Sherwin Alumina Company, LLCMining Incidents in 2002

EE SAT DOWN IN THE OPERATORS CAB CHAIR TO BEGIN OPERATING THE UNLOADER. HE SAT TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE CHAIR AND THE CHAIR SLID OUT FROM UNDER HIM. HE FELL AND LANDED ON THE CAB FLOOR. HI S TAILBONE (COCCYX) SUFFERED A FRACTURE WHEN IT LANDED ON THE CHAIR TRACK. EE'S DOCTOR REMOVED HIM FROM WORK ON 11-11-02.

EMPLOYEE SLIPPED AND FELL ONTO SHOULDER AS HE CLIMBED ONTO A CHERRY PICKER.

EE STEPPED ON A ROCK AND TWISTED HIS KNEE.

EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING BOLTS WITH IMPACT WRENCH WHEN THE NUT BROKE LOOSE & CAME OUT CAUSING THE WRENCH TO HIT THE EMPLOYEE'S CHEST.

EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING ON TOP OF A RAILCAR WHEN HIS SAFETY HARNESS LANYARD GOT CAUGHT BETWEEN HIS BODY AND A GATE. HE LOST HIS BALANCE AND TRIED TO STEP ONTO AN ACCESS PLATFORM. HIS RIGHT FOOT S LIPPED BETWEEN THE PLATFORM AND THE EDGE OF THE RAILCAR. HE FELL AND SUSTAINED A FRACTURE OF THE RIGHT TIBIA AND RIGHT FIBULA. EMPLOYEE IS LOSING TIME.

EE STEPPED IN A HOLE AT THE JOB SITE, SUFFERING AN ANKLE SPRAIN. ANKLE CONTINUED TO GIVE EE PROBLEMS; HIS TREATING PHYSICIAN ELECTED TO DO SURGERY ON 8-16-02. EE BEGAN LOSING TIME ON 8-15-02.

EMPLOYEE WAS USING DILUTED CAUSTIC SOLUTION TO HOSEDOWN MUD AND SCALE UNSIDE OF A TANK. SOME OF THE CAUSTIC SOLUTION SPLASHED BACK AND GOT INTO THE EE'S LEFT EYE. EE WAS SEEN BY A DR WHO PRESC RIBED ANTIBIOTICS TO TREAT A SMALL CORNEAL ABRASION. THERE WAS NO LOST TIME AND ONLY RESTRICTED DUTY.

EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING A FLANGE NUT. THE NUT WEIGHS FIFTEEN POUNDS. AS THE NUT CAME OFF THE BOLT THE WEIGHT OF THE NUT SWUNG HIS RIGHT HAND OUTWARD. HE STRUCK HIS RIGHT HAND AGAINST A ONE INCH VALVE, RESULTING IN A FRACTURE AND LACERATION TO THE 5TH FINGER ON HIS RIGHT HAND. SUTURES WERE REQUIRED. NO LOST TIME, RESTRICTIONS ONLY.

A MAINT MECHANIC WAS ROLLING OPEN 30"" BLIND FLANGES. HIS TOOLS WERE A 2"" BOX END/ OPEN WRENCH. AS HE REMOVED THE LAST FLANGE BOLT, THE FLANGE ROLLED AND CAUGHT HIS RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER BETWEEN THE FLANGE AND THE WRENCH. EE JERKED HIS FINGER OUT OF THE PINCH POINT CAUSING A LACERATION THATREQUIRED SIX STITCHES. NO LOST TIME; RESTRICTED DUTY.

EE NOTICED THAT A BOLT WAS LOOSE ON A DIGESTER FEED PUMP THAT WAS IN SERVICE. HIS GLOVED RIGHT HAND WAS CAUGHT BY THE PUMP STRIKING ARM AND HIS RIGHT INDEX FINGER WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE STROKE ARM AND THE PUMP HOUSING. THE LACERATION REQUIRED 30 STITCHES TO CLOSE. NO LOST TIME, RESTRICTEDDUTY ONLY.

EMPLOYEE WAS ADJUSTING THE PUMP PACKING ON #2-1 DIGESTER FEED PUMP. HE WAS DISTRACTED BY CO-WORKER'S ACTIVITY AND HIS RIGHT HAND INDEX FINGER WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE PUMP CASING AND THE PUMP SHAFT STROKE ARM. THIS RESULTED IN A FRACTURED RIGHT INDEX FINGER. RESTRICTED ACTIVITY WITH NO LOST TIME.

