Buzzi Unicem USAMining Incidents in 2020

While a refractory pump was being worked on an employee reached hand in to remove some rocks that were visible. The pump was running and the swing gate on the valve closed causing three fingers to be dismembered.

EE was using an air lance to blow cement dust out from underneath a conveyor belt and the dust went into a gap that was between the dust mask and goggles that the employee was wearing. Cement dust went into the employees eyes resulting in an eye abrasion.

An employee fell while descending a ladder. Employee misjudged the length of the last step to the ground and lost balance. Employee fell backwards into a pump motor and fractured their tailbone.

Employee stated bumped right knee while working on the screen at the Secondary Crushing system. Employee was diagnosed with a fracture on 11-6-2020 and placed on restrictions on 11-9-2020.

Employee slipped on wet pavement while hurrying through the rain. Employee stated knee popped as employee caught self from falling. Worked through the pain for a couple of months then knee popped again while carrying conduit. Required meniscus surgery on 12/3/2020.

Employee states: picked up a 2.5 gallon container of oil and was pouring the oil into the discharge elevator on the #5 mill chain guard. Employee felt a spasm in lower left abdomen. The doctor diagnosed employee with a work related hernia on 4/20/21, related to this incident.

EE was opening a rail car lid. When EE pulled up on the handle to open the lid, EE felt a strain in groin.

EE was removing a filter from a filter cart. While pulling up on the filter, EE felt a pop in EE's left shoulder.

As employee was cleaning the shop EE rolled a crusher hammer onto a pallet to get it off the floor. The hammer shifted to the side and pinched EE's left ring finger between two hammers causing a fracture. EE also tore away the skin on the bottom of the fingertip.

Individual was climbing ladder and lost EE's grip. EE jumped back landing on EE's feet. In doing so EE sprained EE's left knee and right ankle.

Employee had been lifting, pushing and handling mill liners during a repair job. EE's back felt sore so EE reported the injury but continued to work. One week later it started hurting again. EE was sent to the doctor and placed on restrictions for a back strain. Placed on restrictions after completing the 10/28/2020 shift.

While using a chipping tool to remove material buildup between mill jack arm, EE smashed finger between jack arm and arm plating.

Employee felt a sharp pain in EE's lower back when attempting to lift a full bottle of acetylene onto a welding skid by self.

Employee was struck in the hand while loading mill balls into the #3 Finish Mill. EE fractured EE's left index finger.

Employee was helping someone slide a refrigerator out from the wall to clean behind it in the lunchroom. While doing this the employee felt EE's left shoulder come out of place.

Employee was driving a key into a keyway for a coupling and shaft when they did not hit the key squarely. Employee's hand hit the coupling and fractured the tip of a finger.

Employee climbed down a ladder to access the crane in the Mill building. Employee felt a twinge in their back as they stepped from the ladder to the floor of the crane cab. Placed on lifting restrictions.

Employee was stepping from an even platform onto a railcar and felt knee ""give away""

EE removed check valve from compressor set it up on elevated platform (~2 feet off of ground). The check valve fell off and hit EE's left foot above the steel toe of the boot.

Employee was using a cutting torch in the mill. A piece of slag went under EE's face shield and over EE's safety glasses and got into EE's left eye. ER doctor said there was evidence of a burn and gave prescription numbing drops.

The employee took EE's goggles off to put EE's safety glasses on and some dust that was on EE's goggles got into EE's left eye.

Employee was operating an off road forklift transporting some scrap metal, when EE hit a bump some debris on the load became airborne and entered the cab and got behind in between EE's face and safety glasses and into EE's eye.

Employee was cleaning a plugged material line. Wind blew some of the material around glasses and into left eye. A prescription was written making this a reportable incident.

Employee had just finished cleaning the riser duct and lifted face shield and dust fell from the frame of it behind employee's safety glasses into eye.

Employee was cutting some vanaflex on the clinker feeder belt. EE was cutting the NW section of the belt with EE's left hand when the breakaway knife snapped causing the knife to go forward striking the frame. This caused the hand holding the knife to ricochet over and cut EE's right wrist.

Employee injured right shoulder on 3-15-2020. Employee was terminated from employment on 5-9-2020 for reasons unrelated to the injury. During the course of EE's employment, the injury did not meet MSHA's part 50 reporting requirements. However, after termination the employee will be receiving surgery on the right shoulder on 7-10-2020.

While working on kiln pier 3, wind blew dust up under the employee's safety glasses and got into left eye.