49 incidents & 2 updates (1/11/15)

2015 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

AMPUTATION GRAPHIC CONTENT: Factory worker has all 10 fingers CUT OFF after horrifying accident (an accident left a woman with all her fingers and thumbs SEVERED and needing 13 hours of surgery to sew them back on – worker had all of her digits cut off as she was working in a paper plant – surgeons had to successfully repair the blood vessels and nerve damage during the marathon 13-hour operation – surgeons started work to re-attach the digits at 1pm on the day of the incident and did not finish until the next day at 2am – the operation was a success and her fingers are now fully functioning once again)

EXPLODING TIRE Portnoo accident: Donegal worker critical after tyre explosion (worker, 66, was airlifted by coastguard helicopter in a critical condition following an accident at a timber factory – it is understood he suffered serious chest injuries when a tyre exploded at about 15:45 GMT)

TRASH TRUCK FATALITY – BACKING Worker killed by garbage truck in Franklin Lakes (worker, 53, died after a garbage truck his co-worker was driving hit him in an apparent accident – the truck driver was backing up when the vehicle struck the worker – the driver called 9-1-1 to report what happened and responding officers found the worker under the truck)

BOOM TRUCK ELECTROCUTION Worker Killed in Mill Accident (a contractor, 64, died in what appears to be accidental electrocution when his boom lift apparently came into contact with a high voltage line – emergency crews found the basket approximately 25 feet in the air with the patient unconscious in the basket – boom was not in contact with the overhead electric transmission lines but was within inches of the lines)

COMPRESSED AIR LINE FATALITY Refinery worker dies in accident in Gibbstown (an accident at a refinery has claimed the life of a worker, 63 – an air compressor line broke and struck the worker who was sandblasting a tank at the time – he was killed instantly)

LOTO FATALITY Maintenance Worker Killed in Concrete Crusher Accident (a worker, 54, performing routine maintenance on a concrete crusher was killed when he somehow got entangled in the machinery – he suffered traumatic injuries to the upper regions of his body and didn’t have a pulse when officers arrived – it then took authorities “some time” to free him from the machinery – he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later)

GUARDING FATALITY Odisha worker who lost hand in maize mill mishap dies (worker who had lost his right hand and had also sustained grievous injuries in his left hand too while working in a maize processing mill succumbed to his injuries – his right hand got chopped off after getting sucked into the machine – while trying to get his right off the machine, he injured his left hand too)

LOTO FATALITY Elevator Repairman Pinned Between 2 Elevators, Killed In Upper West Side Building (elevator repairman, 30, was killed when he was pinned between two elevators around 11:20 a.m. – the repairman was working in the shaft below another elevator that suddenly dropped at least three floors, crushing him between the first floor and the basement – he was pronounced dead at the scene – second worker was uninjured)

CONCRETE SILO COLLAPSE FATALITY FAMILY IDENTIFIES WORKER PRESUMED DEAD AFTER SILO COLLAPSE IN BRISTOL TOWNSHIP (a worker, 48, is presumed dead after a silo collapsed at an industrial warehouse around midnight at an industrial warehouse complex – he was trapped sometime before his shift ended at midnight when a cement silo collapsed)

FORKLIFT Worker taken to hospital after industrial accident on Hartnell Avenue (worker was taken to the hospital after his leg became trapped under a forklift in an industrial accident – worker’s injuries were minor – he was moving materials when he got off the forklift to check the load and did not realize the forklift was still in gear – forklift rolled back and pinned the man’s left leg – crews used airbags to prop the forklift up and free the man)

SCALPING WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES Factory worker SCALPED after ponytail gets caught in machine (workers ears were also ripped off in the accident, but doctors have now managed to successfully reattach her scalp – when her ponytail became entangled in a fast-running machine she was scalped – she was rushed to hospital in a critical condition – wound was from both eyes to the back of the neck)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Paul Campeau of Red Lake dies in workplace accident (worker, 45, died in a gravel pit when he climbed into the back of a gravel truck where he became lodged in an auger)