EMPLOYEE WAS EXTRACTING TUBES FROM #3-15 VERTICAL HEATER WHEN THE HYDRAULIC PULLER FELL OVER AND STRUCK HIM ON THE RIGHT HAND. X-RAY REVEALED A SLIGHT FRACTURE OF THE RIGHT HAND FIFTH FINGER . RESTRICTED DUTY WITH NO LOST TIME.

EE HAD OPENED A 2' BY 4' SECTION OF HANGED GRATING TO ACCESS #3 TRAY OVERFLOW HEADER VENT VALVES. AS HE WAS REPLACING THE GRATING HIS LEFT HAND MIDDLE FINGER GOT CAUGHT BETWEEN THE GRATING. A FRACTURE WAS DIAGNOSED ON MAY 6, 2002. NO LOST TIME, RESTRICTED DUTY ONLY.

EE HAD GRABBED A WASHER OVERFLOW SAMPLE AT THE SOUTHEAST OVERFLOW SAMPLE POINT. AS HE WAS STANDING BY THE OVERFLOW PUTTING THE SAMPLE INTO A SAMPLE BOTTLE, THE WASHER OVERFLOWED UP THE SAMPLE AND SPLASHED THE EE ON HIS UPPER BODY. THE HOT OVERFLOW CAUSED THERMAL BURNS ON THIS UPPER RIGHT ARM. NO LOST TIME: RESTRICTED DUTY ONLY.

EE SLIPPED & FELL INTO A 2FT PILE OF LIME FACE FIRST

EMPLOYEE WAS USING AN 8 LB SLEDGEHAMMER TO OPERATE AN ANGLE VALVE ON A TANK. AS HE STRUCK THE VALVE THE SLEDGEHAMMER BOUNCED BACK AND STRUCK HIM ABOVE HIS LEFT EYEBROW. THE RESULT WAS A LACERA TION THAT REQUIRED 3 SUTURES TO CLOSE. NO ADDITIONAL INJURIES SUSTAINED AND NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTED DUTY.

EE WAS ASSISTING SECOND EE IN THE REMOVAL OF A NUT FROM A STUD BOLT. THE SECOND EE WAS USING AN IMPACT WRENCH TO REMOVE THE TOP NUT OFF OF THE BOLTS. THE INJURED EE RECEIVED A LACERATION TO HI S LEFT RING FINGER WHEN HE GRABBED THE BOLT THREADS WHILE IT WAS TURNING. FOUR SUTURES TO CLOSE, NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTTIONS.

EE'S LANYARD GOT CAUGHT ON A VLAVE CAUSING HIM TO SLIP AND FALL BACKWARDS. EE LNADED ON A + HANDLE TYPE VALVE APPROXIMATELY 4' AWAY RESULTING IN TWO CRACKED RIBS. EE RETURNED TO WORK AND DID N OT LOSE ANY TIME FROM THIS ACCIDENT.

EE WAS REPLACING A MANHOLE COVER BY PUSHING IT IN PLACE W/HIS FOOT. HE FAILED TO NOTICE THE PRY BAR THAT HE HAD USED TO PRY OPEN THE MANHOLE COVER WAS STICKING INTO THE OPENING. AS MANHOLE COV ER FELL INTO PLACE, IT STRUCK THE PRY BAR & FLIPPED IT UP. PRY BAR STRUCK EE ON LEFT SIDE OF FOREHEAD, CAUSING A LACERATION THAT REQUIRED 13 SUTURES TO CLOSE. NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTIONS.

EE WAS USING 2 FLANGE WEDGES TO SEPARATE A 10"" FLANGE SO HE COULD CLOSE A GOGGLE EYE BLIND. HE WAS GOING TO REMOVE THE WEDGES, SO HE PUT HIS LT. HAND IN FRONT OF HIS BODY TO SHIELD HIMSELF IN CASE THE WEDGE CAME OUT UNEXPECTEDLY. THE WEDGE CAME OUT AND STRUCK HIS LT. HAND, CAUSING A LACERATION REQUIRING SUTURES TO CLOSE. NO LOST TIME AND NO RESTRICTIONS.

EE WAS USING AN 8LB. SLEDGEHAMMER TO OPEN THE PUMP-OFF VALVE ON #54 PPT. AS HE WAS SWINGING THE HAMMER HANDLE STRUCK THE VALVE HANDLE. THIS DEVIATED THE SWING PATTERN. HIS LEFT INDEX FINGER WA S CAUGHT BETWEEN THE HAMMER HANDLE AND THE VALVE HANDLE. THIS CAUSED A LACERATION TO HIS LEFT INDEX FINGER THAT REQUIRED FOUR SUTURES TO CLOSE. NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTIONS.

