Slip, Trips, and Falls #8
updated 05/06/2010
Man in critical condition after scaffolding fall
By LARRY LUNNIN April 15, 2003
A 38-year-old man working at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was in critical condition after falling from scaffolding that collapsed Monday afternoon. UNL Police Sgt. Douglas Petersen said Guillemo Castillo, an employee of Gagner Construction, fell from a set of scaffolding set up at Woods Hall while other employees were trying to move it. Castillo toppled into a stairwell when one of the scaffolding’s bars jarred loose, he said. Van Vuong was working at the service desk when she heard about the accident. According Vuong, a junior art and math major, the falling scaffolding broke out a window at Woods Hall and prompted several employees inside to run to Castillo’s aid. “It looks like (the scaffolding) just swung around,” she said. To make matters worse, Vuong said, the ambulance might have had trouble finding the building. Woods Hall, home to the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, is not as well-known as other buildings on campus, she said. Petersen said Castillo was conscious when help arrived. But he was taken to BryanLGH Medical Center West for emergency surgery after suffering a fractured skull from the fall. Vuong said the injuries seemed serious. “When they carried him away it did not look like he was moving at all,” she said.
UPDATE Fatal fall at Fairmount accidental
STEVE HORRELL , Of the Intelligencer 04/25/2003
The death of a 26-year-old man who stepped off the edge of the grandstand roof at Fairmount Park Raceway and fell 30 feet to the sidewalk was ruled an accident Wednesday by a Madison County coroner’s jury. Marty Nesbitt, of St. Louis, died on the afternoon of March 15 as he measured a part of the northeast corner of the grandstand roof at the raceway in Collinsville. He had been working for the EZJ Construction Co., of Salem, Mo., along with eight other workers who were measuring the roof and laying PVC pipe. Six of the roofers were on a nearby section as Nesbitt and another man were working together. Nesbitt’s partner told Collinsville Police Detective Rich Wittenauer that just before the accident, Nesbitt had grabbed one end of the tape and walked to the edge of the roof, about 50 feet away. “He said he noticed the tape coming toward him and Marty was no longer there,” Wittenauer testified. None of the workers say they saw Nesbitt fall. Wittenauer investigated the scene and said he noticed what appeared to e handprints at the edge of the roof which Nesbitt grabbed in a futile attempt to save himself. His body was found prone on the asphalt sidewalk below. Later, Wittenauer interviewed Larry Gill, a foreman for EZJ, who confirmed that Nesbitt was not wearing a safety harness at the time. Nesbitt had not been working close enough to the edge for the company to consider using a monitor who could have warned him when he got too close to the edge, Gill told Wittenauer. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death to determine whether a monitor should have been used. Nesbitt began working for EZJ six months ago after his release from the military. A toxicology test showed no alcohol in Nesbitt’s system. Madison County Deputy Coroner Ralph Baahlmann said that at some point prior to the accident Nesbitt had used marijuana and that he may have been under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident.
Disney ‘Aladdin’ Technician Falls 42 Feet While Testing Special Effects
UPDATED: 8:04 a.m. PDT April 24, 2003
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A technician testing special effects for “Disney’s Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular,” fell 42 feet to the stage and was hospitalized in critical condition, a Disney spokeswoman said. The 36-year-old employee, whose name was withheld by Disney, was taken to the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center where he was in critical condition, Disney spokeswoman Sondra Haley told The Orange County Register. The worker was in a safety harness at about 6 a.m. Tuesday as he tested special effects. Disney does not know what caused the fall, Haley said. alls by The Associated Press after business hours Wednesday to the Walt Disney Co. in Burbank and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts LLC in Anaheim were not immediately returned. Technicians work for about five hours to prepare the theater for “Aladdin,” which brings the Disney animated movie to the stage. The show at The Hyperion Theater inside Disney’s California Adventure theme park was shut down after Tuesday’s accident, but reopened Wednesday. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has begun an investigation, and division spokesman Dean Fryer said investigators would concentrate on whether there was “fall protection” and adequate training. The state will release a conclusion in about three months, Fryer said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow cast member and his family,” said Cynthia Harriss, president of The Disneyland Resort. The Hyperion Theater holds 1,899 people. “Aladdin,” which opened Jan. 16, is performed two to three times daily. The show is the first production under the artistic direction of New York theater expert Anne Hamburger.
Expatriate falls to death from crane in Hulhumale
Tuesday, 22 April 2003
MALE, April 22 (HNS) – An expatriate worker from Thailand died Monday after falling from a crane in Hulhumale. The accident occurred around 11:00am in the mega-island that is being reclaimed in the lagoon of Hulhule which houses the Male International Airport. The Thai expatriate was a worker involved in road construction in Hulhumale, according to officials. Road construction in Hulhumale is subcontracted to the Thai company, Italian-Thai Developers Public Limited. The private ADK Hospital in Male, where the injured man was taken to be treated, pronounced him dead on arrival. A witness told Haveeru that the man received severe injuries to his head when he fell and that blood gushed out of his ears. “He immediately lost his consciousness. There was blood everywhere on the boat” in which he was brought to Male, the witness told Haveeru. It is not established how high the crane was, on whose top the expatriate was working when he fell.
