VULCAN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, LPMining Incidents in 2008

After hours, the small out building (Approximately 10 ft. X 15 ft.) caught fire and was extinguished by the local fire department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

EE was replacing a pipe under a screen tank. He noticed after cutting,couple sparks falling on a rubber hose. He poured a bucket of water into the hose then covered the hose to prevent further problems. He noticed smoke again coming from the pipe. With assistance & fire extin, he determined the fire out of control and contacted

Fall of material from the back on the level 1 to level 2 decline most of the material that fell was caught in the mesh on the back. The loose ground in the mesh above the decline impeded use of the primary escapeway

Repairing fueling system of truck, he put hand into auger.

Miner was adjusting the fork on the forklift - left hand was smashed on the frame. Improper hand placement resulted in this injury.

Employee's left thumb was caught between slide gate and slide plate.

Employee said excavator shut off and the seatbelt jerked him back in his seat.

Climbing onto top of bulk truck, he tripped on a hose, fell onto nitrate bin cover, broke/dislocated left elbow.

EE was putting up a mod office in shop. EE pulled a panel when he felt a sharp pain in left shoulder. The EE tried to work through the injury, but shoulder was not improving. On 12/8/09 EE 1st saw dr and diagnosed with a strain without restriction. During layoff the EE received medical restrictions. Layoff callback occurred on 3/19/10, but EE could not return due to restrictions.

Injured worker was attempting to remove a tire from the 980G front end loader, when the tire slipped out of the tire holder and caught his right foot between the outrigger and the tire.

The rear wheels of a service vehicle sank into a small drainage trough in the plant while the truck was parked. The employee was standing at the rear of the truck. The step on the rear of the truck smashed the employees foot behind the steel toe, causing a laceration and fractures of the foot.

EE parked the Bulk Truck, went to step out of the truck, fell backwards, truck rolled backwards, left front tire ran over left foot.

EE was performing maintenance on 82 ton Linkbelt Crane. EE completed job on crane, was getting off truck and stepped onto 4' ladder he was using to access truck deck and slipped and fell to the ground. He fractured three bones in his left ankle. Ladder was still in place when he looked up from his fall. Surgery on ankle to repair fractures on 2/7/08 @ 21:30 hours.

Employee operating man basket lift in close to chute being dismantled. Man lift became hung on metal angle iron. Employee had his head between the control station and chute when it dislodged catching employee's head.

EE twisted L knee as he walked on frozen ground to restroom while doing maintenance in plant area. Initial diagnosis was bruise and strain to knee; full duty, no restrictions. On 5/19 EE complained of occasional soreness and stiffness to knee. Sent to orthopedic surgeon; MRI determined a tear of posterior of medial meniscus. Surgery scheduled fo June 8th to repair.

Injury initially occurred on 1/10/08 when employee injured right arm while removing cheek plate bolt from jaw crusher. Did not become reportable until 5/28/08 when the employee had surgery on torn bicep muscle in right arm.

Injured employee working fell from conveyor belt and hit his head.

Employee was unloading tool from tool box when he heard a pop and felt pain in his lower back.

Employees were attempting to clean rocks from punch plate holes, striking rock with a hammer causing fly rock. A piece of rock struck injured on nose. He did seek medical attention; however, when he began having difficulty breathing decided to be checked by the company Occupational Health doctor. Forwarded to an ENT for further evaluation. Surgery 2/11/2009.

EE injured his knee when he jumped off a barge coalman app. 2-3 feet. He did not seek medical treatment until 12-17-08 and was returned to work. He went back to the doctor on 12-22-08 was given work restrictions which made this incident reportable. It is being reported within the required 10 working day time frame since he began losing time on 12-22-08.

Employee was cutting a rubber hose with a utility knife and the blade went through the hose and hit his left hand between his thumb and index finger causing a deep laceration partially cutting a tendon.

Injured employee stepped out of service truck and injured employee was struck by the passenger side door causing a contusion to the right knee.

Employee was positioned on top of the transmisson of a loader to remove hydraulic filters. He had loosened a filter and was turning it the rest of the way off and suddenly had a sharp pain in his back.

EE took break to walk/stretch legs. The EE then climbed the access ladder onto the haul truck and felt a pull in his lower back from pulling himself up onto the bottom step (33"" high). The EE tried to care for his back himself however the pain was not going away, EE went to clinic on 6/4/08. He was diagnosed with a back strain, given physical therapy and modified work restrictions.

