Specialty Minerals IncMining Incidents in 2001

THIS REPORT IS A CENTINUANCE OF AN ACCIDENT INCURRED ON 89-11-01. EE RETURNED TO FULL DUTY ON 9-23-01 FROM THIS ACCIDENT. EE WORKED 8 DAYS AND ON 10-4-01 AT 3 PM. COULD NOT REPORT TO WORK BECA USE OF PAIN IN UPPER BACK. EE WAS SENT TO M.D. AND WAS TREATED ON 10-4-01. DIAGNOISIS IS SAME AS PREVIOUS INJURY ON 8-11-01. EE WAS RELEASE WITH RESTRICTION OF NO LIFTING PUSHING PULLING.

EE FINISHED LOADING TANK, STEPPED ONTO PLATFORM ON TOP OF TANK LADDER. TURNED AROUND, USED LEFT ARM TO REACH FRO HANDLE ON RIGHT BUT HANDLE WASN'T THERE. LOST BALANCE AND GRABBED HANDLE ONLEFT , TWISTED LEFT SHOULDER IN THE PROCESS.

EE WAS WORKING ALONE AND IS NOW HOSPITALIZED AND HAS NOT BEEN SPOKEN TO ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. IT IS SPECULATED THAT HE WAS WORK OFF OF A 10 FT EXTENSION LADDER AND FELL APPROX SEVEN FEET AND HI T THE RIGHT BACKSIDE A HIS HEAD. HE WAS TAKEN BYAMBULACNE TO BERKSHIRE MEDICAL CENTER AND WAS SEDATED FOR OBSERVATION. AT SCAN TAKEN WAS NORMAL.

EE HAD A SENSITIVE BACK (WHICH WENT UNREPORTED FROM PACKING FOR 12 HRS STRAIGHT EARLIER IN WEEK. EE WAS PACKING 50 LB BAGS ON 8-11-01 WHEN HE TURNED WITH A BAG AND HEARD A LOUD CRACKING NOISE IN HIS UPPER BACK. EE IMMEDIATELY SENT TO MD. EETOLD TO BED REST FOR 3 DAYS AND THE REVISIT MD ON 8-13-01 @ 1045 HOURS.

DRIVING DOWN EMPTY PAVED ROAD WET FROM WATER TRUCK SPRAY, TRUCK IN FRONT STOPPED AND SECOND TRUCK SLID INTO IT. APPROX. SPEED 5 TO 10 MPH.

EMPLOYEE CLEANING AROUND GRIT PACKER. NEEDED TO MOVE BAG SCALE. BENT DOWN, WITH KNEES BENT AND GRABBED LEGS OF SCALE TO PULL SCALE BACK. WHILE PULLING, FELT SHARP PAIN IN LOWER BACK.

EE WAS ATTEMPTING TO MOVE A FULL PALLET THAT HADCOME DOWN SIDEWAYS ON THE MOVING CONVEYOR. HE STOOD ON THE CONVEYOR WHILE ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WAS AT FLOOR LEVEL WITH A PRY BAR. THE EMPLOYEE ON TH E CONVEYOR FLAGGED THE PHOTO EYE AFTER FREEING UP THE PALLET AND THE CONVEYOR STARTED AUTOMATICALLY PULLING HIS FOOT INTO A 3/4"" OPENING BETWEENTHE CONVEYOR AND THE ROLLERS.

EE WAS USING A VACUUM TRUCK TO CLEAN PRODUCT FROMT HE FLOOR UNDERNEATH A PRODUCT SILO, AS EE BENT OVER TO MOVE A 6"" VACUUM HOSE, EE FELT MUSLCE PULL IN HIS BACK. EE WAS SENT TO DR AND WAS TREA TED FOR A SACROILIAC STRAIN. EE WAS RELEASED TO RESTRICTED DUTY. HOWEVER THE RESTRICTION WERE SUCH THAT NO VIABLE WORK IS AVAILABEL TO EE LTA.

EMPLOYEE FINISHED WORKING ON #4 MILL, TURNED TO REACH FOR A WELDING GAD AND AS HE REACHED, HE FELT SHARP PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK.

EE WAS TRYING TO UNPLUG DUST COLLECTOR & PLACED HAND IN PIPE TO DUST COLLECTOR CHUTE AND FINGER TOUCHED BLADE OF ROTARY AIR LOCK.

