46 incidents & 3 updates (7/30/15)

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2015 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

CRUSHED by GRANITE SLAB FATALITY Employee died after being struck by granite slab (worker was struck by a 600-pound slab of granite that fell off a truck – worker was loading granite slabs onto a truck using a lifting device when the accident happened – one slab was not properly positioned on the device and slipped – worker tried to stop the slab from falling and was crushed)

OIL DRILL RIG FATALITY 2 named in oil field fatality accident (an oilfield incident left one worker dead and one injured – the injured worker remains in serious condition – a group of workers were “fishing” for a pipe when the truck, with an extended derrick, fell over – operator told officers the deceased was retrieving a pipe when the weight indicator hit 140,000 – the indicator hit 160,000 when “the front of the rig started to come up into the air, and both men began to run and the rig fell)

ELECTROCUTION Worker dies in electrical accident (worker, 52, was working on a transformer when he was electrocuted)

CRUSHING FATALITY NUCOR Steel worker killed in industrial accident (out of state sub-contractor working at the steel plant was pinned between two moving pieces of equipment and crushed – worker was pronounced dead on the scene by Coroner – County Rescue Squads worked for 6 hours to free the man – autopsy results are he died from a crushing injury)

Tadcaster sewage plant worker dies after accident (worker, 55, who suffered 90 per cent burns in an accident at a sewage works has died of his injuries – he was a mechanical fitter for the plant – he had worked for the water plant for eight years – no word on cause)

LINEMAN ELECTROCUTION POWER LINE WORKER KILLED IN SPRING LAKE (power lineman came in contact with 7200 volts and was killed before noon – company was contracted to relocate a power line along the stretch of road – he energized a wire along the power line that carried at least 7200 volts)

AMPUTATION Vineland worker injured in industrial accident (worker was severely injured in an industrial accident – worker reportedly injured several fingers at the meat wholesaler plant)

Perdue worker hospitalized after industrial accident (maintenance worker has been hospitalized after an industrial accident injured his hand at a chicken plant – no word yet on what cause the hand injury to the worker)

MINE FATALITY Caribou mine accident kills Utah man (worker, 23, was killed in an industrial accident at a mine – he died at the scene of injuries he received when he was crushed between a parked pickup truck and a large tracked vehicle transporting a drill at the mine – he was employed by a contractor at the mine and had worked for the company for several years)

AMPUTATION Tyson Foods plant worker loses fingers; OSHA is investigating (OSHA is investigating an industrial accident in which several of a worker’s fingers were partially severed – work, 59, got his left hand caught in a piece of meat-grinding equipment about 10:45 a.m. – he was taken in critical condition to a Medical Center – another person suffered an amputation injury in the same facility in October 2014 – that person was an employee of a cleaning company, which has contested OSHA’s proposed fines of $14,000 for two “serious” violations in that incident)

CRANE Worker ‘pinned to wall’ in industrial accident at engineering firm (worker was left pinned against a wall in an industrial accident at an engineering firm – he is believed to have been trapped by a valve – he suffered several serious injuries including broken bones but is not thought to be in a life-threatening condition – the valve which struck the man is thought to have swung free after a lifting eye supporting the assembly fractured and broke)

MINE ARC FLASH Underground workers burned by arc flash (two workers have been injured in an arc flash and blast incident in an underground mine – the workers, an electrician and mechanical fitter, were investigating water overflow issues when the incident occurred – during their shift they came across a 90kW submersible pump, supplied from a 415 V motor control centre, that had faulted – the electrician found that a control relay contact had fused in the closed position and a control circuit breaker had tripped, causing the fault – he then replaced the control relay for the main contactor and reset the control circuit breaker – he then failed to properly secure the pump control cubicle door properly after closing it – when he switched the main circuit breaker on it caused an instant arc flash and blast, blowing the cubicle door open – he received first degree burns to his neck, face, and ears, while the mechanical fitter also received a minor face injury)

ELECTRICAL Manufacturing plant accident sends 3 to the hospital (three workers are being treated for burns after an accident at a manufacturing plant – three people received severe burns to their face, neck and forearms after they were digging near the area of an underground power line when it sparked – two plant workers were taken to a Medical Center with burns to their arms – another plant worker was flown to a Hospital for burns to his face and neck)