UPDATE OSHA Cites Florida Contractors for Exposing Workers To Fall Hazards That Led to Fatal Accident
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited two contractors for failing to protect workers from fall hazards at a Jensen Beach job site. The agency issued citations, with proposed penalties totaling $158,500, to Continental Painting, Waterproofing & Restoration, Inc., and one citation, with a proposed penalty of $2,500, to Safway Steel Products, Inc. Continental employees were replacing balconies and restoring the exterior stucco of two ten-story condominium buildings on South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, when the fatal accident occurred. Safway Steel provided the scaffolding systems for the project. On Oct. 17, in preparation for the installation of balcony rails, a Continental employee was drilling holes in the new concrete floor of a balcony when he fell seven stories to the ground. He died later that day at a trauma center. “OSHA’s safety standards for fall protection are designed to prevent a tragedy such as this,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “We are proposing the maximum penalties in this case, because Continental has been cited in the past for similar violations.” According to Luis Santiago, OSHA’s area director in Ft. Lauderdale, the agency issued five repeat citations to Hollywood-based Continenal Painting, Waterproofing & Restoration. One, directly related to the accident, carries a proposed penalty of $35,000 for failing to provide workers with proper fall protection equipment. The others, each with a proposed penalty of $25,000, cited the company’s failure to provide workers with appropriate personal protective equipment and scaffolding with proper fall arrest systems and guardrails. A repeat citation is issued when a company has been cited previously for a substantially similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company received citations for other alleged serious safety violations, with $23,500 in proposed penalties. Safway Steel Products, Inc., received a serious citation, with a proposed penalty of $2,500, for failing to properly install the suspension scaffolds. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known. The companies have 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection of the work site was conducted by OSHA’s Ft. Lauderdale office at the Jacaranda Executive Court, 8040 Peters Rd., Bldg. H-100; phone: (954) 424-0242. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov .
UPDATE OWSJ Supplies Ltd. fined $50,000 for health and safety violation
TORONTO, April 8 /CNW/ – OWSJ Supplies Ltd., a Mississauga, Ont.-based supplier of structural steel for industrial buildings, was fined $50,000 on April 4, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in injuries to two workers at a construction site in Toronto’s north end. On December 22, 1999, two ironworkers were positioning roof decking on top of a steel structure when a section of the structure collapsed. The first worker fell about 12 metres (40 feet) to the ground while the other was able to hang on to a bundle of decking that was being placed on the roof by a mobile crane. The first worker suffered serious injuries, including fractured and broken bones and internal and external bruising. The second worker received minor injuries after being lowered to the ground by the crane operator. A Ministry of Labour investigation found the workers were wearing full body harnesses equipped with lanyard (a connecting line from the harness to an anchor to protect the workers against falls), but their lanyards were not tied to anything. The incident occurred on Fenmar Drive in the Weston Road- Finch Avenue West area of Toronto, where an industrial building was being constructed. Following a trial, OWSJ Supplies Ltd. was found guilty, as an employer, of failing to ensure the workers wore a fall arrest system in a situation where they could fall a distance of more than three metres (10 feet), as required by Section 26(1)(a) of the Regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act. The fine was levied by Justice of the Peace Gary Miller of the Ontario Court of Justice at Old City Hall in Toronto. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Construction worker dies in fall from Holt bridge
The Associated Press
Police identified a Tuscaloosa construction worker who fell to his death last week while working on the Eastern Bypass bridge in Holt. Otis Morrow, 46, fell 100 feet to his death Friday after stepping onto an unsecured piece of metal being placed by other workers on top of the bridge, police said Monday. Authorities had withheld Morrow’s name until his family had been notified. “It appears to be accidental,” said Tuscaloosa police Lt. Loyd Baker. “It’s still under investigation with our department.” Morrow is the second man to die while working on the bypass bridge. Bobby L. Wade Sr. of Moundville fell and died in October 2001. Wade and Morrow both were employees of R.R. Dawson Bridge Co. of Bessemer, which is building the bridge for the Alabama Department of Transportation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for unsafe working conditions after investigating Wade’s death. The agency said employees on the bypass bridge project were not properly trained for potential fall hazards. Information from: The Tuscaloosa News
UPDATE Work deaths result in fines
By Robert Boyer, STAFF WRITER April 05, 2003
Three contractors have been cited for safety violations in connection with a High Point construction accident that killed a Randleman man six months ago. Charles Edward Weiss, 55, died Oct. 3 when he fell onto a concrete floor while installing corrugated metal decking onto the rafters of a building under construction in the 600 block of Pegg Road. Samet Corp., the Greensboro general contractor in charge, along with two Randleman subcontractors, Contract Erectors and W-3 Decking, Weiss’ company, were cited for “not utilizing fall-protection devices” that were on site, said N.C. Department of a Labor spokeswoman Dolores Quesenberry. Samet was fined $2,100, Contract Erectors $1,750 and W-3 $1,050, Quesenberry said. W-3 was fined an additional $1,050 because investigators determined that the company had a controlled decking installation area that was too large. Quesenberry said under state regulations, decking installers are allowed to work without wearing safety devices in such areas, provided the area is smaller than 90-by-90-feet. The rulings came after a nearly six-month state Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation. Two of the contractors said Friday they aren’t at fault. “The (safety) equipment was there and it was being utilized,” said Mark Stinson, Contract Erectors general manager. Weiss, said Stinson, was wearing a safety harness, but “didn’t have it tied on” when he fell from a height of 26 feet. Stinson said according to regulations that went into effect March 2002, workers less than 30 feet above ground don’t have to be secured to a safety line. Stinson said the secure decking area in use the day of the mishap wasn’t too large. “We don’t agree with it,” Stinson said of the ruling. “We did everything we were supposed to do.” “We still feel that at the time of the accident, we were in compliance with the regulations,” said Samet Vice President Marshall Tuck. Tuck and Stinson said they will talk with state labor officials in an effort to overturn the citations and fines. A W-3 official couldn’t be reached for comment. Quesenberry said companies have 15 days from the date of notification to request an “informal conference” with an area OSHA supervisor to appeal such rulings. Settlements are usually reached within several weeks of a conference, she said. Weiss’ death was the second in less than three weeks at the site. Juan Jose Mayo Uyoa, 30, of Randleman, died Sept. 16 when a crane boom lifting about 5 tons of rafters snapped and dropped the load, crushing Uyoa underneath. Investigators blamed his death on a broken piston rod that caused the boom to move downward and snap when it hit the wall. An investigation cleared the three contractors of any violations or responsibility in Uyoa’s death.