PICKED UP CALCIUM CROWN AND FELT PAIN IN LOWER BACK.

EE WAS WALKING THROUGH A DOORWAY WITH A LOW OVERHEAD. AS HE WALKED THROUGH HIS HARD HAT HIT THE TOP OF THE DOOR FRAME INJURING HIS NECK. HE CONTINUED TO WORK UNTIL 1/23/02 AT WHICH TIME HE WAS SEEN BY A DOCTOR. HE WAS REFERED TO PHYSICAL THERAPY. HE STARTED RESTRICTED WORK ON 1/24/02.

EE WAS CARRYING A 5 GAL BUCKET UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS WHEN HE SLIPPED AND A STEP. EE DID NOT FALL BUT CAUGHT HIMSELF. EE FELT PAIN IN HIS LEFT BUTTOCKS. EE WAS SENT TO MD WHERE HE WAS TREATED, GIVEN PAIN MEDICATION AND PLATED ON RESTRICTED DUTY NO PUSHING, PULLING, LIFTING NO PROLONGED STANDING, NO OPERATION OF EQUIPMENT.

EE WAS REMOVING GEER BOX FROM A QUARRY TRUCK. HEFELT OK THAT DAY BUT HIS SHOULDER STARTED BOTHERING HIM THE NEXT DAY. HE REPORTED INJURY ON 9/26& WAS PLACED ON LIGHT DUTY ON 9/27 & RETURNED TO FULL DUTY ON 10/5/01.

WHILE SWEEPING EE KICKED A PIECE OF WOOD TO THE SIDE, INJURING 6 FT KNEE, INFLAMMING EXISTING INJURY OF ILOTIBAL AND BURSITIS.

EE WAS DROPPING BOTTOM PADS OF PACKER TO CLEAN PACK BIN OUT FOR PRODUCT CHANGE-OVER. HE HIS HISLEFT ELBOW ON METAL STRUCTURE OF PACKER. HE WENTTO DOCTOR & WAS RESTRICTED TO LIGHT USE OF ARM.

EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSPORTING 2000# ""SUPER SACKS"" TO WAREHOUSE. WHILE PLACING SACK IN WAREHOUSE, EMPLOYEE RIPPED SACK IN BACK OF THE ONE HE WAS STACKING. EMPLOYEE TRIED TO QUICKLY REMOVE SACK THAT WAS ALREADY ON FORKLIFT FROM WAREHOUSE WHEN SACK STARTED TO LEAN & FALL OFF PALLET. AS EE DESCENDED RAMP IN REVERSE, FORKLIFT LEANED IN DIRECTION OF FALLING BAG & ROLLED OVER. STRUCK SHOULDER

EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING A LARGE GUARD AND IT SLIPPED OUT OF HIS HANDS AND FELL ON HIS RIGHT FOOT. HE WAS WEARING STEEL TOE BOOTS BUT HE INJURED THE TOP PART OF HIS FOOT. XRAYS WERE NEGATIVE. HE HA D ONE DAY OF RESTRICTED WORK AND THEN RETURNED TO FULL DUTY.

EE WAS WORKING ON TURN HEAD IN MILL BUILDING WHEN LARGE PLUME OF DUST ROSE UPWARD THRU BUILDING CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY PLUME WAS CAUSED BY HIGH WINDS OUTSIDE BUILDING EE THOUGHT PLUME WAS CAU SED BY AN EARTHQUAKE AND BECAME VERY EXCITED. EETRIED TO VACATE AREA IN A HURRY WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL.

EE WAS FIXING A LIGHT AND STEPPED OFF 2 INCH HIGH LANDING AND TWISTED RIGHT ANKLE.

WHILE DRILLING OUT THE DIESEL GUN PART FOR #3 KILN LIGHT-OFF, THE DRILLED LIME PARTICLES BLEW BACK AND MADE CONTACT WITH EE S RIGHT FOREARM. THE LIME CALCIUM OXIDE STRUCK TO THE ARM AND DISOLV ED IN THE PERSPIRATION CAUSING SKIN BURNS.

EE PULLED LANG HANDLE VACUUM SYSTEM ATTACHMENT FROM A BENCH AND HIT HIMSELF IN THE LEFT RIB AREA CAUSING A CONTUSION. HE DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION UNTIL 5-20-01 AND WAS PLACED ON RESTRICT ED DUTY.

