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2012 Fatality Tracker
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INDUSTRIAL
FLASH FIRE in OILFIELD 4 Workers Seriously Burned In Reeves County Oilfield Accident (four oilfield workers are seriously burned in a rig accident – the injured workers suffered second and third degree burns – three of the injured workers were flown by an airplane to a Hospital, while the fourth worker was airlifted by helicopter to another hospital – the cause of the fire has yet to be determined)
ARC FLASH Mitchell Island worker hospitalized in industrial accident (an accident sent one worker to a hospital with undetermined burns – it happened at 2 p.m. when a male employee was working on an electrical box, which exploded and started a small fire – he was transported to a Hospital – no one else was hurt)
CRUSHING FATALITY Worker Killed in Accident Identified (a fatal industrial accident at a facility has claimed the life of a worker, 49 – a large generator fell on the worker and he was pinned underneath it – when the ambulance arrived, he was already dead – the worker was longshoreman and a mechanic and he was performing maintenance at the time of the accident)
LOTO FATALITY Factory worker died in print machine tragedy (a factory worker, 23, died from a severe head injury when a printing machine started while she was inside it – she is believed to have climbed over a safety gate to refill ink bottles on the machine without turning it off – she had been at the factory for about eight months and was making panels for washing machines when the accident happened – she had gone inside the machine to put thinners in the ink when it started and her head was caught between two components – Deputy coroner said she may have bypassed the safety gate to save time)
EXPLOSION Pune ordnance factory mishap leaves 4 injured, one critical (an accident at an ordnance factory left four workers injured, including one in a critical condition – the incident took place at 10.40 am when a particular composition that the four workers were mixing went off accidentally – the four are experienced employees and were working on a chemical composition in an area called Danger Building)
HF FATALITY @ REFINERY Tenn. Refinery Worker Killed, One Hurt In Hazmat Incident (one worker died and another was injured after they were exposed to a mixture of propane and hydrofluoric acid released from a ruptured sight glass – the workers, an employee and a contractor, received chemical burns when a small glass window shattered in a production line – the employee died at a Regional Medical Center after the 9:20 a.m. accident – it was the second death caused by an accident at the refinery this year)
OIL TANK FIRE Two workers suffer minor burns in oil tank blaze (two people suffered minor burns when one or more oil tanks reportedly caught fire – the injured people were energy company employees who had been working near the storage tanks when the fire broke out just before 2 p.m. – they received some very minor flash burn injuries – the men were treated on scene by emergency medical personnel – about 500 barrels of oil burned in the blaze)
FLASH FIRE Short burst of flames burns two workers at Drop Forge (two workers suffered very minor burns after an oil-based lubricant used in the forging process ignited, causing a short burst of flames – the workers were treated for first-degree burns at a local hospital – when they were forging, sparks flew and the oil spontaneously ignited, or flashed just after 7 p.m. at the plant – the workers’ injuries were not serious)
STEEL MILL Three workers injured in steel mill explosion (a minor explosion at a steel mill left one worker, 24, seriously injured and two others suffered light injuries – it is unclear what caused the incident – the two workers with less serious injures had burns on the faces, arms and legs and are being treated at a hospital)
PROPANE CYLINDERS UNLOADING EXPLOSION Wednesday night explosion injures two (two county workers were injured after an explosion at a propane tank refurbishment company – a tractor-trailer carrying 18 to 20 residential-sized propane tanks was being unloaded when the incident occurred – a boom truck was offloading tanks in stacks of three when the foot of one tank caught on another tank – the tanks flipped and during the tumble a valve sheared off, releasing a cloud of propane – the cloud found an ignition source and a flash fire ensued, causing an explosion – three workers were directly involved with the incident – one worker suffered second and third degree burns across 70 percent of his body while another was burned across 40 to 50 percent of his body, also second and third degree – the third worker was unharmed – the tractor-trailer carrying the tanks also suffered minor damages, the chassis and tires catching fire during the explosion)
