INDUSTRIAL
Worker Dies in Recycling Plant Accident (an industrial accident claims the life of a worker at a recycling plant – the victim was found dead just before 11:30 p.m. after firefighters extinguished a flaming front-end loader – the body was found several feet from the heavy machinery in an area that is piled high with crushed automobiles – Medical Examiner’s Office was unable to determine a cause of death based on evidence at the scene – an autopsy will be performed)
FATAL EXPLOSION Exploding Pipe at Western Wyoming Rig Kills Worker (an exploding pipe has killed a worker, 42, at a drilling rig – he died before emergency crews arrived – he was severely burned – state workers’ safety officials are investigating)
CONFINED SPACE FATALITIES Subcontractor dies working on city water lines (a subcontractor, 62, hired by the city to repair and clean a city water line died after gas from the pipe knocked him unconscious – two other workers were injured – city hired the contractor to clean out and repair a pipe in preparation for the plant’s reopening this year – he had worked for the companies for a combined 15 years – workers were replacing air-release valves on the water pipe, which runs underground – the work required the workers to climb three or four feet underground, into a vault on top of the water line – the line, which once took water from a Lake to the treatment plant, is between 3 and 4 feet wide – the workers had already replaced seven or eight valves with no problem – when the worker loosened the bolts holding another valve in place, and he and another worker started to take the valve off the pipe, gas from inside the pipe spewed into the vault where they were working, knocking the two workers unconscious – a third worker standing on top of the vault jumped down to help and the air made him woozy – someone called 911, and all three were taken to the hospital – two workers will survive – one died)
Railroad worker loses leg in mishap (a train conductor is in fair condition at a hospital after an accident in a railyard around 7 a.m. – he was walking along the rails with another employee – the employees were walking in the same direction a train was backing – a train car then knocked him down, who was pulled underneath the rail cars – his leg was amputated in the accident)
CRANE Employee injured in workplace accident (there was an industrial accident just before 9:00 am – a 4,000 pound coil of wire fell from a crane, rolled across the floor and pinned a worker against a dumpster – most of the weight was on the worker’s abdomen, but he was able to breathe on his own once fellow workers rescued him – his condition is not known – he was working alone, which is normal, and no one else witnessed the incident)
CRANE Motiva Port Arthur crane collapse shuts unit (a crane collapse at a refinery knocked out electrical power to one of the plant’s vacuum distillation units – no workers were injured in the crane accident, which is the second at an expansion project aimed to make the refinery the largest in the United States by early 2012 – the unit was shut as workers were trying to bring the vacuum distillation unit, called a pipestill, under control after the crane collapse took out electrical power lines – the crane was lifting pipes for the crude capacity expansion project when it toppled backward across power lines)
CHEMICAL FATALITY – LINE BREAK Worker dies in industrial accident (one person died and another was seriously injured in an industrial accident – the pair were replacing a chemical valve when they were injured – one worker died on scene and another was taken to hospital after sustaining chemical burns to his body – the cause of the accident was not yet known)
Man’s leg crushed in industrial accident in Struthers (an industrial accident leaves a worker, 35, pinned under a 65-hundred pound steel pipe – he was helping to load the 16 inch pipe onto a truck – he was trying to brace it and when he did that the load shifted and forced him underneath the pipe – with the help of a fork lift, fire crews were able to lift the pipe and free him – he suffered a crushed leg and other possible injuries)
FORKLIFT FATALITY Worker killed in forklift accident in Va ID’ed (an auto parts worker, 35, was killed when a forklift/front-loader backed over him)
Forestry worker impaled by branch (a forestry accident left a worker, 30, with a branch impaled in his arm and in need of surgery – the forestry worker was felling trees when one landed and a branch on it went through his upper right arm – the branch was sticking out both sides of the man’s shoulder and the Rescue Helicopter was called to help – he was taken to a Hospital with the branch still through his arm – he was in a stable condition after having the branch removed during surgery)
STEEL MILL MOLTEN STEEL 4 steel mill workers burnt (four workers sustained burn injuries when molten iron splashed on them at a Steel Mill – another worker also sustained minor injury while trying to save himself from the splashing iron – the accident occurred at about 2:00am when the lock of a hot iron pot broke down and it fell on the floor)