Indiana man killed in fall from Blackstone cell tower
JEFF HAYNES, Staff Writer April 05, 2003
BLACKSTONE — A 41-year-old Indiana man fell about 100 feet to his death while working on the AT&T tower on Mendon Street Friday morning. The man, whose identity was not released pending notification of relatives, worked for the Swager Communications company, based in Fremont, Ind., which had been contracted by AT&T to work on the 220-foot tower, said Blackstone Police Detective Wayne Mowry. “They were about an hour from finishing the job,” he said. “They had been there all week.” Two of the victim’s co-workers were working on the ground about 5 feet from where he hit, Mowry said. “They don’t know what happened,” Mowry said. “All his safety belts were on. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is conducting an investigation now.” The Boston OSHA office confirmed an investigation is under way, and said the probe could last anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months. Swager was running some cables from a metal box on the ground up to the top of the tower, Mowry said. The victim was fastening those cables to the tower just before he fell, Mowry said. The co-workers reported hearing a “click,” and looked up just in time to see the man falling, Mowry said. The victim fell face first onto the metal box, Mowry said. Police and rescue workers got the call reporting the accident at 11:45 a.m. “They (rescue) did everything they could,” Mowry said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. When rescue workers first reached the victim, “there was no breathing, and there was no circulation,” said Fire Chief Michael Sweeney. Rescuers took the victim into the ambulance for a full evaluation, Sweeney said, and when they peeled off the man’s safety equipment and outerwear, they could see the man had suffered massive trauma. Sweeney said the rescue crew initiated CPR, and provided doctors at Milford-Whitinsville Regional Hospital with the victim’s status. The doctors at the hospital then relayed back the message to stop the CPR, he said. “It’s just a tragic, tragic accident,” Sweeney said. “We’ve never had as much as one single incident up there (at the tower).”
Man injured in fall from roof
By Dorrance Johnson, Staff Correspondent April 03, 2003
BRANFORD – The State Labor Department’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating a local mishap in which a construction worker was injured last Wednesday morning when he fell from a scaffold that was erected for renovations on a house at 65 Summer Island Road. Fellow workers, who did not actually witness the fall, found the 36-year-old man apparently unconscious on the ground. The workers were last aware that the man had been working atop the scaffold, which was estimated to have been approximately 25 feet off the ground. Branford Fire Department Paramedics were summoned to the 10:34 a.m. incident and raced to aid the injured worker. When they arrived, they found him to be conscious and suffering from the effects of the fall. According to Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Mahoney, the worker was apparently involved in either “roofing” the house or performing other work in the roof area and may have been in the process of ascending a “catwalk” when he fell to the ground below. “His injuries appeared to be serious,” Mahoney said. The injured worker, who is employed by Beavis Roofing and Siding, was stabilized by paramedics at the scene and transported to Yale New Haven Hospital where, at last report, he was undergoing treatment for injuries to his head, chest and legs. Authorities withheld the injured worker’s name pending notification of his family.
Firefighters rescue worker who fell down hill in forest
The Courier-Journal
Firefighters pulled a Louisville Metro Public Works employee to safety yesterday after he had slipped and fallen while clearing debris along the edge of Jefferson County Memorial Forest. The worker, whose name was not available, complained of back and leg injuries, Fairdale Fire Chief Don Wittry said. The injuries did not appear life-threatening, he said. Workers were about halfway up Mitchell Hill Road pulling up tires, appliances and other items dumped illegally along a steep dropoff, Wittry said. One of the workers slipped and fell about 15 feet, he said. Firefighters stabilized the man, who was about 100 feet below the road, placed him in a basket and pulled him to safety, Wittry said.