LOGGING Driver trapped for 2 hours after tractor flips in logging accident (worker, 42, is taken by rescue workers to a waiting helicopter after a logging accident – a farm tractor he was on flipped over – he was hauling trees when a tree he was dragging became snagged on another tree – he as trapped in 15-degree temperatures for more than two hours before he was able to contact a family member via cell phone – he is being treated for internal injuries – the chain being used to haul the logs was attached too high to the tractor’s rear, causing it to flip end-over-end)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY ENGULFMENT Man dies in grain bin in Union County job-related accident (a man was found dead in a grain bin – co-workers were unable to rescue a man who fell in a grain bin and suffocated – worker fell into the grain bin and the others working there weren’t able to rescue him in time – by the time the call came in, he had already become entrapped in the grain bin)

FORKLIFT FATALITY 1 dead in Springfield forklift accident (worker, 31, was killed when a forklift overturned, causing fatal injuries – co-workers were able to free him from the overturned equipment before emergency responders arrived – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

ACID TANK EXPLOSION Factory employee injured as acid tanker explodes (acid storage tanker of a chemical factory exploded leaving one worker injured – blast took place during the lunch hours that is why all the workers escaped and only one was injured – he was rushed for treatment to a hospital – no more details)

FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION on TUGBOAT 2 dead in HCMC boat blast (two workers were killed after a tugboat exploded while docking at a port around 9:15 a.m. – some workers were welding some parts of the boat when the explosion happened – explosion sent one worker, 25, flying 50 meters away from the boat – he died immediately – worker, 44, was thrown into the river, severely injured and died later in the hospital – sparks from the welding job in the boat may have flown towards the fuel tank and ignited the explosion)

FATAL EXPLOSION at QUARRY Two Odisha labourers among three killed in Telangana quarry blast (two labourers were killed and another was seriously injured in a blast at a granite quarry – four labourers were drilling a rock at the quarry at about 4.30 pm. – the explosives meant for breaking huge boulders blasted accidentally and fell on these four labourers killing three of them on the spot)

FATAL EXPLOSION Blast kills 18 at China car parts plant (explosion has left 18 dead and dozens more injured – the explosion was described as a “gas blast” with an investigation now underway to determine the cause – the factory, which makes vehicle parts, was closed for cleaning when the incident occurred – explosion instantly killed 17 workers and injured 33 others)

START-UP EXPLOSION at REFINERY Extensive damage at Husky Ohio refinery unit after explosion, fire (a fire that started after an explosion at a crude oil refinery has caused extensive damage to a unit at the plant – no injuries were reported in the blast – blast involved the 26,000-barrel-per-day isocracker unit – at the time of the blast, the unit was being restarted after maintenance – there was extensive damage to the unit and the nearby ultraformer, which boosts the octane in gasoline)

FATAL EXPLOSION Name of worker killed in explosion released (worker, 71 was fatally injured in an explosion at a fertilizer plant – he and two other people were injured when an over pressurized air pipe exploded – worker died after leaving the scene in an ambulance, and the other two people were taken by private vehicle to a Regional Medical Center where they were evaluated and released)

Michigan blaze kills 300 pigs, injures worker (a fire at a pork farm injured one of the farm’s employees and killed roughly 300 pigs – fire was caused by an explosion in an employee room located in the middle of the building – employee was severely injured in the blaze, suffering first-degree burns on his ears and neck and second-degree burns on his hands)

ACID UPDATE: Hazmat situation in Oklahoma City, one minor injury reported (about 300 to 500 gallons of hydrochloric acid were spilled at a rail yard – no information available on the amount of acid in the tanker car – a rail yard worker with minor injuries was taken to the hospital by another worker after the incident – rail yard worker received minor burns from the acid when a container’s lid came off)

HOTWORK FIRE Fire breaks out in foam factory (fire broke out in a foam factory – no casualties were reported, one person inside the factory got injured after he fell from the factory’s terrace – fire was due to sparks from welding work – led to a total loss of over Rs 1 crore – worker were installing a lift in the building, for which welding was going on – sparks released during the welding came in touch with the foam and that led to a fire)

HOTWORK FATALITY Elkhart man dies from burns suffered at Green Stream Recycling plant accident (worker, 51, injured during a welding accident has died of his injuries – he died as a result of thermal burns he suffered in the accident)

HOTWORK Fire breaks out in oil processing unit (fire broke out in an Oil Processing Unit when the mechanics were welding a bucket elevator – sparks that came out from the welding spread across the oil palm bunches – no one was hurt in the incident – preliminary estimates the loss was put at Rs 3 lakh)