ELECTRICAL Idaho Power contractor burned by power line (a worker came into contact with a 20,000-volt power line – the man is in critical condition at a Burn Center – the first unit to arrive on scene found the man unconscious and burned – unit called in a Life Flight helicopter)
FORKLIFT WorkCover investigates forklift accident (a worker, 56, was hit by a forklift – he sustained serious head injuries when the forklift hit him as he walked across the warehouse floor – he is in a serious, but stable, condition)
FATAL EXPLOSION One gas blast victim dies from injuries (four workers were seriously injured in an accidental blast while fixing a gas leak at a can manufacturing plant – one injured worker, 48, has been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit for the 22 percent burns he suffered from the blast – the third worker, 40, has 10 percent burns – both are in critical condition – a fourth worker, also in his 40s, has recovered and was transferred to the general ward of a Hospital – workers were injured while fixing a gas leak at a plant)
EXPLOSION Five workers injured in Thursday blast (a stop-work order at the upgrader hit by an explosion and fire will not be lifted until the province determines the plant is safe – the stop-work order applies only to the coker unit that caught fire – five workers were injured – two were treated on-site for minor injuries, while another two have been released from hospital – a fifth worker suffered third-degree burns and was transported to a Hospital burn unit for treatment – his condition is stable – the site’s coker, the unit where bitumen is converted into lighter products and petroleum coke, a coal-like substance blew at 3:30 p.m., sending employees running for cover from burning debris)
MINE FATALITY Mine accident kills Chelmsford man (miner, 28, was killed while working at the 8200 level shortly before midnight – his company is a contracting firm providing drilling and other services at the mine – no details have yet been released about the circumstances surrounding his death – he had been employed at the mine for more than two years)
PHOSGENE 82 workers fall ill after inhaling chemicals in China (eighty two people fell ill in two separate incidents of industrial accidents – sixty two workers at Pharmaceutical plant fell sick after inhaling fumes from the highly toxic solid phosgene, also known as triphosgene or BTC, that leaked from a laboratory – 37 workers were still being treated in hospital, of whom eight were in critical condition – cause of the accident is still under investigation – in another incident, 20 people fell sick due to inhaling of carbon monoxide after exhaust gas from a boiler seeped into their homes)
SKID STEER Berwick worker crushed by skid steer (a skid steer rolled off floor jacks and ramps pinning a mechanic underneath the machine – another person quickly jacked the machine up and took the pressure off the trapped man’s chest – the trapped man suffered a broken finger and broken blood vessels in his face – paramedics transported him in serious condition)
FATAL EXPLOSION Worker killed in ammo plant blast (a series of explosions tore through an ammunition plant, killing one worker, 34, and injuring a firefighter while shells went off for about an hour afterwards – the building was left standing but was gutted and riddled with bullet holes – the plant housed several thousand rounds and gunpowder – one firefighter was injured, apparently hit by a bullet or fragment – the cause is not yet known)
propylene Gas leak at Northrop Grumman (a gas leak at a shipyard has about 1,300 workers heading home – while making facility improvements, workers discovered a propylene gas leak on the dock – no one was injured in the incident and crews were sent home as a precaution)
CARBON MONOXIDE City sanitation workers sickened by carbon monoxide from snow melter exhaust fumes (the giant snow melters the city uses have been sickening sanitation workers with potentially deadly fumes – six workers have been taken to hospitals in the past year – two this week – two workers were treated for carbon monoxide after working on a snow melter – a neighbor on the block called the Fire Department after a basement carbon monoxide detector sounded the alarm – four workers were sickened by one of the department’s 36 snow melters last February)
WELDING FLASH FIRE Mechanic injured in fire at Jeffersonville trailer company (a mechanic was injured in a fire while repairing a trailer – he suffered light burns in a flash fire as he was welding at about 10 a.m. and was taken to a Hospital where he was listed in stable condition in the hospital’s burn unit)
FIRE Fire rages at Dutch chemical factory (a fire has broken out at chemical company in an industrial zone near – people in the southwest of the province have been advised to stay indoors and shut their windows – the fire has not affected a nearby Shell refinery with wind blowing away from the refinery)