Stairway collapse injures 2 workers
Wednesday, April 2, 2003 By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ STAFF WRITER
PATERSON – Two construction workers were seriously hurt Wednesday morning when a staircase landing collapsed beneath them inside a building they were renovating at Passaic County Community College, authorities said. The workers – Edward Lock, 50, and Dan Fisher, 32 – were demolishing concrete stairs at 218 Memorial Drive and were between the first and second floors when the landing gave way at 11:30 a.m., said Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Murray. Other construction workers ran out to get help, and by happenstance, found police Sgt. Diane Hanley and Mark Veenema, chief of paramedics at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, nearby. Both men were taken to St. Joseph’s, where Lock, of Rockville Center, N.Y., was in critical but stable condition with head, back, and leg injuries; and Fisher, of Middle Island, N.Y., was stabilized with multiple fractures in one leg. The landing was left hanging by reinforcement bars in the middle of the concrete building, Murray said, preventing the massive block of cement from landing on top of the men. The city Building Department and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were notified, Murray said. The building is the future site of a community technology center, PCCC President Steven Rose said. Rose said that OSHA officials suggested ways to make the work site safer, but said that the workers took proper precautions by wearing harnesses. The college leased the building from the city of Paterson in 2000, and has been using a $400,000 federal grant along with other funds to renovate the interior and exterior, Rose said. Tuesday’s accident did not impede the construction schedule, he said.
UPDATE Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc. fined $87,500 for health and safety violations
BURLINGTON, ON, April 1 /CNW/ – Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc., a Georgetown Ontario-based company that provides commercial construction services, was fined $87,500 today for two separate violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the injury of two workers. Both incidents occurred during the renovation of a commercial building on Fairview Street in Burlington. On July 25, 2001, a worker, employed by a subcontractor, was removing a tarpaulin from the roof of the commercial building. The worker was walking backward while pulling the tarpaulin and tripped over a curb surrounding an opening in the roof and fell through the hole. The worker suffered a cracked vertebra, a laceration to the head and a bruised shoulder. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that the opening in the roof was not protected by a guardrail or a protective covering. Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc. pleaded guilty, as a constructor, to failing to ensure that a worker was protected from falling through an opening on a work surface. This was contrary to Section 26.3(2) of the Regulations for Construction Projects and Section 23(1)(a) of the act. The court imposed a fine of $37,500. On August 29, 2001, a worker, employed by a subcontractor, was spraying fireproofing material to the ceiling of the same building from the top of a movable scaffold. The scaffold, on wheels, was positioned over a trench dug in the floor to install piping and supported by a metal plate. Before brakes could be applied, the scaffold rolled into the trench and toppled, causing the worker to fall. The worker was rendered unconscious, and suffered a fractured pelvis and multiple scrapes and bruises. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that the worker was not protected by a fall arrest system. Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc. pleaded guilty to failing, as a constructor, to ensure that a scaffold mounted on castors or wheels is not moved while a worker is on it, unless the worker is protected by a fall arrest system, and the scaffold is being moved on a firm and level surface. This was contrary to Section 129(3) of the Regulations for Construction Projects and Section 23(1)(a) of the act. The court imposed a fine of $50,000. The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Barry Quinn of the Ontario court of Justice in Burlington. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Helicopter lands in local schoolyard
03/30/03 00:00:00
An elementary schoolyard doubled as a helicopter-landing pad for an air ambulance Friday morning when a man severed a major artery in a construction accident in the northwest end of the city. The man fell from scaffolding at a construction site near Fletcher’s Creek Boulevard, in the area of Chinguacousy Road and Bovaird Drive, at 11:20 a.m. He cut his arm with a saw, severing a major artery, according to reports from Peel police. He was flown to a Toronto hospital and his condition was unknown at press time Friday. The Ministry of Labour is investigating.
NEW: Construction worker falls four stories to his death
By Sonja Garza Express-News Staff Writer Web Posted : 03/31/2003 5:30 PM
A worker for a local plaster company died today after tumbling four stories from a hotel under construction just east of downtown. Martin Machado, 43, fell at about 2:15 p.m. while working on a new Holiday Inn Express at 1309 E. Commerce St. He was dead upon arrival at Brooke Army Medical Center, a hospital official said. San Antonio police officer K. Bender said the fall appears to be an accident, but police are investigating. Witnesses reported hearing a commotion immediately before Machado plunged about 40 feet to the pavement, police said. Eyewitness Dan Martin said the man tried to grasp a bar on the way down before he flipped, struck a stack of bricks and hit the street below. Clint Baker, construction project supervisor, said it was unclear whether the worker lost his balance while atop a ladder or fell from the scaffolding. Machado was employed by Arahed Lath & Plastering Corp.
Longtime West Palm worker dies after fall off garbage truck
By sun-sentinel.com March 31, 2003
WEST PALM BEACH – A long-time city sanitation worker died Monday morning after he fell off a garbage truck, had his legs run over, then suffered a heart attack that proved fatal, a city spokeswoman said. The accident occurred around 6:30 a.m. while the truck was emptying a dumpster-sized bin at the Habitat on the 4000 block of Okeechobee Boulevard, the spokeswoman said. The driver, Claude McLeod, 57, of Lake Park, was backing up the truck when James Schaefer, 65, of Boynton Beach, fell from the step next to the driver’s door and the truck ran over Schaefer’s leg. He then suffered a heart attack. Fire Medics transported Schaefer to St. Mary’s Hospital where he was taken into surgery, but died a short time later, the spokeswoman said. McLeod has been employed with the city for 14 years; Schaefer was employed for almost 24 years. In accordance with city policy, McLeod submitted to a drug test. No charges are expected to be filed, but the police investigation continues.
