37 incidents & 2 updates (1/12/14) – Safety Engineering (SAFTENG)

MANY THANKS to my NEWEST and

RENEWING Partners in Safety

since 2014 since 2013 since 2009

2014 Fatality Tracker

Electrical

(2013 = 32)

(2012 = 68)

Forklift/Manlift

(2013=62)

(2012 = 52)

Mining*

2013=87*)

(2012 = 92*)

*no longer includes China accidents

Explosions

(2013=194)

(2012 = 241)

Cranes

(2013=51)

(2012 = 52)

Falls

(2013=106)

(2012 = 99)

Work Zone

(2013=42)

(2012 = 62)

Trenching

(2013=25)

(2012 = 44)

LOTO/Guards

(2013=31)

(2012 = 44)

Confined Space

(2013=85)

(2012 = 54)

The numbers above are obtained from the news sources used to compile the Incident Alerts. They are NOT official numbers published by any government agency. They are derived SOLELY from my search engine search strings.

INDUSTRIAL

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY w/ CONVEYOR Mingo worker killed in accident (worker was caught in a conveyor belt at the facility where he was a maintenance worker – he was performing his regular duties when officials believe that a portion of his clothing became stuck in the moving belt, trapping the man – other employees shut off the power to the machine immediately and called 911)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Fish factory worker (21) killed in tragic accident (worker, 21, was pronounced dead after the accident just after 3.40pm – it is understood he was fatally injured when he became trapped in machinery)

TRUCK FATALITY Worker crushed in Olkaria (a worker at a Power Station died after he was ran over by a truck – the death brings to three the number of workers who have been killed at the plant since last year – the deceased was at work when the heavy truck reversed and run over him – the driver was not aware that there was someone behind and he reversed the lorry which ran over him – worker died on the spot)

ELECTRICAL HEA worker injured in electrical accident (a lineman, 33, was medevaced following an electrical accident – he is being treated at a Burn Center – he received an electrical shock when he and two other linemen were performing maintenance work on electrical equipment at about 4:35 p.m. – he was conscious and alert but had significant injury when EMS arrived)

FALL inside CONFINED SPACE Worker hospitalized for injuries suffered in fall from ladder inside grain bin in Cozad (a worker has been injured in a fall inside a grain bin at an elevator operation at 10 a.m. – worker was climbing down a ladder when he fell into the bin’s boot pit area, where there was some grain but no auger – fire department rescuers used ropes and a basket to get the man out of the pit)

Pipeline accident (a pipeline employee was flown to a hospital after an accident at a pipeline job site – unconfirmed reports said the worker suffered a head injury while clearing ice from the pipe)

GUARDING/LOTO FATALITY Plant worker identified (a 28-year-old woman was killed in an accident at a sugar beet processing plant – she died from injuries she sustained at the sugar refinery – the accident occurred in a lift station that feeds water to where beets are dropped off by trucks)

DREDGING Worker airlifted after accident at Port of Olympia (a worker, 50, was airlifted to a hospital after he was injured in an accident at the Port – he was hurt when a bucket used in the dredging process shifted or struck the worker – he was conscious and talking and able to move his limbs)

WELDING and HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Industrial Accident At Assembly Plant (a person suffered minor burns and was taken to the a Hospital around 8:30am. because of an industrial accident at an Assembly Plant – the worker was welding when they were splashed with hydrogen peroxide – worker was wearing protective gear at the time and the injury is said to be non-life threatening)

ELECTROCUTION in MINE Two Miners Electrocuted in Mexico Mine (two miners died and three others were injured by an electric shock in a silver mine – the accident occurred around 7:15 p.m. – the workers were immediately taken out of the mine and rushed to a hospital, where two of them died)

FATAL EXPLOSION 5 Workers Died in Chemical Plant Blast in Japan (a chemical explosion has killed five workers and injured 17 – the blast took place at the metal and chemical company – it has been suspected by the authorities after the investigation that chemical reaction involving hydrogen resulted in the blast – the blast has most probably occurred at the time when the maintenance plant workers were rinsing heat exchange equipment at the silicone plant – the plant was in the process of being dismantled when the explosion took place in it)

ARC FLASH Four PSE&G workers suffer burns while attempting to restore power at substation (four utility workers were hospitalized after suffering burns while attempting to restore power to about 4,600 homes and businesses – the workers suffered burns when a flash occurred at a substation – none of the injuries are considered life threatening – three of the workers were treated and released while one is being held overnight for observation)

UPDATE now ELECTRICAL FATALITY Southern Pine Electric worker dies after December injury (employee, 35, who was injured in December when he accidentally came in contact with a power line has died – he died at the burn unit of the Regional Medical Center – the journeyman lineman was injured Dec. 12 while repairing a downed line)

