Specialty Minerals IncMining Incidents in 2002

EE WAS LIFTING LARGE THREADED RODS TO CLOSE UP A HEAT EXHANGER AND FELT A PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK. THE INCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED AS WORK RELATED UNTIL JULN 3, 2002 HE BEGAN MISISNG WORK AN JUNE 28, 2002 AND HAS NOT RETURNED.

TRUCK DRIVER RAISED DUMP TRUCK BODY TO OFFLOAD EXCESS LIMESTONE. WHEN THE DUMP BODY WAS FULLY EXTENDED, THE TRACTOR AND TRAILER TRIPPED OVER ONTO ITS SIDE. DRIVER WAS INSIDE VEHICLE AT THE TIM E OF CAPSIZE, AND BANGED HIS KNEE.

EE INJURED RIGHT HAND USING POWER WRENCH TO CLOSE DOOR ON RAIL CAR. EE WAS TREATED BY MD AND WAS RELEASED TO MODIFIED DUTY NO USE OF RIGH HAND. EE WAS GIVEN A PRESCRIPTION FOR ANTIBIOTIC WHICH HE DID NOT HAVE FILLED. UPON FOLLOW UP MD PLACED EE OFF OF WORK DUE TO INFECTION.

EE LEANED OVER A RAILING & FELT PAIN IN LOWER BACK. THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM THAT HIS MEDICALDOCUMENTATION HE HAD SOME PAIN IN LOWER BACK AT THE START OF THE SHIFT, THIS IS BEING REPORTED AS AN ILLNESS & NOT AN INJURY. ORIGINAL INCIDENTWAS REPROTED ON 12/7/98 HE MISSED 4 DAYS OF WORKTHIS TIME & IS ON LIGHT DUTY

EMPLOYEE WALKED THROUGH A PRODUCT SPILL THAT LED TO THE ENTRY TO A CONVEYER BELT WHICH CONCEALED A LARGE STONE. HE STEPPED ON THE STONE AND TWISTED HIS RIGHT ANKLE AS HIS FOOT ROLLED OFF THE S TONE. EE HAD HIS RIGHT KNEE ON THE GROUND CAUSING A CONTUSION OF THE KNEE. EMPLOYEE WAS TREATED BY A MD AND RELEASED TO RESTRICTED DUTY.

EMPLOYEE WAS STEPPING OFF FORK TRUCK AND STEPPEDON UNEVEN METAL FLOORING AND TWISTED ANKLE.

EMPLOYEE WAS SHOVELING 1/4"" PRODUCT ON FLOOR OF DRIER BUILDING. EMPLOYEE STRUCK SHOVEL BLADE INTO CONCRETE CURB WHILE SCOOPING PRODUCT. EMPLOYEE FELT PAIN IN HIS LEFT FOREARM AND WAS RELEASED TO MODIFIED DUTY WITH NO USE OF LEFT ARM AND UPPER LEFT EXTREMITIES. EMPLOYEE RETURNED TO MD ON 10/17/02 AND WAS RELEASED TO FULL DUTY.

EE FILLED 50 LB BAGS ON 7/13/02. HE ASKED TO FILL BAGS AGAIN ON 7/18 BUT SAID LEFT SHOULDER HURTFROM 7/13. HE REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT. HE ASKED TO FILL BAGS IN FEB. 2003 BUT SAID LEFT SHOULD ER HURT WITH PAIN STILL FROM 7/13. REQUIRED HIM TO SEE MD ON 2/28/03. INJURY DETERMINED TO BE WORK RELATED ON 3/13/03. INJURY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY WORKER'S COMP. CARRIER.

EMPLOYEE INJURED RIGHT HAND ON PALLET IN 1990. EE REPORTS ON 5-29 THAT OVER THE YEARS THE HAND WOULD SWELL AND CAUSE PAIN. ON 5-29, NOTICED EE HAD A BRACE ON RT HAND. QUESTIONED EE ABOUT BRACE AND DISCOVERED HIS HAND WAS VERY SWOLLEN. SENT EE TO MD WHO TREATED EE FOR RT WRIST STRAIN. RELEASED EE TO MODIFIED DUTY WITH 15 LBS LIFTING, PUSHING, PULLING RESTRICTION TO RT ARM.

LIFTING AND MOVING OF CALCIUM CROWNS AND CONDENSERS.

EE STEPPED FROM TOP RUNG OF LADDER (5'4""HIGH) TO20""X 24""PLATFORM TO GET SAMPLE FROM A FINES FEEDER. EE TRIPPED ON EMERGENCY STOP PULL CORD THAT IS LOCATED 4""ABOVE PLATFORM. EE FELL, CATCHING HIS LT. HAND ON A HANDRAIL IN THE IMMEDIATE AREAEE TREATED BY MD FOR SPRAIN/STRAIN OF LT. THUMB.EE RELEASED TO MODIFIED DUTY. NO PUSHING,PULLINGLIFTING WITH HIS LT. HAND.

WHILE LOADING LAST COMPARTMENT OF A BULK TRUCK, EE LOST BALANCE WHEN HE STEPPED FROM A PLATFORM ONTO THE TRUCK. HE TWISTED HIS RIGHT ANKLE, FELL ONTO THE TRUCK AND BRUISED HIS RIGHT ELBOW. RAI LINGS ARE IN PLACE AT THIS LOADOUT STATION. EE IS CURRENTLY ON RESTRICTED DUTY FOR A SPRAINED ANKLE.

