70 incidents & 0 updates (8/12/13)

2013 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

LOADING DOCK FATALITY Worker’s death at Brooklyn Center post office ruled an accident (a worker, 58, who was hit by a mail truck June 18 at a post office has been ruled an accident – he was struck in the loading dock at the post office and suffered numerous injuries)

FRONTEND LOADER FATALITY Worker identified in fatal Stamford accident (worker, 59, a nine-year veteran employee of the company, died at the asphalt manufacturing and distribution plant – it appeared he was struck by a frontend loader that he was walking behind – an initial investigation showed the safety equipment on the loader was operational and he was wearing the appropriate protective equipment)

Injured worker airlifted from Gingin to RPH (worker received serious injuries to his arm in a workplace accident – the accident occurred at a meatworks – the cuts were ‘significant’- the injured person was flown to a hospital for treatment)

FORESTRY Man seriously hurt in forestry accident (a forestry worker, 47, has suffered serious head and back injuries after being hit by a falling tree – he was flown to a hospital by Helicopter at about 12.30pm – officers stabilized the man at scene before he was airlifted for further treatment on his serious head and back injuries, as well as a fractured arm)

HOTWORK Fire breaks out at Newport water treatment plant (welding work at an abandoned section of a water treatment plant sparked a fire that sent a column of smoke that could be seen throughout the coastal town – the fire broke out before 10:30 a.m., sending a cloud of smoke into the sky – Fire Department crews were able to bring the fire under control before it spread to any active sections of the plant – plant’s operations were never disrupted during the incident – no reported injuries – investigators later determined that hot work taking place inside a concrete containment caused the blaze, in part due to a plastic material within the containment that helped rapidly spread the flames)

LOTO/GUARDING Worker Trapped In Machinery (an accident left a worker trapped in some machinery – he was breaking up some concrete with an auger drill when his legs became trapped in the equipment – he was conscious and talking when rescue crews arrived but they couldn’t get him out – crews worked for about an hour trying to free the man – they were finally able to get the man out and take him to the hospital – condition isn’t known)

FATALITY with TRACTOR Worker dies in accident at SE Harris Co. chemical plant (the accidental death involved a tractor – it was a contractor who died while doing routine maintenance at the tank facility – no other details)

MINE FATALITY Western Pennsylvania worker dies in industrial accident (a worker has died after an industrial accident at a coal mining company at about 7 AM – he was working at the mine on the suspension system of a large earth moving truck but it gave way and he was crushed)

Worker hurt in industrial accident at Chemstar (worker, 26, was taken to a Hospital at about 7 a.m. after an industrial accident – he was changing a blade on a machine at the plant when his hand was seriously injured – he was taken to a Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY – ENGULFMENT OSHA investigating fatal Middletown silo accident (worker, 39, died after he became buried in more than 8,000 pounds of fly ash, a substance used to make cement, inside a silo – he had worked at the company for 15 years, died from asphyxia and his death was ruled accidental – farmer, 72, was killed in a similar incident on a farm – he also died from asphyxia and his death was accidental, according to the autopsy from the coroner’s office)

AMMONIA Over 250 workers evacuated from sugar plant in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv after ammonia leak (more than 250 workers have been evacuated after the ammonia leak – the workers in the workshop where the accident occurred were 60 – workers from the entire plant were evacuated on the seventh minute after the leakage – cause of the leakage has not been identified yet – according to the director the freezing plant, where the ammonia leaked from, is about 15 years old – only one woman was injured and she was rushed to a hospital)

MINE FATALITY Harlan County Mine Accident Kills Coal Miner, Injures Two More (a coal miner, 56, has been killed and two more injured in an apparent wall collapse in an underground mine – the workers were inside a mine operating a continuous miner machine and became trapped when a wall apparently collapsed – the collapse fatally injured one miner, the second mining-related fatality in Kentucky this year – the injured workers were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries)

FATAL FALL 2 workers killed in fall when cable snaps (two workers have fallen to their deaths when a cable snapped that was suspending them from a helicopter as they worked on power lines – the cable appeared to have snapped when it struck one of the lines)

