Lehigh Southwest Cement CompanyMining Incidents in 2002

RE-OCCURRENCE OF AN INJURY REPORTED ORIGINALLY AS 2/27/00. EMPLOYEE HAS HAD CONTINUAL PROBLEMS. ON 7/18/02 HE FELT HIS LEFT KNEE POP. HE RETURNED TO HIS DOCTOR AND HAS BEEN OFF WORK SINCE.

EMPLOYEE WAS SHOVELING OFF MATERIAL FROM AN OVERLOADED BELT CAUSING LOWER BACK STRAIN.

EE WAS ASSIGNED DUTY OF HARD FACING CRUSHER ROTOR BARS. ROTOR WOULD NOT TURN. EE PULLED UP ON CRUSHED ROTOR AND FELT A POP IN LEFT KNEE. ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS - KNEE SPRAIN. SURGERY REQUIRED.

EE WAS ENTERING CAB OF 992 LOADER, STEPPED ON SEAT BELT LATCH AND TWISTED HIS RIGHT KNEE.

WHILE RELEASING STUCK CHAIN BRAKE ON RAIL CAR, STRAINED SOMETHING IN RIGHT HAND AND ARM.

EE WENT TO RE-SET THE FK PUMP AND A BAG FELL OFF THE SACK SCALE, STRIKING HIS LEFT KNEE, CAUSING SOME SORENESS IN HIS KNEE.

EE WAS REMOVING A DISCHARGE CARDOX TUBE FROM THE BASE SOCKET, WHEN HE WENT TO LEFT, THE CARDOX TUBE SAFETY DEVICE CHAINS HUNG UP IN THE GRATING.

LEFT LEG CRAMPED UP, EMPLOYEE STTOD UP TO STRAIGHTEN LEG, AND OVEREXTENDED KNEE.

PIECE OF GRATING CAME LOOSE AT 3RD FLOOR PREHEATTOWER, EE STEPPED ON IT CAUSING JARRING, SPRAIN TO HIS LT. SHOULDER.

EE WAS WELDING A GUSSETT ON THE DOOR TO THE WHOLE TIRE CHUTE. HE WAS WORKING OFF A TEMPORARY PLATFORM,WELDING OVERHEAD & A PIECE OF HOT SLAG DROPPED INTO HIS LEFT BOOT. THE BOOT WAS NOT LACED UP ALL THE WAY ALLOWING AN OPENING FOR MATERIAL TO DROP INTO. HE ALSO DID NOT REPORT THIS TIL 5 DAYS LATER. DIAGNOSED W/CELLULITIS LEFT LEG. BURN WAS @ ANKLE BONE.

TAKEDOWN & WRAPUP OF 6-750MCM WIRES AT I.D. FAN; EMPLOYEE HELD WIRE TO PROTECT MAN ON LADDER FROM GETTING KNOCKED OVER; WHEN WIRE WAS CUT DOWN, EMPLOYEE BENT OVER TO HOLD WIRE FROM HITTING LAD DER. EMPLOYEE FOLLOWED IT DOWN TO THE GROUND, CAUSING HIM TO BEND OVER AT THE WAIST, STRAINING HIS BACK.

FIRE IN PREHEAT TOWER, 4TH STAGE PLUG, AND TWO MEN DOWN.

EE WAS PUSHING AND PULLING AN ANALYZER PROBE CAUSING A LOWER BACK STRAIN, WHILE TRYING TO REMOVE PROBE.

EE WAS CALLED OUT TO RECALIFBRATE A CONVEYOR BELT THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED. EE SLIPPED ON SPILLED CLINKER FROM BROKEN BELT THAT HAD FALLEN ONTO CATWALK.

2 EES WERE AIR LANCING HOPPER AT C8 VIBRATING SCREW; BECAUSE THEY WERE USING SAME AIR OUTLET THE AIR PRESSURE WAS REDUCED AND INJURED EE PRYED AND DUG AT MATERIAL IN HOPPER. THIS CAUSED HIM TO SEVERELY STRAIN HIS LEFT SHOULDER.

FELLOW WORKER WAS CLEANING ROCKS OUT OF TRACK OF SHOVEL, INJURED EE WAS PARKED ON OPPOSITE OF SHOVEL UNREELING HOSE FROM LUBE TRUCK AND BACK INTO PATH OF THROWN ROCK, STRIKING HIM ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HEAD, CAUSING CONTUSION TO HEAD AND LACERATION TO EAR, WHICH REQUIRED STITCHES.

EE WAS PLACING A HYDRAULIC JACK UNDER A PLATE OF STEEL AND FELT PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK.

