60 incidents & 2 updates (10/25/15)

2015 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

DRILL RIG FATALITY Gulf of Mexico oil rig worker dies in accident (crew member on a Gulf of Mexico oil rig was killed in an accident – no other injuries reported and personnel remain on the drill ship – no other details)

CRUSHING FATALITY Industrial accident kills worker in N.H. (worker, 43, has died in an accident at a painting company after a large steel object fell on him – workers tried to rescue the man and firefighters used airbags and other items to lift the piece of steel – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

GARBAGE TRUCK FATALITY Man killed in accident involving garbage truck (worker, in his early 20’s, was killed in an accident involving a garbage truck just before 11:40p.m. – he was riding on the back of the truck while collecting garbage and for an unknown reason, the driver collided with a utility pole)

Steel coil seriously injures worker (worker, in his 50s, suffered life-threatening injuries when a steel coil fell on him – he suffered traumatic injuries to his extremities)

FORKLIFT Qld worker out of hospital after accident (worker, 45, was pinned to a wall by a small forklift – one of the rail freight company’s employees was injured in an accident involving a pallet stacker)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Abercrombie & Fitch worker killed in forklift accident (worker, in his late 40s, was killed after the forklift he was operating collided with another forklift at one of the clothing retailer’s distribution centers – the other forklift operator was not hurt)

CONFINED SPACE and SKIDSTEER Worker falls into tank at Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant (worker fell off a Bobcat and into a grit tank with sludge at the Wastewater Treatment Plant just before 8 a.m. – worker had been getting into a Bobcat that was in the tank when the bucket of the Bobcat raised and injured the worker – no word on his condition)

GUARDING/LOTO on CONVEYOR BELT Worker freed from conveyor belt in Chugiak industrial accident (worker at a concrete property was injured after his clothing became trapped in a conveyor belt – co-workers had already freed his arm from the machine, so he was transported to a Medical Center with some pretty severe arm injuries – “It appeared that his arm wasn’t actually caught, but his clothing was — and the force of the twist is what caused the injuries”)

AMPUTATIONS Alstead lumber mill worker hospitalized for hand injury (lumber mill worker was hospitalized after an accident injured his hand – he lost two fingertips on a chop saw – a glove got caught in the blade as he was clearing the path for the next piece – it took about 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, saying that an ambulance stationed in Alstead that usually responds within minutes never made an appearance)

FALL and CONFINED SPACE RESCUE High Point City Worker Falls Into 18-Foot Hole (public works employee fell into the hole nearly 20 feet deep while working at a Sewage Lift Station round 9:30 – crew was preparing to remove a sewage pump when the worker fell – worker was conscious when EMS arrived and that he was airlifted to a Medical Center where he is still being treated – medic climbed down the hole to treat the worker and secured him in a rescue basket – he fell down an 18-foot hole with only a 3-foot by 3-foot wide opening)

ELECTROCUTION Plastics plant worker electrocuted (worker was electrocuted at a plastics plant – no details)

TREE TRIMMING FATALITY Tree trimmer dies in freak accident in Lake County (worker, 27, dies after being pinned between pickup and a pole – he parked a pickup truck in the driveway of a home and detached a trailer from the pickup – pickup began rolling down the driveway because it wasn’t in park and the emergency brake had not been applied – he attempted to stop the pickup by climbing onto a running board on the driver’s side of the pickup, but before he could open the door, the pickup struck a telephone pole, and he became pinned between the pole and pickup – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

CRANE Another dockworker injured in Port Elizabeth accident (dockworker, 62, was injured after her vehicle was accidentally picked up by a crane then dropped six feet – it was the fourth incident in three months involving the injury or death of a dock worker at the terminal – incident occurred at 11:30 p.m. when a worker was behind the wheel of a tractor trailer used to move shipping containers around the docks – a crane lifted a container she was carrying, as well as her vehicle, also known as a “hustler,” before abruptly dropping he whole load – she was treated for a leg injury)

