Holcim US IncMining Incidents in 2020

L2 pre heater tower tertiary cyclone flushed with hot clinker material into the clinker pit. This caused the grease on the deep bucket elevator chain to catch fire. The fire traveled up the belt conveyor outside of the pit, where flames were seen, and emergency services were called. The fire was extinguished by the local fire department within 34 minutes. No injuries occurred.

Incident caused by an excess volume of natural gas that entered the kiln during the relighting process and then ignited in a delayed manner. This higher-than-normal volume of natural gas then ignited and caused a pressure wave to propagate through the kiln damaging the boiler housing and kiln firing hood.

The overload was tripped causing the elevator car to stop. The employee did NOT experience any Health or Safety issues while trapped in the elevator.

Baghouse rotary feeder was plugged. Employee was opening a slide gate. Employee had positioned a ladder for access. Employee stepped off of the ladder and on to the screw housing. Employee's left foot went through the screw housing, got caught in the screw. Their left leg was amputated below the knee.

EE was working to unplug a clogged airline. After cleaning out debris, EE had another employee hook up the airline. EE prematurely turned on the line blowing pressurized air and cement in to EE's R eye. This caused an abrasion and EE was taken to an eye specialist.

While taking retaining rings off, another employee was air arcing on the other side of the kiln. A spark came up over the kiln and landed on the employee's back between harness and jacket. Causing a burn to the injured employee's back.

Employee was in the Preheat Tower on the second level removing a thermocouple. While pulling on the thermocouple to remove it employee believes they may have strained left arm. Incident became reportable on 8/14/20.

Employee was pushing on a silicone patch on the bottom of a screw conveyor housing. Silicone was covering a hole. Employee's right index finger went through the hole and made contact with the screw, partially amputating the underside of the index finger under the nail.

Employee was descending stairs from an elevated platform when the employee's right foot slipped off the ladder rung and employee reached out with left arm and grabbed a bar hurting shoulder.

Employee was changing a 2"" ball valve and reported that they felt a slight pain on the right part of their back. Self care measures were not effective and on 3/24/2020 employee was seen by physician and prescribed light duty and anti inflammatory/muscle relaxers.

Employee got left ring finger caught in between a handrail and forklift fork, causing a fracture and laceration.

After unplugging a dust collector, a Production Assistant closed the system but the access door had been damaged so did not close properly at the top. After the system was restarted, dust was blown out of the system and struck the employee in the face. The employee visited the local hospital and was examined by an eye doctor, where employee was prescribed medication for eyes.

Employee was latching the railcar swing door, while pulling downward on the swing door pry bar, the pry bar came out of the latching knuckle. The employee felt a pull on the left shoulder and left arm briefly went numb. Strain to Left shoulder.

Employee hanging barricades for preheater plug when plug flushed through line, and out cracks in cooler doors. Dust got into EE eyes, causing cornea abrasions in right. Meds prescribed.

Employee was coming down a ladder and bumped left knee on a rung. The employee was on the third 20 foot ladder set from the top of the silo.

Employee was traveling north in bobcat, hit a bump in road, and states their leg tripped the lockout bar which put the machine into lockout mode. The vehicle came to a sudden stop which caused employee to travel inside machine as far as the seat belt would allow. This resulted in a right shoulder strain.

Employee was walking behind mill building when they slipped in a water puddle with algae growing in it. Employee fell backwards and hit their hardhat/head on the concrete.

Employee attempted to open rear door on loader to fuel it. Rear door was hard to open. Employee strained their shoulder.

Technician reported that while shoveling spillage from around the CKD work bin technician felt a twinge in left abdomen. Technician has previous history of hernia surgery in same body location. Diagnosis is hernia.

DOI 08/28/2020 ee spryd w/hydr oil did not penetrate skin. On 09/02 ee sought med trmt bc of hnd nbness, given 1st prescr. Sent to specialist given 2nd prescr.

While walking with ladder on employees shoulder, EE tried to lift the ladder over the railing of a portable stair case causing EE's body to come out of position and straining EE's back. Injury became reportable on 7/27/2020 due to medical treatment.

Employee was reaching for a valve at waist level and felt a pop and pain in the lower back. EE never touched the valve.

Employee was transferring 30lb belt calibration weights from a pickup bed to storage. One of the weights fell on the upper portion of left foot between the steel toe and the ankle. Employee felt it was just a bruise. Employee continued working the next few days. Finally convinced them to get an x ray. Fractured bone in foot.

The operator was going into the muck pile when EE ran into a boulder on the left side of the bucket. This incident was initially reported as a First aid but was upgraded to a Modified Work duty on 6/25/2020.

Employee was replacing buckets on bucket elevator chain and was holding new bucket to bolt into place when EE felt 2 pops in EE's right arm. Employee diagnosed with a detached right biceps tendon.

The employee was using a come-a-long to work on a coal mill roller roll. Employee was tightening down the nut on the top of the tapered journal assembly. At the end of the day employee felt soreness in right shoulder. Employee did not report the incident immediately. The incident became reportable on 5/18/2020 after employee was given restricted duty.

