Unimin Minnesota CorporationMining Incidents in 2009

Employee was pulling pins on a bucket of a machine which requires hammering and lifting.

EE was changing oil for 14G blade (unit 304002). As he reached in to change the filter, his arm was fully extended. When he pulled on the filter wrench, he felt a pull in his upper right arm, the muscle had been pulled. The poor design of this area of the blade is considered to be a major factor in this injury. It is very difficult to change oil filters on this equipment.

Employee was using a sledge hammer to loosen rock and felt strain in his lower back. Employee went to clinic and was placed on modified duty.

Employee was standing at the side of the catwalk to clear rocks, he was reaching and pulling the rocks toward him instead of getting on the catwalk and picking them up, he heard a ""pop"" in his sternum. Employee went to the doctor and was placed on modified duty.

Employee was mowing lawn on his shift. After his shift he went home and woke up in the middle of the night with an irritated left eye. He went to the eye clinic where he was given prescription eye drops.

Employee was closing a discharge hopper door. While bending down he felt a strain in his upper groin. Employee went to Urgent Care and was placed on modified duty.

Employee lifted a torch tank into the back of a maintenance truck and strained his lower right back. Employee was seen by chiropractor and placed on modified duty for 2 days.

Employee was stepping off of platform and stepped in to I beam, rolling his ankle, which resulted in a sprain. He is placed on modified duty.

Employee was installing a chute in the screen room adjacent to a ladder, vibration caused a wrench to fall from the ladder and struck the employee in the mouth chipping his front tooth. Employee had his tooth filled in by the dentist.