EE WORKS AS PLANT OPERATOR, WHILE DRILLING A CARDOX PORT, HE WAS BENDING OVER TO PORTHOLE, WHICH IS LOW. THE BIT WAS TOO LONG MAKING IT HARD TO KEEP DRILL LEVEL AND STRAIGHT. USING HEAVY DRILL WHILE REMOVING BUILDUP IN TOWER. EE CLAIMS STRAIN OF LOWER BACK.

EE WAS WORKING INSIDE THE KILN-GRINDING THE METAL SURFACE TO PREPARE IT FOR REFRACTORS. HE WAS WEARING SAFETY GLASSES BUT NOT GOGGLES OR FACE SHIELD AS REQUIRED. WHILE GRINDING OVERHEAD HE FEL T MATERIAL IN HIS RT EYE. HE FINISHED HIS SHIFT & WENT HOME. BY NEXT MORNING EYE WAS VERY IRRITATED & HE WAS ESCORTED TO MD. DIAGNOSIS: TINY PIECE OF METAL EMBEDDED IN EYE & HAD TO BE REMOVED

EE JUMPED DOWN OFF TRACK MOBILE AND TWISTED LT. ANKLE.

EMPLOYEE WA CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION OF THE B4 MILL BUCKET ELEVATOR. HE WAS LOOKING UP WHEN CEMENT DUST PARTICLES DROPPED INTO HIS RIGHT EYE.

EE, A MECHANIC WELDER, WAS BREAKING IN AS BACKUP FOR THE MACHINIST. HE WAS TURNING DOWN A PIECE OF STOCK IN THE 24.5"" LATHE & WENT TO CLEAR OUT SHAVINGS. INSTEAD OF USING A TOOL HANDLE TO CLEA N SHAVINGS, AS REQUIRED, HE GRABBED A PIECE WITHHIS RIGHT INDEX FINGER. HE RECEIVED A LACERATION THAT REQUIRED 8 STITCHES.

EE WAS WORKING ON REPLACING AN AIRSLIDE @ TOP OF TRUCK LOADING SILOS LOCATED @ PACKHOUSE. HE WAS TIGHTENING BOLTS ALONG SEAM OF AIRSLIDE WHEN WRENCH SLIPPED OFF & HE STRUCK HIMSELF IN THE MOUT H W/WRENCH. THIS RESULTED IN CHIPPING HIS UPPER LEFT MOLAR. FILED A WORKERS COMP CLAIM 2/21/02 TO VISIT DENTIST.

WHILE REMOVING THE WEST HOURNAL END CAP ON THE ROLLERMILL, THE END CAP WAS SLIPPING OFF. IN THE EFFORT TO PUSH IT BACK ON, PINCHED THE LEFT LITTLE FINGER BETWEEN END CAP AND PIECE OF PIPE. REC EIVED A LACERATION TO THE FINGER AND THE FINGERNAIL WAS PULLED LOOSE. THE LACERATION REQUIRED 1 STITCH.

AT 0900 ON 10-9 EE CONTACTED HIS SUPERVISOR AND SAID THAT HE WAS SICK AND WOULD NOT BE IN. ON 10-10- HE REPORTED TO HIS SUPERVISOR THE HE HAD BEEN TO THE DR. AND HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HIGH BLO OD PRESSURE AND TO STAY OFF WORK UNTIL HE SEES A SPECIALIST. HE TOLD THE DR. THAT HE WAS STRESSED BECAUSE OF HIS JOB AS A GARAGE MECH TRAINEE. HE FILED FOR WORKERS COMP. THIS IS BEING CHALLEN

EE HAS BEEN WORKING AT THIS PLANT SINCE 5/1/74 IN VARIOUS POSITIONS WITH NOISE EXPOSURE CLAIMED AS CAUSED FOR HEARING LOSS.

EE HAS BEEN WORKING FOR THIS COMNPANY IN VARIOUS POSITIONS SINCE HE WAS HIRED 10/01/80. APPROX. 5 YERS LABORER INTERMITTENT WITH 1 YR. AS PLANT OPERATOR, 3 HRS PACKER. 1.5 YR AS MECH WELDER, A ND HAS WORKED INT HE LAB AS WET ANALYST/LAB ANALYSTER OFF AND ON APPROX. 11 YEARS.

EE HAS BEEN WORKING FOR COMPANY SINCE 4/2/74. HE HAS SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THIS TIME AS A DRILLER-POWDERMAN (SINCE 6/20/78) 23+ YRS. HE WAS RUNNING AN AIR-TRACK FOR MUCH OF TIME, WHICH EXPOSED HIM TO HIGH NOISE LEVELS. THE AIR-TRACK IS NO LONGER UTILIZED.