64 incidents & 1 update (4/17/16)

 

­­2016 Fatality Tracker

Industrial

PIPELINE FATALITIES 2 Workers Killed, 1 Hurt in Texas Gas Pipeline Accident (two workers have been killed and another was hurt during a high-pressure release as the men repaired a gas pipeline – two men were in a hole repairing a pipeline when a piece of the line came loose, releasing about 800 pounds of pressure – one worker died at the scene- the other died at a hospital – a third man was treated at a hospital – a statement from the contractor says a piece of equipment used by the contract workers, including the man who was injured, apparently failed)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Worker killed in trash compactor accident near San Antonio (worker, 26, has died after getting caught in a trash compactor – he became trapped in the back of a garbage collection truck – the driver of the truck immediately called 911 but it was too late)

FATALITY Goodyear worker dies in accident; third in the last eight months (employee who died at the plant was an 18-year employee with the company – Tuesday’s death marks the third fatality at the plant in eight months – worker, 54, died during his work shift on March 31 and in August 2015, worker, 56, died in an accident at the plant)

AERIAL LIFT and CRANE WORKER INJURED IN FOREST PARK POWER LINE ACCIDENT (contractor was seriously injured and thousands were left without power after a chain-reaction construction accident – workers were using a crane to lift a metal utility pole onto its base when the accident took place – the worker was knocked from a cherry picker after the tower fell from the crane and struck live power lines – the power lines then struck a cherry picker, knocking the worker to the ground and causing two poles to snap – witnesses told police the cherry picker was extended at least 30 feet off the ground at the time of the accident – worker was rushed to a Medical Center)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Worker killed in industrial accident identified (worker, 56, died when he was trapped in a machine while he was performing routine maintenance – emergency medical services personnel said there were no signs of life in the victim by the time they arrived)

SKID STEER FATALITY Construction accident kills 1 work-release inmate, injures another (work-release inmate, 58, was killed in a workplace accident – he was working with another inmate, 46, at around 2:30 p.m. – the two were participating in a work-release program and reports say a skid-steer loader in the area hit a concrete retaining wall, which fell onto the deceased and stuck the other, knocking him out of the way – both were taken to a Hospital)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Man dies in Lehigh Acres cement plant accident (the body of a worker, 23, was recovered after a nearly eight-hour effort by rescue workers – investigation is ongoing by the heriff’s Office into the circumstances around the death – his mother said the family was told that her son had been caught in a cement mixer at work – he had been working at the plant for a couple of months and usually worked the 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. shift – members of the Urban Search & Rescue Task Force, which provides specialized rescue response for incidents that involve confined spaces and other unusual situations, recovered his body around 2:30 p.m.)

Nashua worker injured in industrial accident (an industrial accident inside a warehouse left a worker with multiple injuries at around 9:15 a.m. – initial reports suggested that the accident was caused by an explosion inside the warehouse but Deputy Fire Chief later claimed that no chemicals were involved in the incident – fire chief confirmed that one male person had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries)

FATAL EXPLOSION Quarry worker killed in freak accident (worker was killed and three others were injured in a blast at a blue metal quarry – workers were preparing for blasting rocks at the quarry in the afternoon – as it started raining suddenly, the workers suspended the work of filling explosives midway and tried to take refuge under the rocks – the explosives went off automatically, supposedly due to lightning, injuring workers)

ELECTROCUTION Officials identify TVA worker killed in accident at Wilson Dam (worker, 51, was electrocuted at a hydroelectric facility – he was pronounced dead at the scene from accidental electrocution – it happened in the powerhouse, and that officials are investigating the cause – he had worked 26 years as a hydro technician)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigating after worker killed at Fulton workshop (worker at a workshop was killed after getting stuck between a truck and forklift around 10:30 a.m – incident happened in a work yard behind the main facility when the worker got caught – worker was taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead – it was a middle aged man, who had some sort of developmental disability – business is a non profit organization that employs about a 100 adults with disabilities)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY w/ CONVEYOR BELT Scrap Yard Worker Dies In Workplace Accident In South Deering (worker died after getting his arm trapped in a conveyor belt around 9:45 a.m. – he lost his arm in the accident and likely died of a combination of shock and blood loss)

