43 incidents & 0 updates (8/18/11)

2011 Fatality Tracker 

Industrial

CRANE FATALITY on OFFSHORE PLATFORM Worker killed in offshore crane accident (a worker at a production platform in the Gulf of Mexico was killed when a crane collapsed at the site – the accident took place at the shallow-water oil and gas production platform – a crane was lifting a large piece of equipment from the platform and loading it to a work boat – an apparent failure of the boom hoist cable caused the crane to collapse — and that in turn set off a series of events that ended when the employee was fatally struck by the crane’s harness)

LOADING DOCK FATALITY Western Grocers worker pinned by truck, killed on loading docks (a man was killed in an industrial accident – he was an employee and was struck by a semi truck in the loading dock of the business – he was employed as a swamper and was charged with unloading trucks – one of the unloaders from the receiving team went onto the pad at the loading dock – the driver backed up and the worker was pinned – he was a four-year employee of the company)

RAIL YARD FATALITY Railroad worker found dead in KCK yard (authorities are investigating the death of a worker, in his 40’s, at a rail yard – the man was found trapped between two rail cars – he apparently was hit by a railroad car – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

EXPLOSION Explosion at Hormel Foods in Beloit (about one-hundred factory workers were evacuated after an explosion inside a local food processing plant – an air compressor malfunctioned sparking a fire inside the boiler room – maintenance crews were able to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher – the fire did cause $50,000 in damage)

Worker Injured In Construction Accident (a construction worker was injured when a wall frame fell on him at a business – a construction crew was working on the frame of a wall for a prefabricated home inside the facility when the fall fell on the man – other workers pulled the wall off the man and called 911 – the man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries)

Man airlifted to hospital after industrial accident in Black Country (a machine worker has been airlifted to hospital after suffering a serious facial injury – it is believed the man had been injured whilst using a piece of machinery – the man, in his 30s, sustained a serious facial injury and neck pain – he was given pain relief and immobilised with a neck collar and spinal board before being transferred to the awaiting air ambulance)

HYDRAULIC CYLINDER FATALITY Safety fears after Rio worker killed in mine accident (worker, 27, died in an overnight workplace accident at a mine – he was changing a hydraulic cylinder on a front-end loader at the time of the incident – one other worker was with him)

Morning industrial accident sends man to hospital (an industrial accident which left a man trapped will be investigated by OSHA – the accident occurred shortly before 9 am. – a bin slipped and fell on top of the worker – the bin was metal with an open-top – it was similar in size to a commercial dumpster)

FATALITY Spirit Aerosystems worker dies following accident (a longtime aircraft worker has died from injuries he suffered in an accident – he was injured when he and other workers were moving a fuselage panel – he was a 24-year employee of the plant)

MINE FATALITY Arch Coal miner killed in W.Va. rock fall (a coal miner is dead after a rock fall at an underground operation – the accident occurred around 6 a.m. – the worker was installing roof supports at the time – the miner was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead there)

NAILGUN Factory worker hurt (a factory worker, 39, was left with a 50-millimetre nail in his knee after a workplace accident – the nail apparently missed the wood the man was working on, ricocheted off the concrete and went into the side of his knee – the 50mm nail went all the way in, nailing his tracksuit pants to his knee – the man was taken to a Hospital where the nail was removed)

CHEMICAL Chemical accident sickens 54 in Bohemia (dozens of people were sent to hospitals after fumes at a cellphone refurbisher – 54 people reported dizziness and other symptoms – fumes were unleashed by an accidental mixing of chemicals – the workers were treated for symptoms including convulsions, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and vomiting)

STEAM BURNS Two workers burned at Ford’s Rouge plant (two workers were hurt in an accident happened at at the facility’s paint building – one of the victims had serious burns, the other man’s injuries were minor – an expansion joint that connects two joints failed and hot water and steam shot out and the two men were burned)

BAKERY FATALITY Man crushed to death at El Sereno bakery (state safety investigators have opened an investigation into what caused a gate to collapse crushing a worker, 57, to death – he was opening a gate about 3:25 a.m. when it came off its track and fell on him – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

