All MSHA-reportable accidents at Holcim US Inc operations in 2018. Fatalities appear first.
A 23 year employee-electrician, was replacing the reverse air fan on the Kiln 2 main baghouse. The fan had been locked out but the motor drive belt to the fan wheel was still rotating. EE attempted to stop it by grabbing the belt. Their right hand pulled by a drive belt into a sheave pinching their pointer finger.
Employee's finger was smashed while attempting to re-install a large guard. Right ring-finger tip was amputated from middle of fingernail upwards.
Employee was in the finish mill using an air hammer and it slipped. EE fell down and right forearm came into contact with some hot material causing it to blister.
Employee was walking and slipped on a snowy small incline in a decommissioned area of the plant. Employee said that they had pain in the left knee and thigh area. They felt a ""pop"" and could not straighten leg.
Employee was rolling a CO2 bottle using a cart dolly down an incline ramp by the preheater elevator when EE slipped and landed on EE's right knee and shoulder. Shoulder did not get better over time, and doctor placed EE in sling/light duty on 11/29/2018.
Lab employee stepped backwards after grabbing the samples for raw meal and stepped into the pier of an I-beam. Employee suffered a fractured left ankle.
While addressing a slide gate that would not go into position at the top of the clinker tank, the employee started cleaning the clinker in the area to access the job site. The employee was shoveling when ee lost footing on the clinker that ee was cleaning and felt a strain in lower to middle back.
EE was removing a feed belt. Belt became bound during the removal. EE reached up and grabbed the rigging with both hands to release the tension. The belt clamp ripped out of the belt at this time. The rigging slid through the employee's left hand, pulled gloves off, lacerating EE's left palm, requiring stitches.
Employee was tapping a finish mill liner over with a ball pin hammer when a shard of metal broke off striking ee on right knee, causing a very small cut. EE thought ee was fine but swelling would not go down. Employee was taken for Xray on 12/7 that showed imbedded metal in right knee. Antibiotic given. Ortho referral to remove the metal. Placed on restrictions.
While attempting to remove a mill liner bolt, using a rivet buster, the rivet buster struck the employee's right wrist while maneuvering a manlift. X-rays showed no fracture, but prescription given on 10/12/18.
Employees were attempting to pick up a roll of 3/4"" air hose and one employee suffered a lower back strain.
An employee driver for a transportation company fell while stepping out of truck. The transportation co. employee was holding onto a clipboard and the steering wheel with left hand and holding the handrail with right hand. While the transportation co. employee stepped back they lost their footing and fell from the truck to the ground onto upper left back.
Employee was dismounting dozer when foot slipped causing them to lose grip on the handrail and falling to ground on left hip and elbow. Employee diagnosed with fracture of elbow on 8/28/2018.
EE was tasked with installing compressor replacement on A/C Unit. As EE positioned compressor into the unit, EE's left middle finger made contact between compressor and surface.
A Quarry operator was driving haul truck #3 (APX00162). EE alleges they drove down the main haul road into the MA pit, hit a pot hole in the road, causing the truck to jolt leading to a sudden pain in the lower back. EE continued along with duties for the remainder of the shift, without stopping to report the injury.
The employee was holding a bolt with a 1 5/8 inch wrench while another employee was torquing the nut. The wrench the employee was holding on the bolt slipped off as the nut was started to get torqued. When the wrench slipped off it pinched a finger between it and the beam they were bolting.
Employee was adjusting a saw horse that had a lever and could be moved up and down. EE reports that EE jerked on it because it was stuck and when EE did EE felt a sharp pain in EE's upper back between shoulder blades. EE reports that after about an hour the pain become constant and burning and that is when EE reported to EE's supervisor.
Employee was working inside a silo on an engineered scaffold platform. There was an opening between the outside of the silo wall and the scaffold platform where it was constructed around an obstruction. The employee was going to grab a tool and EE caught EE's left foot in the opening and twisted which resulted in a fracture.
A Material Handler had finished tightening the man way bolts on top of a rail car and then dropped a 5 pound socket on the top of right foot near the ankle. Resulted in a contusion that required 2 days of restricted work duty. The employee has been fully released.
Employee reset master fuel trip on kiln burner floor. While walking away at South side kiln hood hot dust & gas blew out of a view port & struck employee on left side. Employee received burns to left ear, neck & cheek. Employee transported to ER & was released. On March 3, employee treated for burns at burn clinic & issued work restrictions to allow time to heal.
Electrician was using retractable box knife to remove tape from motor lead. Electrician cut palm of right hand, requiring 9 stitches.
EE reports that EE was doing a lot of sledge hammering yesterday in awkward positions. EE states that EE's lower back was sore but did not think anything of it until EE got home last night.
EE was changing the cement valves top of Grp 2 silo. The 1st bar valve moved hard. EE used full body weight on the 2nd and it moved easier causing them to be off balance. EE rolled R ankle. EE iced it and took ibuprofen. Worked for 2 weeks then decided it was not feeling better. EE went in for an x ray on 3/1. Displaced fracture R distal fibula.
Employee was walking when the employee slipped and fell. This incident did not become a medical incident until 8/17/2018
Employee reported was lifting a water jug to place into a cooler when employee felt a 'pop' in right biceps area.
Maintenance employee was injured while working in the raw mill. EE was working to install a beam protector on the west beam in the raw mill. While the employee was tightening the last bolt in the beam protector, the wrench that EE was using slipped and struck EE in the right upper lip.
Employee was freeing material from a chute when a large amount of dust released making the area hard to see. As the employee tried to exit the area, EE fell on left shoulder resulting in a strain. The incident became reportable on 12/10/2018.
Employee was walking on catwalk underneath the kiln when something blew into EE's eye. Diagnosed with scratched left cornea. Given meds/drops.
Two employees re-installing a gearbox to a roller crusher. One employee was underneath the gearbox tightening the last two nuts overhead. The wrench slipped from the nut and fell about 18 inches striking their two upper front teeth resulting in both teeth being partially fractured. Both teeth were filled at a Dentist, and the employee returned to work without further issue.
Employee reported while removing the air filters when EE believed a piece of debris got onto EE's right eyelash and fell into EE's right eye. EE reported flushing EE's right eye immediately but feels a foreign body sensation lodged in the top right hand corner of EE's right eye.
Employee was walking up a flight of stairs and tripped. As they reached out with left arm to grab the railing and felt a ""pop"" in the left shoulder.
Employee was jack hammering when some of the dust went into EE's eyes and the back of EE's neck causing a chemical burn to the neck.
Contract employees were removing liner plates from Finish Mill #5. A jackhammer being used outside the mill forced a bolt inside the mill and struck a contract employee's right forearm resulting in a laceration that required 8 sutures.
**Non-Miner** Contract over-the-road flat-bed trailer truck driver tarping cement bag load at designated safety platform. Driver did not align the trailer properly inside the safety platform. While tarping, the driver struck the platform handrailing resulting in a cut on right forehead needing stitches.
Delivery driver attempted to descend down stairs of the loading ramp when the driver slipped and fell down the rest of the stairs, landing on the ground.
Employee experienced back pain after doing wear measurements in the Vertical Roller Mill.