FATAL FALL from LADDER Authorities find body in water off Bayonne, believe it’s barge worker (authorities have recovered a body from the water and they believe it to be the barge worker, 55, who fell in last night – at 7 p.m the tugboat he was working on docked at Pier 1 of the Terminal with an empty barge for loading – fifteen minutes later, the worker was descending a ladder to get off the barge when the ladder shifted, causing him to lose his balance and fall in the water – employee who was standing on the pier saw what happened and went to get a life ring just a little further up the pier, but when he returned, the worker was gone)

FLASH FIRE Worker burned in Newport News flash fire (one person was burned in a fire just after 9 a.m. – employees were working in a lab area when there was a flash fire – the suppression system in the building controlled the fire before units arrived – fire was ruled accidental)

ARC FLASH Two workers burned during electrical explosion at Framingham library (two electricians were engulfed in flames after an electrical explosion caused second and third-degree burns to their bodies – the men were working on an electrical panel in the basement of the library when the explosion occurred – a 30-year-old worker received second and third-degree burns to almost 36 percent of his body – the second worker, 39, had second-degree burns to his left arm)

HYDROGEN FLASH FIRE CPI Inc. employee burned in industrial mishap (worker was sent to the hospital with burns shortly after 10:30 a.m. morning as a result of an industrial accident – the man was engaged in what he described as a “hazardous procedure” when hydrogen gas released by the procedure ignited, causing a small explosion and flash fire – the injured man was taken to a Hospital by a co-worker)

AMMONIA Burst hose left WA mine worker with ammonia burns (worker suffered serious chemical burns when a rubber hose ruptured at a mineral processing plant enveloping him in an ammonia cloud – according to a preliminary report by the Department of Mines and Petroleum, the worker was exposed below the waist to pressurized anhydrous ammonia at about -33C and was air lifted to a city hospital for treatment – investigation is ongoing but it appears that not all aspects of flexible hose safety and integrity procedures were followed – there had been other hose failures at the processing plant over the previous 12 months, the department said)

UPDATE – FATAL EXPLOSION 4th worker died after pipeline explosion (coroner’s office says a fourth man has died of injuries from an explosion – three men died immediately Oct. 8, and two were critically injured)

HOTWORK Spark in welding area causes small fire at NTC in Wausau (fire started in the filtration system – crews were able to put out the small fire quickly – everyone was evacuated from the building and no one was hurt)

UPDATE 2 men seriously injured in flash fire at Waterbury-Oxford Airport (two men were taken by ambulance to a Hospital after a flash fire – contractors were grinding and welding inside a fuel tanker when the tanker exploded for an unknown reason – the men were in serious but stable condition and were expected to be moved to the hospital’s burn unit)

STEAM EXPLOSION Steam explosion near TimkenSteel plant, minor injury reported (shortly after 8 p.m., a steam explosion occurred in an outdoor area – employee suffered a minor injury, but no treatment was needed)

COMBUSTIBLE DUSTS Crews respond to explosion, fire at plant in Galax (explosion happened in the boiler room area and dust collection system – there were small pockets of fire in and out of the structure – no word on the cause of the explosion at this time – a mechanical malfunction caused three explosions and a fire at the plant in May 2015)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak at Diversified Foods Plant closes part of I-12 (due to an abundance of caution, Interstate 12 was closed both eastbound and westbound – other than the plant itself, no other evacuation have been ordered at this time)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak at ag packing plant sends four to hospital (more than 100 pounds of ammonia leaked from the roof of a building at an agriculture packing plant resulting in several businesses being interrupted and at least four people being transported to the hospital – the leak was stopped at approximately 3 a.m., but the residual ammonia smell did cause some additional calls for service)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Little Rock man killed in forklift accident on job (worker, 28, died while operating a forklift at work – he was killed after he fell underneath a forklift he was using to load cargo into a truck at about 7:10 p.m. – driver of the truck told police that the vehicle began to roll forward when the air brakes were not set properly, causing the worker to fall underneath the forklift)

FORKLIFT Man’s hand caught in forklift in South Plainfield (worker was transported to a Hospital after his hand became stuck between pieces of metal on a forklift – rescue personnel were able to free him from the forklift before transporting the man to the hospital)

CONSTRUCTION

PRESSURE TESTING FATALITY Worker killed in South Loop construction accident (worker, 38, was killed in a construction accident about 9:50 a.m. as he was testing equipment using pressurized air when an object struck him in the face killing him instantly – a source said he was doing plumbing work on the fourth floor of a tower when something went “under pressure” and exploded – he was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:58 a.m.)

