57 incidents & 1 update (12/5/15)

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2015 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY – ONE ENTRANT and ONE WOULD BE RESCUER  2 dead in accident at SPX plant on US-117 near Goldsboro (two workers have been killed, and the condition of a third worker is unknown, after an accident in a large power transformer – an employee working in a large transformer became unresponsive – two colleagues who entered the transformer in an attempt to render aid also became unresponsive – two employees died, while the third was rushed to a Hospital – not immediately known how the accident took place)

TUG FATALITY FedEx worker killed in accident identified (worker, 39, was killed a little after 6:15 a.m. in an accident that involved a “tug” vehicle that struck a parked trailer – investigators are awaiting results from the medical examiner’s officer to determine the official cause of the death)

Pekin Worker Killed In Accident At Processing Plant (worker was killed after he became trapped in a corn dryer at a processing plant – a piece of metal fell on the man as he walked through the processing plant – rescue crews were trying to take the dryer apart to free the man when part of the dryer collapsed on him)

MINE FATALITY Worker killed at northern Ont. gold mine; operations suspended (worker has been killed while working underground when rocks fell and completely covered the digger)

Sanitation workers injured in Austell accident (two sanitation workers were injured when a car rear-ended a garbage truck – one worker was seriously injured and transported to a Hospital – the other worker suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital)

FATAL EXPLOSION 32 workers die after fire on Azeri oil platform (32 workers have died after an offshore oil platform caught fire – 42 workers were rescued – fire on the platform was finally extinguished – the fire on a platform had started after a gas pipeline on the platform was damaged in heavy wind – rescue attempts were being complicated by a severe storm)

FATALITY Sanitation Worker Hit, Killed by SUV (sanitation worker, 24, was killed by a car around 4:40 a.m. – he was at work before dawn collecting trash from a business when an SUV hit him, pinning him against the garbage truck – he was at the back of the truck when the SUV struck him and was pinned between the SUV and the garbage truck and died)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Authorities release name of Reynolds worker killed after getting trapped in machine (worker, 55, died after getting caught in a machine at a packaging plant – by the time fire crews arrived at the plant around 11:30 a.m., the worker had already been removed from the machine – he was taken to a Medical Center where he died from his injuries – he worked for the company for 25 years and was a seasoned machinist – no word yet what caused the accident)

DOUBLE LEG AMPUTATION OSHA cites Seaford Ice plant after workers lose limbs (ice plant is facing $77,000 in fines after a second worker in three years lost limbs to the same machine – worker, 20, was breaking ice when he fell into an unguarded screw conveyor – he was initially was flown to a Hospital before being taken to another Hospital, where his legs reportedly were removed – the same screw conveyor that injured this worker also amputated another worker’s foot in June 2012 – at that time, OSHA inspectors found a safety guard meant to protect workers from injury had been improperly installed, creating a gap large enough for the worker to fall into the machine)

FALL from CATWALK TUD worker injured in catwalk fall (worker was injured when a catwalk at a wastewater treatment plant broke and he fell 25 to 30 feet – officials would not release the extent of his injuries)

GUARDING FATALITY Worker dies in accident at Alberta pulp and paper mill (worker, 23, caught in equipment while installing handrail at about 5 p.m. – he was installing a handrail on a tower at the pulp mill at the facility when became entangled in a piece of equipment and subsequently died as a result of his injuries)

FORKLIFT FATALITY OSHA to investigate Utah industrial worker’s death (worker, 50, was found dead at a Tank rental business – his body was lying between a forklift and a large container – the company provides tanks and steel boxes for the storage of hazardous and non-hazardous materials)

FATAL STEEL MILL EXPLOSION Celsa steel worker killed in factory explosion named as Mark Sim from Newcastle (workers, 41 and 51, were killed in a blast at the Plant – five other people were also injured in the blast, which happened in the basement of the rod and bar mill – all of them have since been discharged from hospital – no word on cause)

FATAL FAILURE of TANK Killed worker was ‘a great family man’ (worker, 60, was killed in a bitumen explosion during a transfer process between two tanks – he died from burns after being coated in the hot, oil-based material – he suffered fatal injuries during a process of transferring bitumen emulsion between two tanks using compressed air – one of the tanks has failed and ruptured during this process)