DUST EXPLOSION Mill Explosion Sends Firefighters To Hospital (fire crews had responded to a Lumber business for a small electrical fire – as they were on scene investigating, sparks ignited in a dust collection bin, setting off an explosion that sent three firefighters to the hospital – one was treated and released that night – the other two had injuries that were slightly more serious and were kept in the hospital overnight)

FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION Worker dies from injuries in Tomball church water tank explosion (a contractor working on a water tank at a church has died after an explosion on the tank – the explosion happened around 10 a.m. as the man was cutting on the top of the tank to provide ventilation – the tank was about three quarters full of water but there was a build-up of combustible vapors above the water – sparks or a flame caused by the cutting ignited the vapors, causing the explosion – the victim was transported to a Hospital, where he was pronounced dead – the explosion did not cause a fire and there were no other injuries)

EXPLOSION Explosion at Arkansas Plant, No Injuries Reported (an explosion and fire at a plant caused no injuries or health threats and the fire was allowed to burn itself out – containers of metal that were under pressure exploded in a metal warehouse about 5:40 p.m. – heat likely sparked the blast and the fire was contained inside the warehouse until it burned itself out within about three hours)

EXPLOSION Gas plant explosion injures five (five people at a plant were injured in an explosion that occurred during routine maintenance and isn’t thought to be due to a gas leak – all five people are in hospital – the flash fire and explosion occurred while the employees were working in the building – all five who were injured work as operations specialists and welders – they were apparently working together on a welding job inside the building at the time of the flash fire and explosion – two were admitted with minor injuries – the other was airlifted to a Hospital with critical injuries and has been transferred to a burns unit there)

AMMONIA People evacuated after ammonia leak at NC plant (a turkey processing plant is investigating an ammonia leak that forced the evacuation of more than 100 people in the community – ammonia leaked from a refrigeration unit – the valve on the pipe carrying the ammonia has been shut off – plant was evacuated and local police also evacuated a 1.5-mile area downwind as a precaution – no injuries have been reported – company officials told the town mayor the leak was due to either over-pressurization or an explosion in a freezer)

DUST EXPLOSION No Injuries in Wisconsin Dairy Factory Dust Explosion (a dust explosion is being blamed for a fire at a dairy products factory – firefighters responded just after 4 a.m. to a report of smoke filling up the Milk Specialties plant – crews found heavy smoke in the factory from the first floor to the fifth floor – crews found the fire in machinery and adjacent duct work on the second floor – all personnel at the whey processing plant evacuated safely – investigators suspect a spark in the machinery touched off the dust explosion – the damage was contained to the area around the machine)

Construction

WORKZONE FATALITY Road worker killed by passing car (a worker, 23, for a private sub contractor is dead following an accident that happened just after 8 a.m. – he was killed after a motorist struck him – he was working for an engineering firm hired to make base repairs to the highway’s foundation)

HOTWORK EXPLOSION Explosion at World Cup 2014 stadium leaves one worker seriously burnt and the rest on strike (worker was badly burnt in an on-site explosion – his legs were also injured when an oil barrel with chemical residue exploded at the facility)

SCISSOR LIFT Worker Injured In Sand Island Construction Accident (a worker was injured after an apparent construction accident about 7:15 a.m. – the worker was found under a scissor lift – he was not pinned under the vehicle and was found responsive with multiple injuries – he was transported in serious condition to a nearby hospital)

CRANE Man injured in crane accident at local construction site (a worker, 49, was hospitalized after a construction accident – he  was hit by a pulley-block when it broke loose from a crane at a site – evidence at the scene showed that a cable broke on the crane’s pulley system causing the pulley-block to fall and strike the worker below – he was airlifted to a hospital – he was conscious and alert at the scene)

WORKZONE Road worker injured in Camano Island accident (a Department of Transportation worker, 54, was rushed by helicopter to a Medical Center after being hit in a chain-reaction car accident – he underwent surgery and was listed in serious condition with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening – he’s worked for the Transportation Department for two dozen years – the accident occurred about 12:15 p.m. – a Ford truck struck the back of a Honda Accord that was stopped at a red light – the pickup then veered into the worker and his work van – the worker was outside his van – he was completing maintenance work on a traffic signal at the intersection when the wreck occurred)