TRENCH FATALITY Authorities ID worker killed in accident at Oceanside construction site (construction worker, 56, was killed in a structural collapse – he was using a hand-held hydraulic machine to compact dirt in a drainage channel at the partially built distribution center when a section of retaining wall fell on him for unknown reasons at about 9 a.m. – by the time a crane operator was able to right the roughly 3- by 12-foot slab of concrete, he had died)

TRENCH Man buried to chest in trench collapse (man was rescued after a trench in which he was digging collapsed)

Beaumont man dies in plant accident plant (Sheriff’s Office confirms they are investigating a fatality at a LNG terminal – a construction worker, 45, died – no details)

Friends Remember Man Killed in FSU Mag Lab Accident (mechanical worker was killed when the cap blew off a pressurized pipe – he was killed just four weeks after taking a job as a Mechanical Trades Technician – he was part of a crew working on a pipe that supplied cooling water to magnets – the crew was trying to remove a steel cap when it blew off and struck him)

SAW Construction worker injured by saw, taken to hospital (construction worker, 67, was working on a home when he suffered a severe cut from a circular saw – he was transported to a Medical Center for treatment – condition has not yet been released)

CRANE and BOOM TRUCK ‘Freakish’ bucket-truck accident injures worker removing tree (worker was injured when the bucket-truck boom he was working in snapped, tossing him to the ground about 3:30 p.m. – worker was in the bucket more than 60 feet above the ground, helping to remove a large tree – he had fastened a strap to a 3,200-pound section of tree trunk – as it was being lifted by a nearby crane, the crane truck began to tilt, pulling the crane down on the boom that the man was standing in)

CRANE FATALITY Construction worker dies after debris from pile driver falls on his head (construction worker, 25, died after debris from a pile driver fell on his head – he died when a wooden block atop the pile driver broke free)

TRENCH FATALITY Worker dies in construction accident in west Las Vegas (worker died in a construction accident as he was working in a trench when he was crushed by heavy equipment around 1:30 p.m.)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Two workers injured in scaffolding accident at Largo High (two construction workers became injured after one worker fell from scaffolding on top of another worker after 7 a.m. – both workers were transported by ground to a Hospital – no word on the extent of injuries)

FIRE Two Kapstone employees injured after fire at North Charleston plant (two employees were injured after a fire at the plant – the two employees were performing work when the fire occurred – both sustained injuries and were transported to medical facilities for treatment – specific cause of the incident is unknown and an investigation is underway)

MOBILE EQUIPMENT FATALITY Construction worker killed in workplace accident (worker, 49, has died after a construction accident just before 6:00 p.m. – worker was pronounced dead on the scene – he had been operating a compactor in conjunction with the re-paving project when the accident happened – compactor went off the road, killing the worker)

WORKZONE Highway worker, driver in I-43 accident identified (county highway employee, 55, hit and injured was treated and released at a local hospital – he was hit while removing construction signs – a highway department truck had pulled onto the shoulder, and workers exited to remove signs – a vehicle braked and swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle that had slowed – driver didn’t see the highway vehicle)

WORKZONE and BOOMTRUCK Utility worker injured in Omaha accident (accident that sent to people to a hospital with critical injuries at 2:35 a.m.- work truck was stopped in the right lane with its indicator and warning lights activated – worker was in the boom lift of the truck working on a light when his truck was hit by another vehicle – worker was thrown from the boom lift and landed on his work truck below – he was rushed to a hospital with potentially life threatening injuries – police believe alcohol in relation to the driver is believed to be a factor in this collision)

FATAL FALL from LADDER Worker is killed in fall at construction site in Charlotte (worker fell to his death at a construction site – he was working on a 5-story building when he fell from a ladder about 9 a.m.)