A construction worker fell four floors
A construction worker fell four floors to his death while working inside a West Village building yesterday, police said. Cops said the man was working inside an unoccupied building at 600 Washington St. at 11:30 a.m. when he plunged from the fourth floor.
Carpenter injured in LBT fall
From Press staff reports
LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP – Long Beach Township Deputy Chief Leslie Houston said that a 46-year-old carpenter from Forked River fell 15-feet off a ladder while working outside the Haven Beach Yacht Club on Wednesday. The worker, who was airlifted from the scene by New Jersey State Police’s SouthStar helicopter, may have suffered “possible spinal injuries.” The accident took place at 112th Street and Long Beach Boulevard, where Houston believed renovations were being done. She could not confirm what hospital the man was taken to. The man’s name was not released. Four Long Beach Township officers responded to the scene as well as EMT workers from the Beach Haven First Aid Squad’s Ship Bottom division. Houston said that a call came in at 8:51 a.m. from Haven Beach Yacht Club employees who witnessed the fall.
Injured man airlifted to New York hospital
SIMPSON BAY–A 20-year-old man narrowly escaped death when he fell 28 feet from a megayacht and landed on the concrete at Yacht Club Isle de Sol Monday morning. The victim, Sean Peterson, though stable, was flown to the US for medical treatment. Peterson, a son of Tommy and Susy Peterson of Simpson Bay and a temporary worker on yachts in search of a steady job, was cleaning the top deck of one of the larger megayachts at the marina around 9:30am when he slipped and fell. Luckily his arm caught the second level, turning him around, head up. As a result he fell feet first. The victim suffered a broken elbow, a head wound, extensive damage to his foot and leg, and possibly a dislocated shoulder, explained Isle de Sol Manager Jeff Boyd. The crew of a neighbouring yacht heard the scream for help and rushed to the victim with first aid equipment. As some of the crew were trained in first response, they were able to stop the bleeding from Peterson’s head and stabilize him. At St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) X-rays showed that his injuries were substantial. An emergency operation was performed on the left elbow. Due to the nature of his injuries it was decided that Peterson needed more specialized medical care. Boyd contacted Dr. Hoppenstein, the owner of Isle de Sol, in New York, seeking advice as to the best steps to be taken. While Dr. Hoppenstein made arrangements with the New York Center for Joint Injuries and Diseases, Boyd contacted the captain of the yacht from which Peterson had fallen. “It was determined that no expenses would be spared and that he would be airlifted to New York immediately,” said Boyd. Through Genee Brouwer of Melmik Aviation, whom Boyd especially wanted to thank, Peterson was taken by Lear jet to New York around 10:00pm. His mother joined him on the trip. When Peterson left he was “in good spirits,” said Boyd, although he was heavily sedated. No information was made available by the New York hospital on Tuesday.
UPDATE Manslaughter trial starts for contractor in building collapse
By SAMUEL MAULL Associated Press Writer March 26, 2003, 6:45 PM EST
NEW YORK — Recklessness and greed caused a Manhattan building collapse that killed one worker and severely injured three others last summer, a prosecutor charged Wednesday at the opening of a contractor’s manslaughter trial. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Cort said the tragic mishap occurred because Shunkun “Michael” Tam, owner of Tamco Corp., used inexperienced laborers and rushed or ignored some preparatory work so he could save money. The result of Tam’s reckless approach to renovating the townhouse on East 61st Street was the death of 41-year-old Antonio Romano on May 16, 2002, Cort said. Tam, of Brooklyn, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in Romano’s death. “This is the story of a homicide committed by the defendant (Tam) because he was greedy,” Cort told the State Supreme Court jury in opening remarks. Tam’s lawyer, Barry S. Turner, called the collapse a “tragic accident” for which his client was not responsible. Turner said Tam was rarely at the site _ two or three times a week _ and that his foreman, Cheung Keat “Ken” Ai, 33, caused the accident because he failed to follow instructions. Turner noted that Ai, who will testify for the prosecution, has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in exchange for minimum sentence of one to three years and a maximum of two to six years in prison. Tam faces up to seven years if convicted. Tam, 49, is also charged with assault and reckless endangerment because of injuries to Swee Kheong Tang, 37, Jian Zhang Zheng, 31, and Kok Choy Yeen, 41, in the collapse. The workers were hurt while renovating a five-story town house for Fabio Granato, owner of the Serafina restaurant. Granato said he planned to put in a Japanese eatery called Geisha and a triplex apartment for himself on the top floors. After the workers gutted the building and removed its roof and wooden support beams, they improperly installed steel beams _ called joists _ to support the remaining walls, Cort said. He said the workers then laid steel decking over those beams. Meanwhile, he said, the workers used pulleys to raise thousands of pounds of cinder blocks onto the unsecured steel decking. Soon, Cort said, the cinder blocks’ weight caused the improperly supported walls to collapse. Granato, the first witness, said he had stopped by to check the progress of the work when the collapse happened. “I was there having a meeting and then I hear a big noise,” he said. “Everybody ran out onto the street and I ran out onto the street.” The prosecutor said Tam had seen the dangerous condition created by the piles of cinder blocks. “But he didn’t stop the loading,” Cort said. “He didn’t do that because any delay might have cost him money.” More than a dozen $55-a-day workers were buried under debris, police said at the time. Most staggered out with minor injuries, but three were badly hurt and Romano, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was crushed under the cement and metal and killed. Cort said only two out of 20 workers had any safety equipment, and Tam had built no protective shed to protect passers-by from falling debris.
