Story of Interest
Workman who vanished eight years ago was gassed and crushed in fridge recycling machine
INDUSTRIAL
OIL FIELD FATALITY Seguin man killed in West Texas oilfield accident (an oilfield accident has killed a worker, 44, who was crushed by some pipes he was trying to move – some pipes apparently slipped and he was crushed – he was pronounced dead at a hospital – he had worked for the contractor for several years)
BOBCAT FATALITY @ WWTP Worker death in wastewater plant ruled accidental (an employee, 51, with the Water Reclamation District died as a result of injuries from a workplace accident – he died from multiple injures sustained in a Bobcat machine accident, according to the autopsy conducted by the County medical examiner – he was an electrician with the district and had six children)
ELECTROCUTION UCR: Worker electrocuted in accident (a contract worker, 71, was electrocuted while working on an electrical panel in the basement of a university building – he was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:13 p.m. – he was working alone and did not return when he was expected and someone went to find him – details on when he started work and how long he was unaccounted for were not available – he had been in the business for 50 years and was a master electrician, a designation earned by only 5 percent of those in the trade – he had worked for the company for seven years)
MINE FATALITY Worker killed when bulldozer goes through ice (a man who fell through the ice into a frigid lake could not be revived by co-workers at the scene – the 54-year-old contract worker who died did not respond to CPR when pulled from the submerged bulldozer he was driving at about 9 a.m. – he was clearing a small section of snow off the Lake at the company’s uranium project when man and machine fell through the ice – suspect there was a crack in the ice that nobody saw and when the bulldozer went over it just couldn’t sustain the load – employees of both companies had checked and approved the thickness of the ice -it was more than 75 centimetres deep -prior to the incident)
PAPER MILL CRUSH INJURY @ ROLLER Worker Suffers Crush Injury at Toilet Roll Factory (a worker suffered serious crush injuries to his left hand, when he became trapped in a machine at a tissue manufacturing company – he was helping his supervisor clear a wraparound of paper from a rewinding machine – as the supervisor slowly rotated the machine, he attempted to pull the paper free from the rollers but as he did so his hand got pulled in-between the rotating parts, causing serious crush injuries)
CRANE Forest worker loses arm in machinery at Yarraman (worker suffered serious crush injuries to his arm in a workplace accident – he is in serious but stable condition – his arm is believed to have been caught in logging machinery – he was airlifted to hospital by the Careflight rescue chopper – he suffered extensive blood loss in the incident but was stable – a pair of co-workers managed to free the man’s arm from the machinery – the man’s arm was caught in a crane mechanism)
CONVEYOR FATALITY Worker found dead at gravel facility (an equipment operator, 56, was found dead at the facility – he was not conscious, breathing or responsive when paramedics arrived about 8:25 a.m. and found him on a conveyor belt – the accident occurred at the crushing and sampling unit of the gravel operation – he was found face down on a belt conveyor that had stopped operating – there were no witnesses to the event)
SLAG @ STEEL MILL Accident At Nucor Steel Leaves Worker Injured (an accident left one worker injured – the mishap occurred on the rounds of the plant and not inside the structure – accident involved one of the on-site contractors that was emptying a slag pot at 9:30 p.m. – incident resulted in unspecified damage to the slag pot carrier and a minor burn to the hand of the carrier’s driver – the preliminary investigation indicates that the slag pot had residual water that became trapped underneath molten slag during emptying of the slag pot – it appears that the water flashed to steam, resulting in a discharge of slag and the damage to the carrier – driver received the minor burn while exiting the carrier and was transported to the local hospital for evaluation where he was treated and released)
CONFINED SPACE Worker taken to shock trauma after accident at wastewater plant (a worker at a wastewater treatment facility was flown to a Shock Trauma Center after he was injured in an accident and had to be extracted from a confined space – he was performing preventive maintenance on one of the pumps in a water storage tank at the site shortly before 11 a.m. when the rope attached to his safety harness got caught in another working pump, causing him to be slammed against a pipe – they brought the man out of the channel using a crane from the facility – he was in the channel for about 40 minutes)
