Empire Iron Mining PartnershipMining Incidents in 2003

EE THE FILLIN FOREMAN GOT INTO THE PETTET PLANT BALLING AREA ELEVATOR ABOUT 3:15 AM. THE ELEVATOR STOPPED BETWEEN LEVELS 1&2 .EE CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE ON THE ELEVATOR PHONE. THE MINE PERSONNEL COULD NOT GET THE ELEVATOR TO MOVE SO A REPRESENTATIVE FROM OTIS ELEVATOR CO. WAS CALLED. HE WASAT THE EMPIRE WITHIN 15 MINUTES AND EE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT. TOTAL TIME IN ELEVATOR-60 MIN.

WORKING ON BLASTING PATTERN, HIS FEET WERE UNEVEN AND HE EXTENDED HIS ARM TO CATCH HIMSELF FROM FALLING. HE FRACTURED HIS WRIST (LEFT) AND WAS REMOVED FROM WORK.

JOE WAS CLIMBING TO THE COUSNEST ON CABLE TRUCK.HE STEPPED BETWEEN THE CAB AND STEP GETTING HIS FOOT CAUGHT HIS FOOT TWISTED HE WAS TREATED FOR A FRACTURED TIBIA.

EMPLOYEE STEPPED ON A USED SHANK WEDGE WHILE PERFORMING WORK DUTIES. HE FELT A STRAIN TO HIS LEFT HEEL. HE WAS LATER DIAGNOSED AND TREATED WITH A CAST (IMMOBILIZATION) AND NO WEIGHT BEARING. H E WAS REMOVED FROM WORK ON 12/29/03.

WHILE UNWINDING 2""CONDUIT ELBOW WITH MOTOR LEADS INSIDE THE CONDUIT IT SLIPPED OUT OF HIS GRASP & LIKE A SPRING IT SPRUNG BACK & HIT HIM IN THE JAW. HE CAUGHT HIMSELF FROM FALLING OFF THE LADD ER. HE WAS TREATED & REMOVED FROM WORK FOR 2 DAYS DUE TO THE BACK SPASMS FROM BREAKING THE FALL.

ATTEMPTED TO PUSH A MAN LIFT AROUND THE BACK OF A LOADER. THE LIFT LOST PROPEL AND EE ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IT OVER UNLEVEL SURFACE. WHILE PUSHING ]HE FELT A POP IN HIS ANKLE HE HAD SURGERY TO REP AIR A TORN ACHILLES TENDON

REMOVING PLATE FROM THE FEEDER. HE WAS PULLING ON IT AND FELT A POP IN HIS RIGHT SHOULDER. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A STRAIN AND LATER DISCOVERED TO HAVE A TEAR. SURGICALLY REPAIRED ON 1/8/04.

WORKING UNDER LOW PIPES. WHILE HOOKING UP AN AIR HOSE HE CAME UP AND STRUCK HIS HEAD ON THE PIPE. HE COMPLAINED OF A SORE NECK AND SOUGHT MEDICAL CARE. DIAGNOSIS: NECK STRAIN.

WHILE WORKING IN A CONGESTED AREA EE BENT DOWN AND BUMPED HIS RIGHT KNEE ON AN ANGLE IRON. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A TORN MEDIAL MENISCUS AND HAS OPTED FOR SURGERY. SURGERY DUE ON 4-11-03.

CHECKING BEARING CLEARANCES ON A CONVEYOR BELT. HE WAS CLIMBING OFF THE CONVEYOR BELT WHEN HE PUT HIS RIGHT LEG ON THE FLOOR WITH ALL OF HIS WEIGHT & FELT HIS RIGHT KNEE TWIST. HE HAD SURGERY ON 6/5/03 FOR A MENISCAL TEAR. IT WAS DETERMINED ON 7/10/03 THAT THE UNDERLYING CAUSE WAS WORK RELATED VS. DISEASE.

SPROCKET FELL OFF SHAFT STRIKING UPS DELIVERY MAN ON RIGHT ARM. SPROCKET CAME FROM DOOR OPENING MECHANISM. INJURED REFUSED NEED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AT THIS FACILITY. FOLLOW UP CALL BY EMPIRE REVEALED INJURED IS LOSING TIME.

WHILE USING A SLEDGEHAMMER TO DRIVE A PIN IN, A SHARD BROKE OFF AND STRUCK EE IN THE LEFT EAR. ON 12/09/03 IT WAS IDENTIFIED AND REMOVED. ONE STITCH WAS USED TO HOLD THE SITE IN APPROXIMATIO N.

WORKING ON HOSING DECK. HIS NOZZLE WAS LEAKING SO HE WENT TO SHUT OFF WATER AND OBTAIN A NEW NOZZLE. HE WAS RETURNING TO HIS WORK SIGHT WHEN HE TURNED HIS HEAD AWAY TO AVOID BLOWING AIR AND WAS OBSERVING HIS NEW NOZZLE. HE HIT HIS HEAD ON A LOW CLEARANCE BEAM CUTTING HIS FOREHEAD.