WORKZONE FATALITY Driver, construction worker killed in crash on I-94 in Detroit (a crash in a construction zone on Interstate 94 left two people dead and one in critical condition – vehicle was driving east in a closed construction lane when he hit two construction workers and a parked construction vehicle – driver was pronounced dead at the scene – one of the construction workers was also pronounced dead at the scene – the second construction worker was taken to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition)

HEAVY EQUIPMENT FATALITY Construction worker killed during on-the-job accident in Southaven (a construction worker, 35, died in a subdivision around 12:20 p.m. – worker was using a piece of heavy equipment, but the machine flipped on its side and pinned him underneath – worker sustained a fatal injury and was pronounced dead on the scene)

Officials identify worker killed at Fort Worth construction site (construction worker, 44, was identified as the victim of a fatal accident at a construction site – he died at the scene shortly after 11 a.m. – cause of death was still pending – no other details)

ELECTROCUTION w/ OVERHEAD POWERLINES Worker electrocuted in construction accident near Clinton (worker, 34, was electrocuted at a construction site as he was standing near a dump truck that was unloading asphalt into an asphalt paving machine when the truck conducted electricity from overhead power lines – the worker, who was standing on the rear of the paving machine, was electrocuted and thrown away from the scene – man operating the dump truck was not hurt)

ELECTROCUTION Worker electrocuted at HGTV Dream Home (worker, believed to be in his 30s, working on a boat dock at the site of the HGTV Dream Home giveaway was electrocuted before falling into the lagoon)

WORKZONE Anderson worker injured in construction zone accident on I-70 (three workers were injured this morning when the pickup the workers were in hit a large hole on Interstate 70 – the truck was pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with construction supplies and driving eastbound when it struck a hole that was 12 feet wide and 3 feet deep hole – the section of highway had been dug up earlier by workers and left unmarked – the men were taken to a Hospital with non-life threatening injuries)

FORKLIFT Police ID man injured in forklift accident (construction worker, 24, was run over by a 2007 Genie forklift at a housing construction site – worker, 34, was manning the forklift and backing up in the road at the time of the accident – accident unfolded about 8 a.m. – he was listed in critical but stable condition)

FATAL FALL inside CHIMNEY Worker dies after falling down New Haven smokestack (worker, 55, has died after falling down a smokestack just before 10:30 a.m. – he was doing repairs on a chimney after falling 40 feet – News 8 has learned the worker was wearing a harness at the time – it took about an hour to get him out before he was taken to the hospital and that he was wearing a harness at the time of the accident)

CONFINED SPACE RESCUE Man injured while working in pipe at Springfield Metro Sanitary District plant (Fire Department’s technical rescue team was called to a Sanitary Plant after a man was injured while working in a 54-inch pipe – worker suffered blunt force trauma injuries while working in the pipe – the pipe was underground, but firefighters had ground-level access to one end of the pipe – he was unconscious when he was rescued and his condition was described as serious)

WORKZONE Construction worker sent to CHI Health St. Francis Monday after Highway 30 accident (construction worker, 53, was sent to the hospital after he was hit by a vehicle – he was working as the flag man just before 6 p.m. – driver, 29, was stopped and when the flagman turned around, the vehicle moved toward him and struck him – driver was cited for careless driving, no insurance, driving during suspension, possession of drug paraphernalia and fictitious plates)

FORKLIFT Man injured in forklift accident at SLO construction site (worker was taken to the hospital after several heavy beams fell on top of him in a forklift accident at a construction site – the man was operating a forklift at the construction site when the forklift turned over, causing the man to fall out and the beams to come down – the ground he was driving on was sloped and uneven – one of the beams hit the man in his leg, fracturing it in a few places – he was taken to the hospital with what are described as severe injuries – no one else was injured)

CRANE Man Injured In Derby Crane Accident (worker was injured during a crane accident – he suffered severe head trauma – the crane’s jib broke)