FALL Quarry worker falls off embankment (a quarry worker is in the hospital after falling off a cliff at a Sand & Gravel quarry – he suffered injuries to his head and leg after falling backwards off a ledge and landing on the snow-covered ground)
2 workers die in Sunflag factory accident (two employees succumbed to injuries after a thick, heavy plate of the furnace fell on them – the thick and heavy metal plate of the furnace was reportedly thrown high into the air due to excess pressure – the cover fell on the two employees who were sipping tea – one of the employees, 48, died on the spot while the other employee was seriously injured and rushed to a Hospital but he was declared dead)
EXPLOSION 31 workers injured in gas explosion in Chaiyaphum (thirty-one workers were injured when a bio-gas pipe of a tapioca factory exploded, causing massive fire that engulfed them – the accident happened at 4:30 pm – the explosion was caused by sparks from wild grasses burning that were flown to the bio-gas pipe – 18 workers were severely injured in the fire and were rushed to a Hospital – the remaining injured workers were being treated at a Hospital)
FLASH FIRE Workers Injured in Pa. Blast (an explosion ignited natural gas liquids storage tanks at a well site around 6:15 p.m., hospitalizing three contract employees with burn-related injuries – the cause of the “flash fire” is still under investigation)
EXPLOSION Three burned at Marcellus shale drilling site near Avella (three workers were burned in what is described as an explosion and fire at a shale drilling site – five “frac tanks”, mobile steel storage tanks used to hold liquids, burned until 9:30 p.m. – the three gas wells were not affected by the flames – at approximately 6:15 p.m. a flash fire occurred, igniting natural gas liquids storage tanks – three contract employees were injured and have been transported to the hospital. All wells are shut in, and there is no danger to area residents or threat to the environment – the cause of the fire is not known – workers had just completed the hydraulic fracturing process last week – the gas flares or flare stacks, used to burn off waste or excess gas, were lit earlier in the week – the fracking water was flowing back into the holding tanks when the explosion occurred)
ELECTRICAL PGE worker burned in underground fire (a worker was burned in an underground fire – fighting the fire was complicated by its location in a garage with multiple entrances, access to two apartment complexes, and businesses layered between the street level and the apartments – a sprinkler system was also activated creating water issues below ground)
UPDATE on REFINERY FIRE Citgo fined for 2009 Corpus Christi blast, fire (refinery was fined $303,294 for a July 2009 explosion and fire at its 163,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery that injured one worker and nearly spread toxic hydrogen fluoride over the community – half of the fine will be paid directly to the commission and the other half will go to an abandoned tire cleanup program – one worker was permanently injured when he was caught in hydrogen fluoride vapor cloud that ignited after being released by a failed pipe in an alkylation unit)
CHEMICAL LEAK & RESPONSE Railroad workers injured in chemical leak were not wearing protective gear (workers were overcome by fumes and hospitalized after removing a tanker dome – they were seriously injured trying to contain a rail car chemical leak – they were not wearing protective equipment – a rail car carrying molten sulfur was on a repair track when employees noticed a sulfurous odor coming from the car – employees discovered a gasket in the tanker dome was leaking and called an environmental cleanup company – two contract workers were overcome by fumes when they removed the dome – they were taken to a Hospital, where they were in serious but stable condition – one railroad employee was taken to the hospital and later released – workers suffered chemical burns and respiratory injuries – the leak prompted emergency crews to evacuate homes and businesses within a half-mile of the leak – the scene was cleared in four hours)
HOTWORK Small fire extinguished at Sacramento Bee press room (a small fire broke out in the press room of a newspaper but was extinguished without incident – the 8:45 a.m. fire forced an evacuation of the building and was apparently ignited by a spark from a welding job on new equipment installed in the room where the printing presses are housed – smoke worked its way into the building’s heating and air-conditioning system, spreading smoke to other areas of the building – workers in the press room were able to quickly put out the fire themselves before firefighters arrived, but there was still a lot of heavy smoke)
HOTWORK Fire at manufacturing building will slightly delay remodeling (workmen accidentally caused a fire while softening window caulking with a torch)
