Lafarge North America, Inc.Mining Incidents in 2002

EE WAS INSPECTING A ROTARY VALVE. AFTER REMOVING AN INSPECTION PORT, HE WIPED DIRT FROM THE AREA. AT THIS TIME, HIS GLOVE WAS CAUGHT IN THE VALVES ROTATING COMPONENT. HIS RIGHT RING FINGER WAS DRAWN INTO THE VALVE, SEVERING THE TIP ABOVE THE FIRST KNUCKLE.

MINER ALLEGES HE SUSTAINED WORK-RELATED INJURY (CLEARING A ROCK OUT OF THE FEEDER...THREW ROCK WEIGHING 85/100 LBS.) POSSIBLE HERNIA. MINER DIDNOT REPORT INCIDENT FOR 5 OR 8 DAYS TO MANAGEMEN T PERSONNEL AND WAS TREATED BY HIS FAMILY PHYSICIAN (UNAUTHORIZED TREATMENT). MINER SIGNED OFF ON REPORTING PROCEDURE AT ORIENTATION RECEIVED UPON HIRE.

WHEN EE STEPPED ON TOP OF THE TRUCK TO SAMPLE IT HE FELT HIS BACK BEGIN TO SPASM. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER IT BEGAN TO HURT MORE. HE REPORTED TO THE MANAGER THAT HE MAY HAVE TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR. HE DID SO AT ABOUT 12:30. THE CHIROPRACTOR TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD STRAINED HIS BACK & SHOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS OFF WORK HEAL.

EE REPORTED THAT SHE WAS MOVING PALLETS INTO THEELEVATOR WITH THE WALKIE STACKER AND WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE ELEVATOR SHE HAD HER ARMS FULLY EXTENDED WHEN THE JACK CAUGHT ON SOMETHING AND STOP PED ABRUPTLY.

EMPLOYEE WAS SWITCHING A FLOP GATE ON #2 FINISH MILL SEPERATOR WHEN GATE HANDLE KICKED BACK AND CAUSED HAND TO BE PINCHED BETWEEN GATE AND LATCHING MECHANISM. EMPLOYEE CUT MIDDLE FINGER ON HAN D AND REQUIRED AN ADHESIVE TO BE APPLIED BY A DOCTOR.

EMPLOYEE WAS CLEANING OFF THE SHEAVE ON THE #2 COOLER, #4 FAN. HE WAS SLIDING THE BELT WITH THIS HAND, IN ORDER TO TURN THE SHEAVE (AND THE FAN). HE LOOKED AWAY FROM THE BELT TO INSPECT THE SH EAVE, WHEN THE MOMENTUM OF THE TURNING FAN CAUSED HIS FINGER TO BE PULLED IN BETWEEN THE BELT & SHEAVE. THIS RESULTED IN CUTS TO THE RING & MIDDLE FINGER TO HIS RIGHT HAND.

THE EMPLOYEE WAS LAYING ON HIS SIDE IN THE INSPECTION PORT SHOOTING THE 8 GUAGE GUN AND WHEN HE WENT TO LIFT THE GUN OUT OF THE PORT AND OUT OF THE CHAIN THE GUN WAS RESTING ON, HE TOOK THE WE IGHT OF THE GUN. WHEN HE TURNED TO HAND THE GUN TO ANOTHER EMPLOYEE HE FELT PAIN IN HIS GROIN AREA.

EE WAS TRACKING #20 BELTS AND WAS USING A LADDER LOOSENING BOLTS AND MOVE RETURN ROLL, SET THE LADDER UP ON UNEVEN GROUND OR SOME LOOSE CLINKER. CLIMBED UP ON LADDER, IT MOVED, EE GRABBED A BE AM TO STEADY THE LADDER AND WRENCHED HIS ARM.

DUMPING CLEANED UP MATERIAL FROM 55 GAL DRUMS INTO DUMPSTER. MINER WAS STEADYING BARREL WITH LEFT HAND WHEN HE HEARD A POP IN HIS SHOULDER. THE FOLLOWING DAY, SHOULDER WAS PAINFUL SO TREATMENT WAS SOUGHT. WAS GIVEN SLING TO WEAR UP TO 48 HOURS, THEN INCRREASE IN RANGE OF MOTION IS ADVISED. NO OPERATION OF MOVING EQUIPMENT OR OVERHEAD LIFTING FOR 7 DAYS.

EMPLOYEE WAS GETTING OFF OF DOUBLE BOOM. HE TOOK A STEP ONTO A 1' SQUARE FLAT ROCK, TWISTED HIS LEFT ANKLE AND FELL TO THE GROUND. HE WALKED APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET TO THE LUNCH ROOM. THE MORE HE WALKED, THE MORE THE ANKLE HURT.