ELECTROCUTION State investigating deaths of 2 workers when backhoe hit power line (two workers, 49 and 55, were killed when a backhoe struck a power line – they were unloading concrete vaults from a truck with a backhoe boom hit a power line – electricity coursed through the backhoe and through the wet ground the men were standing on)

FATAL FALL thru ROOF Roofer falls to death at work site in Polk Co. (roof worker, 37, fell to his death after he stepped on an older section of roof that was not yet replaced and fell through the corroded section of roof of a metal warehouse – he was contracted to inspect the newer sections of the metal warehouse’s roof – during the inspection, he was not required to wear a safety tether – for unknown reasons, the man crossed over to the part of roof that required the tether – he was missing for five minutes before his fellow co-workers went and searched for him – they found his body 30 feet below, dead of apparent trauma to the back of his head)

CRANE FATALITY Worker dies after being struck by object falling from crane in Florida work zone (construction worker, 25, died when an object fell 50 feet from a crane and struck him – he was working on a road widening and reconstruction project – he was working below the crane when an unidentified object fell from the crane and struck him in the head)

EXCAVATOR Man dies after getting pinned against concrete barrier on Calgary construction site (worker, 35, was crushed to death between construction machinery and a concrete barrier at about 1:11 p.m. – he had been cutting pipe at the work site and was backed into by a backhoe and subsequently pinned – he was pinned in between the piping he was cutting and the backhoe – he was declared deceased on scene a short time after)

BULLDOZER Man killed in bulldozer accident identified (worker, 40, is dead after becoming trapped under the blade of a bulldozer just before 6:00pm)

MISCELLANEOUS

FAIR RIDE Amusement ride at Texas State Fair throws wheel, worker hurt (a female worker on the State Fair was hurt by a wheel that flew off a spinning car on one of the amusement rides – it’s a small roller coaster with spinning cars that can hold up to four passengers – injured worker was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay)

Worker burned by splashing liquid during trash compacting (Public Works employee was burned with a liquid that splashed as trash was compacted about 11 a.m. – worker was splashed when a load packer compacted the refuse)

WATER TANK COLLAPSE Man dies in farm accident at Taree (worker, 39, has died in a fatal accident – he was demolishing a concrete water tank on his property about 5pm, when the roof of the tank collapsed, trapping him – the man was unable to be revived and died at the scene)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

MIOSHA citations @ Warehouse (Electrical Fatality; $357,000)

2015 Video of the Week #43 (Diesel Tank Failure AFTER fire)

2015 Photo of the Week #43 (Open air elevator?)

Gasoline Storage Tank Overfill Explosion (CSB)

Worked Example of Process Safety Information – “Consequences of Deviation”

OSHA extends the compliance deadline for the REVISED PSM “Retail” Exemption (10/20/2015)

2015 Photo of the Week #42 (NOT a GHS compliant label – NOT even a nice try!)

2015 Video of the Week #42 (Electrical – metal sign into

powerlines)

Temporary Enforcement Policy for Residential Construction Work in Confined Spaces

OSHA looses Fatal Lathe Guarding case

EPA RMP citations @ aluminum chloride manufacturing facility (Chlorine & $33,150)

EPA RMP citations @ manufacturing facility (Vinyl fluoride, FATAL HW Explosion & $723,438 w/ SEP of $111,953)

Is “competence” for doing a CS evaluation = to “competence” for doing a RECLASSIFICATION

OSHA citations for Flame-Retardant Clothing (FRC) in a non-PSM facility

Confined Space Evaluations and a “competent person”

Breaking down OSHA’s General Hotwork Requirements (1910.252(a)

OSHA PRCS citations @ Railcar Cleaning business (Flammable Atmosphere & $963,000)

Atmospheric Storage Tank fails under fire conditions (caught on helmet cam)

The five (5) KEY differences between PRCSs in GI and Construction and the added provisions that CLARIFY 1910.146 requirements (OSHA)

Think you have control of your contractors? We may need to think again…

Material and Energy Balance and “change to facilities that affect a covered process”