Sherwin Alumina Company, LLCMining Incidents in 2006

EE was walking on the facility dock when he slipped and fell. He broke his fall by reaching out with his left arm. EE felt a pain in his left shoulder. On 04/27/2007, EE had surgery on his left shoulder. EE is currently losing time.

Employee got caustic inside boot causing 2nd & 3rd degree burns to foot.

EE was walking in his assigned area when he stepped on an uneven surface, rolling his right ankle. EE was diagnosed with a fractured right ankle.

EE felt a pain in his right shoulder when pulling on a scaling bar in an attempt to open a hopper door on a reclaim conveyor. On 04/02/07, surgery was performed on his right shoulder to repair a rotator cuff tear.

EE was placing a shaft in a bench vise. The shaft slipped and caught the EE's left hand between the shaft and the vise. Result was a fractured finger in his left hand. No lost workdays, restricted duty only.

Employee was hydroblasting using a standard length shotgun in the 22-1 sump pump in the Rodmill area. The employee cut the top of his left foot with the water jet from the shotgun resulting in a 1 1/2 inch long cut approximately 1 1/2 inches deep. This injury resulted in a workers compensation claim and loss time.The length of lost time has yet to be determined.

EE was removing an inspection blind on a caustic process line that had been depressurized and drained. When the EE opened the inspection blind residual caustic dripped onto both of his thighs causing second degree burns on both thighs. Doctor took EE off work on 07/07/2006.

EE was setting the top heater cover on a vertical heater. His left middle finger got caught between the cover and the heater body resulting in a fractured left middle finger. No lost work days, restricted duty only.

EE was descending a stairway when he slipped. He caught himself on the stairway handrail and felt a pain in his back. He was sent to a private physician who took EE off work. EE currently losing work days.

EE was ascending a ladder. He stepped off the ladder rung and onto the landing. He missed the landing and landed on his right knee. On 04/04/2006, EE had surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. EE is losing work days.

EE was pushing a welding machine out of an elevator walkway when he felt a pain in his left hand. On 08/10/2006, EE had surgery on his left hand, middle finger.

EE stepped off of a vehicle he was operating and stepped on a rock, twisting his right ankle. On 11/22/2006, his treating physician took him off work.

EE was cleaning out a screen box on a pump. As EE pulled the screen out of the box, the screen fell downward and caught EE's right ring finger between the screen and the screen box. EE sustained a minor fracture on his right ring finger. EE placed on restricted duty.

EE felt a pain in his lower back after hooking up a welding machine to a three wheel scooter. On 8/11/2006, EE was taken off work by his treating physician.

EE was ascending a ladder when his foot slipped. He caught himself by hanging his right arm over one of the rungs. He felt a pain under his right arm. Plant doctor placed EE on restricted duty on 02/14/2006

EE was using an 8lb sledge hammer to drive a rod out through a drain valve. EE experienced a sharp pain in his upper back. EE was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. ER doctor gave EE prescription strength medication and placed on restricted duty. Unable to work within his restrictions, EE placed out of the plant.

EE was pulling a 1 inch hose toward himself. Diluted caustic in the hose escaped and splashed onto the EE's face and right eye. EE was given prescription medication and the eye was bandaged. EE placed on restricted duty on 12/18/06

EE was using a scaling gun to descale a bauxite discharge chute. The gun got stuck in the scale & when EE pulled on the gun to get it loose, he felt a pain in his lower back. EE placed on restricted duty on 5/29/2007.

EE sustained a fractured finger in his right thumb when it was caught between a lifting hook and a lift cable lifting eye. EE had been attempting to hang the lifting eye on the lifting hook when the incident occurred. EE did not lose work days. EE is on restricted duty.

EE was using a ""wobble-joint"" with a socket to loosen a nut off of a bolt. The wobble joint pin broke, striking the EE on the nose. EE sustained a broken nose as a result of the impact. No lost work days, EE placed on restricted duty.

EE opened a flanged bottom plate on a tank that had approximately 214,000 gallons of a caustic solution. EE sustaine chemical and thermal burns to both eyes, both arms and chest.EE began losing work days on 09/11/2006.

EE was using a swivel impact socket on an impact gun to remove a nut off of a bolt. The swivel socket slipped off of the nut and became entangled with the EE's gloved left hand. The result was a fractured fifth finger on his left hand. EE did not lose work days. Placed on restricted duty on 8/01/06.

EE's eyes were sprayed with a dilute caustic solution when the one inch hose he was using developed a leak. EE was treated with prescription strength medications and placed on restricted duty.