AMMONIA FATALITIES 5 workers killed by Stirol ammonia cloud (five workers were killed and 20 sickened by leaked ammonia at one of Ukraine’s biggest mineral fertilizer producers, even after hundreds had been instructed to put on gas masks and evacuate – a cloud of ammonia covered a big part of the plant as rescue crew teams worked for hours before the leakage was stopped – the masks were designed for only five minutes of breathing – “Therefore the victims were poisoned by ammonia” – preliminary data indicate that there was a rupture of a liquid ammonia pipeline that had caused the blast)

FATAL EXPLOSION during PRESSURE/LEAK TESTING Samsung engineering chief loses post after accident (a water tank explosion led to the deaths of three workers at the plant – a water tank burst during a stress test at a polysilicon plant construction site, which also injured more than 10 workers – the 1,300-tonne water tank was being filled to detect any cracks as part of a stress test, but erupted at around the 1,000 tonne mark – workers were hit by flying debris and the tank’s supporting structures)

GRAIN BIN COLLAPSE GRAIN BIN: Collapse Injures Worker (an accident at a grain bin sent a man, 23, to the hospital with serious injuries around 6 p.m. – worker was trapped inside a grain bin that was under construction after an accident left the man pinned inside – he was standing on scaffolding when it shifted trapping him against the side of the bin – co-workers rushed to help and used a crane to lift the heavy scaffolding – the scaffolding gave way and actually crushed the man in between some metal and the scaffolding – he was taken to the hospital, with what EMS workers say is severe neck and back injuries and was listed in serious condition)

FOUNDRY FIRE Columbia Foundry Fire Injures Worker (one person was injured when fire broke out in a 50-ton furnace – he was taken to an area hospital – how he was hurt and the extent of his injuries were not known – crews were called to the company just before 11 a.m. after molten metal overflowed into a pit underneath the furnace – plant manufactures pipe fittings and other pipe products – a malfunction in the furnace, also referred to as a pot, likely led to the spill – the pot is used to melt iron – the fire was contained to the pit)

1 injured in YRC Freight chemical fire that caused evacuations of Copley day care, businesses (businesses and a day care were evacuated after a chemical fire broke out around 9:15 a.m. at a freight terminal in a trailer next to the building – a worker noticed a smell of gas right before the fire broke out – the worker suffered burns to his face and was taken to the burn unit of a Hospital – officials evacuated businesses and 28 daycare children from the area – one container of Dimethyl Ether, which is extremely flammable, burned inside of a trailer and the flames spread to two other trailers)

FLASH FIRE @ GAS WELL 1 Worker Injured at Gas Well Explosion in Walker County (one contract worker, 35, was burned after a gas well explosion around 4:15 pm – he was flown to a hospital and is in stable condition with burns on 20% of his body – a flash fire ignited as workers were bleeding gas from the well, later causing the explosion)

MOLTEN IRON BURNS 6 workers suffer burn injuries as molten iron falls on them (at least six labourers received burn injuries after molten iron fell on them following a blast in the furnace at a steel plant – two of the victims suffered serious injuries in the incident that took place at around 11 am – the six labourers sustained burn injuries when hot liquid iron from the furnace fell on them – two of the hospitalized were reported to be serious)

OIL RIG FATALITY Occupational Health and Safety investigating after two workers killed in separate incidents (the first incident occurred around 4 p.m. at an oil rig site – the service rig was pulling a rod out of the hole when the block fell down and struck the worker – a worker, 24, was killed as a result of the impact)

FATAL EXPLOSION Explosion shakes Uzbek chemical plant, few wounded and one killed (an explosion shook a workshop for acetylene production at a chemical plant resulting in the death of at least one worker and injuring several others)

FATAL EXPLOSION Blast kills worker at refinery owned by Chilean state oil company (explosion at refinery caused by sulfuric acid leak – the explosion at the refinery killed one worker – a contractor died in the blast while performing maintenance with other workers – company said the explosion was caused by a sulfuric acid leak inside the refinery’s hydrogen plant – at least three people were taken to hospitals with injuries)

