47 incidents & 2 updates (12/18/14)

2015 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

Navy subcontractor worker dies in boating accident (a Navy subcontractor, 50, has died in a boating accident at a Naval Base – coroner’s office says he died from saltwater drowning)

GUARDING FATALITY Worker dies in accident at Sparks machine shop (worker, 33, at a machine shop was found dead just after 6 a.m. – a preliminary investigation indicates the employee’s clothing may have got caught in the machine he was operating – no other details have been released)

GUARDING FATALITY – CONVEYOR Worker dies in Oregon sawmill accident (worker, 31, was trapped in machinery died at a sawmill – he was free of machinery when Fire and Rescue arrived but died at the scene of his injuries – he was fatally injured in a sawdust conveyer – he was a 7-year employee of the mill)

MOLTEN ALUMINUM Employee suffers 2nd degree burns following industrial accident (worker suffered second degree burns after an industrial accident – incident happened when crews were pouring molten aluminum into a cast – when one employee went to turn off the equipment, the substance continued to come out and splashed onto another worker, setting their pants on fire and burning them – victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment)

ELECTROCUTION Houston Utility Worker Killed In Electrocution Accident (a utility worker was electrocuted when the man was transferring power between utility poles – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

CRANE FATALITY Second man dies after buoy falls at Pearl Harbor facility (four civilians were working on a floating concrete block when a 10,000-pound buoy fell about 70 feet, partially hitting two of them – two others were injured while avoiding the buoy – workers were strengthening mooring lines on the 820-foot decommissioned amphibious ship which uses a number of the white circular buoys – accident was reported at 10:19 a.m. on a barge with a crane – one contractor who died was a male in his 40s and another was in his 30s – the two others, a 50-year-old man and a 27-year-old man, were in stable condition – two of the men were knocked or jumped into the water to avoid the buoy, which was 12-to-15 feet in diameter)

GUARDING/LOTO AMPUTATION Man hurt in Jackson County cotton gin accident (accident at a cotton gin cost a worker both of his legs – still not exactly clear how it happened, but the sheriff’s department says the man’s legs were stuck in the machinery for about two hours – first responders had to perform an on-scene amputation of one of his legs – he was airlifted to a Medical Center, where doctors had to amputate the other leg – no word on his current condition)

Man injured in industrial accident (200 pounds of lumber fell on a man – he was taken to a Hospital to treated for minor, non-life threatening injuries – it’s unclear if the man was an employee of the company or a contract worker)

VERTICAL LATHE GUARDING FATALITY Ebara Industrial Accident Kills Worker (worker, 33, had been operating a vertical lathe machine when, they think, a piece of his clothing got caught in the machine, slowly pulling the man into the machine and killing him)

PALLET Worker critically injured at beef jerky facility (worker at a distribution facility was critically injured when a pallet fell on her head – the woman was hospitalized)

ARC FLASH Worker Burned While Working on Power Line Project in Clarksburg (utility worker was burned while working on power lines at about 11 a.m. – he was a contracted lineman and was helping to convert overhead lines to underground lines – worker did not come into contact with the power lines, but instead was working with equipment that “caused a flash” and burned him – he was taken to an area burn unit for treatment, but has non-life-threatening injuries)

AMMONIA (Oil Draining Incident) Worker hospitalized after anhydrous ammonia leak in Charleston (worker was hospitalized after an anhydrous ammonia leak – a 300-pound tank holding the ammonia was compromised shorlty after 3 p.m. when a maintenance worker was draining the oil from the bottom of a freezer that was shut down – “He could not get the valve shut off fast enough and it overtook him and he decided to leave the area” – about 50 people were evacuated from the area – Hazmat went in, closed the valve, and then they capped the bottom of it just to make sure – condition of the hospitalized worker is unknown at this time)

REFINERY FLANGE FIRE Fire at Port Arthur Valero refinery shakes residents (refinery had a fire at one of the unit’s flanges around 7 p.m. and was quickly extinguished by the refiner’s fire department while the city Fire Department was called as a precaution – there were no injuries as well as there was no impact to the surrounding community – wouldn’t comment on the chemicals being carried through the flange other than saying they were petrochemicals)

FATAL EXPLOSION OF AIR RECEIVER @ POWER PLANT Freak explosion at power plant kills two (two workers were killed after an air compressor at a power station exploded – initial findings showed that the force of the explosion propelled the lid of the air compressor on to a worker, 38, fatally injuring him and wounding three other workers nearby – another one of the workers, 40, succumbed to his injuries in hospital, while the other two are still in hospital but appear to be out of danger)