UPDATE on FATAL EXPLOSION Five more workers killed (five more workers succumbed to their severe burns, raising to seven the death toll in the gas explosion of a tapioca plant – the bio gas pipe exploded sending massive fireballs to engulf and severely burn over 30 workers – two days later, two of the workers succumbed to the burns – 13 other workers were still in coma – the factory generated its own electricity from biogas made by tapioca wasted – its gas pipe exploded causing a massive fire that quickly engulfed one of two factory buildings)
EXPLOSION caused by STATIC Preliminary investigation: Spark caused Americhem chemical plant blast (static electricity caused a catalytic spark that caused an explosion and fire according to a preliminary investigation – a tanker that entered the company’s weighing facility around 3 p.m. containing 500 gallons of mineral spirits most likely exploded, destroying the building – no one was seriously injured – Homeland Security is involved because of the chemicals stored at the site – business is a Midwest chemical distributor and blender carrying a full line of industrial chemicals, solvents, oils and automotive fluids – owner statements of interest:
1) “We are not a high-risk chemical facility as determined by Homeland Security”
2) “It’s not likely we had a spark because everything is grounded,” he said. “We’re thinking it had to be some kind of an explosion. We’ve been doing this here 13 years the same way. I’ve been thinking about this for two days now and I’m not sure what could have happened.”
3) “We do handle hazardous material, but not extremely hazardous material.”
employees were evacuated as firefighters brought the blaze under control – there was no need to evacuate residents in the area)
FIRE Fire Breaks Out At Woodlawn Industrial Plant (initial reports from the scene were that there was some kind of explosion before the fire started – it appears that nobody was hurt during the fire – not clear if anyone was inside when the fire started – some roads were closed while firefighters worked to put out the fire)
AMMONIA Workers evacuated after ammonia leak (seventeen workers at a bottling facility evacuated their building after the accidental release of ammonia from the plant’s refrigeration unit at 12:30 a.m. – two plant employees suffered minor respiratory and eye irritation, but were treated at the scene and released – firefighters and police closed a one block area – as a safety precaution about dozen employees at a building next door also were evacuated since the produce wholesale warehouse is downwind of the bottling plant – officials reopened the area at 2:30 a.m.)
CHLORINE Chlorine leak at GWA treatment plant (a chlorine leak was discovered at the Waste Water Treatment Plant – the discovery was made by a Waterworks Authority’s contractor that is removing chlorine gas tanks as part of an ongoing cleanup and maintenance project – out of the 12 tanks that were scheduled to be removed this is the seventh and only one so far that chlorine was detected – the entire area was evacuated)
CONSTRUCTION
FORKLIFT Worker in Scranton injured at construction site (a construction worker has been injured after a piece of construction equipment fell six stories and hit him – worker was injured and taken to a hospital – officials said he was alert and conscious – a piece of a forklift fell off and hit the ground first before rebounding and striking the worker)
WORKZONE Public Works Employee Struck by Vehicle (a public works employee was hit by a vehicle while working in a construction zone – the accident may result in charges being filed against the driver – the employee was installing pedestrian right of ways when the accident occurred – the worker directed the driver of an SUV to shift lanes, but when the driver refused to comply, the vehicle’s mirror struck the worker. – the SUV left the scene – worker was not seriously injured, and refused medical treatment – the driver may face assault charges as a result of the incident)
Worker killed (one man has died while another was seriously injured as the result of an industrial accident – while working on modular home units two adult males suffered serious injuries and were evacuated for further treatment – worker, 50, died in hospital as a result of his injuries)
BULLDOZER Nevada worker hurt in 3rd Ruby pipeline accident (deputies are investigating another accident that seriously injured a worker, 52, on a Pipeline project – he is being treated at a hospital – he was driving a bulldozer when it ran off the road and rolled on top of him – it’s the third accident in four months on the 680-mile natural gas pipeline – one worker was crushed to death by a section of pipe in December – nine were hurt in a truck accident in October)
FALL Worker Rescued After Falling Down Hole (a construction worker has been rescued after falling down an 8-foot-deep hole at a work site at about 12:30 p.m. – the unconscious worker was taken to the hospital – his condition is not presently known)