FATAL HOT WORK EXPLOSION on BOILER Boiler explosion kills worker in Dong Nai Province (worker was killed when a boiler exploded – three workers were performing an electric welding task atop the 12-metre-high boiler when the explosion occurred at 9.30am – the force of the blast threw a worker 20 metres up into the air before he fell to the ground – he died later of his injuries)

UPDATE FATAL PRESSURE VESSEL EXPLOSION Fire marshal: Over-pressurized still likely led to fatal blast at Kentucky distillery (fire investigators say an over-pressurized still likely led to an explosion and fire that killed a worker at a distillery in April – fire marshal’s office says the still was neither designed to hold pressure nor equipped with a correct pressure relief valve – that likely led to a rupture and subsequent fire that seriously injured a second worker – investigators say the rupture is believed to have caused the still’s contents to reach high temperatures that resulted in burn injuries to the two distillery workers – one worker died from his injuries)

ACID LEAK Worker exposed to acid fumes at DeForest company (one worker was treated and released after inhaling acid fumes at a package delivery service at about 1:30 a.m. – muriatic acid was leaking from the back of a delivery truck behind the warehouse – about three gallons of acid leaked onto the floor of the truck, then onto the ground – not known how the leak happened)

HOTWORK FIRE Diesel storage tank ignites fire on Highway 82 (according to the incident report, there was an unintentional cause of ignition while cutting on the tank – there was residual fuel in the tank and sparks from the welding caught the diesel fuel on fire – no injuries were reported)

FIRE Wiring malfunction blamed in cooking oil refinery fire (wiring malfunction started a fire that caused more than $20,000 in damages to a structure at a cooking oil refinery – fire was reported by a passer-by at 7:12 a.m. – the fire damaged a 20-foot high wood and tin structure that was built around a vegetable oil storage tank and caused an estimated $20,000 damage to the structure and $3,000 damage to the contents)

REFINERY FIRE Motiva Port Arthur refinery suffered fire in a catalytic reformer (refinery suffered a small fire in a catalytic reformer – no injuries and production was not impacted)

FATAL CHLORINE RELEASE Jos Chlorine Explosion Kills Eight, Leaves Several Others Hospitalized (eight persons have been confirmed dead and over 100 hospitalized after a Chlorine cylinder explosion at a water treatment plant – no other details)

AMMONIA Six injured in ammonia leak accident in S. Germany (six people were injured in an ammonia leak accident – ammonia gas leaked from the cooling system in a large butchery forcing an evacuation of about 400 employees – one of the injured received first aid on the scene, while the others have been sent to hospital, who are suffering breathing difficulties, eye irritation and nausea – fire department ventilated the rooms, there is no risk for local residents and employees are allowed back to their offices)

AMMONIA LINE BREAK Ammonia leak at Gossner Foods sends one person to the hospital (construction worker was sent to the hospital with minor injuries after being sprayed with ammonia – accident occurred as two men were moving refrigeration lines in an area of the plant that is being remodeled – as they were cutting through a line, there was some residual ammonia in the line that was released as they were cutting through a pipe – the two men were on a lift and exposed to ammonia – one was transported to the hospital for some observation – the ammonia leak was contained within the construction area that is sealed off from the rest of the food plant)

AMMONIA LINE BREAK Update: Fort Ave Reopened After Ammonia Leak (an ammonia leak at a Dairy caused a road to be closed for a time – according to a statement released, “the release of ammonia is thought to have been caused when a line was cut by contractors upgrading the refrigeration system” – nobody required medical treatment and that the leak was contained within an hour of the initial release)

FORKLIFT FATALITY OSHA investigating after suburban man killed in forklift accident (worker, 22, died in a forklift mishap while unloading a truck at his workplace at 2:47 p.m. – he was fatally injured when he was caught between the vehicle he was operating and the dock – the vehicle was being used to unload a truck at the time – he suffered multiple blunt-force injuries and his death was ruled an accident)

FORKLIFT Woman seriously injured in industrial accident at Coastal Container in Holland (worker, 21, was airlifted to the hospital after being struck by a forklift and pinned between paper products and a bench – she had to be extricated and suffered “significant injuries to her lower extremities”)