EE was walking out of operator building; his left foot slipped on last step of stairs and twisted his knee.Dr. originally felt he would benefit from an ace bandage while his knee mended.However, when employee returned to doctor on April 30 he was fitted with a leg brace splint to help stabalize the knee for mending.

The EE was walking up catwalk & ducked out of the way to avoid a water drip & struck his head against the water feed pipe to the manifold.EE lost his balance and begin to fall backward. EE struck his forearm on the water feed pipe in his attempt to catch himself. EE did not go to the doctor until 3/7/08.

Employee error. Employee slipped off bumper stepping from 330L excavator track to bumper on fuel truck. This led to the sprain of the left knee, which later turned out to be damage to the meniscus of that same knee. This was not originally an MSHA reportable case, but became one later on when he needed surgery in mid April.

Employee's left foot was injured after a two-piece jaw die shifted and pinned his foot while changing the jaw die.

Injured EE wsa adding the new bumper rails to scales and the injured EE was supporting the pipe by hand, when the opposite end fell off its supports trapping finger, causing a broken finger.

The mine had recently changed resin suppliers and new boxes are fully glued. The miner used a razor knife to open the end of the resin box. The miner steadied the box with his left hand while cutting toward it with the knife in his right hand. The blade exited the cardboard and cut the left hand. The miner was taken to a medical facility and received stitches.

Injured was doing daily maintenance work and caught his finger between the punch plate and handrail. Resulting in stitches.

Employee was picking up the pads and attempting to put them back on the pegs located on the scene. While doing so he slipped and his finger got caught between the crane body and the pad, smashing/cutting his left hand finger.

The employee was removing old conveyor belt and got his hand caught between the belt and handrail causing a laceration to his index and middle finger.

Sudden movement causing strain to left shoulder.

Part slipped off positioner during welding and employee tripped over weld screen bracket while moving out of the way causing on contusion to ankle.

A boulder too large to enter the crusher cavity was lodged on the feeder. The injured was using a steel cable to wrap around the boulder. The cable would then have been hooked to a loader bucket and removed from the feeder. When he attempted to take the slack out of the cable it slipped and hit him in the left eye.

Employee had pulled on a wrench to tighten a hex head nut. He then took a last pull to cinch tighten the nut, when the wrench slipped off the grade 5 nut. The employee fell back to the same level injuring buttock.

Employee was installing a table bushing. Bushing became stuck on the second piece of drill steel. As the employee was aligning the piece of drill steel to lower, the bushing fell approximately six inches pinning his left pinky and ring finger between the table and bushing, resulting in fourteen stitches.

Employee was adjusting setting on jaw crusher while turning jam nut with pipe wrench, adjustment (bolt) rod broke. Spring was under pressure, spring came off and hit employee in chest.

Employee and coworker were trying to bolt holes on the ridged plastic discharge pipe from the quarry pump and connect to the steel discharge manafold on the main pipe. Employee alleges he jammed his left shoulder. After investigation was conducted, claim has now been accepted as a compensable claim.

Employee was walking to get tool from truck, stepped in depression near foot of stairs and stumbled, tripped on uneven ground. Employee requested on 7/10/08 to go back to the doctor because his foot was still swelling.

Employee was standing to the side of a company vehicle with his back turned to the back hoe. The bucket of the back hoe hit the employee in the back, throwing him into the company vehicle. This resulted in a bruised back.

Dismounting loader, had one foot on the ground and one foot on the 980G Cat Loader when the operator strained his back.

Employee was using a #16 hammer to beat the side of the chute to dislodge material. As he was swinging the hammer he noticed something pulled in his shoulder.

While gassing up the air compressor, another employee tossed a socket approximately 15' - 20' up to a work area. The socket missed the work area and fell on the employees left foot.

Employee was tightening bolts on the rock hammer located at the primary crusher. He was using a 16 lbs hammer and a knock wrench to tighten bolts strained right forearm and elbow. He was placed on restrictive duty on 5/28/08 no lifting over 5 lbs.

Employee was changing the oil on the John Deere 400 haul truck. When he was closing the belly pan he strained his back. This was not originally an MSHA reportable, but became one later when the employee went to the doctor and was put on restricted duty.

Employee was closing the gate at the end of his shift when the gate came off its hinges and fell onto the employee's little toe.

Employee was walking down stairs leading from an area where he had been inspecting fire extinguishers when he missed the fourth step, from the bottom of the stairs and fell. He fell on his right ankle.

Ensley Central Service employee 01-03226 was drilling holes in steel floor at switch house at Calera Quarry 01-00050; drill caught and twisted left and right wrists. Employee was applying a large amount of force onto a drill without enough leverage to keep drill under control.

