Specialty Minerals IncMining Incidents in 2003

WHEN PUTTING HEADS/COVERS ON FURNACE #10 SOME DUST ON PIPES/LINES ABOVE GOT INTO EMPLOYEE'S EYES.

EE STARTED CLIMBING DOWN THE LADDER AND LOST HIS FOOTING. HE TRIED TO GRASP THE ROPE THAT IS TIED TO THE TIE OFF AND FELL APPROXIMATELY 7-8' TO THE GROUND. HIS RIGHT FOOT IS SWOLLEN.

EMPLOYEE WAS BAGGING BRIQUETTES (LIME AND ALUMINUM) AND PLACING ON CART.

EE WAS REPLACING GUARD ON TAIL PULLEY OF B BELT IN SCREEN STONE BUILDING. WHEN HE WAS ON STEP LADDER HE SLIPPED OFF AND THE GUARD HIT HIS RIGHT ANKLE.

ON 10/12/03, BETWEEN 3:00 & 11:30 P.M., EMPLOYEE WAS STACKING 100 LB. BAGS OF GROUND CALCIUM CARBONATE (LIMESTONE). HE AWOKE ON 10/13 WITH A PROTRUTION IN THE NAVEL AREA OF HIS STOMACH AND CAL LED HIS SUPERVISOR TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. EMPLOYEE STATES THAT HE DIDN'T STRAIN HIMSELF OR FEEL ANY PAIN ON 10/12. HE WAS SENT TO DOCTOR WHO DIAGNOSED AN UMBILICAL HERNIA.

Employee was operating packer, filling bags.

EE WAS ONE OF AN 8 MAN CREW WORKING TO REPLACE IMPACTOR BARS. EE HAD CRANE PENDANT IN RT. HAND,LOWERING ROCKBUSTER IMPACTOR ROTOR ONTO SPACERS.EE WAS HOLDING SPACERS IN PLACE WITH HIS LT.HAND AS HE LOWERED THE ROTOR. IN DOING SO, HE PINCHED THE SKIN ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF HIS LT. THUMB. EE WAS IMMED. TAKEN TO HOSPITAL E.R. X-RAYS SHOWED NO BONE DAMAGE, THUMB CLEANED & SUTURED.

EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE WAS LIFTING A 50 LB BAG OF PRODUCT AND FELT SHARP PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK. HE WAS SEEN AT A LOCAL CLINIC AND IS CURRENTLYON RESTRICTED DUTY. HE HAS A FOLLOW UP APPOINTME NT ON 9-23-03.

EMPLOYEE WAS ROLLING FULL BARRELS OF CALCIUM ONTO WOODEN PALLETS AND GOT LEFT MIDDLE FINGER PINCHED BETWEEN BARRELS CAUSING FRACTURE OF SAME FINGER.

EE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE A STEP LADDER WHEN HIS LT. INDEX FINGER WAS CAUGHT IN ONE OF THE STABILIZING BRACKETS ON THE SIDE OF THE LADDER. EE SUFFERED A LACERATION THROUGH THE FINGERNAIL JUS T ABOVE THE CUTICLE AND FRACTURED THE TIP OF THE FINGER. EE RECEIVED SUTURES TO THE LT. INDEX FINGER AND WAS PLACED ON RESTRICTED DUTY, LIGHT USE OF LEFT HAND & NO CLIMBING.

EMPLOYEE WAS RE-STACKING A PALLET OF 100 LBS BAGS FULL OF CRUSHED LIMESTONE ON 07/18/03. EMPLOYEE REPORTED TO SUPERVISOR VIA VOICE MAIN AT 10:00 AM ON 7/21/03 THAT HE HAD STRAINED STOMACH MUSC LES STACKING BAGS ON 07/18/03. EMPLOYEE WAS SENT TO COMPANY MD AT 8:00 AM ON 07/22/03 FOR TREATMENT. EMPLOYEE WAS RELEASED TO RESTRICTED DUTY - 10-12 LBS PUSHING, PULLING, LIFTING. STRAINED S

EE WAS BAGGING & STACKING PROCESSED LIMESTONE ON A PALLET WHICH WAS SITUATED ON A HYDRAULIC PALLET JACK LEVELER. HIS BACK WAS SORE AT THE END OF THE SHIFT. THE FOLLOWING DAY HE FELT FINE WHEN HE ARRIVED AT WORK. HE PROCEEDED TO BAG A FEW PALLETS & THEN FELT A SHARP PAIN IN HIS BACK/SHOULDER AREA.