FATALITY OSHA: Worker killed in Pineville industrial accident hit by large disc (worker died in an industrial accident at a metal manufacturer – worker was hit and killed by a large disc – worker was on a forklift platform, performing maintenance when a large disc at the top of the machine came down, killing him)

ELECTRICAL Train yard workers hurt: contacted third rail (two workers at a train yard suffered severe burns when they accidentally made contact with the electrified third rail – electrician, 45, had been treated and released from a Medical Center – the other worker, 27, remained hospitalized with first, second and third degree burns on his hand and arm – workers were performing “routine overnight work” on a train at 2:15 a.m. when they were injured)

EXPLOSION Worker injured in industrial accident (worker was injured in an industrial accident at a factory at about 6.15pm. – it is believed there was a minor explosion caused by chemicals reacting – employee’s injuries were not believed to be serious or life-threatening and that the company had voluntarily reported the incident to the Health and Safety Executive)

FATALITY Glass factory worker dies in workplace accident (worker, 24, at a glass factory died in a workplace accident – he cut his right hand on a broken glass while working in the factory and was rushed to a Hospital where doctors declared him dead – he died due to excessive bleeding)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Worker dead after tank collapse at Anchor Hocking (one person has died after a reported structure collapse – contractor doing brick repair work inside a large furnace or “tank” at the plant was killed when the ceiling inside the tank collapsed – there were three people working inside the tank at the time of the collapse – the two other workers inside the tank escaped uninjured – a former employee of the plant who used to do maintenance work on the tanks, helped describe what those tanks are: “nothing more than a furnace of bricks” – the extreme heat used to melt raw materials into molten glass takes its toll on the bricks and the mortar, weakening them over time)

FORKLIFT Forklift mishap severely injures leg of Port Everglades worker, officials say (worker, in his 40s, was critically hurt when he was off-loading conveyor belt about 9:30 a.m. – it appears a metal piece of the forklift broke and landed on his leg causing a crushing injury, partially severing his left leg – he was taken to a Medical Center with critical injuries)

ELECTRICAL w/ BUCKET TRUCK Bucket truck catches fire in Hollywood, worker injured (a bucket truck caught fire after possibly coming into contact with a power line, seriously injuring a worker just after 12 p.m. – worker was inside the fiberglass bucket when the fire ignited – the worker, a man between the ages of 35 and 40 years old, was doing electrical work when he somehow made contact with the charged lines – the bucket he was in caught fire – he jumped off but not before sustaining severe burns)

FLASH FIRE Employee injured in two-alarm fire at chemical plant in Norfolk (employee suffered facial burns in a two-alarm blaze at a chemical plant shortly after 1:30 p.m. – the facility, described by the Fire Department as an “old mill type construction building,” is used to manufacture products including adhesives, sealants, and lacquers – in the mixing room, firefighters found the injured employee, who had been involved in mixing the solution where the fire originated – worker was taken by a MedFlight helicopter to a Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening – crews were able to get the blaze under control shortly after 2 p.m.)

ARC FLASH Three workers injured by transformer explosion in Ware (multiple workers were taken to the hospital after a transformer explosion – three workers were doing work on high voltage wiring when the electrical event occurred – an electrical malfunction in the transformer also sparked a small brush fire – one worker was taken to a local hospital and two were taken to Boston hospitals – one worker was in serious condition with second-degree burns)

FIRE Chemical plant fire extinguished (fire at a Refining plant facility caused a temporary shelter-in-place for nearby residents at approximately 11:19 a.m. – fire had occurred in the coker unit, which is part of the refining process – a cleaning fluid and heavy fuel was burning – fire was reported by HFD to be tapped out just before noon – confirmed that all employees had been accounted for and no injuries had occurred – the fire at the facility was the second incident in a 24-hour period for a major Houston area refinery)