While shoveling in the tunnel to clear material from under a transport belt the employee felt some discomfort in the ribcage on the left side in the area below EE's heart. The incident became reportable on 3/16/2020 due to medical treatment provided.

Employee was removing steel plate from the raw mill chute. After cutting plate employee manually tried to remove it. The weight of the metal was more than expected. It fell 5 feet onto employee's right toe right behind the steel toe of the boot. It dislocated the tip of the pinky toe and required 11 stitches to close lacerations.

Employee was walking between electrical cabinets in the MCC room when they stepped on a elec cover ground plate and it gave way 8-10 inches. EE fell to one knee hitting hard hat on the floor. EE called a supervisor and they filled out a near miss report. Hours later EE started to feel some discomfort. EE went to the Doc on 2/26 and was given 6-7 visits with physical therapist.

Employee was pressure washing a utility vehicle and felt a burning sensation in the upper back resulting in a strain and muscle spasm.

The incident that led to the smashed finger occured while the subject was attempting to remove several bolts and leaned a hand against the fan blade and in doing so the fan blade moved because weight was applied to it. Began to free spin and that movement is what caught the subjects finger between the case of the fan and the blade.

While carrying metal frame, slipped on wet, muddy concrete. Frame landed on right hand causing fracture of right little finger.

Employee was working on overhead sensor system smoke detector attempting to install a temporary junction box cover to conceal the detector leads until a replacement was received.  During the fabrication, employee used a blade retractable utility knife. Employee inadvertently cut through EE's left mechanic gloves and resulting in single laceration to EE's left forefinger.

Employee was descending stairs, when they misstepped two stairs from the bottom. The employee then fell two stairs to floor landing, where they struck their left knee. Incident became reportable on 02/10/21 when the employee was prescribed physical therapy.

Employee was removing a drain plug with a pipe wrench. When the plug broke loose, EE's hand struck an adjacent bolt cutting through EE's impact glove. EE received a laceration and 4 stitches to close.

EE was changing out the bucket cutting edge on the 966 loader. While using an air gun to remove the nut from the carriage bolt, the partially loose bolt slid down just enough to turn, spun and the sharp edge sliced through EE's glove causing a small laceration. 3 stitches.

Employee was removing a 3 inch water hose from the quarry's water truck after filling it. As employee was doing this employee lifted the hose to shoulder to then put it on the ground. This fitting is approx. 5 ft above the ground, & the hose was partially filled with water adding to its weight. The employee said employee felt a pop in shoulder followed by pain in shoulder.

Completing a work order to replace the bags on L91-BF3. The cages and bags were sized to the cookie sheet and while trying to remove them with channel locks with jerking motion, with two other people helping, employee strained right shoulder.

Employee was accessing the Reclaimer building. EE felt something bump hard hat, then back, then back leg. When EE looked around to see, there was a bat attached to EE's leg biting EE's pants. EE stated never felt a bite or sting. Due to the high mortality rate of rabid bat bites (6-8% bats are rabid) EE decided to have the vaccine administered.

Employee was crawling under a D11 dozer to help replace a hydraulic line. At the end of shift employee reported discomfort in the knee. Doctor recommended an MRI. MRI results today revealed a torn MCL. Normal work without restrictions or time off at this time.

Process engineer was looking up at process fan and dust got into left eye causing a corneal abrasion requiring prescription medication.

Employee was power washing. EE was about 3/4 of the way done when EE hit a steam pocket in the hot dust that caused some material to blow back at EE. EE turned head and some dust got behind EE's face shield and safety glasses then into EE's eye.

While walking up stairs and carrying 12 liters of oil, employees knee gave out and became unstable. Employee provided with physical therapy on 6/8/2020 making reportable.

Using hoist to lift 1/4"" thick plate approx. 6' x 8' slightly to drag it across floor. Rigging and clamps used to lift one side. The side attached to the hoist by the rigging and clamps was approx. 3 ft up when a clamp came off, plate swung and employee was struck in lower left left leg causing puncture/laceration requiring stitches.

EE was cutting a hole in a piece of belt. Knife slipped and cut palm of right hand, requiring sutures.

Off site Truck driver for another company pulled in to get a load of cement. The driver's pneumatic lid would not open due to freezing rain conditions. When driver went to access the air switch on the trailer, the driver noticed some ice and avoided it but stepped on a thin film of wet kiln dust. Driver slipped and fell splitting lip. 4 stitches to upper lip.

While setting out Chains to be installed on the 993 loader, employee was pulling on some of the links to spread them out. While doing this, elbow started to hurting.

While being loaded with blasted stone into the haul truck, a stone from the kalkberg bench caused the truck to jolt which then caused the employee to experience a ""pop"" in the neck. The employee stated that EE initially felt pins and needles but that subsided by the time EE got up to EE's phone to inform the supervisor.

Employee was struck on right knee by 5.5"" Kiln brick that fell approx. 4-5ft. *Became recordable on Oct. 2, 2020 when employee received prescription medication.