UPDATE Fatally injured worker used truck’s forks to gain access
A fish processing company worker used a patently unsafe method of work to tend to large bags of fishmeal at his employer’s premises. In December 2001 David Cobban accessed the stored product using the raised forks of a forklift truck from which he fell through four metres, sustaining fatal head injuries. Mr Cobban’s employer, United Fish of Aberdeen, admitted and was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £16,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, failing to provide a safe system of work for Mr Cobban. HSE’s John Radcliffe commented that the “biggest cause of serious and fatal accidents in industry is from working from height and transport in the workplace, the two most common factors of serious and fatal incidents which were present in this case.” Forfab, based in Rothes, Moray, the forklift truck driver provider, was fined £4,000 in respect of failing to provide adequate training.
Three injured when scaffolding collapses
Last updated: Mar 24, 11:26 PM
ORMOND BEACH — Three construction workers were injured Monday when 15-foot-high scaffolding they were on collapsed, fire officials said. None of the injuries were life threatening following the 2 p.m. accident at the Discovery Professional Plaza construction site near the intersection of Granada Boulevard and Interstate 95, said Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Jim Shaw. The men were not wearing safety harnesses, and it’s not clear if there were any guardrails on the scaffold that crumpled into a twisted pile after it failed, officials said. The injured men were in a rear area of the office building they’re helping to construct. Two of the men did not appear to be seriously hurt, and one walked a short distance after the collapse, Shaw said. But the third man fell onto some 8-inch by 16-inch cement blocks and had some of the blocks on top of him when he was found laying face down, Shaw said. That third man was in stable condition when he was taken by EVAC ambulance to Halifax Medical Center, he said. One of the other men was also taken to the hospital, and the remaining worker refused treatment, Shaw said. Officials at the scene said they did not know the men’s names, but Shaw said one appeared to be in his 40s and the other two were in their 20s. Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were notified and are expected to be on the site today. A city government inspector and fire inspector examined the scene Monday afternoon.
Lewiston police investigate elevator accident
Tuesday, March25, 2003, 1:59 PM By NewsRadio WMTW Staff 870/1470 AM and 106.7 FM
LEWISTON — Lewiston police are investigating a report of an elevator accident at 76 High St., a building of doctors’ offices adjacent to Central Maine Medical Center. Lt. Paul Harmon said they received a call around 12:45 from someone who said the elevator had fallen “some distance.” Lewiston police said a construction worker suffered minor injuries when he fell about 20 feet while working inside an elevator shaft. News 8 WMTW has a crew on the way to the scene and will bring you more details as they become available.
Tug crewman injured in fall into engine
Associated Press
CHARLESTON, S.C. – A tugboat crewman was seriously injured after he fell into rotating gears in a boat’s engine room. Tommy Hagen, 53, of Goose Creek, was in serious condition following surgery Sunday at the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital here. Hagen was trapped for more than an hour as rescue workers and tugboat crewmen tried to free his left leg. Workers had to remove the boat’s propeller shaft before they could free Hagen. The Marine Safety Office here is investigating the accident, said Coast Guard Ensign Matthew Meskun. Dr. Ralph Shealy, who treated Hagen in the engine room while the rescue operation was under way, said Hagen was trapped by machinery “that is very powerful and doesn’t stop moving.” The tug Sharon C had just refueled at the Allied Terminal and departed when the accident occurred. The boat came back to the terminal, where emergency personnel were called. Information from: The Post And Courier
Man dies in fall; Anderson repairman was fixing roof top
By SEAN F. DRISCOLL
An Anderson man who was working to repair a roof damaged in a January fire at an automotive parts warehouse slipped and fell to his death early Saturday morning. John Schoettmer Jr., 44, was pronounced dead at the scene when firefighters and police arrived at Auto Tech, 695 N. Miller Ave., at about 8:18 a.m. Saturday. Marion Fire Department Capt. Brian Swanner said Schoettmer, 2118 Rosewood Drive, Anderson, was on the building’s roof doing repairs when he stepped backwards onto an unsecured piece of plastic that crews had left out to protect the building from rain. “He knew it was there, but took a couple of steps back and fell through the roof,” Swanner said. Schoettmer plummeted more than 20 feet to his death, landing on the warehouse’s concrete floor. Grant County Deputy Coroner Kevin Evans said the initial cause of death is listed as blunt force trauma to the head, but an autopsy will be performed today at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne to confirm the findings. Schoettmer had been working for Weiland Inc., repairing the building’s roof after a Jan. 15 fire decimated the building’s southwest corner, Swanner said. He and another worker were on the roof but were not secured to the roof with any safety gear.