EE USING HAND DRILL TO DRILL HOLE IN STEEL. DRILL BIT CAUGHT ON WELD AFTER MAKING HOLE. DRILL TWISTED OUT OF EE'S HAND AND STRAINED MIDDLE FINGER OF RIGHT HAND MIDDLE FINGER BECAME SLIGHTLY SW OLLEN BY NEXT DAY. SENT EE TO MD WHERE HAND WAS WAS EXAMINED. EE RELEASED TO MODIFIED DUTY LIMITED USE OF RIGHT HAND FOR ONE WEEK.

EMPLOYEE INJURED RIGHT FOREARM WHILE LIFTING 100 LBS BAG OF PRODUCT ON 4-3-02. EE REPORTED INJURY ON 4-15 BUT REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT. INJURY WAS TREATED AS A FIRST AID CASE. ON 5-24-02, EE STATED INJURY WAS NOT GETTING BETTER. SENT EE TOMD WHO TREATED EE FOR RT FOREARM STRAIN. RELEASED EE TO MODIFIED DUTY WITH 20 LBS LIFTING RESTRICTION TO RIGHT ARM.

EE WAS REMOVING A BEARING FROM AN EXTRUDER WITH A PRY BAR. THE PRY BAR SLIPPED OFF OF THE BEARING AND HE HIT HIS RT. ELBOW ON THE DISCHARGE CHUTE. HE WAS TAKEN TO MEDICAL CLINIC. X-RAYS WERE NEGATIVE. HE WAS PLACED ON RESTRICTED WORK AND HAS A FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT ON 4/8/02.

EMPLOYEE FELL WHILE BOARDING FORKLIFT. EE HAD RIGHT FOOT IN STEP AND LEFT FOOT ON PLATFORM AND LOST FOOTING OF RIGHT FOOT FALLING BACKWARDS ONTOLEFT BUTTOCKS. EE COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN LEFT SHO ULDER BLADE AND LEFT BUTTOCK. EE WAS TREATED BY MD AND RELEASED TO RESTRICTED DUTY. LIMITED USE OF LEFT ARM.

EE WAS USING A LARGE WRENCH TO TIGHTEN A NUT. EE FELT A PAIN IN HIS LEFT SHOULDER. EE WAS SENT TO MD FOR TREATMENT & WAS RELEASED TO RESTRICTED DUTY. LIGHT USE OF LEFT ARM & HAND. EE WAS GIVEN PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR PAIN.

MECHANIC WAS APPLYING HARD FACING WELDING ROD TO THE ROTOR ON THE IMPACTOR CRUSHER AND WHEN HE PUSHED ROTOR DOWN WITH HIS LEFT LEG HE FELT A PAIN IN HIS UPPER LEFT LEG.

WHILE EE WAS CARRYING 6 FOOT STEP LADDER TRIPPED ON PLASTIC ON FLOOR AND LANDED ON RIGHT KNEE. OCCURED IN FURANCE BLD. EAST PUMP ROOM.

EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING IN THE PCC SEMI BULK AREA AND SOME FOREIGN MATTER GOT INTO HIS RIGHT EYE. HE WAS SEEN BY AN EYE DOCTOR WHO FLUSHED HIS EYEAND GAVE HIM PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION. EE WAS WEA RING SAFETY GLASSES BUT WINDY CONDITIONS CAUSED THE FOREIGN MATTER TO GET IN HIS EYE.

EE WAS OPERATING A HAUL TRUCK & LOADER OPERATOR PLACED A LARGE STONE IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK WHICH ROCKED THE TRUCK & EE HIT HIS LEFT ELBOS ON THE WINDOW HANDLE. HE WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT.

EMPLOYEE WAS WELDING A GUARD IN THE WELDING BOOTH IN THE MAINTENANCE SHOP. HE STOPPED WELDING AND LIFTED HIS HOOD TO OBSERVE HIS WORK. THE WELD POPPED AND A PIECE OF SLAG WENT BEHIND HIS SAFET Y GLASSES AND INTO HIS LEFT EYE. HE RECEIVED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION FOR HIS EYE.

EMPLOYEE COMPLAINED TO SUPERVISOR THAT HIS LEFT ELBOW WAS SWOLLEN. DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT RELATED IT TO AN INJURY HE INCURRED IN 2001. THE INCIDENT WAS TREATED AS A REOCCURRING INJURY. EMPLOYEE WAS SENT TO MD WHO DIAGNOSED A BONE SPUR. COMP CARRIER HAS DETERMINED ON THIS DATE THAT CONDITION IS AS INDUSTRIAL ILLNESS AND NOT RELATED TO PREVIOUS INJURY. EMPLOYEE RESTRICTED TO

EMPLOYEE PHONED SAFETY ENGINEER IN A.M. OF 03/04/02 AND SAID THAT HE COULD NOT COME TO WORK DUE TO SEVERE STRESS. HE ALLEGES STRESS IS WORK-RELATED. UPON BEING INTERVIEWED HE COULD NOT SPECIFI CALLY IDENTIFY ANY REASON WHY ILLNESS IS WORK-RELATED OTHER THAN IT STEMS FROM HIS EVERYDAY DUTIES AS UTILITY OPERATOR. EMPLOYEE WAS REFERRED TO A PSYCHOLOGIST. HE WAS NOT RELEASED TO WORK.