31 incidents & 2 updates (2/24/15)

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2015 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

Worker killed in accident at Alcoa plant (plant employee was killed about 6:30 p.m. – no details)

FORKLIFT Worker injured in accident at Meriden freight company (worker was injured after his foot was struck by a forklift shortly after 6:30 p.m. – worker was backing up on a forklift while another employee wasn’t paying attention while he was walking, said police spokesman – “He walked into the path of the forklift and his foot was struck” – worker was taken to the hospital)

GUARDING Worker injured in Plainville accident (worker was injured when her finger got stuck in a machine at a business bout 7:30 p.m. – her finger initially was reported stuck in a machine – injury ended up less serious than initially reported, with it being a laceration – ambulance took the woman to a Hospital)

UPDATE on PRCS FATALITY Recap: Concrete Worker Killed in East Cobb Identified (rescue crews took roughly six hours to retrieve the worker, 49, after he was declared dead – his body was retrieved from inside a silo at a concrete plant – he was working inside a silo with a colleague at approximately 3:05 p.m. when he lost his footing and fell – he was immediately buried by the gravel and sand inside the silo – Officials said that the recovery option took longer than usual due to the challenging weather conditions present in the area)

AMPUTATION Man’s Arm Severed In Bridgeport Work Accident (worker, 40, lost his arm in a workplace accident about 11:20 a.m. at a factory – he was taken to a Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition – details about the circumstances of the accident were not immediately available)

FATAL EXPLOSION Three die, 13 hurt in oil company explosion (a blast has killed at least three workers and injured 13 others – explosion occurred around 2:30 pm when workers were trying to dispose of chemical materials at the detonator unit of the factory – impact of the blast was such that the roof of the unit collapsed trapping several workers under debris – thirteen other workers, who were injured in the explosion, have been admitted into a hospital – four were reported missing – four of the casualties suffered 70 per cent burns and their condition is said to be critical)

FATAL EXPLOSION @ PAPER MILL Three killed in Shamli paper mill accident (three labourers working at a paper mill were killed after a digester exploded – several other workers were also injured in the accident, one of whom is critical – intensity of the blast caused damage to machinery and the building itself – there was a blast in the digester used to dilute paper-waste – debris from the blast was spread out over several meters)

FURNANCE Firefighter, worker burned by boiling liquid from industrial fire (a firefighter and a worker were burned by boiling water and molten metal from a furnace fire at a metal production facility just after 9 a.m. – fire crews responded to a report of an explosion in a furnace used to melt metal at a commercial building – firefighter manning a hose line in the smoky building accidentally stepped into a two-foot deep slag pit that is designed to catch molten metal – pit was filled to the brim with boiling water from fire hose runoff, but the firefighter didn’t see it because of smoke and steam from the blaze – boiling water spilled into the firefighter’s boots, causing first- and second-degree burns to his lower legs – worker at the plant also suffered several spot burns on his torso, face and head when molten metal spewed from the furnace as it exploded – the furnace is used in processing metal and normally operates at a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit – fire investigators ruled the fire was accidental, caused by a failure in the induction furnace – damage estimate is $85,000)

UPDATE on REFINERY EXPLOSION California refinery unit was down with problems before blast (the refinery unit that was damaged by an explosion was already offline for unplanned maintenance when the fire occurred – unit had been offline for two days because of problems when a different piece of equipment exploded – unclear how much damage the fluid catalytic cracking unit sustained or how long it will take to get it back online)

MINE FATALITY Rock Crushes, Kills Mine Worker in Pennsylvania (worker, 29, was killed at a mine after a large rock fell from the mine roof and crushed him – was installing roof bolts when the rock fell and he was trapped underneath – co-workers freed him and took him to the surface, where paramedics had arrived – coroner pronounced the man dead at the scene)

FATAL EXPLOSION Power chamber explosion kills one worker, injures two in BA City downtown (worker, 38, has lost his life when a power chamber exploded – two others were injured – victim was in working on the repair of the chamber and the maintenance of medium-voltage power lines when the explosion was registered – two other operators also working in the site were injured)