TANK LEAK Emergency crews clean up after fuel leak in Rimouski (firefighters and an emergency environmental cleanup crew scrambled to contain a fuel leak at a terminal – a tank holding 2 million litres of gasoline sprang a leak after a small crack appeared in a valve – about 1.4 million litres of gasoline were transferred to another tank, while an additional 30,000 litres of fuel diluted with water were also recovered – all of the gasoline spilled into a containment dike surrounding the terminal – a worker discovered the leak around 6:30 p.m. after receiving complaints about the smell of gasoline coming from the terminal – they sprayed foam on the fuel to prevent harmful vapours from wafting toward the nearest houses)

UPDATE Blast at natural gas plant on Columbia costs $69M in repairs (company is spending $69 million to repair damage from an explosion that injured five people at a natural gas facility last March – a pressure vessel ruptured, throwing a piece of shrapnel into a liquid natural-gas storage tank at the processing plant – full operations resumed in November and repairs should be completed by April)

Small explosion at Wyoming County well pad (an explosion occurred at a natural gas well pad – company uses the gas beneath its property to help power its operations – it was quickly contained and caused no injuries – a small volume of gas ignited on the pad – workers on site were able to extinguish it)

EXPLOSION Port Neal fertilizer plant damaged in fire, explosion; no one injured (a fire and explosion at a fertilizer plant caused significant damage but no injuries – an explosion occurred shortly after the first fire crews arrived, and one of the processing buildings became fully involved)

AMMONIA Parmalat cheese factory ammonia leak forced woman out of house (a chemical leak at a cheese factory is raising health and safety questions after a resident living a block away was forced out of her home by the burning stench of ammonia – woman who lives with her son one block away from the factory woke up to the pungent smell of ammonia – an unauthorized faulty pipe connecting to the storm sewer was to blame, the municipality said)

ethylene oxide EPA probes leak at Sydney chemical plant (an ethylene oxide leak occurred – initial investigations indicated “the potential for offsite impacts from the gas was minimal” – workers at the site were alerted by a purpose built alarm – plant staff investigated the leak and correctly initiated the site emergency procedures – cause of the leak was quickly identified as a seal on one of the pumps at the Ethylene Oxide plant and the pump was switched off and isolated)

FORKLIFT Hudsonville Man Injured in Worksite Accident (worker, 48, may have suffered several broken bones in his right foot after he apparently pinched his foot between the standup forklift that he was operating and a wall that he was backing into)

FORKLIFT Medic: Person struck by forklift at north Charlotte warehouse (one person was injured after being struck by a forklift at a warehouse – injuries do not appear to be life threatening – victim was taken to a Medical Center for treatment)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Man crushed to death between forklift and post at Rochedale, Brisbane (worker, in his 60s, has died after being trapped between a forklift and a post – he died at the scene)

CONSTRUCTION

CRANE Parkway crane accident seriously injures construction worker (a construction worker was seriously injured when the construction crane he was operating in a construction zone overturned and fell down an embankment, ejecting him into water -he was airlifted to a Medical Center with serious injuries)

CONCRETE POUR COLLAPSE No injuries after accident, roof collapse at Weber facility in Huntley (a construction accident at a distribution center caused a big part of the roof to collapse, but no injuries – a concrete truck pouring the floor inside the 750,120-square-foot facility hit a support pillar, causing a 200-by-500-foot section of the roof to collapse just before noon – none of the 50 or so workers in the building at the time were injured in the collapse, and made it to safety – one worker did injure his hand during the evacuation, but the person was treated at the scene)

CRANE and TRUSSES Worker injured in condo construction site accident (worker, 36, was working on a condominium project when workers were using a crane to off-load roof trusses when they started toppling, creating a chain reaction of events which resulted in the man being struck by one of the trusses – he was treated in hospital but his injuries were not life-threatening)

WORKZONE Car hits worker at Harbor Place project (worker, 33, was hit by a car and has serious injuries – accident happened before sunrise about 5:30 a.m. – he was transported to a Hospital – he was standing in the street directing an orange aerial lift that was exiting an alley – he was struck by a car traveling east – the car then collided with the aerial lift – driver of the car was not injured – according to a police report, the driver of the car told police he was looking at the driver of the aerial lift and did not see the worker in the street)