DUST EXPLOSION Dust explosion causes scare at Streamwood metal shop (investigators examined the area and found that “a dust explosion had occurred when sparks from a grinder contacted aluminum dust in an exhaust duct – worker had been using a grinder to remove burrs from a sheet metal exhaust duct serving an industrial machine – that caused a “very loud flash explosion,” which the department said caused damage to the exhaust duct inside and outside the building – no one was injured, and there was no structural damage, so business resumed at the factory later in the morning)

1 hurt in TTI plant explosion in Anderson Co. (accident happened around 12:20 p.m. in the product test lab – one person was taken to a Burn Center via medical helicopter – the explosion damaged several nearby rooms – there is no fire but a lot of smoke they were trying to get out of the building – accident damaged part of the roof of the building and caused other cosmetic damage)

DUST EXPLOSION Explosion sparks fire at IP plant in Richland (an explosion at the facility sparked a fire – plant was evacuated about midnight after the dust explosion, which blew out walls at the plant – no one was injured – second fire ignited hours later, but authorities said it was quickly put out – the explosion damaged tanks that spilled a hazardous chemical into the plant’s parking lot – workers contained the spill before it could spread beyond the parking lot)

FIRE/EXPLOSION Explosion, Fire Controlled at Pennsylvania Petroleum Plant (fire at a petroleum processing plant is under control, though 911 dispatchers say there’s a report of one injury – plant makes waxes and other products including petrolatum, which is used in baby oil and petroleum jellies – storage tank at the plant caught fire in January 2014, but nobody was injured – cause and extent of the fire and a reported explosion was not immediately clear)

FIRE/EXPLOSION Two dead in explosion at Chinese chemical plant (two people have been killed and a further five injured after wastewater treatment equipment exploded at a chemical plant – all seven affected workers were hospitalized – two died and the remaining five are in stable condition – the plant manufactures phosgene-based products – no chemical leaks were reported as a result of the explosion, and production has been halted to allow investigation of the incident)

20 Ton Anhydrous Ammonia Leak Anhydrous spill sends 20 Stewardson residents to hospital (anhydrous spill sends 20 residents to the hospital just before 6 a.m. – the spill resulted in evacuations of the west end of the village – residents were able to return home about 8:30 a.m. – at 5:30 a.m. a transport truck carrying anhydrous ammonia was offloading approximately 20.5 tons of the product into a storage container – a malfunction occurred resulting in the release of approximately 19 tons of anhydrous ammonia being released from the truck – a number of individuals were transported to an area hospital where they were treated for respiratory issues due to being exposed to the vapor – Hospital treated 20 people, and one was admitted in the wake of the incident)

Construction

CRANE FATALITY CONSTRUCTION WORKER KILLED WHEN 45-TON BEAM FALLS ALONG I-90 (construction worker, 47, was killed after a bridge beam fell along I-90 – three other construction workers were hurt – crews were removing large beams from the site early Tuesday morning. While cutting steel bracing between two beams in half around 2:50 a.m. when the load rolled off a pier support and came down on the crews – all 45 tons came crashing down onto a lift where the deceased was working with a team to help cut the beam)

FATALITY Worker killed in industrial accident on Hillsborough job site (construction worker, 37, died in an industrial accident when a concrete wall fell on the worker – he was pronounced dead at the scene – cause of the accident is still unknown)

WORKZONE AT&T worker seriously injured in work zone accident in Franklin (worker was seriously injured in a work zone accident – crew was conducting work that required the westbound lane to be closed – a private security company was hired to protect the work zone – driver leaving the nearby Subdivision turned right and hit a passing trailer – trailer was forced into the worker, who was knocked underneath the truck, seriously injuring him – police noted the vehicles driven by the private security guards were not marked and did not display any warning lights)