FRACKING EXPLOSION Sixth fracking explosion prompts government cease and desist order (after a sixth fracking explosion injured a worker and sent a tank flying 100 feet, government has shut down a repeat offender drill company with a cease and desist order and a violation notice)

EXPLOSION @ BIO-TECH Amgen Lab Explosion: Two Injured In San Francisco (a lab explosion seriously injured one and another sustained mild injuries – the explosion at the biotech firm’s facility is regarded as minor – one suffered burns to the face, and the other burns to the hands, following an explosion in the flammable liquids cabinet on the third floor of the facility – no one knows what caused the flammable substances to explode the way they did – the cabinet fell over from the force of the liquids mixing, and windows on the third floor were blown out in the blast – this is not the first incident of its kind to take place at the facility – back in May of last year, a worker from an outside waste disposal company was burned while collecting refuse from the facility)

EXPLOSION @ POWER PLANT One dead after technical error causes power plant explosion in Egypt (an explosion in a power plant killed one person and injured dozens more – explosion took place while one of the worker’s was cleaning the unit’s compressor – a technical error occurred and caused the explosion – facility has been out of service since the beginning of January for maintenance)

CHLORINE DIOXIDE Workers taken to the hospital after exposure to chemical (three people were taken to a Hospital after they inhaled chlorine dioxide fumes just before 5:45 p.m. – employees shut down the HVAC or air handling unit, isolated the chemical and placed those who had inhaled the chemical in an isolated area – those exposed to the chemical were alert and able to speak to paramedics)

DUST COLLECTOR FIRE Welding machine at Dayton company catches fire (a welding machine at a metal fabricator is being blamed for a fire that forced workers to evacuate the building – an automatic welder apparently kicked out a hot piece of waste into a dust collector during the production process – the heated material is believed to have ignited the accumulated material in the dust collector)

UPDATE on ASPHALT TANK EXPLOSION Tank conditions blamed for refinery blast (pressurized and overfilled tanks have been blamed for the explosion at an oil plant that left one employee hospitalized in early December – the tops of three tanks blew off the day of the explosion – one of the hot asphalt tanks was overfilled and overpressurized – the cause for the pressure that led to the explosion is still under investigation – the explosion left one employee, 24, severely burned – he is in a good condition – he had been warming the pipes near the tank with an open-flame burner – hot asphalt overflowed from the top of the tank – the employee was at the bottom and was splashed by the hot asphalt at 500 degrees – the explosion damaged three other tanks adjacent to the one that exploded)

TANK FIRE @ REFINERY Fire hits Shell’s German refinery (a fire broke out in a toulene chemical tank at a refinery at about 15:00 GMT – fire was extinguished by both on-site and off-site fire brigades by 16:15 GMT – no causalities have been reported as a result of the incident, but the status of current operations at the refinery was not disclosed)

NITRIC ACID FIRE Chemical Leak Causes Fire at Avantor Plant in Paris (a chemical leak caused a fire – the fire started when a leaking container of nitric acid ignited the corrugated case in which it was stored – the fire was extinguished by the on-site sprinkler system and contained to the warehouse area – fire crews worked for about eight hours cleaning up)

AMMONIA LEAK @ MEAT PLANT Cargill Leak Update: Man Remains in Hospital, Cleanup Cancels Additional Shifts (the cleanup following an early-morning ammonia leak is taking longer than officials originally suspected – the leak wasn’t that extensive, other than it was in an area where it was near the coolers – supervisor that was taken to the hospital is still in stable condition)

CHLORINE LEAK @ WWTP Harrison Township chlorine leak draws emergency response crews (police and emergency response crews are on the scene of a chlorine leak – motorists and pedestrians are being asked to stay out of the area and local residents are being asked to remain indoors – a 100-pound chlorine cylinder broke – employee has been transported from the scene and is being taken to a Medical Center – he was transported for respiratory distress)

CONSTRUCTION

CRANE FATALITY Worker dies as crane topples over him at metro rail site at Saidapet in Chennai (a worker died and another injured after a crane toppled over them at the metro rail work site – worker, 20, a welder, died when the crane, which was shifting heavy material, fell on him – worker, 19, was injured in the accident and is admitted at a hospital – accident happened at 6.30am – the crane was shifting load from one spot to another within the enclosed work site near the place where metro’s underground station is being built)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Worker hospitalized after injury at site of Monday fatal accident (a man, 31, was taken to a Medical Center with a head injury after a construction accident – the same construction site where a man fell to his death two days earlier – the man in his 30s was treated by medics shortly after 2:30 p.m. – it was not immediately clear what caused his head injury – he fell about 50 feet at the construction site after falling from scaffolding – he was a welder and it was his first day at the job site)