MOLTEN METAL EXPLOSION Explosion at Krakatau Posco Plant Said to Leave 7 Injured (explosion took place at around 1 p.m. and occurred during the factory’s usual operations of pouring iron – two are in critical condition, and five are mildly injured – incident started when the machine poured liquid iron into the converter – one victim suffered burns on 70 percent of the body)

CRANE FATALITY Worker crushed in Khor Fakkan port (worker was killed at a port when he was ran over by a crane ran while working the evening shift – crane driver confessed to manslaughter claiming it was too dark at the location and he couldn’t see the man)

UPDATE on FATAL EXPLOSIONMLGW worker dies after November gas explosion (one of the workers, 35, injured in a November gas explosion died from his injuries on Sunday – two co-workers are in critical condition, two others had been released from the hospital after being injured in the explosion)

EXPLOSION in RRCar Seven injured, two seriously, in explosion at rail car repair facility near Atchison (an explosion inside a Railcar Services facility sent metal flying and workers to hospitals just after 2 p.m. – a rail car that was carrying fuel, possibly gasoline, exploded and sent seven employees to hospitals – both men were listed in fair condition – between 16 and 17 other employees were working at the rail car services facility at the time of the explosion – the area they were working in is where rail cars are stripped before they are painted – they pulled the tanker that exploded and caught fire out of the warehouse and let it burn itself out)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITIESThousands Evacuated After Fatal Fire Breaks Out at Dallas’ Thanksgiving Tower (three subcontractors killed in fire and two others suffer smoke inhalation – the three subcontractors killed in the fire were working in a thermal storage tank that is part of the heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit in the basement of the building – the victims were 60, 43, and 36 – two were uncle and nephew – three other people were sent to the hospital and treated for injuries that were not life threatening, though it’s not yet known where they were in the building when the fire started – thick smoke and flames adjacent to an electrical facility near the storage tank led them to believe the fire was electrical, but that now they aren’t sure where the fire began or how – once the fire was out and the smoke was cleared, the bodies of the three men were found inside the 35-foot storage tank)

AMMONIA Perth worker blasted in face by ammonia is rushed to hospital, six others also injured (worker, in his early 20s, was rushed to hospital after a high pressure pipe split and blasted ammonia into his face – six other people were also taken to hospital as a result of the accident at a cold storage and transport facility – the man’s face was hit by the ammonia when he has accidentally dislodged a valve on an ammonia pipeline – he inhaled the gas and was transferred to a Hospital where he is in a serious but stable condition)

HOTWORK FLASH FIRE Flash fire at the Plantation Pipe Line site (a flash fire at a pipe line system sent four contractors to the hospital – fire was put out by handheld extinguishers – the four contractors affected had been welding a pipe-that had previously leaked 8-thousand gallons of gasoline – those workers were released from a local hospital after an evaluation with no injuries – county emergency services director thinks there was some “product” in the pipe)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak at Texas Pepsi plant sparks evacuation (bottler was forced to evacuate around 40 staff from its bottling plant due to a minor ammonia leak – leak was detected by electronic sensors on site, which prompted the evacuation – firefighters were able to isolate a small leak and that 90% of the site was reopened within two hours – no injuries were reported, while officials said that no businesses or neighborhoods were affected by the leak)

ELECTRICAL EXPLOSION Electrical explosion cuts power to Bristol Herald Courier printing plant (an electrical explosion in the electrical room at a printing facility occurred at about 7 a.m. – although the incident remains under investigation, the explosion appears to have occurred in a transformer box – plant was in the middle of a shift change when the explosion occurred and only a cleaning crew was in the building)

AMMONIA Chemical leak in southern Minnesota town (an anhydrous ammonia leak caused the partial evacuation of a town – about 9,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia leaked around 11 am, forcing the evacuation of approximately 15 homes in the northwest portion of town – several area fire departments responded to the emergency – one firefighter was treated at the scene for inhalation issues suffered while assisting in the evacuation)

CHLORINE Chlorine leak leads to evacuations in Smithfield (chlorine leak led to the evacuation of a couple of homes and the calling in of a Hazmat crew at a sewage treatment plant – when a worker got there around 6 a.m., he noticed a chlorine alarm going off – a tank was leaking the gas at the facility – the quick actions of that worker kept the situation from becoming worse – the worker put the leaking cylinder into the lagoon, so the gas would dissipate into the water – some neighbors were forced to evacuate as a precaution, but everyone is OK – a faulty valve is to blame for the leak)