FATAL EXPLOSION Explosion at Pavlodar pipe plant in Kazakhstan kills one (an explosion of a water-heating boiler at a pipe rolling plant killed one person, 42, and injured another – a water-heating boiler exploded at a gas-filling station – as a result of the explosion, the fitter died of injuries at a hospital, another worker, 52, was also hospitalized)

CARBON MONOXIDE FATALITY Fumes kill one, hospitalize a dozen in Macon (incident at a farm facility has left one worker dead and caused the hospitalization of more than a dozen people – first responders arrived and found two workers were unresponsive inside a refrigerated storage building – one of the workers was later pronounced dead at a Medical Center – the other worker was airlifted to a Hospital – shortly before 7 p.m., a woman had called 911 and said two men were unresponsive inside the facility, one on a running forklift and another on the ground – the men were loading a shipment of produce into a semitrailer that was docked at the building – two bystanders were the first to help by shutting off the forklift and pulling the men from the back of the semitrailer — where they were working — onto the floor of the cooler unit – as a result of the rescue operation, though, three deputies, firemen, the good Samaritans who first arrived and other responders who worked to try and rescue the two victims were exposed to some sort of contaminant in the air and admitted to the local hospital – they exhibited various respiratory symptoms but were all released from the local hospital that evening – some suspect a type of noxious gas is to blame for the death and the hospitalizations and point to high carbon monoxide readings taken at the facility – Sheriff’s Office reports that the semitrailer was docked at the facility and left running for approximately two hours – all the doors to the facility were closed while the men worked – carbon monoxide detectors registered more than 1,000 parts per million on site)

ELECTROCUTION in BOOMTRUCK Idaho worker electrocuted at Ore. substation (a man, 35, was electrocuted at a substation – he was in bucket lift working on a transfer box – he died at the hospital)

HOTWORK EXPLOSION Welder injured in Springfield fuel tank explosion identified (worker, 52, was seriously injured when a fuel tank exploded – he was welding a metal fuel tank he believed was empty – he suffered burns to his arms, a nose injury, and a laceration to his leg – the man’s condition had been upgraded to fair)

HOTWORK FIRE Fire At Erie Water Works Plant Ruled Accidental (investigators believe that roofers using a torch, ignited the fire that damaged the Water Work’s Plant – three different fire companies were able to contain the fire in just about 20 minutes – the fire is being ruled accidental, and crews are now examining the equipment in the plant for damage before returning to full capacity – investigators believe that roofers using a torch, ignited the fire)

REFINERY FIRE Fire crews extinguish blaze at Venezuela oil refinery (firefighters put out a blaze in a storage tank at an oil refinery that was caused by lightning – it led to the evacuation of people living nearby – no one was hurt in the fire, but residents within a 1 km (0.6 mile) radius were moved away from the scene while fire crews fought the blaze in a downpour at the 187,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) facility)

CRUSHING FATALITY Man killed at waste plant (a worker, 56, was killed after he was caught between a compactor and dumpster shortly after noon – he was crushed in the accident when he was caught between a payloader pushing an industrial-sized dumpster toward a garbage compactor – he was taken by ambulance to a Medical Center where he died from his injuries – it is the second fatality at the Solid Waste Authority this year – worker, 28, an employee of an Environmental Services company, was killed on Jan. 21 while he was emptying his truck and realized he had left the truck in gear – when he attempted to get back into the truck, he fell between the truck and a building and was run over by truck)

FORKLIFT Man injured in forklift accident at St. Cloud Electrolux plant (just after 10 p.m. a man was run over by a forklift – he was pinned by the vehicle and a jack had to be used to raise the forklift and free the victim – the victim suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was eventually taken to a Hospital)

FATALITY Death at SDI plant ruled accidental (a worker, 44, was killed in an industrial accident – an autopsy determined that he died of blunt-force trauma with multiple internal injuries – no other details)