HOTWORK Fire at West Fargo Welding Building (firefighters put out a fire at a welding building around 9:00 a.m. – wooden pallets caught fire in the middle of the building and the area filled with smoke – cause of the fire is under investigation)

HOTWORK No One Injured After Fire At Steel Manufacturing Plant (a spark from work being conducted to close to a combustible metal caused a fire to break out at a steel manufacturing plant just before 1 a.m. – a box filled with aluminum caught fire, possibly due to welding that was happening near the bin – four people were inside the building at the time – no one was hurt – according to the Arson Unit, the fire was caused by an accidental spark from a cutting tool)

HOTWORK Fire damages Letcher business (business suffered minimal damage and will remain open after a fire broke out around 3 p.m. – business that specializes in the restoration and sale of stagecoaches, wagon and cannon wheels and horse-drawn vehicles – it is suspected that a spark off the welding equipment went askew, catching on insulation and setting the upper section of the building on fire – no injuries)

HOTWORK Sawmill fire destroys Easton business (worker was welding as another repaired an exhaust system in the mill – sparks from the welding equipment ignited sawdust that sparked the fire – he attempted to put the fire out but the flames spread and he fled the burning building)

HOTWORK EXPLOSION on TANKER TRUCK No one injured in tanker explosion (no injuries or residual fire were reported after a tanker exploded at a welding business – one man was working on a tanker truck inside the welding shop – a man and a woman working in an administrative office in the building at the time were not injured – the tanker trunk, which was used to carry used fracking water, was empty and had been cleaned before coming into the shop – the tank was not cleaned well enough and sparks from a grinder used by the man working on the truck ignited residual petroleum product in the tank – shop door on the building was forced off its hinges from the explosion)

EXPLOSION Three burned in accident at Northeast Side industrial plant (three workers were seriously injured in an accident at an industrial plant – Fire Department received a call about an explosion and fire at the coal mill – when firefighters arrived there was not an active fire – three people suffered burns to their face and chest area and possibly inhalation burns – all three were taken to a hospital in serious condition)

FATAL EXPLOSION @ AMMO PLANT Explosion at ammunition factory kills 2 in Mexico (two workers were killed and one was injured in an explosion at an ammunition factory at 2:20 p.m. – fire was brought under control and investigators are trying to determine the cause of the accident – factory makes ammunition for .22-caliber and other hunting rifles)

EXPLOSION @ cement plant Explosion at cement plant in San Antonio burns (three people were injured following an explosion at a cement plant just after 2 p.m. in a coal mill – by the time FFs arrived the company’s carbon dioxide suppressant system had already put out the fire – three employees suffered burns to their face and preliminary details indicated at least one was transported to an area hospital)

FATAL EXPLOSION @ Pharma Plant Three killed, 1 hurt in explosion at pharma unit (three persons were killed and one was injured in blast after fire at a pharmaceutical plant – blast occurred where acids and various other chemicals are manufactured – six persons were working at the plant when the blast occurred – cause of the fire and the subsequent explosion was yet to be ascertained)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak capped at Stockton business (an ammonia leak that forced a number of businesses to shelter in place overnight was cleared the next morning – leak, which was reported at about 8:30 p.m., was capped at about 2:20 a.m. – a shelter-in-place order was given for businesses and a motel in the area – no word on what caused the leak)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak at Port de Grave crab plant (an ammonia leak caused a stir at a crab processing plant – cause of the leak was a broken valve – it was discovered a short time after breaking – once the line was shut down, repairs were swiftly made and a new valve was installed – no one was injured at the plant)

CARBON DIOXIDE Workers OK after chemical exposure at Bellingham Cold Storage tenant (paramedics treated nearly a dozen people for potential respiratory problems after workers discovered a possible chemical leak at a Cold Storage facility – employees discovered too much chlorine dioxide was infused into water – the process of infusing chlorine dioxide into water is routinely for sanitizing surfaces at the facility – building was cleared of all contaminants)