While carrying two sample buckets down from 2 tower, about 3rd step down from top of bottom landing, employee's right knee had slight pop and sharp pain. He stopped for a brief second but someone else was coming behind him with buckets, so he continued down to the bottom.

The employee fractured two left ribs while changing a screen at the plant wash.

Injured EE was closing door on grader and had right hand in door jam on hinged side. EE pulled the door closed with left hand and mashed his right index finger.

Employee was digging a ramp shot out using a front end loader. He reported the digging to be rough and it caused him to bounce around inside the cab. He said he felt soreness in his neck and shoulder all week and on Monday he thought he needed to see a doctor.

Removing pipeline from dredge sleeve behind dredge (in a small boat). The pipeline came free, and the boat moved up striking left lower leg with flange on dredge sleeve. Left lower leg got pinned between the flange and the metal seat in the boat, resulting in a laceration to the left shin bone.

Lifting unit weights for quality control, she strained her back.

Employee, along with co-workers were changing screen wire on the bottom deck of a triple deck screen. At time of injury, employee was laying down on the floor underneath the screen's sheave guard tightening a nut and felt a pain in his back.

Employee was performing maintenance work on a 992C loader when he fell, causing a fracture to his wrist.

Employee was dragging a 2"" hose and slipped on a patch of ice. He took it easy and put ice on his R knee for several days. He later decided to go to the doctor and was diagnosed with a strained R knee and wrapped with ace bandage. On 1/28/08 it was decided because of his size and weight he needed to have a special brace ordered to immoblize the knee to aid with healing.

A miner slipped on snow, spraining the right knee. He finished the shift and worked the next shift, the 2008 workforce layoff date. After recall on 3/9/09, the miner performed regular duties, but discomfort / swelling continued. On 10/13/09, a doctor recommended surgery. The miner chose to work until 12/3/09. The surgery date was 12/4/09, the 2009 workforce layoff date.

Employee was trying to turn blow bar by rocking it over to check another blow bar. While he had his hand on the rotor, the rotor rocked back, his hand was caught between blow bar and frame.

Employee dropped the screen on top of his hand which was on top of another screen.

On 12/01/2008, employee was ending his shift. After dismounting the haul truck, he lifted a wheel chock to block the tires. While swinging it into place he felt a pop in the left shoulder. On 12/02/2008, he had a diagnostic visit with a physician for a left shoulder strain. During the follow-up visit on 12/12/2008, the physician schedueled him for physical therapy.

Employees were removing empty oil drums from service truck. Injured employee was stepping down from bed onto bumper step. As he was stepping down form the bumper, his foot slipped and he fell to the ground landing on his hand.

The scaling machine operator was descending the two step ladder of the machine, when the right foot made contact with a stone on the mine floor irritating the Achilles tendon. At 2:29 pm on 12/1/2008, the miner sought medical attention at a clinic where a doctor diagnosed the condition as tendonitis. The miner resumed his regular duties at 4 pm on 12/1/2008.

EE was removing old lip shroud from loader bucket using a pneumatic wrench. While holding the worn bolt head with gloved hand the bolt spun causing laceration to left index finger.

The employee was cutting a conveyor belt with a utility knife, when the knife slipped and he cut the top of his left hand.

Employee was installing a return training roller when the conveyor belt slipped causing his hand to get caught between the roller frame and the conveyor.

The Employee was assisting another employee with welding a plate over a hole on the Coastal 216 Barge upper deck. The EE was wearing safety glasses and was not the employee doing the welding. The employee suffered from Superficial Injury of the Cornea (welders flash) per the doctor.

The employee was using a Dye Grinder to cut a piece of metal from a pressure washer. Possibly, the grinder bolt caught the parabolic metal putting the wheel in a bind. The metal became a projectile and hit the employee in the arm and face causing open wounds needing medical care.

Employee was drilling 1/8 inch metal plate with 3/4 inch drill bit on drill press. He needed to move holding clamp so bit would pass thru plate. While moving holding clamp and trying to align hole in plate, the bit unexpectedly contacted the plate, rotating the plate and cutting the employee's finger.

The employee was preparing an old pump house cleanout that was worn on one end to weld. Using a wire brush to remove the rust, he moved his pinky finger along the sharp end causing a laceration requiring stitches.

A 314 EP Butt Fusion System was being used to fuse pipe together. The injured employee was pushing up against the system to align the pipes together. When he pushed hard enough on the machine, part of it moved and pinched his finger between two parts of the machine.