REFINERY FIRE UPDATE 2-Fire erupts at Mexico’s biggest oil refinery, some hurt (a fire broke out at Mexico’s biggest oil refinery and some staff were evacuated – eight people suffered minor injuries and were being treated – fire had been controlled and that the refinery – nearby schools had been evacuated and that local hospitals were on red alert to treat any injured)

DUST EXPLOSION Fire breaks out at Perfetti Van Melle factory in Erlanger (fire was first reported at about 3 a.m. at the factory – there was an explosion in a silo at the factory – dust inside the silo could have led to the explosion – the fire burned through panels to the side and back of the building – involve a sugar product – 40-50 people were inside the factory when the fire broke out but no one was injured – sprinkler system helped to put out much of the fire)

PROPANE EXPLOSION Three men injured after propane explosion in southeast Calgary (three men were taken to hospital after a propane explosion – the men, aged 30 to 55, are in stable, non-life-threatening condition and are being treated – four people were inside the garage when the explosion happened – they were trying to change a valve on a large propane tank when it exploded – the tank was supposed to be empty – it’s unclear what sparked the blast, which happened at about 1:15 p.m.)

EXPLOSION Gas plant fire in West Texas being allowed to burn out (a fire that damaged a natural gas processing plant will be allowed to burn itself out – two people were hurt – still don’t know the extent of the damage or when operations will resume)

FLASH FIRE Worker burned at Delaware City refinery (worker, 62, was hospitalized after receiving burns to his face and neck during a flash fire at the refinery at about 6:50 p.m. – paramedics found the man with facial burns from a flash fire in an industrial area of the refinery – paramedics treated him for first- and second-degree burns to his face and neck – he was taken to a Hospital, but later transferred to a Burn Center – reported to be in stable condition)

FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION Sugar mill worker killed in boiler explosion (contract employee, 45, at sugar mill was killed in a boiler explosion on the first day of the crushing season – a contract employee in the mill for the last eight years, put on water testing duty was killed when the boiler exploded)

FATAL EXPLOSION Three Killed in Chemical Factory Explosion Near Amattur (three workers were charred to death and another seriously injured in a explosion in a chemical factory – they were making aluminum powder from the aluminum lump by hitting it when it exploded)

GRAIN SILO EXPLOSION Grain silo at Fairland Feed Mill explodes, fire continues to burn (grain silo exploded from the combustible grain dust, which had been smoldering at least since Nov. 19 when a hot spot was discovered by a worker during daily inventory routines – everybody was accounted for – there was nothing but debris scattered around – there were no reported injuries – silo remains in tact and the fire is contained inside of the thick concrete walls)

FATAL EXPLOSION Worker dies as factory cylinder goes off (one worker was killed while another injured critically when a big gas cylinder exploded in an oil factory – workers were busy in routine work in the factory when all of a sudden the gas cylinder exploded – as a result, the walls of the factory collapsed while the roof was blown up and all the workers were buried under the debris)

CONFINED SPACE ELECTROCUTION Worker dies of electrocution after falling in water tank (worker was electrocuted inside a water tank – the man fell in 3.5 meter tank and got fatal electric shock – rescue team reached the spot and disconnected the electrical cable)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY – ONE ENTRANT and TWO WOULD BE RESCUERS Three die inside sewer in Kozhikode (lack of oxygen inside the manhole caused the death of the three – two were asphyxiated when they tried to save the entrant)

HOTWORK FIRE Fire at Burlington recycling plant caused by welding mishap (fire started when workers were doing some repairs on the roof that included some welding – welding sparks fell on the roof – once the fire started, it was hard to stop – when firefighters got to the facility’s main warehouse the fire was too hot to even get inside, so crews set up “defensive operations” to stop the fire from spreading – building was evacuated, and officials are reporting no one was injured)

HOTWORK FIRE Fire Caused By Welding Spark Destroyed Heredia Furniture Factory (spark from a welding torch was the probable cause of the fire that engulfed the factory warehouse – the fire originated outside the structure, were some work was being done – inside the building was full of woods, residents, paints, solvents and polyurethane foam, all highly flammable, causing the fire that started from a spark to quickly propagate)

Death of Berkeley County plant worker under investigation (worker, 30, was taken to a Medical Center and pronounced dead around 7:30 p.m. at the hospital – autopsy results are pending – plant makes pigments for printing ink – accident occurred about 5:50 p.m.)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak reported again at Madisonville food plant, no evacuations in place (an ammonia leak at a food plant was contained – no evacuations were ordered – plant had an ammonia leak in October, which shut down Interstate 12 for hours)

