Working in a factory can be a rewarding, albeit, dangerous occupation. The manufacturing of equipment often requires heavy machinery that demands close attention to detail as well as safeguards in order to prevent the risk of workers suffering serious injuries in an industrial accident. Unfortunately, even the most diligent Missouri employee can become a victim of a traumatic incident.

Recently, emergency crews were summoned to a manufacturing plant in response to a call involving a worker suffering a severe arm injury. Crews arrived to discover that a woman’s forearm had been caught in machinery. She suffered an amputation of her lower arm and was receiving emergency aid from co-workers. In an attempt to stop the heavy bleeding, employees applied both pressure and bandaging until rescue personnel arrived on scene.

Workers took action to shut down the machinery in order to retrieve the severed limb in hopes of it being reattached. Fire fighters applied a tourniquet and rushed both the woman and her arm for emergency treatment. The victim was reported to be conscious during transportation to the nearest medical center.

The federal office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration stated that it would be conducting a thorough investigation into the company’s procedures and practices to ensure that all safeguards were in place at the time of the incident. It is likely that the critically injured woman will require an extended recovery and rehabilitation period though she may never recover full use of her limb — providing the reattachment surgery was successful. Anytime a Missouri worker suffers a traumatic injury due to an industrial accident, he or she often sustains significant economic damages. Workers are assured of the right to file a claim for benefits through the workers’ compensation program. An experienced attorney can provide assistance in filing these claims in order to help individuals receive all of the benefits to which they may be entitled.