WHILE GETTING OUT OF PICKUP TRUCK EMPLOYEE RUBBED AGAINST THE DOOR CAUSING HIS SKIN TO TEAR ON LEFT LOWER LEG. DUE TO MEDICAL HISTORY HE WAS TREATED & RECEIVED STITCHES TO THE SKIN TEAR IN HOP ES OF IMPROVING THE HEALING PROCESS.

WHILE DRAGGING TROUGHING ROLLERS ON CONVEYER HE WAS LIFTING AND PULLING THE FRAME OUT. HE FELT A POP IN HIS BACK AND LEFT SHOULDER. HE SOUGHT MEDICAL TREATMENT AND WAS LATER PRESCRIBED PHYSI CAL THERAPY.

WHEN REMOVING CHAIN FROM COOKER WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE CRANE, THE CHAIN SWUNG & HIT EE IN HIS RIGHT FRONT TOOTH CHIPPING IT. HE HAD IT REPAIRED ON 10/06/03.

WHEN CLOSING TAILGATE ON PICK-UP TRUCK HE PINCHED HIS RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER. STITCHES WERE RECEIVED.

WHILE INSTALLING DRIVE BELTS ON FEED PUMP HE FELT A PULLING BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS. HE SOUGHT MEDICAL TREATMENT AND WAS EVENTUALLY PRESCRIBED PHYSICAL THERAPY.

WHILE CUTTING OFF SEALS AND TAGS ON FIRE EXTINGUISHERS HE REACHED FOR THE KNIFE ON CABINET, WENTTO CATCH IT AS IT FELL OFF CABINET, CUT RIGHT THUMB, WENT TO E.R. AND RECEIVED 2 STITCHES.

WHEN LOWERING A HINGED LADDER TO MOUNT THE WATER TRUCK THE LADDER WAS STILL BOUNCING WHEN EMPLOYEE'S MIDDLE FINGER WAS PINCHED BETWEEN THE TOP RUNG AND THE LADDER MOUNTING BRACKET. EMPLOYEE RE CEIVED STITCHES TO THE FINGER.

WHILE REMOVING A LINER BOLT, EE WAS HAMMERING WHEN HE MISSED THE PUNCH STRIKING HIMSELF ON THE RIGHT HAND, ABOVE HIS THUMB WITH THE HAMMER. MEDICAL TREATMENT SHOWED A HAIR LINE FRACTURE AND TH E HAND WAS CASTED.

BUMPED HIS HEAD ON A DUST COLLECTOR DUCT AND JAMMED HIS NECK. HE SOUGHT MEDICAL CARE / WORK-UP 6 WEEKS AFTER THE INCIDENT DUE TO CREPITUS & A POPPING SENSATION. PHYSICAL THERAPY WAS PRESCRIBED FOR 2 WEEKS STARTING 5/7/03.

STRAINED RIGHT SHOULDER WHEN HE WAS PULLING ON A PIPE WRENCH TO FREE UP A SPRAY NOZZLE. MEDICAL TREATMENT RECCOMMENDED PHYSICAL THERAPY TO START 3/4/03.

EE COMPLAINING OF NUMBNESS & PAIN IN BOTH HANDS.HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CARPAL TUNNEL DISEASE & WAS DETERMINED TO BE RELATED TO WORK ON 3/8/04. HEHAS BEEN AN AUTO MECHANIC & TRUCK DRIVER.

EXPERIENCING NUMBNESS IN BOTH HANDS. PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. CLAIM FOR CARPAL TUNNEL SUBMITTED AND INVESTIGATED. DETERMINED TO BE WORK RELATED ON 1/28/04.

INCREASING WRIST PAIN FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. TESTING REVEALED CARPAL TUNNEL DISEASE. CLAIM WAS PRESENTED AND INVESTIGATED. IT WAS DETERMINED ON 1/23/04 TO BE WORK RELATED.

EXPERIENCING BILATERAL HAND NUMBNESS FROM LONG TERM BELT USE USING BELT KNIVES IMPACT TOOLS, AIR PRODDER AND OTHER HAND TOOLS. EE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CARPAL TUNNEL DISEASE AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE WORK RELATED.

GRADUALLY DEVELOPED SORENESS IN RIGHT SHOULDER AND ELBOW. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH EPICONDYLITIS AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE RELATED TO HIS WELDING WORK.

EE COMPLAINING OF NUMBNESS & PAIN IN BOTH HANDS REFERRED FOR MEDICAL CARE WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HIS WORK ACTIVITIES APPEARED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO HIS CONDITION OF CARPAL TUNNEL DISEASE ON 6/26/03

EE EXPERIENCES NUMBNESS & PAIN IN BOTH HANDS & FINGERS EXPECIALLY AFTER USING IMPACT TOOLS. REFERRED FOR MEDICAL CARE WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE WORK RELATED ON 4/03/03.

HISTORY OF HAND INTENSIVE OFFICE WORK CAUSING NUMBNESS AND PAIN IN RIGHT WRIST AND HAND. MEDICALTREATMENT SOUGHT AND WAS DISCOVERED TO BE WORK RELATED ON 3/24/03.