EMPLOYEE WAS CLIMBING ONTO BOBCAT WHEN HE HYPER-EXTENDED HIS KNEE.

EE WAS HELPING ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WHO HAD TRIPPED AND BUMPED HIS HEAD ON A SCREW. EE WENT TO GET LIGHT BULBS TO HELP LIGHTEN THE AREA, HE WENT UNDER THE DRAG ON THE MONITOR FLOOR AND WHEN HE CAM E UP HE HIT THE TOP OF HIS HEAD ON A RAIL.

EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING HIS ROUTE, TRIPPED OVER AN AIR HOSE AT THE #9 SILO AND HIT HIS HEAD ON A SCREW.

WHILE REPLACING A PULLEY IN GALLEY #2, THE PIPE HOLDING THE BELT BACK BROKE, PIPE FLEW, STRIKING LEFT KNEE AREA. THIS CAUSED A CONTUSION AND STRAIN. DOCTOR GAVE 4 DAYS OF LIGHT DUTY WORK.

EMPLOYEE EXITED THE CAB OF A LOADER BY JUMPING TO THE GROUND THIS CAUSED LOWER ABDOMINAL STRAIN.

HIT HEAD ON DOOR JAMB WHEN CLIMBING INTO TRUCK - INCIDENT NOT REPORTED UNTIL 6/18/02.

WAS WORKING TO GET SNUB PULLEY INTO POSITION, IT HAD BECOME PINCHED UNDER THE BELT. WHEN EE REACHED IN TO GET THE PULLEY, IT MOVED TOWARDS HIM & PINCHED HIS FINGERS ON LEFT HAND. SPLINT REQUIR ED.

CLOSING ELEVATOR DOOR TO TOWER, STRAINED SHOULDER FROM PUSHING AGAINST DOOR.

EMPLOYEE OPENED THE DOOR ON THE BACK OF KILN #2 AND WAS POKING OUT THE BUILD-UP. HE REACHED INTO THE KILN TO IDENTIFY AN UNKNOWN OBJECT WHEN A PIECE OF MATERIAL SHIFTED AND TRAPPED HIS ARM AGA INST THE STEEL DOOR FRAME. HE WAS FREED BY PUSHING THE MATERIAL INTO THE KILN.

EE REPORTED THAT HE WAS USING A CUTTING TORCH HESTATED THAT AS HE MOVED OUT OF THE WAY OF A CO WORKER, HE DID NOT SEE A LADDER BECAUSE HE STILLHAD ON HIS DARK GOGGLES. HIS ARM BRUSHED THE LADDER CAUSING ARM TO MOVE ACROSS HIS BODY. THE TORCH BRUSHED ACROSS HIS LEFT CHEEK, BURNING HIM

WHILE CLEANING THE JUNKYARD BEHIND THE SHOP, HE WAS PICKING UP A PIECE OF WOOD & AN OAK PALLET. THE TWO PIECES SEPARATED & THE PALLET SWUNG DOWN & BROKE HIS FINGER BETWEEN THE TWO OBJECTS.

EE, WHO WORKS IN STOREHOUSE, WAS PUTTING BELTS AWAY. COULD NOT REACH OVER A BOX THAT WAS IN THE WAY SO DECIDED TO GO AROUND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOX. SOME SK SCREW CONTAINERS HAD BEEN PULLED AWAY FROM THE WALL & AS SHE WENT TO GO AROUND THEM, SHE CAUGHT HER FOOT & FELL.

EE WAS LIFTING A FIVE GALLON CAN WHEN HE REPORTED FEELING A PULL IN HIS BACK. ON 6-24-02 EE REPORTED EXPERIENCING PAIN AND REPORTED TO THE CLINIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED.

3 EE'S WERE ASSEMBLING A SHELVING UNIT. WHILE TRYING TO GET 2 PIECES OF METAL TOGETHER INJURED'S HAND SLIPPED & HE RECEIVED THE LACERATION TO HIS THUMB. HE WENT TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL & RECEI VED 4-5 SUTURES ON HIS THUMB.

EE WAS LOOKING UP AT A RETURN ROLLER WHEN A GUST OF WIND BLEW A SMALL STONE INTO HIS EYE.

WORKING UNDER A TRUCK FIXING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. RUST FELL INTO RIGHT EYE.

AT FIRST BREAK EE NOTICED EYE IRRITATION. HE HAS NO IDEA THE SOURCE BUT THOUGHT IT WAS AN EYELASH. EE IS A MOTOR MECHANIC AND HAD DONE NO GRINDING NOR ANY TASK THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO GETTING A FOREIGN BODY IN HIS EYE. AWOKE THE FOLLOWING DAY AND HAD MORE IRRITATION SO WENT TO CLINIC.