EMPLOYEE'S HAND WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN AN IMPACT WRENCH AND THE STRUCTURE.

EMPLOYEE WAS TRYING TO CLOSE A DEFECTIVE POCKET KNIFE.

EMPLOYEE WAS LOOSENING A PIPE CONNECTION WHEN HE SLIPPED AND STRUCK ANOTHER PIPE WITH HIS BOTTOM LIP.

FOUR EMPLOYEES WERE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE A FOUR SECTION FROM SCAFFOLD. IN THE PROCESS, A SCAFFOLD PLANK ON THE SECOND SECTION FELL & STRUCK AN EMPLOYEE ON THE LEFT HAND. HE SUFFERED A FRACTURED THIRD FINGER ON THE LEFT HAND. NO LOST TIME; RESTRICTED DUTY ONLY.

EMPLOYEE WAS CHANGING BURNER NOZZLES ON #2 GAS SUSPENSION CALCINER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL FLUE GAS NOX. AS HE REMOVED THE NOZZLE, THE CALCINER PUFFED AND BLEW OUT HOT GASES (1000 DEG C) AND BURNED THE EMPLOYEE'S FACE AND BOTH FOREARMS. THESE BURNS DEVELOPED INTO SECOND DEGREE, MAKINGTHIS A RECORDABLE INCIDENT. NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTED DUTY.

EE WAS WORKING TO CLEAR THE SUCTION LINE ON #45-15 SUMP. PRESSURE HAD BUILT INSIDE OF SUMP SURGE TANK FROM THE SYSTEMS PRIMARY LINE. WHEN SUCTION LINE CLEARED, LIQUOR THAT HAD BUILT UP IN SUMP PIT SPLASHED UP ONTO EE'S UPPER BODY & FACE (EE WAS WEARING ALL REQUIRED PPE), LIQUOR WAS ABLE TO GET INTO RIGHT EYE RESULTING IN CHEMICAL BURN. NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTED DUTY.

EE WAS SCALING FLOOR PAD AREA AROUND #4-9 FLASH TANK USING A RIVOT GUN. WAS PUTTING PRESSURE AGAINST GUN WHEN SCALE DISLODGED FROM PAD & CAUSED GUN TO JUMP FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. HANDLE OF GUN STRUCK SOME PIPING JUST FORWARD OF WHERE EE WAS WORKING PINCHING HIS RIGHT THUMB BETWEEN GUN & PIPE. EE IS NOT LOSING TIME OR ON WORK RESTRICTIONS.

THE DIGESTION OPERATOR ASSISTANT WAS USING AN 8 LB. SLEDGEHAMMER TO CLOSE AN 8""X10"" ANGLE VALVE ON #4-6 HEATER. THE AREA AROUND THE VALVE WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO PROCESS PIPING. AS HE SWUNG THE HAMMER TO CLOSE THE VALVE, HE MISSED THE VALVE & STRUCK A DRAIN VALVE HANDLE, CAUSING THE DRAIN VALVE TO OPEN. HOT LIQUID ESCAPED AND STRUCK HIS LEGS. HE RECEIVED 2ND DEGREE BURNS.

EE WAS USING A 3/4"" HEMP ROPE TO CLOSE A GATE VALVE. THE ROPE SLIPPED OFF THE VALVE HANDLE & EE FELL BACKWARDS. HE LANDED ON HIS RIGHT HAND CAUSING A FRACTURE TO A BONE IN HIS RIGHT WRIST. NO LOST TIME OR WORK RESTRICTIONS.

EE NEEDED AN AIR HOSE, REMEMBERED HE HAD A 1"" AIR HOSE ATTACHED TO A PORTABLE PUMP THAT WAS NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING. IN THE PROCESS OF DISCONNECTING THE 1"" HOSE FROM THE PRIMING FITTING ON THE P UMP, EE WAS SPRAYED IN THE FACE WITH CAUSTIC & HYDRATE. THIS RESULTED IN CORNEAL ABRASIONS TO BOTH EYES. MEDICATION WAS PRESCRIBED. NO LOST TIME OR LIMITATIONS.

ALLEGED EXPOSURE TO SILICA.

ADDEGED ASBESTOSIS.

ALLEDGED ASBESTOSIS AND SILICOSIS.