30 incidents & 1 update (6/20/12)

2012 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION Surviving worker from Arvin explosion released from hospital (a man was rushed to the hospital following an oil tank explosion that killed his co-worker, 24 – a metal recycler is recovering at home after being burned in a oil tank explosion that killed his co-worker – a two-person crew was using a torch to remove pipes for a scrap metal recycling company when vapors inside the tank ignited and caused the explosion – one worker died at the scene)

FATAL FALL Worker killed falling from pylon (a worker, 24, was killed after he fell ten metres from an electricity pylon – he died instantly upon impact – he was working on a 110 kv high voltage pylon when the accident occurred – it is still unknown how he came to lose his grip and fall as colleagues looked on)

LOTO/GUARDING Worker airlifted from plant (a worker, 48, at a local printing company and box manufacturer injured his hand and arm after they got stuck in a machine at the plant around 1:50 p.m.- his left hand and arm were freed from the machine in about 15 minutes by other workers and firefighters)

FATALITY @ STEEL MILL Accident claims one life at Mill Steel in Cascade Township (a man died in some type of industrial accident at a steel mill at 3:19 AM – the worker was hit with some steel and had a head injury – fellow co workers at the business had started CPR on the man before rescuers arrived, but he could not be revived)

GRINDING WHEEL EXPLODES Industrial Accident Sends Worker to Hospital (a worker, 36, is in hospital after an accident at a metal recycling plant – he was using a hand-held metal grinder when the blade of the grinder shattered and pieces of it struck his leg, causing a very deep, serious cut to one leg – he was conscious when paramedics arrived and is in serious, but stable condition in hospital)

UPDATE on LOTO FATALITY Mass. food plant cited by OSHA after worker death (OSHA has cited a food plant where a worker was killed with nearly 20 safety violations – plant failed to train the worker and six others on hazardous-energy control procedures, which shut down machines before maintenance or cleaning – cited for failing to conduct periodic inspections of the procedures and having an exposed chain and sprocket on a conveyor at the plant, which makes hummus – OSHA, in response to what it called the willful and repeat violations and the “nature of the hazards,” has placed the company on its Severe Violator Enforcement Program – the company “deeply regrets” the December accident in which a worker, 28, was pulled into a machine he was cleaning and was killed – company faces more than $700,000 in proposed fines)

OIL RIG ACCIDENT Gas Well Worker Airlifted After Work Site Accident in Lawrence Township (a gas well worker has been airlifted following a worksite accidident – worker was pinned between a tractor trailer and a piece of equipment – it is unknown at this time the severity of his injuries)

MINE FATALITIES TWO DIE IN BOTSWANA DIAMOND MINE ACCIDENT (two diamond mine contract workers were killed when the ground at the entrance to a mine collapsed)

Bulldozer Kills San Leandro Recycling Plant Worker (an employee, 66, has been crushed to death by a bulldozer at a recycling plant – he was directing traffic at the plant when the bulldozer ran over her legs and hips – she died at a hospital – she had worked at the plant for nearly 13 years – she was directing people to drop-off areas and was wearing a bright yellow vest and hardhat when she was struck – the bulldozer operator is a 22-year employee)

CYLINDER EXPLOSION Worker injured in gas explosion (a worker suffered superficial injuries when a gas cylinder exploded at a power plant – he was injured by shards of glass from a windscreen when the lorry he was driving punctured the cylinder)

DUST EXPLOSION Explosion In Office Of Lexington Concrete Company (officials say dust may have sparked an explosion inside the office of a concrete plant – a worker was loading a truck with mortar mix around midnight when he heard the explosion and called 911 – the force of the blast blew a door open and bent the frame – it also sparked a small fire inside the building – there were no reported injuries)

FATAL EXPLOSION Chinese worker missing, another injured in blast at S. Korean plant (one worker went missing and another was injured in a gas explosion at an adhesive manufacturing plant that killed two people, left two missing and injured eight – the explosion, which occurred at around 11:35 a.m. leveled one building and damaged three others at a factory – two bodies had been found so far, while two workers remained unaccounted for and eight others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals – police suspected the blast may have been caused by overheating in a tank while workers were mixing solvents to make glue and resin for paint)

REFINERY FIRE UPDATE Fire Caused By Ruptured Pipe (officials at the refinery are releasing new details about the cause of last February’s Fire – the fire was caused by a ruptured pipe in the distillation tower used to convert crude oil into diesel, gasoline and jet fuel – the 6 in. pipe corroded over time, and the pressurized fuel inside only needed to be exposed to oxygen to burst into flames – nobody was hurt in the fire, but it shut down the refinery affecting local gas supplies – they’ve increased monitoring at similar pipes at the refinery to make sure any corrosion is found before the pipes rupture and cause another fire)