FATAL EXPLOSION 1 killed in explosion at French chemical plant (an explosion at a chlorine plant killed one man, 28, and injured nine – a leak of water containing sodium prompted the explosion – no gases leaked outside the site – a man who worked at the plant died immediately – one other person suffered serious injuries and eight others were treated for chemical poisoning – the explosion coughed up a black and white cloud and damaged a reservoir, causing chlorine gas to escape)
FIRE Plastic company employee injured in fire expected to make full recovery (a fire and explosion at a plastics plant leaves one employee with severe burns and 22 others without work – an employee was trying to start a forklift and sparked a fire – the flames caused a propane tank to explode – it took firefighters from four departments seven hours to control the fire – the employee injured in the fire is expected to make a full recovery)
AMMONIA Ammonia leak closes Westside Arena (an Arena was shut down for two hours as city staff aired out the building after a small ammonia leak – a contractor was draining water off a chiller when the ammonia was released – ammonia is normally released when the work is being done, but more was released than planned)
AMMONIA Ammonia leak plugged at Cudahy plant (firefighters helped to stop an ammonia leak – the leak was reported to the Fire Department at 12:16 p.m. – it’s unclear whether workers had to evacuate the building, but firefighters and workers at the plant quickly stopped the leak and were able to avoid a wider evacuation)
CONSTRUCTION
ARC FLASH Worker suffers minor injuries in electrical accident (a worker suffered minor burns to his face at about 7:50 a.m. when electricity arced inside an electrical panel he was working on – the worker was treated at a Hospital – the building is being remodeled)
FATAL FALL 5 workers killed as service lift at site comes crashing down in Mumbai (five construction workers died and a liftman was critically injured when the service lift of a 23-storey towercame hurtling down from the 21st floor – the were 25, 35, 30 and 50 – all of them died on the spot – the liftman, 30, suffered severe head injuries and is in a precarious condition at a hospital – the temporary service lift is used to carry construction material in the building – the five workers were carrying paint and construction material – it was a 25 square ft lift – it was in a bad shape – the push button had to be kept pressed to keep the lift moving upwards or downwards – the lift had a wooden plank base that was fitted on iron angles and a cable rope – it had no covered cabin and was open from three sides – a site official added that the service lift could only go up to the 20th floor but the workers tried taking it till the 21st floor)
TRENCH FATALITY Autopsy: Pa. bridge worker crushed by concrete (an autopsy has determined that a construction worker, 20, killed while working on a bridge was crushed by gravel and concrete chunks – he died of traumatic injuries suffered while working in a six-foot-deep trench under the bridge – he was working in the trench with another man when the walls collapsed – the other man was pulled out alive about 90 minutes later, but one worker was pronounced dead at the scene – both men worked for a bridge construction company)
Construction worker hit by falling beam (a 31-year old construction worker is in hospital with serious injuries following an accident at a condominium construction site at around 1 p.m. – a 60-70 pound metal support beam fell from the seventh storey of the partially-built structure and injured the man who was working below – victim received serious injuries to his head, face and upper torso and was transported by ambulance to al Hospital – the victim was listed in serious, but stable condition – police are crediting the protective headgear he was wearing with saving his life)
FORKLIFT Hackettstown, NJ: Construction worker injured in forklift accident at Route 57 … (a construction worker, 41, at a site was injured after he was pinned against a delivery truck by an unoccupied forklift – crews found him lying on the ground, conscious and alert – investigation determined that he was attempting to place pieces of wood under a bundle of wood for elevation so the forklift operator could take it off the delivery truck – however, there was no operator on the forklift at the time of the accident but the forklift was left in drive – while widening the forks, the forklift rolled and pressed him against the delivery vehicle – he was pinned for an undetermined amount of time until the forklift was moved – he suffered a stomach injury and was taken to a Medical Center, where he was then airlifted by AIR 1 to another Hospital)
AMPUTATION Cape man flown to hospital after table saw accident (a worker, in his early 20s, had several of his fingers nearly amputated by a table saw – he was wearing gloves at the time of the accident – he was treated by EMTs and taken to a waiting MedFlight helicopter – he was conscious and alert when passed off to the MedFlight crew)