LOTO FATALITY Workers sucked into blades of cement mixer (a 48-year-old man was killed and another seriously injured after the pair were pulled into the blades of a cement mixing machine just after 7am – they were cleaning the mixer when it suddenly switched on and the two men were pulled into the blades – one was declared dead at the scene when paramedicas arrived, while the other was airlifted to a Hospital in a “very serious condition” – there is a suspicion that the men accidentally switched the machine on, but at this stage it is unclear what caused the machine to switch on)
UPDATE Crushed by a backhoe (for just the second time in Canada, an employer has been convicted of criminal negligence stemming from a workplace incident leading to the death of a worker – the owner of a landscape company was operating a backhoe on June 12, 2006 when it rolled down a slope pinning his employee against a wall and suffered fatal injuries – the front brakes and the emergency brake on the backhoe were found to be completely non-functional – it also came to light that the backhoe, bought in 1976, had not undergone any regular maintenance – the court found there was a breach of the “legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to a person” imposed on an employer by section 217.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada – owner will serve a conditional sentence of imprisonment of two years less a day – the sentence will be served in the community with conditions, including a curfew)
FALL Injured worker rescued at construction site (a man was working on the platform when he slipped, fell 20 feet and blew out his right knee – he was pouring concrete at the time – workers on the project used their equipment to help get the man down – he was taken to the hospital to get checked out)
SCAFFOLDING OSHA fines company $70,000 for Hollywood water tower accident (OSHA has imposed a $70,000 fine on the company that was refurbishing the city’s water tower when two workers were seriously hurt – company had 15 safety violations when a scaffold collapsed and sent the two men tumbling into the empty tower – they were hospitalized for a few weeks after a dramatic, six-hour rescue operation – they were performing scheduled maintenance at the tower and were standing on a swinging scaffold like the ones window cleaners use when one of the sides gave way inside the tower, sending the men to the bottom of the tank)
CRANE Crane topples in Harmon parking lot (an airman was injured when a military crane toppled onto its side while being loaded onto a semi trailer in the parking lot – the airman was driving the crane onto the trailer when it tumbled off the left side of the semi truck – his injuries didn’t appear serious and was taken to al Hospital by medics – an engineering squadron had brought the crane on site for routine maintenance – the crane was loaded and unloaded from the trailer in the parking lot of the furniture store instead of at the mechanic’s shop because the semi truck was too large to maneuver deeper into the Industrial Park – a larger crane from a civilian company arrived to roll the military crane upright)
CRANE Tower crane comes down in Stadium (the superstructure of a tower crane broke free at the stadium seriously injuring the operator – the flat top crane was rigged on a 14 metre tower and was working on the conversion of the historic 1933 40,000 seat mutipurpose stadium to a 60,000 seat football stadium – it looks as though the top of the crane broke free around the slew ring area, allowing the jib, back jib, counterweight and cab to fall onto the pitch – the operator, 31, was able to free himself from the wreckage and was taken to hospital with numerous broken ribs, bruising and abrasions – Photos @ Link)
MISCELLANEOUS
CONFINED SPACE FLASH FIRE Shropshire Man Burned in Work Accident (a forty four year old worker suffered second degree burns when he was injured during the installation of an underground safe – he was lining the interior of the safe, using a flocking machine but the adhesive used to apply the nylon flock created a volatile atmosphere within the enclosed space, which ignited causing burn injuries to his left hand and wrist – he will require surgery to repair the damaged tendons in his hand – suitable alternatives could have been implemented, such as using equipment specifically intended for use in a flammable environment or using water based adhesive in preference to the flammable one used)
FALL Worker’s death in fall from radio tower in Okeechobee County ruled accidental (a man, 43, fell 110 feet from a radio tower – he and another co-worker were attaching wires as part of a contract – his safety harness appeared to be intact)
Contractor injured working at treatment plant (an independent contractor hired to paint the floor at a wastewater treatment plant was injured and rushed to a Hospital – officials are investigating the incident which “appeared to be a chemical burn related to an accidental discharge”)