WORKZONE FATALITY MoDOT worker struck and killed Thursday morning in Franklin County (DOT worker, 55, was struck and killed at about 9:15 a.m. as he worked to clean a bridge – he had worked for MoDOT for more than 30 years – he was part of a crew cleaning road salt and other grime off a bridge – crew had parked a dump truck in an eastbound lane of the highway – crew had posted signs that work was underway on the bridge – an attenuator, sometimes referred to as a crash cushion, was attached to the back of the truck – a man driving a Volkswagen Passat station wagon came up on the dump truck, swerved to the left and struck the DOT employee)

TRUSS COLLAPSE Construction worker injured in Front Street incident (worker was injured while working on the second floor of a building under construction when workers were using a crane to set the trusses that will support the second-floor roof – they had about 70 percent in place when something catastrophic happened around 2:15 p.m. – one worker on the second floor sustain a leg injury)

SKID STEER Trapped construction worker in Davie freed, flown to hospital (paramedics freed a man who was pinned between the bucket and the body of the Bobcat he was driving in knee-deep muddy waters at a home construction site – he was sent to a Medical Center with significant lower leg injuries – his condition was alert but serious critical condition)

FALL Construction worker injured after fall in Southern Pines (construction worker was injured after falling about 15 feet off a building just after 5 p.m. – he was flown to a Hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening)

ELECTROCUTION Mechanic, 54, fatally shocked during NYCHA repair job — troubled housing agency’s second elevator death in four months (worker, 54, was discovered unconscious on the roof – an elevator mechanic working died after an apparent electrocution – around 11:20 a.m. a worker discovered him lying unconscious on the roof – he died at the scene)

FATAL FALL from ROOF Coroner: Construction worker died after falling 50 feet from roof (construction worker, 43, died after falling 50 feet from a roof he was working on at about 1:45 p.m. – he was pronounced dead at the scene – he died from multiple blunt force trauma)

COLLAPSE Construction accident at Willis Knighton Medical Center North (dozens of rescue units are on the scene of a construction accident where there was a collapse during construction – several workers were injured – nine employees were injured in construction site collapse – all suffered non-life threatening injuries – no worker was trapped during the construction site collapse)

TRENCH Worker hurt in trench accident (worker was struck by the bucket of a track hoe in a construction trench shortly before 1:30 p.m. – it was unclear whether the adult male was struck and knocked into the trench or was already in the trench when he was struck – injuries were serious — he was rushed to a hospital in the back of an ambulance, awake and breathing but in potentially life-threatening condition – suffered “internal injuries and head injuries)

COLLAPSE Workers injured when garage partially collapses at Miami Dade College (two workers were injured when a garage under construction partially collapsed – a concrete beam fell on the workers about 2:45 p.m. – the garage was being constructed to replace one that collapsed in October 2012, killing four workers – one person suffered a leg injury in the collapse)

PIPELINE EXPLOSION & EXCAVATION Construction worker severely burned in explosion in Maryville (a gas line was hit by digging equipment, burning a man – the construction worker suffered severe burns when natural gas from the ruptured high-pressure main ignited about 1:45 p.m. – fire spread to nearby vehicles, some of which exploded)

AERIAL LIFT and ELECTRICAL Man severely burned while painting at Matson Warehouse (two men are in the hospital after being injured while painting the exterior of a Warehouse – the two were injured when their cherry picker got too close to the high voltage power lines – worker in the basket received third degree burns on half of his body and is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries – second worker on the ground received minor injuries from electrocution – he was walking around before being transported, and is expected to be okay)

HOTWORK Sparks ignite fire on ECU campus during welding project (sparks from a welding project ignited a tank and started a fire around 10 a.m. – the fire happened as construction crews were working on a student center, which is currently under construction – contractors were welding when sparks ignited an acetylene tank used for welding – minimal damage to the building and no injuries – nearby buildings were also evacuated)

HOTWORK Fire destroys Dallas apartment building (six apartments were destroyed in a four-alarm fire at an apartment complex at about 10:35 a.m. – one person was taken to the hospital for exposure to smoke, but that person is expected to be OK – all six units in the apartment complex were declared a total loss – fire started accidentally after someone welding pipes in the building ignited combustible materials)