WORKZONE FATALITY Dad of five run over by grader dies (a father of five was killed after being run over by a grader at a Port – the 49-year-old man was working on roading when he was hit by the reversing grader just after midday – two workers who saw the accident were being offered counseling by the company)

FATAL FALL Construction Worker Dies in Ashkelon (a construction worker died in an accident when he fell 10 meters from a building site)

FATAL FALL Scaffold Collapse Kills 2 at Shanghai Construction Site (two workers died and four others were injured when a scaffold collapsed at a construction site at 11:30 a.m. – all the six workers were working on the scaffold when it collapsed – the four injured are being treated for fractures at a local hospital – their injuries are not life-threatening – the cause of the accident is being investigated)

2 workers hurt in lift accident (two construction workers, both 30, were injured in a lift collapse at a construction site – the lift, used for carrying construction materials, was being repaired when the crash happened around 3:30pm – the lift with the two workers inside suddenly fell on the ground from the 2nd floor of the 14-storey under-construction building)

FLASH FIRE and FALL Construction worker injured trying to start crane (a construction worker, 49, was flown to the hospital after he was injured while trying to start a crane just before 9 a.m. – he was trying to start a crane with gasoline when a backfire occurred, knocking him off the crane – he suffered burns to his left arm and torso as well as an injury to his knee after falling from the crane – he was taken via Air Care to a Hospital with non life threatening injuries)

LIGHTING STRIKES Two workers survive lightning strikes in Broward County (a landscape worker and a crane operator survived separate lightning strikes – the first strike at 2 p.m. injured a man, 38, who was performing lawn maintenance – he was dazed and confused, and a little shook up, but in good condition – he had been weeding and was near a chain-link fence at the school that may have been struck by lightning – two hours later a crane operator at a highway construction site was also injured by lightning – the crane operator was working a remote-control device that was attached to the crane – the crane was struck by lightning and current traveled down it and struck the operator – the crane operator suffered burns to his abdomen and right arm)

TRENCH Worker recovering after being injured in a deep trench (a worker injured on an overnight sewer project is recovering – the man was crushed by some equipment while workers were moving it – the worker was 16 feet down the trench when it happened – the rescue squad sent a harness down to lift him up – his injuries are not life threatening)

MIscellaneouS

Tree service worker killed (a tree service worker, 26, was killed while he tried to cut down a tree – he was in the tree in a private yard around 2 p.m. when he became pinned by part of the tree while he was cutting it down – a fellow worker in a crane tried to free him, but he died at the scene)

FATAL FALL Billboard Worker in Arlington, Texas Falls to Death (a billboard worker, 40, has died after falling about 30 feet from a sign – the accident happened around midday when the worker apparently lost his footing and fell to the ground – he was declared dead at a hospital – investigators did not immediately say whether he was wearing a safety harness – UPDATE Worker who died in fall from billboard was wearing safety harness)

FALL Worker falls from roof of city school (a worker was taken to a Hospital after falling about 12 feet from the roof of a School – the worker landed on a grassy area of the elementary school and was conscious when rescue workers arrived – he complained about back pain – it was not immediately known how the accident occurred)

CRUSHING FATALITY Auto salvage worker crushed by car in Marshall County (a worker, 46, died when the car he was working underneath fell and crushed him around 2:30 p.m. at an Auto Salvage business)

MOWER FATALITY Shawnee Inn worker dies in lawn mower accident at golf course (a man was killed when a lawn mower overturned on him – the man, a part-time groundskeeper in his 60s, was operating a riding lawn mower, cutting the grass near Hole 7 on the Golf Course, at about 11 a.m. – it appears he made a turn at the edge of a small embankment to continue mowing – it appears something then happened, causing the mower to roll over sideways down the embankment with him still in the seat – the mower then rolled over him before coming to its final resting position because he was found lying next to it afterward)

MOWER FATALITY Parks Worker Killed When Mower Flips (a County Parks Department worker died when a lawn mower flipped over in a pond, trapping him underwater – he was apparently mowing along the pond when the riding mower became stuck in the water – he remained on the mower as a co-worker tried to pull it from the pond with a backhoe but the backhoe slid and the mower flipped over in waist-deep water – he was dead by the time other workers used a truck to pull the backhoe and mower from the water – it’s unclear whether he drowned or died from trauma)