AMMONIA Arkansas poultry plant ammonia leak sends 18 workers to hospital (ammonia leak at a poultry processing plant sent 18 employees to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment – workers complained of difficulty breathing and swallowing – the incident occurred during maintenance on the plant’s roof and that ammonia fumes were brought into the facility by its air conditioning system – it immediately evacuated about 250 employees as a precaution and the plant’s emergency response team quickly sealed the leak)

WWTP 7 injured after Jacksonville sewage plant fire (workers at a sewage plant needed medical treatment after a fire ignited and hydrogen sulfide gas was released into the air – a nearby shopping center was also evacuated due to the fire, but no homes – five contractors, who were laying a new roof on the facility, and two employees, were hospitalized after breathing in the fumes – they were listed in stable condition)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak reported in Polk County (an ammonia line burst in the plant releasing 100 pounds of ammonia in the building at 10:17 a.m. – building was evacuated and three employees exposed to the leak were rescued at the scene – two of them were taken to the hospital – no further injuries – road is closed as Hazmat crews work to contain leak)

CONSTRUCTION

WORKZONE FATALITY Construction worker killed in Caldwell Parish crash (worker, 30, died from injuries sustained in the accident – accident occurred when a motorist struck two construction vehicles stopped along northbound U.S. 165 – crew members were working on a stalled vehicle at the time of the accident – several other crew members working on the vehicle were injured, but not seriously – preliminary investigation revealed a 2014 Chevrolet pickup (construction vehicle), equipped with a large arrow board was stopped in the north bound outside lane – vehicle was stopped due to work being done in the roadway by three workers – a Cadillac ATS when it attempted to move into the inside lane but struck the rear of the Chevrolet pickup and all three construction workers – two of the construction workers were transported to a local hospital for moderate injuries and one was airlifted due to severe injuries)

DUMP TRUCK FATALITY Construction worker killed in accident in Evans (a construction worker, 36, was killed while fixing a dump truck – he was fixing a latch when the dump truck’s doors closed, crushing him to death – it’s unclear if he was standing in the belly of the truck or on the ground at the time – he was found by a co-worker who went to check on him after not hearing from him for several hours)

FALL from LADDER Worker breaks leg in accident at new Spahn & Rose site (a construction worker, 41, was treated for a broken leg after falling from a ladder – he was taken by ambulance to a Hospital for a broken leg after the accident at 2:35 p.m.)

FALL into TRENCH Construction worker survives fall into 40-foot trench near Los Angeles (construction worker was rescued by firefighters after falling into a 40-foot trench – the worker fell into the trench, which was about 6 feet wide, around 8:30 a.m. – firefighters responded to the scene and pulled the worker from the pit around 9:35 a.m. – worker suffered a leg injury but was conscious and alert upon rescue)

ELEVATOR FATALITY Worker Dies Trying to Get Off Elevator at High-Rise Building Site (worker, 21, died when he hit his head on a metal shaft after trying to get off a construction elevator that malfunctioned at a building site – he was riding the elevator up to the 15th floor of the half-built apartment building with three coworkers when the lift began shaking violently – he made a mistake by trying to jump out by himself and he got hit in the head and died – he was not wearing a helmet)

CRANE Crane falls metres from Blenheim building (a crane working has broken and toppled to the ground – no one was hurt when the crane fell – the 100-tonne mobile crane was sitting in the middle of the work site when the boom appeared to have fallen backwards – boom was bent over the top of large concrete slabs, sitting ready to be picked up by the crane and placed)

Worker who sparked fire at former Hoover plant being treated for burns (worker was injured by burns from an electrical fire – he will receive treatment in a burn unit for about two to three weeks – fire only affected internal electrical wiring – worker was doing demolition work, cut through a conduit or live wire and sustained second to third-degree burns)

PROPANE HEATER EXPLOSION Nobody hurt in Whitefish explosion (a crew of construction workers were thanking their lucky stars after a large propane explosion – a malfunction in a propane heater allowed gas to fill up the basement of a new townhouse under construction – an electrical extension cord from the heater was connected to a power outlet outside – when crews arrived for work at 7:15 a.m. they plugged in the cord, which set off the explosion)

TRENCHING Tenn. Man Trapped in Trench for Hours (worker, 20, was listed in serious condition after a nearly four-hour rescue operation to free him from a collapsed trench – workers were installing a sewer line when the trench, estimated at 8- to 10 feet deep and about 3 feet wide, collapsed around noon – the rescue took four hours – the victim’s father and brother also work for the company and were at the scene when the accident happened)