CONSTRUCTION

WORKZONE N.J. transportation worker struck on Route 80 east in Saddle Brook (Department of Transportation worker was taken to the hospital with a broken leg after a car struck him shortly after 10:30 a.m. – worker had been pinned underneath the car and was freed by emergency workers who arrived on the scene and a tow truck operator)

FATAL FALL Worker falls to his death at Mercedes Plant (construction worker fell from the roof while working about 25 feet above a concrete slab in a new construction area at the plant)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Worker Injured in Scaffolding Accident (worker was injured in a scaffolding accident – he fell from the second floor at a building undergoing renovations and suffered minor injuries – he was transported to a local hospital for treatment)

Four workers injured, two seriously, on Ottawa construction sites (worker, 65, suffered traumatic head injuries at a construction site shortly after 10 a.m. where a roofing crew had been working on a small commercial building – the injured worker was knocked unconscious when a piece of falling equipment struck him on the head – worker treated at the scene before being taken to a hospital, where he was in serious but stable condition – another construction worker remained in hospital with serious injuries to his pelvis and legs in a workplace incident that also injured two other workers at a construction site shortly before 5 a.m. – one did not require treatment, but another was taken to hospital with head and neck injuries but later released, third man remained in serious but stable condition in hospital)

WORKZONE FATALITY M3 closure: Road worker dies after suffering serious injuries in ‘industrial accident’ (road worker, believed to be in his late 20’s, has died after suffering serious injuries just before 10.15 a.m.)

UPDATE now a FATAL FALL Worker injured in fall at Logan Airport dies (construction worker, 53, injured in an accident at an airport construction site has died – worker fell 40 feet onto a 32-pound concrete panel two weeks ago – panel had also fallen while it was being hoisted on the third level of a parking garage)

Industrial accident in Vaughan sends a worker to hospital (it appears as if some type of tool fell on a worker from the 10th floor, sending him to hospital in life threatening condition – no details)

WORKZONE Construction worker injured in crash on I-64 in Illinois (construction worker, 31, is in the hospital after getting hit by a vehicle – she was on the ground servicing machinery on the on-ramp – all traffic on the ramp was shut down due to construction at that time – just after 6 p.m., a driver hit her as she was working)

EXCAVATOR Worker injured when excavator backs over him in Kittanning (worker, 20, on a road crew was severely injured and flown to a Hospital after an excavator backed over him – excavator driver was looking for oncoming traffic and didn’t see the man directly behind him standing with his back to the heavy machinery – worker had his legs pinned to the ground by the excavator)

WORKZONE and BUCKET TRUCK 1 person taken to hospital after accident involving bucket truck (bucket truck was struck by a concrete mixer as it traveled in the northbound lane – there were two people in the bucket who were working on an overhead sign when the accident occurred – extent of the worker’s injuries isn’t currently known and police are investigating the incident further)

DEMO COLLAPSE Man injured in accident at Pike River (worker,in his 30s, suffered moderate injuries when an outbuilding collapsed just before 9am – colleagues managed to free the man from the debris before firefighters arrived – incident was reported to have happened during the demolition of the bathhouse)

CRANE Man injured in roofing accident in Clayton Park (some plywood fell from the roof of the two-storey building and struck a worker who was operating a boom truck – it appears that the injured person was loading plywood onto the roof using a boom truck when somehow the load shifted and pieces of plywood fell onto him and the chair of the boom truck – worker, who is in his 50s, was taken to hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries)

FATAL TRENCH Benson County Man Killed in Trench Accident (worker, 60, is dead after a trench collapses in on him – he was installing a water line for a rural home – three others were with him when it happened and tried to save him but he died at the scene)

MISCELLANEOUS

MOWER FATALITY 23-year-old landscaping worker killed in Hebron mower accident (landscaping worker, 23, died after the mower he was riding rolled over on him – one of his co-workers found him – he was pronounced dead at the scene – mower weighs about 1,800 pounds)

WOOD CHIPPER FATALITY Police investigate wood chipper fatality accident (worker with a local tree company died after being pulled into a wood-chipping machine)