EE was using a valve wrench to operate a wheel valve. The valve wrench slipped and the fourth finger of his left hand was caught between the wrench and the valve wheel handle. Result was a crush fracture of the fourth finger of his left hand. EE was placed on restricted duty. No lost work days.

EE was in the process of closing an inspection port on a gas suspension calciner when a puff of hot alumina contacted the right side of EE's face. EE sustained second degree burns on his right ear. No lost work days, EE placed on restricted duty.

EE was standing adjacent to a 1 inch steam trap discharge pipe. The pipe discharge was a ground level. Hot condensate was discharged from the steam trap and contacted the back of the EE's left foot. Result was a second degree burn to the back of the EE's left foot. EE was placed on restricted duty on 5/8/06.

EE was using a sledgehammer to clear a pluggage on a process line. His right index finger got caught between the hammer handle and a process pipe. X-ray of the finger revealed a fracture. EE place on restricted duty.

EE was using a 10 lb. sledgehammer to open a valve. The valve opened quicker than the EE expected, causing him to overextended his upper body. He felt a pain in his neck, upper back and shoulders. Plant doctor placed EE on restrictions that resulted in EE being placed off work.

EE was using an air chipper to remove scale from inside a digester tank. A piece of scale fell onto his right arm causing a cut on his forearm. The scale was about 12"" x 18"" x 2"" thick.

EE slipped while ascending onto a scaffold. He reached out to some adjacent piping for support. He felt a pain in his right shoulder. On 05/02/2006, EE was referred to a Treating Physician. Diagnostic testing indicates that EE will require surgery to repair a rotator cuff tear. EE placed on restrictive duty on 05/02/2006.

EE states that he struck his head on an overhead pipe. EE had surgery on his neck in 2005. EE missed two days of work. Returned to work with restrictions on 03/20/2006.

EE felt a pain in his lower back while shoveling bauxite. Treating physician placed EE on restricted duty on 02/16/2006

EE's right hand got caught between a metal rod and a conveyor housing. This resulted in a laceration that required sutures to repair.

EE was assigned the task of emptying material out of 50 lbs bags into a refractory mixer. The next day EE complaining of pain in both shoulders. On 02/12/2007, plant doctor gave the EE a Prednisone Taper prescription.

EE was opening a valve using a 8lb sledgehammer. The EE missed the valve he was trying to open and struck his right ring finger on an adjacent valve. Thie resulted in a laceration that required sutures to repair. EE is on restricted duty.

EE was picking up hydrate scale from the ground. As he picked up a piece of scale his right hand middle finger got caught between the scale and an angle iron. The EE's upward hand motion resulted in a fracture of the right hand middle finger. No lost work days, restricted duty only.

On 08/10/06, EE sustained a minor abrasion on his left knee while ascending onto a three foot workstand. On 12/19/06, EE visited the plant medical facility and was experiencing left knee pain. Plant doctor administered a mini-steriod injection to his left knee for the pain. No lost work days or restricted duty. EE returned to work on the same day.

EE was standing on the access ladder of a payloader. He lost his footing and landed on the payloader fender. His left hip sustained a laceration about two inches in length that required sutures to repair. No lost work days. No restrictions.

EE had poured a liquid sample into a glass test tube and was in the process of inserting a cap onto the test tube. When the EE applied pressure to seal the cap, the glass test tube broke causing a laceration on the EE's left hand index finger. The laceration required sutures to repair. No lost work days or restricted duty.

Employee was on an overhead grated walkway walking toward a stairway. A tank below vented steam immediately to the side of him. His lower left arm sustained a second degree thermal burn. No Lost Work Days or Restricted Duty.

EE was walking on an elevated walkway at the bottom of a manlift. He stepped into the belt return opening and lost his balance. He landed on his right elbow. He sustained a laceration on his elbow that required sutures to repair. Minor scratches and bruises on his upper body. No restrictions or lost work days.

EE was opening a 50lb box of welding rods, the metal ribbon on the opening tore a one angle and slid across his left arm. The result was a 4' long cut that required stitches.

EE got some caustic solution on his left forearm. Before EE could wash it off, he sustained a small 2nd degree burn on his forearm. No lost work days or restrictions.

EE sustained 2nd degree burns on his left hand when hot condensate drained from a flange that he was working on. EE was treated and released to return to work by the plant medical doctor. No lost workdays or restrictions.

Foreign body got into EE's left eye. Treating physician prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection. No lost time or restricted duty. RTW fully duty