AMMONIA 17 workers treated after ammonia leak at Whitehall building (the leak was reported at the Dairy about 2 p.m. – workers with the water company were working on a line near the plant, triggering a drop in water pressure that activated a sensor valve in the ammonia tank – the tank then released ammonia – 17 workers were treated after the plant was evacuated – eleven of those workers were taken to area hospitals as a precaution, and two of the 11 complained of having difficulties breathing)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak temporarily closes Dickinson’s Frozen Food plant (plant employees who detected the leak initially notified a Refrigeration contractor, whose specialists determined the situation required an emergency response – Fire Department was called and evacuated and accounted for all plant employees, and no injuries were reported – the ammonia cloud was contained inside the building – residents to the south of the facility were notified but were allowed to stay inside their homes – team, with specialized equipment, was able to enter the facility and stop the leak – plant was ventilated, cleaned up, and production resumed – personnel were at the scene for about five hours)

CHLORINE Chlorine Leak Shuts Down Pratts Court Water Treatment Plant in Stoughton (water supply is not impacted – the cause of the leak is unknown – employees discovered a chlorine leak in the building – state Hazmat team was on site as a result, as were the Fire Department – facility has been shut down for the time being, as the Hazmat team works to ensure it is safe to enter the building again)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Man killed in forklift accident (a forklift operator, 50, is killed in an accident while working on a roofing project – he was loading roofing materials onto a tractor trailer just before 7:30 a.m. – when crossing the street, the forks hit a pick-up traveling down the road, which caused the forklift to tip over – he was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries)

CONSTRUCTION

Worker injured in worksite accident (employee was taken to a Hospital after a piece of equipment being used fell and hit him in the head – employee was treated and released shortly after the incident)

CRANE FATALITY Worker dies in condo accident (a construction worker, 40, died in an accident in a high-rise condominium being built – he died on the spot when the saddle beam of a tower crane fell on him on the 12th floor around 10 a.m. – another worker, 43, a beam fabricator was wounded in the shoulder – the saddle beam fell after a cable of the tower crane holding it snapped – the beam had just lifted precast panel when it fell 10 ft. from the air)

Construction Worker ‘Stable’ After Accident (worker, 49, was injured in an accident at a State Community College construction site – he apparently did not suffer life-threatening injuries, but was airlifted to a Medical Center – no details)

FATAL FALL from CELL TOWER Worker dies after falling from cell tower in Virginia (a worker, 37, fell about 100 feet from a cell tower – the victim was a contractor who worked for a tower construction contractor)

EQUIPMENT FATALITY Man killed in Tyler Pipe accident identified (contractor is dead after the industrial vehicle he was riding fell into a hole – his Bobcat vehicle backed into a hole shortly after 8:00 a.m.)

WORKZONE Pickup truck hits construction worker along Peach Street (a construction worker, 30, was injured after he was hit by a pickup truck – workers were continuing work at building new sidewalks when a southbound pickup truck drove onto a closed traffic lane and struck one of the employees before plowing into the back of a company truck – worker who was struck was knocked away from the pickup truck – witnesses said the truck drove into the southbound right-hand lane, which was marked as closed and blocked off by traffic cones for several blocks – the truck toppled numerous cones before the passenger side dropped off the right side of the road and into the area where a section of sidewalk was being built – one employee jumped out of the way as the truck approached, but another employee was hit by it, witnesses said)

WORKZONE FATALITY Road construction worker dies in accident (an accident in a construction zone left one worker dead – driver, 71, was driving a dump truck while a worker, 54, was standing behind the vehicle, giving directions to back up – driver lost sight of the worker and struck him with the vehicle and proceeded to roll over him – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

ELECTRICAL with LADDER Worker in Critical Condition After Hartford Incident (a worker, 38, who was installing gutters suffered electrical burns while falling from a ladder – he is in critical condition – he lost control of the ladder and pulled down a power line, electrifying a fence – there was an explosion but no fire – he was shocked and suffered severe burns to the face, hands, torso and chest – he was rushed to a Hospital for treatment)