AMMONIA UNLOADING One person transported to Faith Regional after minor ammonia leak (minor leak happened during a transfer of product from a truck to a stationary tank – during this, a valve was left open, allowing product to get into the line and causing the ammonia to be released – driver of the truck was transported from the scene to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries – plant personnel had the incident mitigated by the time the fire department arrived)

CONSTRUCTION

FATAL FALL from SCAFFOLDING Three workers dead in two separate Perth workplace accidents (three men have been killed in two separate workplace accidents, including two who were crushed to death after a concrete panel fell on them – the third man is believed to have died after falling from scaffolding at an aluminum refinery)

WORKZONE FATALITY Tree worker hit, killed in front of Valley Center High School (a pickup truck struck and killed a tree trimmer about 9:30 a.m. when the landscaper walked onto the Road, crossing directly into the path of the southbound 2004 GMC Sierra)

ELECTROCUTION Worker electrocuted in Thornhill industrial accident dies in hospital (worker, 24, has died after being electrocuted around 9:40 a.m. when he came into contact with power lines – he was electrocuted when hydrovac excavation equipment being used to dig holes for new electrical poles came into contact with high-voltage electrical distribution lines overhead)

FATALITY Worker killed in Miami construction accident (worker possibly struck by piece of equipment in a construction accident while working on the 37th floor of the building – rescuers used a crane to lower the worker’s body to the ground – not immediately known what caused the fatal accident)

WORKZONE DOH worker injured in work zone accident (state Division of Highways worker, 54, was hit by a passing motorist while holding a sign – he was working with a crew on state Route 20 at an intersection when the accident occurred – the motorist, who was driving a pick-up truck, didn’t stop immediately but did return to the accident scene – reports indicate the worker, who has been with the DOH for about seven years, may have suffered a broken leg – crew was working on ditch lines in the area)

WORKZONE FATALITY Man, 78, hits, kills construction worker, flees scene, police say (investigators are trying to determine if they’ll file charges against an elderly driver who hit and killed a construction worker and briefly fled the scene – construction worker was apparently trying to cross the road shortly before 6 p.m. when he was hit – the 78-year-old driver kept going afterward, swerving onto a grassy shoulder – he didn’t pull over until another driver tracked him down)

DEMOLITION FATALITY 1 dead at former AEP plant site (equipment collapse at the recently-closed plant resulted in the death of the president of a demolition company – he was killed when a belt line collapsed – the plant is in the process of being demolished – workers were in the process of taking down a belt and walkway area and it collapsed)

STRUCK BY FATALITY Contract worker dies in accident (contract worker, 34, was killed after being hit by a tipper lorry on the premises)

AERIAL LIFT FALL Worker critically injured in industrial fall (construction worker, 45, suffered critical injuries in fall at a construction site –  he fell about six metres from a scissor lift onto a concrete floor at the site)

CRANE FATALITY Workers in shock after man’s death in industrial accident (worker, 33, died in a tragic industrial accident after being struck by a crane at 3.30pm – the crane was moving large industrial pipes down an alleyway when the accident took place – appears that the man who passed away was walking alongside the crane and somehow a mishap has occurred and he has ended up beneath the crane)

FATAL EXPLOSION Worker killed at Innergex hydro plant (an explosion at a construction site resulted in the death of a contractor – another worker has received medical care and is currently considered out of danger – no other details)

FATAL FALL from SCAFFOLDING Kwinana Alcoa worker dies after falling 10 metres (contract worker has died after falling 10 metres from scaffolding)

FALL from AERIAL LIFT Worker falls 6 floors at Commonwealth Ave. construction site (worker, 47, suffered life-threatening injuries after falling from a lift at a construction site at approximately 6:20 a.m. – he fell 50 to 60 feet)

FALL from ROOF Construction worker critically hurt in fall from roof (worker, 47, was critically injured in a fall from the roof – he fell three stories and was rushed to hospital in critical condition just before 2 p.m. – worker had no vital signs after falling off the roof of the building and was suffering from “severe” multi-system trauma and was in cardiac arrest – he was taken to hospital in critical condition – a blanket of newly fallen snow covered portions of the roof, but there is no indication whether that might have been a factor in the incident)