EE REPORTED TO SUPERVISOR AT END OF SHIFT THAT HE HAD INJURED HIS TESTICLES. EE BELIEVES THAT HIS ROUGH-RIDING FORKLIFT HAS CAUSED HIS INJURY. EE SENT TO ER AT 11 PM ON 6/25/03. EE REFERRED TO UROLOGIST AT 9:30 AM ON 6/26/03. UROLOGIST BELIEVES THAT EE'S TESTICLES HAD BECOME TWISTED. TESTICLES WERE DETORSED BY ER PERSONNEL. EE RELEASED TO LIGHT DUTY UNTIL 7/1/03. FOLLOW-UP VISIT TO

EMPLOYEE WAS REMOVING DAMAGED WIRES OF A BIN VENT (DUST COLLECTOR) VENT FAN IN PREPARATION OF REPLACING WITH NEW WIRES. WHILE REMOVING WIRES, LIME (CALCIUM OXIDE) WAS DISRUPTED, DRIVEN BY WIND , LIME WENT UNDER SAFETY GLASSES INTO THE RIGHT EYE.

EE WAS PUTTING AWAY SUPPLIES IN A TWO-DOOR METAL SUPPLY CABINET. EE CUT THE MIDDLE FINGER OF HIS RT. HAND ON A SHARP EDGE ABOVE THE TOP SHELF. EE WAS SEEN BY MD ON 5/2/03 & RECEIVED 6 SUTURES TO HIS HAND. EE WAS PLACED ON RESTRICTED DUTY. NO LIFTING, PUSHING, PULLING MORE THAN 10 LBS. WITH HIS RT. HAND.

EE REPORTED TO HIS SUPERVISOR THAT HIS LEFT SHOULDER WAS SORE WHEN ASKED TO MANUALLY FILL 50 LB. BAGS OF CRUSHED LIMESTONE. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHEN HOW OR WHERE HE INJURED HIMSELF. HE MAINTAINED THAT HE WAS NOT INJURED AT HOME. HE WENT TO HIS OWN MD WHO SAID INJURY WAS WORK RELATED. SENT EE TO COMPANY MD ON 3/25. MD IS TREATING INJURY AS WORK-RELATED AT THIS TIME. UNDER INVESTIGATION.

AS EMPLOYEE WAS WALKING FROM THE PARKING LOT TO THE LUNCH ROOM TO REPORT FOR WORK A PIECE OF SAND BLEW INTO HIS LEFT EYE. HE WAS TREATED AT ADVANCED EYE CARE WHERE THE PARTICLE WAS REMOVED. HE ALSO RECEIVED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.

WHILE CARRYING A PIECE OF PIPE, HIT FOOT ON PIPESTAND AND FELL. PIPE LANDED ON LEFT THUMB, INJURY REQUIRED STITCHES. NO LOST TIME OR RESTRICTED WORKDAYS. INJURY OCCURED AT SPECIALTY MINERALS M INE NAME ADAMS.

EE WAS WALKING FROM QUARRY CRUSHER TO BREAKROOM AND SLIPPED ON SNOW COVERED ICE AND FELL ON RIGHT SHOULDER.

EE WAS OBSERVING REMOVAL OF ICE HANGING FROM A ROOF AND FELT DUST BLOW INTO HIS EYE. HE WAS UNABLE TO FLUSH THE PARTICLE OUT OF HIS EYE AND WAS REFERRED TO AN OPTOMOLOGIST. DR FLUSHED THE EYE OUT. HE WAS WEARING SAFETY GLASSES WITH SIDE SHIELDS.

EE WAS TRAVELING ACROSS PLANT RAILROAD TRACKS ON A 4500# CAPACITY FORKLIFT WITH TIPS APPROXIMATELY 2"" ABOVE ASPHALT & BOOM TILTED FORWARD. RIGHT FORK TIP JUST HIT TOP EDGE OF RAIL CAUSING FORK TO BURY AGAINST RAIL IN ASPHALT. EE HAD SEAT BACK. THE FORCE OF IMPACT CAUSED SEAT TO DETACH FROM FORKLIFT. EE HIT STEERING COLUMN WITH CHEST & KNEES. HE WAS SEEN BY MD WHO GAVE RESTRICTIONS.