MECHANIC INSTALLING NEW ROTARY LOCK FOR BAGHOUSE, WRENCH SLIPPED CAUSING LEFT INDEX FINGER TO STRIKE ROTARY LOCK.

EE WAS WALKING TO AREA INSIDE TUNNEL TO PERFORM CLEAN-UP OF THE ROCK PILES WHEN HE SLIPPED ON A ROCK, FELL, HITTING HIS RIGHT SHOULDER.

MOVING ELECTRICAL PANEL, LOWERING IT TO THE FLOOR W/4 PEOPLE. THE CABINET SLID ON THE FLOOR AND EVERYONE LOST GRIP. CABINET HIT EE IN THE RIGHT KNEE.

PACKER LOADER BAGGING LIMESTONE PRODUCT 15-15 IN 50 LB BAGS HIS BACK STARTED TO HURT BENDING OVER TO START 1ST ROW ON THE PALLET-EE DID NOT REQUEST MEDICAL TREATMENT UNTIL 3-12-01.

EMPLOYEE INJURED HIS BACK WHEN HE PICKED UP TWO 5 GALLON BUCKETS FILLED WITH CRUSHED STONE. EACHBUCKET WEIGHED 59 LBS. EMPLOYEE WAS SEEN BY A DOCTOR AND PLACED ON RESTRICTED WORK.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE EMPLOYEE GOT A FOREIGN PARTICLE IN HIS RIGHT EYE WHILE WORKING IN THE KILN BUILDING. HE DID NOT REALIZE HE HAD SOMETHING IN HIS EYE UNTIL 12-10. THE DR WHO REMOVED THE EMBEDDED PARTICLE SAID IT WAS A PIECE OF HOT LIME. EMPLOYEE WAS GIVEN A PRESCRIPTION AND RETURNED TO WORK.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUSH A PIN AND BEARING ASSEMBLY FROM ITS HOUSING USING A MECHANICAL PRESS AND A BOLT AS A SPACER, THE BOLT AND HOUSING ASSEMBLY KICKED OUT STRIKING EE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS HEAD.

EMPLOYEE WAS DRIVING AN ARTICULATED DUMP TRUCK WITH APPROXIMATELY 18 TONS OF MATERIAL. AS HE TOOK THE CORNER AT THE MAINTENANCE SHOP TO GO UP THE HILL THE LOAD SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT AND THE DUM P BODY TURNED OVER ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE CAB WENT ONTO 2 WHEELS THEN CAME DOWN. EMPLOYEE RECEIVED STITCHES TO FOREHEAD.

EE WAS MOVING BRUSH WHEN FELLOW EE NEARBY WAS USING A CHAINSAW TO CLEAR BRUSH AND TURNED AROUND AND GLANCED EE'S FOREARM WITH CHAIN.

EMPLOYEE HAD JUST FINISHED STRETCHWRAPPING A PALLET. HE CUT THE STRETCHWRAP AND TUCKED IT IN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PALLET. HIS LEF THAND CAME IN CONTACT WITH BAR ON DIAMOND PLATE STEEL TURNTABL E AND HE RECEIVED A LACERATION TO HIS KNUCKLE ABOVE THE MIDDLE FINGER ON HIS LEFT HAND.

EMPLOYEE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF MANAGEMENT ON 6/24/01 THAT HIS WRIST HAD BEEN HURTING FOR 2-3 MONTHS. EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATED PAIN WITH USE OF COMPUTER. MANAGEMENT RESTRICTED EE FROM COMPUTER WORK TO SEE IF PROBLEM PERSISTED. IT DID. EMPLOYEE AUTHORIZED TO SEE DOCTOR ON 8/3/01. EE WENT TO DOCTOR ON 8/8/01. DOCTOR RESTRICTED USE OF RT HAND AND PRESCRIBED MEDS.

EE FROM TRUCKING COMPANY WAS PICKING UP AG LIME IN A EXTENDED OPEN DUMP BODY TRUCK. HE WAS STANDING ON A LADDER AT THE FRONT OF THE DUMP BODY. AS HE WAS DIRECTING THE LOADER OPERATOR WHERE TO DUMP THE THIRD OF 4 BUCKETS IN THE MIDDLE OF THETRUCK, THE BUCKET CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE SIDE RAIL AND ROCKED THE DUMP BODY. THE EE ROCKED BACK THEN JUMPED OFF. HE INJURED HIS SHOULDER.