Holcim US IncMining Incidents in 2021

Two contractors stuck in pre-heat elevator (entrapment)

Small gas (fuel) explosion in kiln during startup caused by control system logic issues that resulted in excess gas in the kiln.

3 employees trapped in freight elevator on preheater tower between floors for 3 hours. No injuries and the condition of the employees was monitored via radio communication at all times.

The control room received a stall alert on conveyor belt #60. The control room supervisor inspected the cause and observed that there was a fire in the tube that leads from the transfer tower to the clinker dome. Fire Department was contacted immediately.

Elevator malfunction.

EE finished unloading a tanker truck, the unloading hose was unhooked from the truck. The employee then removed the adapter and moved the hose prior to capping the hose. There was a loss of vacuum on the hose and a small amount of material spilled on the EE and ground. As the employee was maneuvering around the spill the employee slipped and landed on their right knee.

Crew was lowering material down to the employee with a bucket and a rope. The handle of the bucket broke and fell, bouncing off of the wall and striking the employee. When the bucket struck EE, it knocked EE off of a platform causing EE to fall on a pole.

Employee was walking in the parking lot to a vehicle and stepped in a pothole. EE then stumbled and tried to catch self with EE's left arm. EE hit EE's head and neck on the concrete.

While rigging a walk-behind, EE was installing a shackle in order to fly equipment off the pre heater tower when another employee pressed the controls lowering the bucket on EE's hand causing a contusion to the hand. The device was de-energized but due to the manufactured settings the bucket can still be lowered without power.

2 production employees were working on unplugging the coal railcar unloading hopper of frozen material. While cleaning the material, a large piece of frozen coal, approximately 0.5m diameter, exited the open door on the hopper and struck one of the two employees in the right forearm resulting in a fracture.

Mechanic was sliding the forks on a forklift when mechanic felt a pop in elbow. Mechanic was treated for a strain by healthcare. Later, when minor pain was still persisting, mechanic went for an MRI. It was found that mechanic had a tear in left distal bicep. Mechanic went in for surgery repair 10/11/2021.

An employee reported that their shoulder was still sore the morning after operating a jackhammer in an awkward position the day before inside the 211BC-01 drag. Injury reportable on 2/22/2021 due to medical treatment.

Employee was removing a dust collector bag, it became stuck, as EE tugged harder, had a pop in shoulder. Self-care measures did not help, seen by dr on 1/11/2021, injection and restricted duty.

Smashed left pinky finger between wheelbarrow and wall.

Employee was walking around in the scraper compartment of the mill and slipped in the reject chute. As EE slid down the chute EE's left arm (shoulder) overextended quickly. Reportable on 12/1/2021.

Employee was using prybar to open gate and smashed finger between prybar and gate causing laceration and fracture.

EE tripped over step in walkway causing laceration to left knee. Laceration required stitches to close.

Employee states that while adding dry ice left foot slipped into a hole causing employee to do the splits. Employee complains of pain in the groin area and right lower abdomen.

Employee was descending 4 steps on a vertical ladder of the DM 45 HP drill when EE felt a pop in their right shoulder.

The electrical instrumentation technician knelt down to grab a #14 GA wire from a reel to tape it and felt pain in EE's lower back.

Maint. employee strained right shoulder while pulling on a piece of belt conveyor while it was being changed. Given muscle relaxers and placed on light duty.

Approximately 11:30 P.M., a maintenance technician was using a hydraulic torque wrench to torque the primary crusher bearing housing bolts. As the technician performed this task, the hydraulic torque wrench slipped off of the bolt, causing the wrench to rotate swiftly, striking the tip of the employee's right ring finger against a steel pulley.

Warehouse tech was lifting a roll of belt skirting and as they set it down, it bounced, causing their left pinky to become smashed and dislocated.

Mechanic changing starter on vac truck. Starter fell and crushed left pinky finger between frame and starter. Required splint, antibiotics, and restricted duty.

An employee was climbing a short set of stairs into the office building when EE missed a step causing EE to fall forward. EE caught self on left hand causing a wrist sprain.

Employee was conducting a cement silo change on top of the bulk silos. The employee was tightening the valve by pulling down on a steel bar that was inserted into the bottom knuckle when the bar slipped out causing the employee to lose balance and fracture the right thumb.

Quarry technician was using air lance to clean out a grizzly. Employee felt minor discomfort in lower back until 5/23/21 when seen by a doctor and placed on restricted duty and given meds.

EE was assisting with the removal of the burner pipe from the lance. Employee slipped and fell while balancing the pipe.

Employee removing all-thread when the assembly gave way causing EE's index finger knuckle to hit the bearing guide resulting in a dislocated right index finger.

Employee was preparing rigging on a 240 pound flywheel when it rotated slightly, pinching right thumb between the flywheel and the structure it was resting on.

Employee assigned to housekeeping activities where employee was carrying wooden pallets. Part of the pallet fell from the employee's grip causing a trip and fall landing on both hands. Employee diagnosed with epicondylitis.