WORKZONE I-80/35 ACCIDENT: Work Zone Safety Reminder (a man is in critical condition recovering from an on-the-job accident along Interstate 80/35 – around 8:30 p.m. a construction worker, 50, walked into the path of an excavator and was then run over by the front tires)

WORKZONE FATALITY Highway worker killed in Merced County ID’d as Lodi man (worker, 43, died while on a job along Highway 99 – he was pinned between a piece of heavy equipment and some concrete at about 1:30 p.m. – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

MANLIFT Worker thrown from skylift at NSCC (a worker, 65,is recovering from injuries suffered in an industrial accident – the man was in a skylift working when it tipped over and he was thrown from the machine – he had some cuts and abrasions from the fall)

MANLIFT FATALITY Construction worker pinned between building and lift machine in Sarasota (two people made a disturbing discovery just before 10:00 a.m. – they found a painter pinned between a building a lift machine – one of the one of witnesses was able to bring the machine down while the other removed the man – they immediately began CPR and called 911 – the man was rushed to a Hospital, but died from his injuries)

WORKZONE FATALITY Road worker killed at construction site in Pa. (a construction worker has been fatally injured in an accident involving a piece of equipment during a repaving project – it happened around 2:30 p.m. – the worker was hurt in an accident involving a piece of construction equipment and pronounced dead at the scene – details of how the accident happened haven’t been released)

CRANE FATALITY Construction Site Accident Kills 4 in NW China (a fallen tower crane damaged the prefab houses at a construction site – due to sudden thundershower and strong wind, a tower crane at a construction site fell to the prefab houses where lived construction workers, killing four people and hurting four others)

WORKZONE FATALITY Landscaper Killed After Being Struck By Vehicle (police believe a car may have jumped a curb before hitting and killing a landscape worker, 47 – he was standing in the grass and evidence leads investigators to believe the car jumped the curb and struck him shortly before 5 p.m. at the intersection)

2 Chinese workers killed in Seoul bridge ramp collapse (two Chinese workers were killed and another injured after an under-construction ramp leading to a bridge collapsed around 1 p.m. when heavy equipment fell from the entrance ramp and crushed the workers – two workers were killed and another injured – the injured has been sent to hospital)

EXCAVATION and ELECTRICAL Worker electrocuted (a worker from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was electrocuted and remained in critical condition – he got in touch with a live wire while digging a portion of the street at about 4 p.m.)

SCAFFOLDING Worker Rescued From Scaffolding At Indiana Government Center (a worker was taken to the hospital after a scaffolding accident a state office building – the worker is a pipe fitter who was replacing pipe in a stairwell – a hammer or other tool fell, striking the worker in the face and causing lacerations – the worker is in stable condition – he was approximately 20 feet up in a tight space – crews worked together to deploy the system and get the man down to safety – he was taken to a local hospital)

SCAFFOLDING Scaffolding accident closes part of Main Street in Somerville (parts of an elevator scaffolding at construction site collapsed and left a downtown block of Main Street closed to traffic – rescue workers rushed to construction site of a five-story retail-and-apartment development after a scaffolding elevator collapsed – no reported injuries and workers did not have to be rescued – the elevator scaffolding is one of two being used by construction crews working on the facade  – the top portions of the elevator appeared to have collapsed, leaving the platform one story above ground – officials did not know the cause of the accident)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Man injured after fall from construction scaffolding (a worker, 25, is in hospital after falling from the scaffolding at a construction site – paramedics were called to a pedestrian bridge being constructed around 3:15 p.m. – the man had fallen off scaffolding at the structure – paramedics treated him for a head injury, lacerations and abrasions, and took him to hospital – he was in stable condition when he arrived at the hospital)

MISCELLANEOUS

CATTLE FATALITY Worker dies of injuries from cattle feedlot accident (a man, 65, has died of injuries he suffered after being trampled by a steer – the man was injured while working at the County Feedlot – he was sorting cattle when he was run over by a steer and suffered severe head injuries)

EQUIPMENT FATALITY Cornwall man killed in work-related accident (a man, 61, who had worked for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for some two decades died in an apparent work-related accident – he was found by another parks employee at a garbage transfer station – a state news release said the other worker found a “work related” accident had taken place involving a “piece of heavy construction equipment” – worker was taken by ambulance to a Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:18 a.m.)

