25 incidents & 1 update (10/9/12)

2012 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

CRANE FATALITY Mill accident kills one (a worker died after a 12:55 p.m. accident – when emergency workers got the call for the apparent accident, it was indicated the victim was caught in a crane, and was injured and bleeding badly – worker was taken to a Hospital where he was pronounced dead)

AMPUTATION Port worker loses limb (a man has lost his foot after becoming entwined in a cable at the Port – the man, who works in log operations, got caught in a cable about 10.30am – the tension of the cable wrapped around his leg was so strong it caused either his lower leg or foot to become detached – he was taken to hospital in a serious condition)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Wilmington woman struck and killed by forklift (a woman, 53, has been struck and killed by a forklift at a metal recycling center – an employee was using a forklift just before noon when the accident occurred – the worker used the forklift to put a large metal container on the ground and then got off the machine – the forklift then began rolling backwards and the employee jumped back onto it in an effort to control it but was unsuccessful – the forklift struck the worker, pinning her against a wall – she was pronounced dead at the scene)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Man killed in bagging machine accident (a worker, 42, has been killed when he got caught in a bagging machine at a factory – Police and ambulance officers have spoken with workers at the hay processing plant to determine how the accident happened – the worker became trapped in the bagging machine just before 8am – there was a fatality at the same plant last year when a man, 58, was crushed by a large hay baling shuttle in December)

LOTO/GUARDING Worker’s arm crushed in industrial accident (a woman working for automotive supplier was admitted to a hospital after her arm was crushed in machinery – she had just started her shift when her arm became caught in the machinery at 7:30 a.m. – she suffered a fracture to her hand and her forearm was crushed – she later was transported to a Medical Center for surgery)

AMPUTATIONS Oil worker loses toes in accident (worker, 59, lost all the toes on his left foot after it was crushed in an accident – he will have to learn to walk again after his foot was crushed in an accident at work – he was working when machinery weighing three-quarters of a tonne crashed down on to him – he lost all the toes on his left foot)

FORKLIFT 2 hurt in forklift accident at north NJ business (two men have been hospitalized after an accident at a business that makes granite countertops and cabinets – the accident occurred around 8:20 a.m. when 1 of the workers was attempting to move a piece of granite onto a forklift – the other man was operating the forklift – the granite apparently became too heavy for the first worker to handle, and it soon fell on him – the forklift driver then jumped out of the vehicle to aid his colleague, but did not put the forklift in neutral – the forklift then rolled into both men, who each suffered leg and hip injuries that were not considered life threatening)

HOTWORK on DRUM Solvent explodes, burns repair worker (a freak accident sent a man to the hospital onboard an emergency helicopter – a worker was using a blow torch to open a 55-gallon drum of solvent when it exploded – he was burned on his arms, face and chest)

FLASH FIRE Authorities: 7 suffer burns in explosion at northern NJ ink manufacturing plant (seven workers suffered burns when an explosion occurred at an ink manufacturing plant – workers were mixing newspaper ink in a vat when a carbon compound apparently ignited around 1:15 p.m., sparking an explosion and a fire in the building’s ductwork – plant workers tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the blaze, which was soon contained by borough firefighters – at least one injured worker was being treated at a hospital, but most were treated at the scene – none of the injuries are considered life-threatening – the cause of the explosion remains under investigation)

ACID Worker sprayed with acid (a man, 49, suffered acid burns to his face and torso at a milk powder factory – he was treated and discharged – the man, an electrical contractor, was working in the waste-treatment factory beside the milk powder factory when the accident happened – he had unknowingly leant on a pipe containing sulphuric acid to work on an instrument beside it when the pipe burst, spraying him with acid – the man went into a safety shower immediately, which minimised the burn injuries)

ELECTROCUTION in BUCKET TRUCK Police ID worker electrocuted in Delaware (the victim, 50, caught on fire after being electrocuted – the investigation revealed that he as working in a bucket style truck around 4:20 p.m. – while raising the boom of the truck, it came into contact with power lines which caused the victim to be electrocuted – he caught fire as a result of the electrocution – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

CHEMICAL UPDATE Toxic leak in South Korea sickens thousands, ruins crops (an explosion at a chemical plant has left thousands of people with health complaints – it has affected hundreds of acres of farmland and thousands of livestock – a toxic leak from an explosion at a chemical plant in the nearby two weeks ago has left farmers empty handed – thousands of people in the area have been affected by the blast at the chemical factory on September 27, which killed 5 people and injured 18 others at the time – the exact cause of the explosion, which involved 8 tons of hydrofluoric acid, is still being investigated, according to authorities – the blast spread toxic vapor from the acid across the surrounding area)