REFINERY FIRE Crews douse refinery fire in Port Richmond section of Philadelphia (fire crews battled a fire at a refinery that broke out at 6:30 a.m. – a gas boiler caught fire on the second floor, sending flames shooting up through a chimney – crews were able to contain the fire to the boiler room and was declared under control in less than half an hour – no one was injured – investigators are still working to determine what sparked the blaze)

STEAM DRUM FAILURE Buckeye Technologies Shuts Down After Explosion (a machine malfunctioned sending employees into a sprint just before 5:30pm – a failure of a steam drum on a paper machine caused a lot of damage)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak temporarily shuts down Tyson plant (an ammonia leak suspended operations for the day at a beef slaughter plant and sent workers home – a small crew of maintenance and sanitation workers were at the plant – the workers were evacuated – no injuries were reported)

CONSTRUCTION

CRANE FATALITY Worker killed in 100ft crane snap (a worker was killed in a horror 100ft plunge when a crane snapped – he is understood to have been thrown from the cherrypicker and was battered by scaffolding as he fell to the ground – aA colleague below is thought to have been hit by the toppled section of crane — and was rushed from the the towering office block with serious head wounds – EXCELLENT PHOTOS @ Link)

FATAL FALL from BUCKET TRUCK Fall River worker dies after being thrown from raised bucket truck (driver charged with negligent driving – accident caused injury to a Police Department Signal Division employee, 63 – the signal operator for the police department, died after being thrown from a bucket truck as he worked on a traffic signal Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. – he was in the bucket of the city lift truck working on the overhead traffic light at the intersection when the truck was hit by a passing tractor trailer)

MANLIFT FATALITY Two Dead in Separate Industrial Accidents (a worker, 51, is dead after an accident that happened around 9:00 a.m. – he was working on an elevated lift when it collapsed and overturned – he fell to the ground and was taken to a Medical Center where he died)

COMPRESSED AIR CYLINDER FAILS Construction Worker Hurt In Port Tunnel Accident (a construction worker taking part in the construction of a Tunnel was lifted from the tunnel by crane, then taken to the hospital for treatment after a compressed air cylinder apparently burst inside the tunnel – one person was hurt when the cylinder exploded for reasons not yet known – the cap from the cylinder apparently struck the person, causing undetermined injuries)

WORKZONE FATALITY Man struck and killed in D.C. (a worker in his 80s was killed when he was struck by a truck at a construction site around 9:30 a.m. – he was taken to a hospital where he died)

CRANE FATALITIES 5 Chinese workers killed when Russian crane falls (a crane crashed to the ground on a construction site, killing five Chinese workers and injuring five more – workers were part of a crew building a power plant – cause of accident was not immediately clear – four people were killed immediately and the fifth died in the hospital)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Construction accident sends 3 workers to hospital (accident at a construction site sent three people to the hospital – three workers fell about 10 feet from a construction site – one suffered a head injury – the other two were transported to a Medical Center with injuries not expected to be life threatening)

SCAFFOLDING COLLAPSE Scaffolding accident injures two (two workers injured in a scaffolding accident fell 15 to 20 feet at 2:48 p.m. – the scaffolding they were using had two legs that stand on the ground and are attached to the top of the building – a platform between the legs is raised and lowered with a hand crank – the workers were lowering the platform when it fell – the workers were transported to a hospital with moderate and serious injuries)

OUTRIGGER ACCIDENT Truck crushes Mollison Street worker (a worker, 27, was crushed between an outrigger and a concrete truck – he was flown to hospital in a critical condition – the man had been caught between an outrigger and a concrete truck – initial reports suggested the man was packing up the truck when the incident occurred)

FALL into TRENCH Man Rescued After Falling 20 Feet Into Trench (a man is recovering from serious injuries after he fell about 20 feet into a concrete trench about 10 a.m. – took a team of almost 30 people to rescue the man – he remains in serious condition)

MISCELLANEOUS

Worker crushed to death at antiques market (a worker, 38, at an antiques market was killed after he was crushed by a piece of heavy machinery – a metal pill presser fell onto him – no one saw the machinery fall onto him, but dealers at the market helped lift the equipment off the man – a bystander administered CPR on the man, who was conscious when emergency responders arrived and took him to a Hospital – he died around 8 p.m.)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Safety concerns after manhole death (a worker, 50, was working inside a manhole at a gas station when he was hit and killed by a driver – the driver of the vehicle, 52, had just finished fueling her car and was leaving the gas station when she hit the manhole opening and the under-carriage of her car entered the hole and struck the worker)