FATAL FALL into UNDERGROUND GAS TANK WELL Worker dies after falling into well (worker, 41, died after falling into a well while working at a gas station under construction – he fell into the 6-foot fuel tank well – co-worker searched for him for at least 15 minutes before realizing he was unconscious and trapped in the well – it is unclear whether he was injured during the fall or overcome by gas fumes within the well)

One dead in Moundsville industrial accident (incident happened just before 2 pm at a construction site – worker was employed by a pipeline construction company – no details)

FATAL FALL from ROOF Worker dies after falling off roof in north Edmonton (worker, in his 30’s, is dead after falling off the roof he was working on – he was finishing on the roof when he fell off around 9 a.m.)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Workers Injured In Commerce Casino Accident (five construction workers were taken to a hospital after falling at the casino about 3:15 p.m. – all five victims were taken to hospitals – they fell 20 feet from scaffolding, and their injuries were described as minor to moderate)

HOTWORK FIRE Welding equipment sparked fire at a data center under construction in Loudoun (welding equipment on the roof of a data center that was under construction likely sparked a three-alarm fire at about 10 a.m. -five construction workers were on the roof of the building when the fire started but were able to escape without injury – officials estimate that the fire caused $75,000 to $100,000 in damage)

TRENCH Firefighters dig out Layton man from collapsed trench (firefighters rescued a city public works employee, 30, after he became trapped in a collapsing trench – the worker was trapped in a partial cave-in within the 8-foot-deep ditch – it took one hour and 10 minutes to extricated the entrapped victim)

MISCELLANEOUS

BACKHOE Local worker killed in accident (a 30-year employee of an Irrigation District was killed when he was pinned by a backhoe – worker, 59, was killed as he and co-workers tried to remove air from a backhoe’s brake lines – the arm of the backhoe swung around and pinned him between the arm and the tractor)

TRACTOR ROLLOVER Worker in critical condition after farm accident (worker flipped his tractor into a sump pond – tractor has an enclosed cab and the man was trapped – another tractor was used to lift the overturned vehicle far enough to get the man out – the man, said to be in his 30s, was transported to a hospital in critical condition)

Employee killed by falling lumber at Lowe’s Home Improvement (worker, 23, died when a stack of lumber fell on him)

ELECTROCUTION Worker electrocuted while fishing (a stay-in worker of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources died of electrocution while catching fish using electricity – co-worker was partially electrocuted while trying to save the deceased but he managed to crawl to safety)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

Does a facility have an obligation to notify DHS if the facility is closing?

Dual Stamped pressure vessels

Safety systems and their functions in our SOPs

PSM/RMP Refresher Training Frequency is not a 1,094 day vacation from training!

Another MI Lesson to be learned – Tank Integrity

UK’s HSE issues guidance on RBI Maintenance Programs

HHC/EHS UNLOADING reliance on Excess Flow Valves and another lesson on pipe erosion-corrosion

Hazardous Materials: Harmonization With International Standards (RRR)

KY-OSHA Recordkeeping requirements did NOT change on 1/1/15

Changes to Maryland Chemical Information List (CIL) Requirements

Oregon OSHA delays rule adoption for Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution rules in Construction and General Industry

Crude By Rail Emergency Response 4-Hour Web-based Training

Smoke alarms by the numbers…

OSHA issues PRCS citations after two workers died in Railcar with H2S

WA-OSHA citations after worker, 19, dies inside “bark blower” truck

OSHA PSM Citations @ specialty chemicals manufacturer for repeated safety hazards after 2 workers injured, 1 fatally ($87K; Malaic Anhydride/Butane)

So does the state of Ohio require an annual fire drill?

UK’S HSE updates their “Safe work in confined spaces” Guidance

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE concerning GLOVES on TRELLCHEM EVO and VPS FLASH NFPA 1991 approved ensembles

REMINDER… NEW OSHA Injury Reporting Requirements began on 1/1/15

Congress Passes Legislation to Reinforce Protection and Security of Chemical Facilities

When it comes to handrails… sweat the small stuff, well at least 1.5″

NIOSH Requests Comments on Proposed Study of Health and Safety Management System Elements

Marsh 1974-2013, Large property damage losses in the Hydrocarbon Industry – 23rd Edition

Means of Egress: Handrails (USFA)

Incidental Release or Uncontrolled Release of NH3 – What say you?

Another MI learning opportunity with regard to corrosion in piping

OSHA PSM Citations @ nail polish manufacturer (Flammables & $139K)