it slipped out of position. The top edge of the tool handle struck him on the bottom of his safety glasses resulting in a laceration under his left eye that required six sutures.

Cutting pointed ends on wood stakes. Skill saw kicked back and under Employee holding stake with left hand.

Installing earth tooth on auger using a 3lb hammer. Piece of tooth broke off hitting face and cutting eyebrow.

Employee was stripping CB antenna wire with a razor knife; the knife slipped and employee received a laceration in the palm of the right hand. He received 6 sutures to close the laceration.

INJURY HAPPENED IN 2 STAGES. EMPLOYEE WAS CLEARING AN OBSTRUCTION FROM THE KILN DISCHARGE CHUTE. THE OBSTRUCTION BROKE FREE & HOT ORE CAME OUT RAPIDLY. THE EMPLOYEE TURNED QUICKLY TO RUN AND F ELT SOMETHING POP IN HIS RIGHT HIP. 5 DAYS LATER THE EE WAS CLEARING STUCK MATERIAL FROM THE CHUTEE WITH A ROD. AS HE RAISED THE ROD WITH BOTH ARMS HIS RIGHT HIP DISLOCATED & HE WENT TO HIS K

WHILE REMOVING BATTERY CABLES FROM THE 966 LOADER A SPARK CAUSED THE BATTERY END TO BLOW UP BLOWING DIRT UNDER EE SAFETY GLASSES & INTO HIS EYES

REMOVING BROKEN ELEVATOR BELT FROM TOP OF ELEVATOR FOR REPAIR

WHILE USING PINCH BAR TO UNCHOKE GREEN ORE CRUSHER PULLED MUSCLE IN BACK.

WHILE USING PUNCH BAR TO UN-CHOKE GREEN ORE CRUSHER. PULLED MUSCLE IN BACK.

WHILE CLEANING UP IN CRUSHER AREA AFTER CHOKE-UP HE TOUCHED FEEDER PAN WITH RIGHT INDEX FINGER, CUTTING IT, RECEIVING 2 STITCHES.

36635R DRIVE REPAIR WORK WAS BEING PERFORMED ON COOLER COOLER & DRIVE WAS LOCK-OUT THE MAINTMAN NEEDED TO TURN COOLER HE WENT TO DRIVE TO ROTATE COOLER THE COOLER BELTS CAUGHT HIS THUMB CUTTIN 70002REAKING IT

WHILE PUTTING BELTS ON ID FAN EE GOT HIS LITTLE FINGER CAUGHT BETWEEN THE BELT AND THE SHIEVE.

WHILE CLEANING UP IN CRUSHER PIT HE BUMPED A 2IN DISCHARGE PIPE THAT RUNS FROM SUMP PUMP UP & OUT OVER WALL AT CRUSHER PIT END OVER WALL BROKE OFF CAUSING MAIN PIPE TO DROP DOWN KNOCKING HIM D OWN & HIS SAFETY HAT & GLASSES OFF BROKEN END FELL FROM TOP OF PIT (10FT) & STRUCK HIM ON TOP OF HIS HEAD

WHILE PUNCHING OUT GREEN ORE CRUSHER WITH BAR IT WAS RAINING & BAR WAS SLICK WITH MUD & WATER. BAR SLIPPED OUT HANDS & FELL INTO CRUSHER. IT KICKED BACK & HIT HIM ON HAND BETWEEN FOREFINGER & THUMB.

WHILE PUNCHING OUT GLEEN ORE HOPPER WITH PUNCH BAR APPARENTLY ALLEGEDLY SPRING HIS WRIST