A production employee was working around a supplied airline when it disconnected from the hose reel and began to whip under the pressure of the air and struck EE in the left knee. This event was under investigation and was confirmed to be probable by Dr on 02/19/2021.

Production Utility Operator (PUO) was walking through the plant headed to the kiln area. Employee was near the equipment storage building when they slipped on snow and fell on left side. This incident was upgraded to a modified work duty on 02/19/2021.

Employee was walking and ducked under I-beam. As they did that, right knee dislocated.

Employee was climbing out of vac truck to turn the vacuum truck operation on when they stepped off the step of the truck they felt a popping in a knee and almost fell down. Diagnosed with a torn meniscus in left knee.

Employee was cleaning dust material on top of clinker silo. The wind blew and employee got dust in eye.

Employee was poking the feed shelf after completing climbing the ladder. While looking up, material that was on face shield fell down into EE's left eye.

Employee was using a dead blow hammer hitting a sucker hose to free material. EE felt sharp pain in the palm near right thumb. Incident became reportable on 11/12/2021.

The employee put a socket on a nut to remove bolt, turned to get impact wrench. Socket vibrated of nut falling and striking employee on the hand.

Employee was exiting a skid loader and used the top edge of the bucket for foot placement while climbing down. Right foot slipped and caused fall forward resulting in the area just above the knee to come into contact with the edge of the skid loader bucket and foot slipped backwards off the bucket causing overextension of the knee. Recordable 11/26/2021.

Employee was tasked to test a High voltage cable. While preparing the cable to be tested, employee stepped down on a slope to get a piece of wire, losing footing and spraining left ankle. Incident became reportable 11/1/2021.

Employee and coworker were rotating a magnetic separator belt. The coworker lost grip on the belt causing the injured employee to lose balance and grip resulting in a backwards same level fall into a handrail and a fractured rib.

The employee was working on green tagged scaffold approximately 8-10 off of the ground around a raw mill roll pair removing the hub off of the shaft. The scaffold boards were against the hub until the housing was removed allowing for a space at which time the employee fell.

On 8/27/2021 at approximately 3:00 A.M. a maintenance technician was performing a task to reinstall a drive wheel on the stacker. While reinstalling the wheel, the wheel became off-balance from its position and tipped off the rail. When the wheel tipped it struck the employee in the chin and the palm of the right hand causing lacerations to the chin and palm.

While removing a chock block from the haul truck, the employee felt a pain in their right shoulder. Diagnosed with rotator cuff arthropathy. Employer learned of diagnosis on 10/5/2021.

The Injured Employee lost their balance due to stepping on a rock. While falling, they turned and put their hand down to brace the fall, scraping the elbow and hurting the wrist/thumb on their left hand. This injury was being managed through various visits to Dr/Clinic but became Reportable on 8/5/2021.

Employee was removing a section of chain from its box to repair a syngyp feeder. The employee proceeded to unroll the section of chain and had their right index finger pinched between two of the tabs that are welded to the side of the chain links.

Employee was dislodging a rock from pneumatic gate. When the rock broke free the gate moved suddenly pinning employee's hand between the shovel EE was using and the wall of the building resulting in a finger laceration.

While lifting limit amp contactor out of electrical cubicle, the contactor rolled back and pinched employees right index finger resulting in a laceration.

Technician was shooting industrial gun on the tower which required technician to have the gun at a steep angle. Thumb was required to be on the back of the gun as that is where the safety is located. When the technician fired, the recoil of the gun smashed right thumb between the gun handle and the refractory for the door resulting in a fractured thumb.

Employee picked up a chunk of hard material and was carrying it to disposal when chunk slipped out of hand striking employee on the right foot above the steel toe. Diagnosis is fracture of right little toe.

After replacing segments on 491-PN1 head sprocket employee started feeling pain in left shoulder. Incident became reportable on 2/24/21 due to medical treatment.

Employee was using jackhammer to break material up. Employee noticed the next day their hand was hurting. Became reportable on 3/9/21 due to physical therapy.

Employee was removing a 30lb cardox tube after a shot. When EE pulled the tube out EE struck R index finger on the scaffolding. This created a bruise (palpitation)to EE's finger. On 3/11/21 EE was seen at a clinic for an exam. Nothing broken, physical therapy visit.

Employee was cutting bolts of a tripper valve. Grinder kicked back cutting left middle finger above first knuckle.

Employee was using a wrench to loosen a take up feeder bolt when employee slipped and fell forward. Employee's tooth was chipped when employee's mouth made contact with the wrench.

Technician was cutting duct tape from sucker truck piping with a razor knife when it punctured and cut through EE's left glove and hand resulting in a laceration.

While installing a lid on a 5 gallon bucket with a spud wrench, employee was hammering the lid down and the wrench slipped out of EE's hand and jammed into the hand in between EE's thumb and index finger resulting in a laceration of the right hand.

Miner was loading a large chain in bed of pick up truck and had thumb pinched in between chain links causing a laceration.

EE started feeling ill and went home just before midnight. EE tested positive for Covid 19 the next afternoon. EE had been working with an employee who also tested positive.