FALL @ WWTP St. Helena employee injured after fall at sewer plant (a city employee suffered neck and lung injuries Twhen he slipped and fell 20 feet inside a concrete vault at the city’s wastewater treatment plant – the wastewater treatment plant operator, who was last seen at noon, was inspecting equipment and working on a valve when he fell into the underground enclosure – a fellow employee found him at about 1:50 p.m. – a member of the countywide rescue team trained in confined space rescues, went down a ladder to reach the man, who was standing in shin-deep water – another firefighter, similarly trained and equipped, acted as a backup – the firefighter, who went to the bottom of the vault, treated and helped the man get into a harness and brought him out – the injured employee was flown by Calstar to a Medical Center with cuts, neck and lung injuries)
AMMONIA Atwater Ammonia Leak Sparks Blast (residents are back in their homes after an ammonia leak at a food processing plant forced evacuations for several hours – there were no injuries – an explosion and 100 gallons of ammonia leaked from the plant – the ruptured rooftop pipe was quickly repaired – the 175 workers in the plant were ordered to leave and the county firefighters and sheriff’s deputies evacuated homes within a mile of the plant as a precaution – the evacuation order was lifted several hours later)
GAS LINE EXPLOSION No Injuries After Gas Line Explosion And Fire Near Goldsmith (two gas lines exploded outside of a plant around 6 PM – a large fire also broke out in the area of the explosion – the blaze torched a welding shop and some utility poles in the area – the owner of the ruptured lines shut off 4 miles of the line and let the fire burn out – the fire was ultimately extinguished around 7:30 PM after it had burned for about an hour and a half – plant evacuated all employees from the plant safely after the explosion happened – there are no reports of any injuries from the explosion)
LINE BREAK and AMMONIA Ammonia leak leads to evacuation (people were evacuated from their houses and others told to stay indoors after an ammonia leak – contractors cut into a pipe they believed had been isolated – it took the brigade about two hours to control the scene, it only took them just under 15 minutes to isolate the system and turn off the gas valve – the contractors were upgrading safety valves on the refrigeration unit but when they cut through the pipes they found the system was not isolated as they had been led by another contractor to believe – the contractor who cut the pipe was taken to a Hospital only as a precaution)
CONSTRUCTION
FATAL FALL inside WATER TOWER Officials ID worker killed in Pa. water tank fall (a worker, 31, died in a fall in an empty water tower – officials blame an equipment malfunction for the fall – a second worker was left hanging inside the empty tower for three hours in a safety harness until he could be rescued – the men were part of a crew hired to clean the inside of the tank – a third worker who was at the bottom of the 80-foot tank was unhurt)
CRANE FATALITY Filipino worker in NY dies in freak accident (a construction worker, 38, was killed when a massive 40-foot-long industrial cooling unit fell from a crane and crushed him to death – witnesses said he was guiding the crane operator who was hoisting the air-conditioning unit at a construction site at a Hospital, when a chain that linked the massive air-conditioning unit to the crane allegedly snapped, dropping several feet, clipped the edge of a trailer and flipped onto its side on the sidewalk, pinning the worker – it took the emergency responders about an hour to remove him out of the accident scene to the hospital emergency room where he was pronounced dead)
WORKZONE FATALITY Driver charged after SCDOT worker killed on I-20 (a 39-year-old man is charged with felony driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident after a worker was killed on the side of Interstate 20 – the worker, 21, died from head and body injuries when he was hit by a vehicle in the emergency lane during the afternoon – he was part of a crew cleaning debris when he was struck by the vehicle – the driver was awaiting trial on a different DUI charge from November – he was denied bond for the latest charges, and it was not known if he had a lawyer)