SCAFFOLDING Three hospitalized after scaffolding collapses in Newport News (a scaffolding collapse – no one was trapped, but injuries were reported – three people were transported to local hospitals with non life threatening injuries – two workers were injured with possible broken bones – one person received scrapes and bruises)

UPDATE on VAC TRUCK EXPLOSION 37 Treated After Wastewater Plant Explosion (at least 37 people were treated for chemical exposure after an explosion occurred at a wastewater treatment facility – chemicals in question were a mix of sulfuric acid and an organic peroxide – on the day after the explosion, residents and businesses were evacuated due to concerns about toxic smoke – describing skin rashes, irritation in their eyes and throats, and problems with breathing, nearly 40 people were treated for exposure to chemicals – explosion occurred on November 18 at about 3:45 a.m. while two workers were moving 1,200 gallons of the chemical using a truck – firefighters arrived at the scene about 3:45 a.m. after reports that a vacuum truck had exploded)

MISCELLANEOUS

Worker killed in Mesa industrial accident (worker, 57, was hit by a truck after a driver stepped on the gas instead of the brake – investigators believe the driver of a commercial box truck lost control of the vehicle in the parking lot and struck an employee inside the building – employee inside the building died of the injuries)

CARNIVAL FATALITY Ipswich carnival ride accident claims life of young worker (worker, 20, died after he was pinned by a carnival ride while dismantling the ride and investigators are now working to determine if they were rushing to pack up before storms hit)

Worker suffers arm injury (workers arm became stuck in machinery at a retail store just after 11 a.m., but was freed soon after)

DELIVERY WORKER STRUCK UPS employee struck by pickup in North Adams (employee was injured when he was struck by a vehicle – injuries did not appear to be life threatening – truck was pulled over to the side of the southbound lane about 11:40 a.m. when the employee apparently walked out in front of the vehicle and was struck by a pickup truck, also headed south – employee was a seasonal worker and not the driver of the delivery vehicle)

ELECTROCUTION TREE TRIMMING Utility worker electrocuted (one utility worker has died and another was hurt in a power lines accident while trimming some trees in a residential neighborhood – the person who died was electrocuted)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Worker falls to death in manhole (worker, 43, died in a manhole where he was involved in maintenance work in the eight-meter-deep hole on the campus – officers had tried to rescue the man, but failed)

PFAS SAVES ANOTHER LIFE Window washer rescued after dangling from building (window washer has been rescued after ending up dangling on the side of a building about two floors up – a board shifted, causing the man to slip and get stuck hanging from his gear by his feet – worker was wearing his harness at the time of the accident)

ELECTROCUTION 3 labourers electrocuted (three day labourers, 30, 32, and 40, were electrocuted while setting up a billboard – another worker was critically injured – incident took place around 3:00pm when the day labourers were setting up the billboard – a nearby high-voltage electric cable somehow had got entangled with an iron rod of the billboard structure, electrocuting the workers)

HOTWORK American Museum of Natural History Evacuated Because of Smoke (thousands of visitors at the American Museum of Natural History were evacuated after a blow torch being used outside sparked a small fire that filled an exhibition hall with smoke – fire broke out near the museum’s West 77th Street entrance around 3:30 p.m. and filled an exhibition hall on the first floor with heavy smoke that set off fire alarms and water sprinklers)

TRUCK UNLOADING Casselberry trucker critical after being crushed by 5-ton storage pod in N.Y. (a 10,000-pound storage pod landed on a truck driver, 38 – truck driver remains in critical condition – she suffered internal injuries, along with her pelvis and legs being crushed – accident happened at 2:43 p.m. at a Storage Facility as she was unloading a storage-pod container – a strap securing the pod got tangled and while attempting to free the strap, the strap gave away, causing the pod to release off the truck and land on top of her – an employee rushed to help, using a forklift to remove the container off her)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

OSHA PRCS citations involving Rail Car cleanout ($188K)

2014 Photo of the Week #50 (scissor lift, step ladder, stairs, door, scaffolding)

Joint Full Committee Hearing – Oversight of the Implications of the President’s Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility and Security Committee

2014 Video of the Week #50 (Ergo, PPE, Tool Handling, and oh yeah SPEECHLESS!)

Safety Showers can make great FIRST STAGE DECON station

Detonation or Deflagration? (USFA)

Airline Respirator Hose Storage (firefighter fell unconscious)

OSHA insists recordkeeping obligations are ongoing (United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit ruled differently)

Minor update versions of MARPLOT and CAMEOfm are now available

Chemical Security Program Statistics as of November 1, 2014

UK’s HSE Human Factors Briefing Notes