BUCKET TRUCK Crane accident closes Stapley Drive in Mesa (a basket crane mounted on a utility truck tipped over while crews were working at an intersection shortly after 9:30 a.m. – crews reportedly were taking down holiday decorations from a nearby shopping center – the truck was making a turn when it tipped – the basket crane was extended at the time, making the truck top heavy as it turned – when the truck tipped, the basket crane tilted into the light pole and the bucket hooked over the arm – a worker was riding in the basket at the time of the accident but was not injured)
TRACKHOE Pipeline worker injured (an equipment operator working on a pipeline project is in critical condition after the trackhoe he was operating tumbled over 200 feet into a steep canyon – other pipeline personnel were unable see the man after he fell and could not get to him to determine his condition because of the ruggedness of the terrain – he was brought up on a stretcher about 7:45 p.m. and treated for hypothermia, due to the deep snow and the extreme cold – his injuries were not life-threatening)
FALL from FIXED LADDER Worker injured in fall at JFK High (a contractor checking a heating system inside a High School was injured when he fell about 10 feet from a ladder – the contractor, described as a man in his 50s, was conscious and talking after the 8 a.m. fall but was taken to Medical Center where he was being evaluated in the emergency room – he had only broken a couple of fingers – the ladder from which he fell was bolted to a wall)
WORKZONE & CONFINED SPACE Car hits man working on sewer (a wastewater worker, 21, is in stable condition after he was hit by a car – he was working on a sewer backup – he was transported to a Hospital, but he said the accident was nonfatal – a pump truck was parked about 120 feet from where the wastewater crew was working, flashing hazard lights and an arrow, directing drivers to stay right – someone cut the shoulder – the driver must have cut into the second lane towards the center and that’s when he hit him – he didn’t see the guy in the manhole)
FALL & AMPUTATION Construction worker loses foot in fall (a man, 25, working on a construction job lost his left foot in a work-related accident – he was sitting atop a 15-foot high wall cutting a steel I-beam when the steel gave way – the man plunged at least 15 feet into the river below, which is running about a foot deep – then the wall fell over on top of him causing severe trauma to his left foot – rescuers were not able to save the foot, which was amputated in the accident)
PFAS SAVES ANOTHER ONE Worker falls from Secaucus high-rise, but saved by safety harness, officials say (a 25-year-old worker doing repairs fell, but was saved from striking the ground by the safety harness he was wearing – the accident took place shortly after noon and the man was taken to a Medical Center – the worker fell at least six stories – the worker “was able to move his legs” when he was taken away in the ambulance, and police said the man sustained an injury to his shoulder – it is not known exactly what kind of work the man was performing when he fell)
LIFT COLLPASE Three injured in lift accident (three people working on a lift were seriously injured when it fell three floors – one of the workers was trapped in the wrecked elevator and needed to be removed with specialised equipment – all three workers sustained severe injuries to the lower extremities and were treated and stabilized at the scene before being transported to a nearby medical facility – it was unclear what exactly happened, but an elevator repair company received a call out for a faulty lift)
CRANE FATALITY Truck Crane Collapse Kills 2, Injures 3 (two people were killed and three injured when a truck crane collapsed at the intersection of two roads – the accident happened at around 1:52 p.m. when workers were assembling the crane at the intersection – the crane broke apart and fell on passing cars, injuring the cars’ occupants – one person died at the scene while the other died in hospital – the injured are being treated in hospital and are in stable conditions – it is not yet known how many of the casualties were workers assembling the crane and how many were passersby – cause of the accident is under investigation)
CRANE Crane collapses while working on Oklahoma dam (a crane collapsed into a Lake while performing maintenance repairs on the dam – the crane tipped over as it was lifting a piece of equipment on the top of the dam about 10:30 p.m. – the crane’s operator was able to climb out of the cab before the equipment went into the water and wasn’t hurt – officials are investigating how the accident occurred)
MISCELLANEOUS
AMPUTATION Lincoln Co. Man Severs Fingers in Farming Accident (a 60-year-old man is hospitalized after severing off several of his fingers in a farming accident – the man had been working on mechanical gear on an animal feed grinder when the accident happened – he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment)
Two Hospitalized After Storage Unit Accident (two warehouse workers were hospitalized after a rack storage unit collapsed on top of them – the lift fell on the men, age 45 and 50, around 1:30 p.m. – they were injured as a result of a rack storage collapse – they were working from a scissor lift – they sustained serious but not life threatening injuries, and were taken to a Trauma Center)