AMMONIA Ammonia Leak Causes Evac, Road Closures (an ammonia leak at an ice plant closed down two roads and forced an evacuation – the accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. – portions of roads and are temporarily closed to motorists and pedestrians)

CONSTRUCTION

HOTWORK Worker set centre ablaze by accident (the roof fire was started accidentally by workmen who battled in vain to put it out before firefighters arrived to deal with the incident – the fire is believed to have been started when felting was being heated by a workman using a heat gun – no-one was using the centre at the time and the workmen were working on the outside of the building)

FATAL SCAFFOLDING COLLAPSE Two worker killed in scaffolding collapse in China (two workers were killed and two others injured after a scaffold collapsed at a construction site – four workers were buried under the scaffold which collapsed – while two of the workers succumbed to serious injuries, the other two injured are under observation at a hospital – the workers were cleaning the walls of a building when the scaffold collapsed – they are still investigating the cause of the accident)

CONCRETE POUR FATALITY Fatal Highway Construction Accident (a construction worker was killed in that accident when workers were pouring concrete to form a retention wall along the road – the metal form that holds that 24 by 12ft wall in place during construction, fell killing him and injuring three others)

HOTWORK Cutting tool accident caused fire at Memorial Union (a fire caused about $10,000 in damage to the attic and roof of a University building at 7:38 a.m. – the fire started near the ground level of the theater – the fire worked up a wall and into the attic and roof – a worker was using a cutting tool and accidentally ignited flammable materials in the area)

FLASH FIRE Three hurt as fire burns multi-million dollar homes in Seattle (three people were hurt and six homes were damaged when a furnace exploded on a waterfront home under construction just after 3:30 p.m. – one construction worker suffered serious burns and was taken to a Medical Center, but his condition was not known – two firefighters had to be treated for heat exhaustion – investigators said the fire started when paint fumes ignited after the furnace turned on)

HOTWORK Welding torch may have sparked fire at UVA practice facility (investigators believe a welding torch may have caused the roof of the new indoor practice facility to go up in flames – the fire may have started when construction crews cut a hole in the metal deck with the tool – the $13 million football facility is currently under construction)

HOTWORK Welding sparks West Linn High fire (a fire at a High School has forced administrators to cancel classes – around 2:30 p.m. firefighters evacuated the High School after smoke was reported coming from the roof of the building – a welder was doing work hen some nearby bushes caught fire – the fire spread into a heating and air conditioning venting system, above the sprinkler system – no injuries have been reported)

HOTWORK Two workers hurt in Machine Guns Vegas fire (a pair of maintenance workers using welding torches accidentally torched a gun range when air filters caught fire inside the building – the store’s sprinkler system managed to keep the fire in check, and firefighters were able to extinguish it – the workers were taken to a Medical Center with minor injuries – damage was estimated at $100,000)

MISCELLANEOUS

FARM FATALITY Fatal Agriculture Accident in Gainesville (at approximately 1:24 P.M. State Police responded to a report of an agricultural accident that left a farm worker, 86, seriously injured – worker was struck by a farm vehicle while harvesting potatoes – the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene by the County Corner – investigation into the accident is pending at this time)

GREASE BURNS @ RESTAURANT Condition of burned restaurant worker improves (the condition of an 18-year-old restaurant worker badly burned when his arm went into a deep-fat fryer has improved – he was in fair condition – the teen had been taken from the restaurant in critical condition – the worker suffered burns to his arm and side when he slipped and his arm went into a deep-fat fryer, suffering what appeared to be second-degree burns over 20 percent of his body)

TREE TRIMMER ELECTROCUTED Worker electrocuted while trimming trees (a man trimming trees from a bucket truck was electrocuted – he was found slumped over the bucket of the utility-type truck after he reportedly came in contact with overhead power lines – it is currently unknown if the bucket was insulated or not – Fire Rescue had to wait for power to be cut off before they could perform a rescue – the victim was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead upon arrival)

What’s New this week @ SAFTENG.net

2012 Photo of the Week # 40 (Hotwork)

2012 Video of the Week #40 (CO2 Incident @ Fast Food Restaurant)

Oregon OSHA – Adopted Changes for the Confined Space Standard

OSHA Enforcement Memo – Use of Flexible Hoses in Toxic Gas Service (10/2/2012)

OSHA cites paint business $138K for PSM deficiencies (Flammable Liquids)

CORONA: Man accused of posing as OSHA inspector arrested

Fatality Alert – Failed Handrail

A rare RMP General Duty Clause citation (NH3 refrigeration)

EPA Region 10 RMP Citations @ two (2) fruit companies (NH3 Refrigeration)

Mists created by the use of compressed airlines for the removal of metalworking fluids – Assessment of the possible exposure health risks

Ohio’s PSM/RMP General Duty Clause