CRANE FATALITY Worker Killed While Installing Wind Turbine In Germany (a subcontractor operating a crane installing wind turbines was killed when a blade fell onto the crane cabin at about 10 a.m. – it isn’t yet clear what caused the accident but that the wind turbine manufacturer, together with the crane company, has engaged a third party to conduct a thorough investigation into the root cause of the incident)
Water worker killed in Isle of Man wall collapse (the wall may have came down as a result of excavation work – a worker, in his 50’s, from the Water and Sewerage Authority was killed when a wall collapsed)
MANLIFT and CRANE Crane accident injures 2 workers at Sewon America in LaGrange (two workers were injured just before 10:00 a.m. – the workers were in a basket lift doing maintenance work when a crane hit the lift – this caused the lift to turn over with the workers inside the basket – both workers were harnessed in, but due to their injuries, one was taken by helicopter to a Medical Center and the other was flown to a Medical Center)
FALL 3 Workers Injured In Prince George’s Co Construction Accident (three construction workers were injured while working at a four-story building – two of the workers fell 20 feet at approximately 11:30 a.m. – the men suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries and were taken to a Trauma Center – another male worker was hit by falling debris but did not have to be taken to the hospital – authorities do not yet know the cause of the fall)
TUNNEL 3 workers missing in dam accident (three workers are missing after a dam accident and search-and-rescue work is under way – the workers disappeared after an accident – a tunnel at the hydropower dam ruptured – the tunnel cracked after succumbing to heavy water pressure – the tunnel was in use as water was being moved from the dam’s reservoir to a dam turbine that was undergoing testing – three men are still missing, four had their hands or legs broken and two men were slightly injured)
FATAL FALL from SCAFFOLDING Man killed in accident at NIPSCO’s Wheatfield plant (a worker, 49, was transported to a Hospital and pronounced dead at 8:44 a.m. – he was a contract employee with a company that provides scaffolding and other construction equipment nationwide – he was working on a maintenance activity that was unrelated to the ongoing environmental standards project to install pollution control equipment – investigation is under way on the cause of death and the accident, but preliminary reports suggest he fell from scaffolding)
CONCRETE SLAB Workers injured in construction accident near UCF (one man was taken to a Hospital and three others to a Regional Hospital after a construction accident – a concrete slab fell, pinning two construction workers and injuring four at the site of a future 600 bed student housing facility – the four unidentified workers were injured when a large concrete slab they were lowering to create a floor fell for unknown reasons – the two workers who were pinned under the slab are listed in serious condition, including one with serious head, neck, or back injuries – two other men were also struck and sent for treatment of non-life threatening injuries)
FALL from WATER TOWER Worker falls from water tower in Pierson, Iowa (a worker was airlifted to a hospital after falling from a water tower – the man was working on the water tower when he fell and his safety cable broke at about 4:30 p.m. – the city was having some maintenance work done on the water tower – the man was conscious and alert, but he was taken by Mercy Air Care to a Medical Center)
ELECTRICAL Worker shocked working near electrical line (a construction worker, 50, was shocked while digging near an electrical line – he was taken to a hospital in stable condition)
MANLIFT Worker injured when cherry picker overturns (a cherry picker overturned sending a worker falling 40 feet to the ground at about 8:50 a.m. – the man, believed to be in his early 70s, was in an elevated basket when the truck the basket was attached to overturned -he was painting a building and the truck was parked in a lot at the time – it is not yet clear what caused the truck to overturn – he was transported to a hospital to be treated – no one else was hurt)
HOTWORK Welding Sparks Trigger Beijing IKEA Site Fire (a fire that broke out in an under-construction IKEA site was caused by sparks from welding torches which ignited flammable building materials – work on the site has been halted, while contractors and builders have received administrative punishment with a fine of 30,000 yuan (4,815 US dollars) – the project’s manager will be kept in detention for 13 days – two welders who were directly responsible for the accident will be given 10 days in detention – construction will not be allowed to restart until it passes the examination of the fire department)
