"a fractured skull, broken arm, and broken collarbone....."

 

The lifting of items in our workplaces is a hazard that many take for granted. Here is a recent incident emphasizing the hazard of overhead lifting in our workplaces.

A smelter worker suffered an occupational accident last week while working on duty from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am (plant number omitted). The incident was caused by the detachment of an industrial bag, which contained a ton of alumina, from the locomotive in charge of mobilizing the material and driven by the worker.

When raising the cargo, one of the ends that connected the nylon to the forklift came off and, trying to avoid the collapse, the worker ended up, according to witnesses, with a fractured skull, broken arm, and broken collarbone.

The victim was identified as 44, who has a 12-year career with the smelter. According to witnesses, the accident took place on Line 1 (cell number omitted).

According to the testimonies of the workers in the area, the locomotives transport cryolite, an aluminum and sodium fluoride that is not harmful to health, however, the danger of the forklift lies in the weight of the cargo that ranges between 900 kilos and a ton Therefore, the detachment of the industrial bag could cause serious damage to an employee.

“These bags weigh a ton, it's like a big bag, this work is done manually with a forklift. The forklift had been having oil leak problems. When they lift the load, this is done by means of acceleration, at the moment in which the worker lifted the load, one of the ends of the bag burst. The comrade tried to dodge the issue so as not to fall into the cell, but the bag broke and he was trapped between the cell wall and the cargo, breaking his arm in three places,” explained a smelter worker who preferred to stay in the anonymity.

In turn, the worker explained that these bags are made of nylon and, in many cases, continue to be used despite being expired. He also denounced that because the state company did not deliver personal protection equipment three years ago, the affected person did not have a safety helmet, which aggravated the situation and caused a skull fracture.

In this regard, a source related to the company unofficially confirmed the accident and explained that the worker was discharged on July 8 (2022).

(The news media) contacted the nursing staff at the health center where the employee was hospitalized, who confirmed his age and explained that the diagnosis was "polytraumatized trauma."

According to the Spanish Emergency Society, this term refers to a patient "who has injuries as a result of trauma affecting two or more organs, or one who has at least one life-threatening injury."

The nursing staff confirmed that the patient would have been discharged last Thursday.

We pray that the injured worker recovers fully from their extensive injuries. We hope that the smelter in question will inspect the alumina bags in the future. It would be our assumption that the bag that failed was used repeatedly. Any lifting device where nylon is used needs to be inspected prior to use. Nylon in this incident was the bag, but more common is the use of nylon straps. Regardless, of bag or a strap. The same concern regarding damage to the nylon can be found. Though this may sound extreme, but when a nylon lifting device is damage (e.g., cut, abraded, etc.) beyond the manufacturer’s recommendation for safe use. The nylon lifting device needs to be cut in half. That is the only way to prevent its future use.

Please comment.