FALL Two men injured in 20-foot fall from scaffolding in Dubuque (two men, 24 and 47, are recovering after being injured in a 20-foot fall from scaffolding – each reported ankle injuries – they were on a third-story catwalk between two buildings as they worked to remove a cast-iron pipe – catwalk broke free, and the two fell to a second-story platform)

CRANE FATALITIES China Crane Collapse: Construction Site Accident Kills 18 (18 people were killed and another 18 were injured after a crane fell on a shed that was sheltering the construction workers due to heavy winds – the shed housed 139 workers at the time of the accident – 88 people managed to evacuate on their own – while 15 workers were released from the hospital after suffering minor injuries, 18 more stayed in the hospital for treatment – four of them were in critical condition, while the city’s health department said that most of the injured suffered fractures and lacerations)

FORKLIFT 3 injured in fall from home under construction in Gibsonville, 1 airlifted to hospital (three men were injured after falling from a home under construction – the incident involved a forklift, which the three men were laying bricks with)

Miscellaneous

GLASS ACCIDENT Worker Injured In Arena Accident (worker was injured when a stack of glass boards fell on him – crews were using carts to move the glass when one malfunctioned, causing 12 boards of glass to fall on the worker – worker was treated and released from the hospital)

TREE TRIMMING FATALITY Name of tree service worker killed in accident released (worker, 43, died in a tree cutting accident – he was knocked unconscious while doing work on trees – the wind shifted, and he was knocked unconscious – Public Safety sent a ladder truck to get him down from the tree, he was transported to a hospital but later died)

RIDE FATALITY Worker Killed While Conducting Ride Maintenance at Youth Fair in Miami (worker, 23, was killed while conducting routine maintenance on a ride at The Youth Fair – the ride was not in motion at the time of the accident and no one was on it – “It’s leading toward a malfunction with the ride itself while he was conducting his daily, routine maintenance,” said Det. with MDPD – accident occurred about 15 minutes before the fair was set to open, so no guests were there – he was working underneath the ride when the accident occurred and was pronounced dead when rescue crews arrived – this is the third fatal accident for the company employees since 2008 – one was struck by a ride and killed, another was electrocuted)

CHEMICAL REACTION EXPLOSION Worker injured in power washer accident (construction worker is in the hospital after an explosion in a box truck caused by a chemical reaction – worker was cleaning power washer machines and there was a chemical reaction, resulting in an explosion – worker is being treated for burns)

LAWNMOWER FATALITY Lawn worker dies in accident at FirstEnergy in Greensburg (lawn service worker was apparently choked by a chain and accidentally killed – he was on a riding mower when it got stuck in gravel and he was trapped under a chain blocking the entrance to a grass dumping area)

STRUCK BY FATALITY in PARKING LOT Family, friends share memories of Walmart worker killed on the job (worker, 79, was run over by a semi-truck and died from blunt force trauma around 8 a.m. – he was found on the ground in the parking lot between the semi and a forklift and was pronounced dead at the scene – worker was helping a semi driver back up near the garden center – investigators believe the worker fell or tripped as the semi was backing up, and was ultimately run over)

FATALITY Florence Bi-Lo store worker dies after being struck by falling glass from window (worker, 21, died after being severely injured by glass on the job – preliminary findings indicate he was struck by falling glass from a large window – cause of the incident is unknown at this time)

ELECTROCUTION Disneyland worker found dead in haunted house (ride is temporarily closed after workers found a park technician, 45, dead inside the attraction – the technician was believed to have been electrocuted between 8 and 9 a.m., before the park opened for the day – he was working on the attraction’s lighting)

EXPLOSION 1 injured after vehicle explodes in Pikesville (one worker, 64, was injured in a reported vehicle explosion at about 8 a.m. at an MTA Metro maintenance facility – one adult male employee was on the ground in the parking lot had severe injuries to his face, hands and chest area – the injured MTA maintenance worker was flown to Shock Trauma and is in critical condition – he was transporting supplies from a personal vehicle to a work truck when the explosion occurred – the supplies included compressed gas cylinders)