UPDATE Carpet factory fined over injuries
Mar 21, 2003, 14:01:00
A carpet factory has been fined £5,000 after an employee was injured when she fell more than two metres from a platform. Pamela Field, aged 34, was unloading bobbins when she lost her footing and fell on to the concrete floor below. Mrs Field, who has since been made redundant, broke two ribs, and both wrists and received a laceration to her head which required 15 stitches. One of her wrists had to be re-broken and set again after failing to heal. Tomkinsons Carpets, Duke Place, Kidderminster, admitted breaching health and safety regulations by failing to take suitable and effective measures to prevent the accident. Health and safety inspector Mrs Joanne Carter, prosecuting at Kidderminster magistrates court on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said Mrs Field was unloading bobbins from shrink-wrapped pallets when she fell 2.06m from a platform, around which there was no guard. She was employed as a creeler, whose job involved stripping the empty bobbins and replacing them. Four pallets of bobbins had been lifted on to the platform by forklift truck. The employees had unloaded three of them and were just starting on the fourth when Mrs Field reached up to cut the cellophane and lost her footing. Mr Edward Farrelly, defending, said the company took health and safety very seriously and this was the first prosecution in 25 years. The court fined the firm the maximum £5,000, but did not award compensation to Mrs Field as she is pursing a separate civil claim.
Worker dies in fall from roof of Lombard home
by Bonnie MacKay
A 30-year-old Elmwood Park man died after a fall from the roof of a Lombard home Thursday morning. Police and fire officials responded to a home in the 300 block of North Fairfield just before 9 a.m. on March 13. According to Lombard fire Battalion Chief Mike Kalina, paramedics found a man unconscious on a concrete surface. Kalina said the man apparently fell off the roof, 12 to 14 feet, to a concrete patio. “He was critical,” Kalina said, adding that Lombard Fire Department paramedics transported the man to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for a severe head injury. Lombard police Deputy Chief Dane Cuny said Mariusz Lemanski, a contractor, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Lombard detectives responded to the accident scene to conduct an investigation. “Preliminary indications [show] it was a work-related accident,” Cuny said, adding that an autopsy and further forensics investigation is being conducted by the DuPage County Coroner’s Office.
Firefighters called to free man trapped by scaffolding
A DECORATOR was taken to the Great Western Hospital after he slipped and became trapped under scaffolding while working in a house in Old Town. The man, who has not been named, suffered concussion and minor injuries in the accident, which happened at a house in Quarry Road at 3.40pm yesterday. Ambulance staff were unable to reach him because the collapsed scaffolding was unsafe, so the fire brigade were called in. Station Officer, Bruce Weatherston, said: “There was a partial collapse of the scaffolding the man was working on while painting the wall. “The man slipped and fell and the ambulance crew were unable to get close to him safely so we used ropes and chopping equipment to move the scaffolding, releasing the man.” The man was freed from the scaffolding by 4pm and was today recovering in hospital.
Fall at Clinton waste-water plant hospitalizes worker
UPDATED: 3/19/03 11:42 AM
CLINTON – A man is hospitalized after a 40-foot fall at the Clinton Waste Water Pollution Control Plant Wednesday morning. The incident happened around 8:00 a.m. at the plant on Beaver Channel Parkway. The man, employed by a construction company, apparently fell from a scaffold and landed on a scaffold material rack inside a tank. The tank was being cleaned at the time. It took eleven firefighters, using a special rope technique, a construction crane, and roughly 45 minutes to lift the man out of the tank. The man was taken to Mercy Medical for what’s described as numerous injuries.
Work falls three stories at White Plains City Center
By SUSAN ELAN AND RICHARD LIEBSON THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: March 15, 2003)
WHITE PLAINS — A construction worker fell three stories down an unfinished elevator shaft at developer Louis Cappelli’s $320 million City Center yesterday. Alvin Burgos, 38, of 1119 Mile Square Road in Yonkers, was removing wooden support beams from an elevator shaft shortly after 10:30 a.m. when he fell from the 16th floor to the 13th floor of a 35-story apartment tower currently under construction at 222 Main St. Burgos was taken by ambulance to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he was listed in critical condition. White Plains police Capt. Anne FitzSimmons called Burgos “very lucky. He landed on some plywood, which broke his fall. He was conscious and talking and didn’t appear to have life-threatening injuries. He said he just lost his balance.” Work at the site continued while city and federal inspections into the incident began. “No violation of city code has been issued at this time,” said Michael Gismondi, White Plains’ building commissioner. FitzSimmons said people were being interviewed to determine “whether it was anything other than an accident, and we’re looking to see whether safety regulations and procedures were being followed.” It has not been determined whether Burgos was wearing a harness or had taken other precautions for work at heights, Gismondi said. He said there was no indication that pressure to meet an October deadline set by Cappelli for completion of the project has resulted in unsafe work conditions. “We don’t believe safety has been compromised,” Gismondi said. “We would see more accidents or more of a trend.” Peter West, a spokesman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Tarrytown, said Burgos “should have been protected from falling by something, whether it was a harness or guard rails.” Yesterday’s was the third accident at the City Center site. One worker was injured when he stepped into a hole and hurt his leg, Gismondi said. A second worker was hit by a pipe. There have been prior complaints about conditions at the site, West said. One of the complaints brought against George A. Fuller, a Cappelli company, resulted in fines, West said. Two other complaints are still under investigation. OSHA also is investigating a fatal accident in June at Main and Bank streets, where a $140 million luxury hotel-apartment complex is under construction, West said. Richard Ellis, 40, of Thornwood, died during surgery at the medical center after he was crushed by a bundle of steel rods that dropped more than 50 feet from a crane. Burgos was working at the City Center site as an employee of subcontractor Carlton Concrete of Floral Park, Queens. Officials from that company did not return calls for comment. Sal Fusaro, a spokesman for Laborers International Union of North America Local 1000 in Poughkeepsie, called Burgos “a good man and a good laborer.” Burgos has been a member of the local for five years and does concrete work, Fusaro said.