SCAFFOLDING COLLAPSE Men injured in scaffolding accident (two men were taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries in a scaffolding collapse – the two men were working on a construction project at a private residence when the scaffolding they were standing on collapsed – one man sustained injuries to his left ankle and right leg, and the other sustained a head injury – the second victim was reported to be disoriented and struck his head on the ground and possibly part of the scaffolding as well – both men were taken in the same ambulance to a Hospital)
MISCELLANEOUS
DUMB WAITER FATALITY Eatery worker dies in lift accident (a restaurant worker died in an accident involving a dumb waiter just a month after a hotel cleaner at a different hotel was crushed to death when she stepped into a moving elevator – the circumstances of the restaurant worker’s death are unclear, but she apparently died while placing dishes in the restaurant’s small lift – an assistant manager found her stuck in the door after she didn’t reply to his call – the injured woman, 28, was rushed to hospital but died)
CHAIN BREAK Man injured in Kinkora industrial accident (a worker, 55, escaped serious injury as he was working in the company’s yard – the victim was working with a retention chain, commonly used to fasten heavy equipment onto the flatbed of a tractor trailer – no equipment was on the flatbed at the time but, while the man was fastening the chain, it snapped and struck him in the chest – he was transported to a Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries)
ACID Cal Fire: Sulfuric acid spills at Murphy Road field, burns worker (a 1,200-gallon tank containing diluted sulfuric acid toppled over and spilled at a strawberry field causing second-degree burns to a field worker who came in contact with the corrosive chemical – the spill was reported about 10:30 a.m. and appears to have been caused by saturated ground – the worker was airlifted to a trauma hospital – the diluted acid was used to mix with irrigation water to adjust its pH) |
What’s New @ SAFTENG.net
Safety Alert – Multiple fatalities/Inert Gas Hazards/Line Break
Sulphur sticks and ammonia leaks… are you in compliance when using these leak detection devices?
Hotwork Safety (UPDATED w/ NEW Hotwork data 12/04/12)
2012 Video of the Week #49 (Christmas Tree Fire Video)
2012 Photo of the Week #49 (Too many Christmas lights)
Update on CL2 release @Poultry Plant
PA DEP requiring AEDs at Mine sites
ASME UG-140… Overpressure protection by System Design
EPA Settles with Fruit Company for RMP Violations (NH3 Refrigeration)
OSHA issues WILLFULS in PSM and Serious in LOTO, PPE, Electrical, PIT
Non-Routine process opening (e.g. “Line Break”)
What does ASME Section VIII say about “torqueing values”?
OSHA issues PSM citations after run-away reaction results in the hospitalization of 40 workers
Hydrostatic Relief Valves and Propane Systems
MSHA HAZARD ALERT – Working in Confined Spaces
NIOSH investigation of Dairy Plant Inspectors and Permit Required Confined Space’s
11 Serious and 2 willful violations regarding confined spaces
2012 Video of the Week #47 (Fire Extinguisher Fraud)
STOP USE NOTICE – Moldex 7000 Series Gas/Vapor Cartridges
Knowing your propane cylinders (Part II)
FREE access to 2007 Oregon Fire Code
FREE access to 2010 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code
2012 Photo of the Week # 47 (Missing certification on plastic gas container)
Security video of Methanol Railcar Unloading explosion
Chlorine Leak video footage (17K pound 2002 Festus, MO)
Federal Jury Convicts Former Shaw Group Safety Manager Of Major Fraud Against The United States
Internal Combustion Engines as Ignition Sources
November is a month to think fire safety
2012 Photo of the Week # 46 (Respirator Warning!)
UPDATE The importance of PROPER SECONDARY CONTAINMENT for Flammable Liquids (Videos) Risk of carbon monoxide release during the storage of wood pellets
OSHA cites 50 safety violations, proposes $917,000 in fines after flammable liquid explosion
Evaluation of Health Effects of a Chlorine Gas Release in a Poultry Processing Plant – Arkansas
Unsafe line break into a NH3 line results in three workers hospitalized and more than $55K in fines
OSHA updates 1910.35 Head Protection
What is Fee for Intervention (FFI) and who is doing it?
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