CONSTRUCTION

FATAL MASONRY COLLAPSE Worker killed in Madison construction site accident (worker has died in a construction accident when the masonry at the site collapsed just after 7:30 a.m. – he had been working near a stairwell at the rear of the building and died later at a Hospital)

FLOOR COLLAPSE Worker hurt in accident at Ridgewood home (worker, 31, suffered a broken collar bone and shoulder in a construction accident where crews were working to install drywall – he was working on the second floor when the newly installed first-floor ceiling gave way – victim also sustained a head injury, colliding with a wooden support beam on the way down)

FATAL FALL down ELEVATOR SHAFT Elevator accident kills construction worker (worker was killed when he fell down an elevator shaft at a construction site around 8 p.m. – he fell down the elevator shaft from the 13th floor)

CRANE FATALITY Keizer crane operator killed when beam falls onto crane’s cab in NE Portland (worker, 40, died after a metal beam fell and pierced the cab of the crane he was operating – he died of blunt force head trauma – cause of the accident is under investigation by OR-OSHA – he had worked for the Crane company for three years, was lifting a 35-long steel beam by its end while building a retaining wall – the beam detached and sliced into the cab, killing the operator)

CRANE DEMO PREMATURE COLLAPSE Two injured in bridge crane collapse at Superior industrial site (a century-old bridge crane being prepared for demolition collapsed prematurely at an industrial site sending two workers to the hospital – two demolition workers were up on the crane preparing stress points to ensure it collapsed properly – workers had just cut a copper bus bar, part of the electrical service to the crane, when the structure collapsed – firefighters rescued one worker who was dangling from a lift by his safety harness – the second man who had been up on a separate lift was already on the ground by the time firefighters arrived – the man fell an estimated 75 feet when the bridge collapsed)

CRANE Crane crashes into driveway of house at Potong Pasir (crane toppled at a construction site at about 4.30pm and the boom of the crane hit the gate of a semi-detached house opposite – no one was in the crane at the time of the accident – no one was injured)

CRANE SPREADER BAR Two workers injured in crane incident (two workers have been injured in a crane incident at a Port loading facility – incident occurred on a ship at a Port construction project – the two men were involved in a crushing event, with early reports indicating that one worker has severe injuries to his leg – a spreader bar fell on the two workers – one has a severely broken leg, the other foot has been crushed so badly that amputation may be required)

MISCELLANEOUS

GUARDING City worker seriously injured in snow removal accident (worker, 31, a motor equipment operator II for the Public Works Department was seriously injured when his legs became entangled with a force feed belt loader that was being used to remove a snow berm – FFs worked two hours to free him – he had exited the cab of the belt loader and moved toward the front of the machine when the accident happened – CLICK HERE to see video of the equipment)

FORKLIFT Woman hit by forklift on Ramapo College campus (woman, 38, suffered a minor head injury when she was struck by a forklift on the college campus – accident occurred when the woman, who is the mother of a prospective student, was crossing a campus roadway – a truck was in front of the forklift and when the truck turned, the victim was struck on her side and knocked to the ground by the forklift – she was transported to a Hospital with pain in her right side and a minor injury to her head)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

RMP Facilities in the United States as of December 2014 (Congressional Research Service)

Region 5 RMP Presentation (one of the best)

OSHA Hospitalization, Amputations Reporting Inspection triggers

FLASH FIRE on top of “rig tank” (i.e. frac tank)

Anhydrous Ammonia at Refrigeration Facilities Under Scrutiny by U.S. EPA

Sulfuric Acid into Hydrochloric Acid tank (Unloading Incident)

2015 Photo of the Week #8 (Pipe Weld)

A look into what EPA expects in our RMP 3-year audits

2015 Video of the Week #8

(PPE Works – Homemade Safety Video demonstrating how PPE works)

What’s OSHA been up to for the past month?

ATTENTION BREWERS… Check your PRCS and HAZCOM practices!

What am I? (Safety Version)