Severe Workplace Injuries in Lake Wales, Florida
Employers in Lake Wales reported 24 severe work injuries to OSHA from 2015 through May 2025: 22 workers hospitalized and 6 amputations (25% of reports). Manufacturing accounts for the most reports. OSHA opened an inspection after 5 of them.
Reports by year
Industries
How workers were hurt
Parts of the body injured
OSHA inspections in Lake Wales since 2015
Workplace safety inspectors opened 54 inspections at Lake Wales workplaces, and 25 of them (46%) ended with at least one violation. Inspectors cited 56 serious, 0 willful and 0 repeat violations, with current penalties totaling $311,329.
Rules cited most often:
Recent inspections with penalties
| Employer | Violations | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Kegel LLC (referral, details) | 3 (1 serious+) | $10,642 |
| Petersen Industries, Inc. (complaint, details) | 9 (5 serious+) | $43,159 |
| Robin Builders, Inc. (complaint, details) | 5 (5 serious+) | $10,555 |
| Tank Holding Corp (complaint, details) | 5 (2 serious+) | $20,657 |
| Petersen Industries, Inc. (referral, details) | 1 (1 serious+) | $10,372 |
| General Engines Company, Incorporated (complaint, details) | 6 | $8,438 |
| General Engines Company, Incorporated (complaint, details) | 3 (3 serious+) | $16,877 |
| Pamlico Air (complaint, details) | 3 (3 serious+) | $29,004 |
| Prince Contracting, LLC (complaint, details) | 3 | $31,080 |
| Dura-Cast Products Inc. (complaint, details) | 3 (3 serious+) | $10,533 |
| Mountain Lake Corporation (referral, details) | 3 (1 serious+) | $11,026 |
| Medlock Tree Service, Inc. (complaint, details) | 3 (2 serious+) | $11,703 |
Penalties as currently recorded by OSHA; they can drop after settlement or contest. Inspection data covers federal OSHA inspections and state-run safety program inspections reported to OSHA.
Most recent reports
The 24 newest severe injury reports from Lake Wales employers, as OSHA published them.
May 1, 2025 · OneBlood Hospitalized
An employee was assisting with reversing a bus in a parking lot when they tripped over a parking block and fell, fracturing their arm.
Fall on same level due to slip or trip · Arm(s) · Health care and social assistance
May 15, 2024 · Petersen Industries, Inc. Amputation
An employee was operating a hydraulic press when the press crushed their right index finger, resulting in an amputation.
Caught, entangled in running powered equipment normal operation · Other finger(s) (other) · Manufacturing · OSHA inspection 1753689
May 11, 2024 · Dollar General Hospitalized
An employee was using a pocketknife to open a tote of merchandise. The knife slipped and lacerated the employee's left wrist.
Injured by object held or wielded by person · Wrist(s) · Retail
Sep 4, 2023 · Gem Stone, LLC Hospitalized
An employee was working with structural steel by an outside area. As the employee went to lay a nozzle down, it sprayed across his face. The substance blew through the shield and grit struck him in the face, eyes, and nose. The employee sustained abrasive injuries around the nose and in the eyes, requiring hospitalization.
Struck by discharged object or substance · Multiple face locations · Construction
Jul 14, 2023 · United Rentals, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was outside using hand tools when they began experiencing a rapid heart rate due to heat.
Exposure to environmental heat · Body systems · Real estate and rental
Jul 29, 2021 · Gosalia Concrete Constructors, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was walking near a pile driver to grab some chains when a metal pile pocket sitting on top of a template fell after being hit by the pile lead. The pile pocket bounced and hit the employee on his lower body, resulting in multiple fractures on both legs below the knee/shin area.
Struck by falling object or equipment · Lower leg(s) · Construction · OSHA inspection 1546699
Apr 23, 2021 · Oakley Transportation Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was installing insulation around a tank at 52 inches above the floor when they fell to the floor, resulting in an injured left ankle.
Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet · Ankle(s) · Transportation and warehousing
Oct 13, 2020 · Mountain Lake Corporation Hospitalized
An employee was landscaping around the entrance of the park when he was struck by a vehicle. The employee was hospitalized with a broken left leg and bleeding in the brain.
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area · Brain · Arts, entertainment and recreation · OSHA inspection 1498203
Sep 1, 2020 · Citrus World Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was walking into a filler room and started to step up on the threshold of the door but he slipped and fell, landing on his knee. He was hospitalized and required surgery for a broken left kneecap.
Fall on same level · Knee(s) · Manufacturing
Jan 22, 2020 · Empire Mitigation Restoration & Consulting Services, LLC Amputation
An employee was installing new drywall in a bathroom and slipped off the first step of a ladder resulting in a dislocated knee and hospitalization. The leg was amputated above the knee a week later due to poor circulation.
Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet · Knee(s) · Construction · OSHA inspection 1475070
Nov 9, 2019 · Citrus World, Inc. Hospitalized
Two employees got into a fight at a work station. The both went to the floor; one suffered a shoulder injury and was hospitalized.
Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving · Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e) · Manufacturing
May 31, 2019 · Citrus World, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was attempting to clear a jam on a filler machine when her right hand was pulled into the machine and pinched between the mandrel, resulting in lacerations and broken bones to the right hand.
Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Hand(s) · Manufacturing
Nov 13, 2018 · General Engines Company, Incorporated Hospitalized
An employee was clocking in with a key when he tripped on tools on the floor and fell to the cement ground, injuring his hip and requiring surgery.
Fall on same level due to tripping over an object · Hip(s) · Manufacturing
Apr 11, 2018 · Boral Roofing LLC Amputation
An employee was clearing sand from a conveyor belt when his pinky finger was caught and amputated between the belt and pulley. The belt and pulley were unguarded at the time.
Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning · Finger(s), fingernail(s) (other) · Wholesale trade
Jan 30, 2018 · Boral Roofing, Inc. Amputation
The employee was repairing the broken shaft on the drum of the conveyor that had been locked out. His finger was pinched between the shaft and the drum. When he removed his finger, the fingertip was amputated.
Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment · Fingertip(s) · Construction
Jan 10, 2018 · Ciitrosuco North America, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee fell down metal stairs injuring his legs, wrist and head. He was admitted to the hospital.
Other fall to lower level · Multiple body parts (other) · Manufacturing
Nov 1, 2017 · Citrus World Inc. Amputation
An employee's thumb was caught in an indexing chain, amputating the tip.
Caught in running equipment or machinery · Fingertip(s) · Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Oct 25, 2017 · Citrus World Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was standing in front of a palletizer when she was struck by a forklift, injuring both ankles and both feet. She then fell and lacerated the back of her head.
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area · Foot (feet) and ankle(s) · Agriculture, forestry and fishing
May 31, 2017 · General Engines Company, Inc. Amputation
An employee was using metal shears when the shear amputated his left fourth finger.
Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation · Finger(s), fingernail(s) (other) · Manufacturing · OSHA inspection 1239060
Jan 27, 2017 · Applied Aquatic Managemnet, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was driving an ATV spraying vegetation control around a pond on a golf course when the ATV flipped on its side and the employee fell off. The employee sustained a back injury requiring surgery.
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway · Back, including spine, spinal cord · Professional and technical services
Sep 22, 2016 · Trans Tech Energy, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was performing a vacuum procedure on a bulk 30,000-gallon propane tank. He was using an air compressor to blow air into the base of the container to create a tornado effect that subsequently vacuums the propane from the tank. A tool ignition source ignited the flammable gas, burning legs and face of the employee, who was 18 to 36 feet away from the opening.
Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids · Multiple body parts (other) · Utilities
Apr 3, 2015 · Lakes to Ocean Maintenance and Repair, Inc Hospitalized
An employee jumped from the back of an F-450 truck because the pulley hoist tipped over, resulting in injuries.
Other jump to lower level less than 6 feet · Nonclassifiable · Administrative, staffing and waste services
Mar 9, 2015 · Citrus World, Inc. Hospitalized
An employee was hospitalized with head trauma after falling from an 8-foot ladder while attempting to open an overhead valve.
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet · Brain · Manufacturing
Jan 24, 2015 · Florida's Natural Growers /A division of Citrus World, Inc. Hospitalized
Employee was hospitalized after falling 21 inches through a drain while cleaning. Employee suffered a fractured right knee, fractured rib, and punctured right lung.
Fall through surface or existing opening less than 6 feet · Multiple body parts (other) · Manufacturing
After a workplace injury in Florida
Most work injuries are handled through workers' compensation, which pays medical bills and part of lost wages whether or not anyone was at fault, and usually rules out suing the employer. A separate claim may be possible against someone else, such as an equipment maker or another company on the site. Reporting deadlines are short, so tell your employer about an injury right away.
Workers compensation lawyers in Florida
Lawbamba lists 904 workers compensation lawyers with an office in Florida, the practice area that deals with the workplace injury and OSHA inspection records on this page. These 4 come first in that listing (how the order is set).
Matched by practice area and office location only. These lawyers are not connected to the records on this page and have not reviewed or endorsed it.
Hurt at work in Lake Wales?
Compare workers' comp lawyers in FloridaOther Florida cities
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Source: OSHA's Severe Injury Reports, 2015 through November 2025 (loaded November 9, 2026). Employers must report any work-related amputation, loss of an eye or in-patient hospitalization to OSHA within 24 hours. Employer names, addresses and incident descriptions are as OSHA publishes them. A report records an injury, not a finding that the employer broke a rule; OSHA opens an inspection for some reports. The data covers workplaces under federal OSHA. States that run their own OSHA program (such as California, Washington, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia) are mostly missing, and work-related deaths are reported separately.
Lawbamba is not affiliated with OSHA or the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.