ELECTROCUTION Michigan utility worker trimming trees dies in accident (a man contracted by a utility to trim trees has died after coming into contact with a power line – the man died at the scene – a two-person crew had spent the last two weeks clearing branches from backyard trees)

Mo. auto shop worker killed when lift falls over (an employee, 28, at an automotive shop has died after being pinned under a vehicle lift around 11 a.m. – he and other employees were moving the four-post lift when it toppled over – police describe the lift as a very heavy, mobile piece of equipment)

CHAINSAW Worker hurt in chainsaw accident (a worker cutting trees had an accident with a chainsaw and was seriously injured in the neck area – the worker is employed by a contractor – the worker was alert despite the serious injury)

FALL from SIGN Worker falls from marquee at MGM Grand Casino (a worker at the casino fell from the marquee just after 9:40 a.m. – the worker fell about 150 feet – the drop was broken somewhat by landscaping, but he did suffer some severe injuries – he was alive when transported to a hospital – it was unclear on what kind of work was being done on the sign when he fell)

ELECTROCUTION with TENT POLE Ontario worker killed in hydro accident, five injured (a large outdoor tent came into contact with a power line, killing one worker, 21, at the site and seriously injuring another, 17 – the group of workers, all of whom were under 25 years old, was employed by an event-planning company – a six-person crew was putting up the tent when the tent pole contacted an overhead hydro line – the 17-year-old worker was still recovering in the hospital – the others have been released)

MANLIFT FATALITY One killed, another injured in boom-truck accident (one man was killed and another was injured after they fell out of a boom truck that tipped over in the parking lot – the two were taken to a Hospital in an ambulance after the accident happened at about 11 a.m. – police officers at the scene estimated the workers fell between 15 and 30 feet from the vehicle – it appeared the men were doing maintenance work on a light pole in the lot before the accident happened)

Film crew worker suffers electrical burns on platform (a member of a film crew producing a time-lapse video of a construction site was sent to hospital with electrical burns after getting stuck on an electrical platform around 11:30 p.m. – when crews arrived, a man approached them and said two of his co-workers were trapped on an electrical platform and one of them may have been shocked – the two men were conscious and alert, but one said his foot had been injured by an electrical shock – firefighters used a ladder truck to rescue the men from the three-story platform – both men were assessed and one was sent to hospital with electrical burns – fire department said it appeared the men were unaware of the electrical hazard on the platform)

FORKLIFT Two Injured in “Freak Explosion” at Md. Auto Repair Shop (two people were injured after an apparent explosion at an auto repair shop just after 2 p.m. – two individuals had non-life threatening burn injuries – the two men were inside of a forklift when they drove over a manhole filled with natural gas, which subsequently exploded – no structural damage to the building)

What’s New @ SAFTENG.net

Run to failure… Can it be done while achieving process safety?

The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors Report of Violation Findings for First Quarter 2013

Looking for some technical data for one of your pressure vessels?

Explosion in a urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertilizer transfer pump

OSHRC on Permit Required Confined Spaces

2013 Photo of the Week #32 (Fire Protection)

EPA RMP citations @ Winery (NH3 & $7.5K)

EPA RMP citations @ gas liquid extraction facility (Flammables & $89K)

Reading Codes and Standards: Part 3

Federal Railroad Administration Issues Emergency Order to Prevent Unintended Hazardous Materials Train Movement

CFATs Program Statistics as of August 1, 2013

How can I determine if my facility’s wastewater treatment operation meets the Chemical Facility Anti- Terrorism Standards (CFATS) exemption under 6 CFR 27.110(b) for the Federal Water Pollution Control Act?

UPDATED “It’s just Ammonia” – yep it sure is!

Executive Order – Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security

Passivation… PSM/RMP activity that belongs in the “initial start-up” SOP?