WORKZONE City employee struck by car, critically injured (city employee was critically injured on the job when he was struck by a vehicle – the Environmental Service employee was exiting his truck at an intersection about 10:16 a.m. when he was hit by a passing car – he landed on the hood of the sedan and struck the windshield – paramedics took the worker to UPMC Mercy in critical condition)

WINDOW WASHERS One worker dead, another injured in Montreal crane accident (two window washers fell about 20 metres when the crane they were using collapsed – investigation is underway into the cause of the crane accident that killed one worker and sent another to hospital – he window washers fell about 20 metres – three other workers were treated for shock)

ELECTRICAL ARC FLASH Metro worker suffers burns from ‘prematurely re-energised’ overhead lines (employee was burnt when power was accidentally returned to overhead lines he was working on – worker was doing maintenance work about 4.30am when the overhead lines were “prematurely re-energised” – the injured man, aged in his 30s, was one of four men working in a cherry picker when the high-voltage line sparked – worker received “minor flash burns” to his hands and face and had been released from hospital – an investigation had been launched into why power was returned to the lines while maintenance was still underway)

Maintenance Worker Injured After Pipe Bursts Outside Miami Courthouse (maintenance worker was rushed to the hospital after a pipe exploded – he was performing his weekly routine of changing a filter cartridge for the fountain – when he removed the cartridge, the pipe burst – worker was taken to hospital for his injuries)

UPDATE on LOTO FATALITY UPDATE Crushed cruise worker had disabled elevator safety, police say (Graphic Content Warning: worker was an electrician aboard the cruise ship and died while working on one of the ship’s elevators on Dec. 27. – the cruise ship worker had disabled a safety system before an accident that crushed him in a elevator shaft, horrifying passengers who watched blood drip down the walls, a police report says – worker, 66, was an electrician and died while working on one of the ship’s elevators about 6:15 p.m. Dec. 27 – he was doing routine maintenance on the top of the elevator when it suddenly moved from the ship’s sixth level to the ninth, according to a report released this week by Miami-Dade police – he apparently fell and was crushed against the wall of the elevator shaft – he was the ship’s chief electrician – investigator told police that crew members found a jumper cable on the elevators’ override system, a common practice used by electricians to override safety systems – crew also found a screwdriver that he might have used to prop open the elevator doors)

HOTWORK Welder hanging disco ball ignites Ybor Amphitheatre (just before 8 p.m. firefighters called a second and third alarm after spotting an active fire – more than 60 firefighters are trying to put out the flames a welder inside the club says he accidentally started the blaze when his welder arced as he was moving a disco ball he caught the ceiling on fire – roof of the club collapsed and the flames kicked up later, leading firefighters to work on preventing the fire from spreading to other buildings – three people including the welder escaped)

HOTWORK Welding work sparks fire at Port Orange truck dealership (welding work sparked a fire that destroyed a structure at a truck dealership – Fire Marshal determined the blaze was accidental – the structure, valued at $150,000 (not including tools), was a total loss and will be demolished at a later date)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Four die of asphyxiation in a manhole in Karnataka town (two labourers, 21 and 23, and two passers-by who rushed to their rescue died of asphyxiation and the Fire and Emergency Services had to undertake an elaborate operation for over two hours to retrieve their bodies from the manhole – workers did not have any safety gear when they got down to clean the manhole and soon started raising alarm for help – passers-by who rushed to their help and tried to pull them out, also slipped into the manhole and died of asphyxiation – manhole is 15-feet deep

AERIAL LIFT FATALITY Man Dies After Falling from Lift at Pius High School (maintenance worker, 65, died after falling from lift at a High School – he fell from a scissor lift approximately 30 feet from the wood gym floor – he was repairing a heavy curtain in the gym that divides the gym into smaller sections when he fell to the ground – X-ray, CT Scan and a visual exam revealed massive pelvic injuries, a lumbar and thoracic fracture, a small right apical pneumothorax, a retropertoneal hematoma, and a right arm puncture wound – he was taken to an Emergency Room and was pronounced dead at 2:46 AM)