BUCKET TRUCK FATALITY Man killed after fall from bucket truck in Northampton (tree trimmer was killed while crews were removing trees from a property – he was ejected from a bucket above a truck after the truck tipped over – the bucket landed on top of the victim)

PTO GUARDING FATALITY Girl killed in Vermontville Twp. farming accident (teen girl, 14, died after being pulled into a piece of equipment while working on a farm – she was helping load straw bales from a farm wagon to a barn loft at a farm just before 4 p.m. when a piece of her clothing became caught in a power take-off shaft connecting a tractor and a farm elevator – others working on the farm were unable to stop the machinery in time, and the girl died at the scene)

TREE TRIMMING FATALITY KUB contract worker killed by falling tree (contract worker clearing vegetation from a wastewater pumping station was killed when a tree fell on him about 12:20 p.m. – details of how the incident occurred were not available)

AERIAL LIFT FATALITY into ELECTRICAL while TRIMMING TREES Worker killed trimming trees in northwest Fresno (worker, 79, was electrocuted after the lift he was in came in contact with electrical lines as he was attempting to trim walnut trees – the victim was trimming walnut trees using a piece of machinery that came in contact with electrical wires and burst into flames – worker died at the scene – two groundskeepers from the country club saw the flames and put the fire out with a garden hose)

ELECTROCUTION Fatal Industrial Accident: Worker (worker, 34, died as the result of an industrial accident at a resort at 8:44 a.m. – subcontractor had been doing renovations at the resort when he suffered a fatal electric shock – autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death)

FIRE Royal Caribbean ship out of Port Canaveral catches fire; 1 injured (a fire aboard a cruise ship injured one crew member – fire broke out in a mechanical area – onboard fire suppression equipment put out the fire – one crew member was treated for burns – no passengers were injured)

HOT WORK EXPLOSION Worker seriously injured by explosion at car dealership (three workers were injured in an explosion at a car dealership -the victims were working in the service area when a hydraulic lift and a torch triggered the blast – one worker was taken to a hospital with injuries that were considered serious but not life-threatening)

EXPLOSION Explosion Burns Two Santa Fe Pot Dispensary Employees (a fiery gas explosion injured two employees at a cannabis dispensary – one was listed in critical condition and the other is listed in serious condition – investigators believe that butane gas was involved in the dangerous explosion, but it is still unclear what ignited the gas – staffers also use liquid ethanol to extract cannabis oils for use in edible and other cannabis-derived products, but it was not immediately clear if ethanol was involved in the explosion)

HOTWORK FIRE Fire erupts at 24 unit apartment building in Viera during welding work (welders were working on stairwells in an apartment building when a fire broke out and moved into a few units – residents were evacuated and no injuries were reported – three units were directly affected, and up to 12 units suffered smoke and water damage)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

OSHA Heat App and Heat Illness Awareness

When is a compressed gas cylinder in “storage”?

OSHA PSM citations @ energy facility (Flammables & $112K)

EPA RMP General Duty Clause citation @ power plant (Hydrogen Peroxide; $30K)

OSHA issues proposed rulemaking clarifying the ongoing obligation to make and maintain accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses

OSHA PSM citations @ perfume factory (Flammable Liquids & $50K)

2015 Video of the Week #30 (Propane leak and Ignition)

2015 Photo of the Week #30 (Aerial Lift Boost)

OSHA cites paper manufacturer for willful, repeated, serious safety violations ($211K)

Another HUGE addition to OSHA’s SVEP club!

How does OSHA’s revised PSM “retail exemption” policy impact my RMP?

OSHA issues PSM Retail Exemption Interim Enforcement Policy

EPA RMP citations @ controlled-temperature storage warehouse for food products (NH3 & $325K all part of a SEP)

Take NOTICE… 11% of Fatal Falls in 2013 were 6′ or Less!

2014 Report of Violation Findings on Pressure Vessels and Pressure Relief Devices (NBBI)

National Board’s 2015 First Quarter Violation Report (NBBI)

The effect of wearer stubble on the protection given by Filtering Facepieces Class 3 (FFP3) and Half Masks (UK’s HSE RR1052)