A piece of metal from the chipping hammer or a bolt struck the injury employee in the left wrist.

Employee was attempting to remove rubber from a blown tire that was wedged between the rim of the truck. As he attempted to cut the rubber with his pocket knife, the knife slipped cutting two fingers on his left hand.

Pulling nail out of a board, when the nail came out he hit his arm on a pencil rod/all-threaded rod.

Employee was removing caliper from 725 truck. Lifted brake caliper and as he did, he pinched his ring finger between it and the truck. Required 9 stitches.

The employee was changing skirt rubber on the surge tunnel conveyor.He was carrying a piece of angle iron into the tunnel, lost his footing and fell backwards. It was propelled forward as he fell backwards. As the angle iron fell, the end closest to the employee struck him on the right foot , penetrated his boot and lacerated the inside of his foot.

The miner injured the right index finger while unhitching a trailer containing a dewatering pump. The trailer was rear heavy and the rear stabilizers were non-functional. While unhitching the trailer, it shifted upward pushing the pindle hitch back, trapping finger between hitch and bumper.

The employee was using a torch to cut a handrail to be replaced. A piece of slag fell into his boot burning his ankle. The employee did not seek medical attention until 5/22/2008 when he felt his ankle was becoming infected.

Employee was removing old teeth and installing new teeth onto the bucket of the PC750 excavator. While trying to remove one of the keepers on one of the old teeth, part of the keeper tool splintered off into his forearm.

EE's were lifting the base off the to of machine at the scales. After the base was lifted, the swivel on the clam shell moved causing the base to travel back 12"", catching the EE's left leg between the base and electrical bax attached to the midrail. This caused a lacertion to his leg.

Employee was using a hand grinder with a brush attachment to remove rubber material from a screen support tube being resurfaced. As material was being removed, the attachment caught on the rubber causing the grinder to kick back on EE. The results from this action caused a laceration to the upper left arm area requiring seven stitches to close the wound area.

Miner was using chain to hoist equipment. Chain swung and struck miner in upper mouth, breaking a tooth.

EE's tooth was chipped/fractured after the pry bar he was using slipped and struck his mouth while lining up a punch plate on the bottom deck of the #1 screen.

Employee sustained a concussion when he struck his hard hat against a welded safety strap underneath the bed of a haul truck. It occurred when he stepped up on a 30 inch ladder to grease the rear of a haul truck. The blow rendered him unconscious for a short period until his co worker woke him up. He start to go to sleep a second time but was kept awake by his co worker.

Stepping in front of chute, slipped and caught shelf with arm.

EE received seven staples at the top of his head after an air wrench from above struck him while standing underneath the grizzly bar at the primary feeder. EE was not wearing his hard hat.

Injured employee was emptying a chip hopper and a large amount of chips spilled on the ground. The employee was picking up the chips with his hands and throwing them into the chip hopper. While lifting a pile he did not realize he was standing on the other string of chips, he cut through the gloves and cuts his middle left finger. Resulting in stitches

Employee was using degreaser provided by mine. Later that evening he had an allergic reaction and was taken to hospital emergency room

The loader steering, shifting & direction is controlled by the left hand operating a joystick. The miner claims the repetitive motion of manipulating the joystick has affected his left thumb.

Employee was found on platform to MCC Building at load out bins. Employees performed CPR until EMS arrived.

Body was discovered in the pit at approximately 10:00am on September 3, 2008 by an employee. The body was not an employee or contractor so Greenville County Sheriff was notified along with MSHA. The sheriff took over the investigation and MSHA investigator arrived approximately 1:00pm. For additional information contact Greenville County Sheriff Dept.

Zalco truck driver was trying to free a rcok from the truck's tailgate and smashed his finger. He received stitches to the finger. Zalco is a customer truck at Cabarrus Quarry. The injured was an employee of Zalco Trucking, not Vulcan Materials Co.

On 7/7/08, an employee found an abandoned bicycle on the property. The police department was called to pick the bike up. After further investigation by the police dept. A search of the property was conducted. On 7/8/08 at approx. 9:00 am a body of an unidentified adult male was found at the base of the quarry. MSHA and the police dept conducted an investigation.

EE was assisting as a spotter for a forklift operator lifting a 41 foot I beam. Weight shifted falling on the EE's left foot causing bruising and swelling. EE was seen at Corporate Occupational Health Solutions for a contusion and open wound to left foot. He received modified work restrictions. No lost time from work.