WORKZONE MoDOT Worker Hit by Vehicle in Work Zone (Department of Transportation maintenance worker was injured in a work zone at 2 p.m. while he was flagging traffic – crews were cutting brush and trees along Route M when he was hit by a vehicle – he was taken to the hospital where he is still being evaluated)

FALL Worker seriously injured after 12-metre fall in Brampton (worker suffered serious injuries after he fell 12-metres at a construction site around 9:15 a.m. – worker was taken to hospital in serious but non-life threatening injuries – no word yet on what caused the man to fall)

FATALITIES Morocco: Four Workers Killed At Safi Thermal Power Plant (four workers were killed while another was injured on the construction site of a thermal power plant – accident occurred at around 8.15pm following a technical problem in the building site’s the elevator – no other details)

Smokestack falls on excavator; driver survives (crews were demolishing an old smokestack when it collapsed on top of an excavator – driver survived the accident by staying in the cab of the excavator, which he says was a lot safer than trying to jump out – he has been demolishing buildings for 20 years – he said he feels blessed that he survived the incident)

CRANE FATALITY Construction worker dies after crane collapses in Mumbai (construction worker, 28, died after a crane atop a skyscraper collapsed and the boom fell on him – another woman was injured in the incident which occurred at a construction site – crane was on the 20th floor when it collapsed)

FATAL CRUSHING Two construction workers crushed to death by falling concrete slab at a Perth building site (two men have died after a slab of concrete fell and crushed them at a construction site – the two people suffered fatal injuries after the slab fell just after 11.30am – both are believed to have died instantly)

CRANE FATALITY Miami Construction Worker Crushed To Death (construction worker, 29, died when a piece of machinery that was being hoisted by a crane fell onto him as he stood on the 37th floor of a condominium building under construction – the equipment that fell onto the man about 4 p.m. weighed more than about 2,000 pounds)

FATAL EXPLOSION Investigations underway after fatal incinerator explosion (worker, 39, was killed and another worker injured in an workplace accident were burning refuse in an incinerator when an explosion occurred – initial reports from police indicated the workers were handling explosives)

MISCELLANEOUS

ELECTROCUTION Worker electrocuted at Rankin Farms (worker, 31, was electrocuted while moving a grain auger that was about 30 feet tall and it struck a power line at 9:14 a.m. – no fires or other injuries were reported in the accident)

TREE CUTTING FATALITY Town worker, 27, killed by falling tree (worker, 27, was killed while working as part of a three-man crew cutting and clearing roadside trees for the Highway Department – he was transported to a Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 10:40 a.m. from his injury, a skull fracture)

FALL from LOCOMOTIVE Railroad employee injured in fall in Tuckahoe (worker, 71, was injured after slipping and falling off a locomotive – he was working on the locomotive when he fell 10 feet onto the ground from the cab of the locomotive – he sustained a head injury and was flown by helicopter to a Medical Center)

HOTWORK Gas cylinder catches fire during welding work (gas cylinder caught fire when welding work was being done on the fencing along the road – nobody was hurt in the incident)

HOTWORK Naugatuck mechanic suffers burns in blow torch mishap (automobile mechanic suffered second degree and possibly third degree burns after an accident involving a blow torch – an equipment failure in the airline on the torch caused it to put out too much oxygen and consequently cause a much larger flame than the worker expected just before 11 a.m. as the man was underneath a car working on brakes – he suffered burns to his abdomen, a wrist and possibly elsewhere)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

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Legal UPDATE on OSHA’s interpretation of a “retail facility”

EPA memorandum to establish EPA policy on the effect of the OSHA’s reinterpretation of the “retail exemption”

A Few Good Auditors (as adapted from the movie A Few Good Men by Joe Chandler)

Report of Violation Findings for Third Quarter 2015 (NBBI)

Review of accidents involving ammonia (Institute For Systems Engineering And Informatics)

Analysis of Liquid Ammonia Leakage Accidents based on Safety System Engineering Theory

Explosion of a sulphuric acid tank (H2 Explosion – 2009 France)

Analysis of Accidents in Chemical Process Industry and Lessons Learnt

Start-Up Accident – Metal scaffold deck ejected out of cooling tower (PSSR FAILURE)

HAZARD ALERT – FIRST LINE BREAK (WorkSafeNB)

2015 Photo of the Week #48 (I am safe as I have on my fluorescent safety vest! )

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60 incidents & 0 updates (11/22/15)