FATAL FALL Workers identified in Ala. construction accident (two construction workers, 53 and 63, fell to their deaths while working on a freeway overpass construction project – they died after a piece of equipment they were using toppled – the men were about 90 feet above the ground when a piece of equipment lost support and fell)

BOOM TRUCK and ELECTRICAL Two workers seriously injured while installing light poles near Weeki Wachee (four workers installing a light pole were injured when one of the poles came into contact with power lines – the four workers were on the ground guiding the pole into place and a fifth was operating a boom truck just after 11 a.m. when a strap broke and the pole fell onto a power line – the pole and power line fell to the ground, and the four men on the ground received electric shocks – the workers were conscious and breathing when first responders arrived – two were seriously injured and taken to the trauma center and two were taken to a Hospital with minor injuries – a fifth refused medical treatment at the scene)

PROPANE Worker Burned In Blaze At Nebraska State Fairgrounds (a construction worker was burned in a fire at the State Fairgrounds – a 100-pound propane tank caught fire at the construction site – a man standing on scaffolding above the tank suffered burns to his face – his wounds were superficial, but he was taken to the hospital as a precaution)

ROOF COLLAPSE Construction worker hurt in Pa. roof collapse; officials say supports fell, crushed victim (a man working on a construction site is reported injured after a collapse of wooden roof trusses of a building under construction – the collapse happened around 9 a.m. at the site of a commercial building that’s under construction – the wood framing of the roof collapsed and left a subcontractor trapped for about an hour – he had to be removed from the rubble)

FATAL FALL Worker falls to death from 10th floor in Al Tawoun area (worker, 35, slipped and fell while carrying construction material – he died on the spot after falling from the 10th floor of a building under construction – he fell while carrying out some construction work in the building)

FATAL FALL Man dies in Sydney after 30m fall (a construction worker has died after a 30-metre fall from a building site at 8:30am – emergency services were told the man may have had a medical episode before he fell, but this has not been confirmed – the man, believed to be in his thirties, was unconscious and not breathing when paramedics arrived, and could not be saved despite his workmates performing CPR on him)

Miscellaneous

CAR WASH FATALITY Brooklyn worker killed in car wash accident (a worker at a car wash was killed when the SUV he was washing went out of control – he was killed while driving a Lincoln Navigator out of the lot at the car wash just after 3:30 p.m. – the Lincoln Navigator was then struck by a Nissan Altima that was traveling westbound – the collision caused the worker to be ejected from the Navigator, and then subsequently struck by it – the Navigator continued traveling westbound striking a fire hydrant where it came to a stop – worker was taken to a Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival)

MANLIFT FATALITY College worker died in cherry picker accident on campus (worker, 58, died from extensive chest injuries sustained while he was working with a cherry-picker machine on campus – he was working with a cherry picker machine as he tended to the lighting systems at the campus – no details of the circumstances of the accident have been given as yet)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Miami, Oklahoma native dies in forklift and truck accident in Texas (a forklift and truck accident at a wrecker service has left one worker, 39, dead and another hurt – the accident happened when a pickup truck being worked on fell on the victims – a forklift had been used to lift the truck – a woman, 33, who was trapped used her cellphone to call for help – she was taken to a hospital and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening)

CAR FATALITY @ DEALERSHIP SERVICE BAY Bill Collins Ford employee dies in workplace accident (an employee of a dealership has died in a workplace accident – worker, 50, was sitting at his desk in the service department when a co-worker got into a vehicle and engaged the handicapped-accessible accelerator pedal – that caused the vehicle to drive forward into the worker, pinning him between the vehicle and his desk – he was transported to a Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m.)

FATAL FALL from LADDER Accident in Kolkata’s South City Mall kills one, injures three (one person was killed and three others were critically injured when a ladder on which they were working inside a shopping mall collapsed – the four workers were busy putting up banners while standing on a ladder when it collapsed – the injured workers were rushed to a nursing home where one of them was declared dead)

EXPLOSION Contract worker injured in campus lab explosion (a contract worker, 27, suffered serious burns on his face, left hand and the front part of his body in an explosion outside a laboratory at a higher learning institution campus – he and another worker were installing gas pipeline outside the laboratory – explosion was believed to be caused by a leak from the gas cylinder in the science lab)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

UPDATE – State of MA Hazardous Material Process or Processing: 527 CMR 33

LOTO Accident – REAL Accident that cost a life!

Red Wing Shoes Recalls Steel Toe Work Boots Due to Impact Hazard

HAZCOM labeling changes and your PSM/RMP programs

New HAZCOM labeling and your local fire department

WebWISER 4.5 is now available

OSHA extends comment period on proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses

UL warns of counterfeit UL Mark on containers of fire foam liquid concentrate

ASU’s (Air Separation Units) Nitrogen Fatality

Are those red plastic gas cans UNSAFE? (video)

OSHA’s Semiannual Agenda of Regulations (1/2014)