Point man falls to his death at Chevron
03/16/03 By BRAD CROCKER
PASCAGOULA — A Moss Point man fell to his death Saturday morning while working at the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery. Frank S. Richards, 48, reportedly fell from a process area in which he was working as a pipefitter with Flour-Daniel, a subcontractor working on the refinery’s clean fuels project, Chevron spokesman Steve Renfroe said. Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus pronounced Richards dead at the scene at 10:05 a.m. Flour-Daniel media relations director Jerry Holloway said Richards joined the company in January. The clean fuels project began about 18 months ago. No further details concerning Richard’ death, including the height he fell from or the cause of death, were available Saturday. Broadus said pathologist Dr. Paul McGarry will assist in Richards’ autopsy to determine if cause of death was related to an injury or because of medical factors. “It’s always a possibility. He could have had a heart attack or something else that may have caused the fall,” Broadus said. Renfroe said work on the project, which involved about 700 workers, was shut down Saturday after the incident and could not say when work could resume. Renfroe said a joint investigation is being conducted by Chevron, Flour-Daniel and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “Certainly, we are very saddened by this and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family,” Renfroe said. Holloway also expressed condolences and sympathy for Richards’ family and said that officials will try to “understand the cause of this incident.”
Worker plunges 20 feet inside W. Side manhole
ROMANO CEDILLOS Tucson Citizen March 13, 2003
A pipeline construction worker was injured yesterday when he tripped and plunged 20 feet inside a manhole on the West Side, a firefighter said. The accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. at West Riverview Boulevard and North Dragoon Avenue. The area is near West Grant and North Silverbell roads. Francisco Montoya, 24, of Tucson, an employee of Spiniello Co., suffered hip and leg injuries in the fall, said Capt. Paul McDonough of the Tucson Fire Department. “Because of the confined space the man was in, it took rescue personnel an hour and a half to get him out,” McDonough said. “He was conscious the entire time.” Montoya was treated at University Medical Center. A report on his condition was not immediately available. Don Morrow, superintendent of the Morristown, N.J.-based company, said Montoya was unloading equipment from a company truck near the manhole when the accident occurred. “He had just taken the racks off the truck and was beginning to offload equipment to set up over the hole when he tripped,” Morrow said. “The (two) other guys with him had their backs to him and didn’t see him fall in, but they heard him yell.” Frank Torres of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said his office was investigating the accident.
UPDATE Cal-OSHA blames employer in bridge death; Contractor denies violating safety rules in Cotati man’s fall from Golden Gate span
March 13, 2003 By JEREMY HAY THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
A Cotati man killed in a construction accident on the Golden Gate Bridge last summer may have died because his employer didn’t have proper safeguards in place, authorities said. Shimmick/Obayashi Joint Venture, the lead contractor in the earthquake retrofit project on the bridge, also “put up roadblocks” that impeded the investigation into the death of Kevin Noah, a California Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman said. “They exercised their legal rights almost to the point of abusing them,” Dean Fryer, a Cal-OSHA spokesman, said. He said the company resisted the investigation from its outset, forcing investigators to issue repeated subpoenas to obtain interviews and documents. “That is simply not true,” said Scott Fairgrieve, chief financial officer of the Hayward-based contractor. He said the company’s attorney had “simply required that they follow their own rules to the letter and follow their investigation by the book.” Noah, 42, a veteran carpenter, fell about 50 feet to his death Aug. 13 while working in the south anchorage, a huge concrete structure that helps support the 66-year-old bridge. Early reports suggested Noah’s safety harness had failed and he fell from a mechanized basket used to lift workers and materials. But investigators concluded he “probably was standing on and tied off to rebar” embedded in the anchorage wall when he fell, Fryer said. There was no scaffolding in place in the area, the Cal-OSHA report says, and “as a result, an employee fell … and was fatally injured.” Shimmick/Obayashi was cited for three serious violations, the second-most severe level possible. Cal-OSHA levied $26,025 in fines for those violations and three that were classified as less serious. The company has appealed the penalty. “We have a very large disagreement between our interpretation and Cal-OSHA’s of safety rules in regards to scaffolding,” Fairgrieve said. He said other safety measures were in place and scaffolding wasn’t warranted at the time.
Labourer dies after treatment works fall
AN investigation was under way today after a labourer plunged to his death at a sewage treatment works. Robert Murdoch, 57, of John Allan Drive, Cumnock, was working at Linwood Treatment Works in Middleton Road, Linwood, Renfrewshire. It’s thought he fell eight feet to his death as he put up scaffolding around 11am yesterday. He suffered serious injuries and was rushed by ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, where he later died. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating but it’s believed to have been an industrial accident. A spokesman for Scottish Water, which owns the site, said: “The man was given first aid at the scene but he sadly died later in hospital. “He was working for Barrhead-based contractor George Leslie, a firm which has been working at the site on behalf of Scottish Water. “We will work closely with the Health and Safety Executive to establish the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.” A police spokesman said: “There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances and a report will be forwarded to the procurator-fiscal.” No-one at George Leslie was available for comment today.
UPDATE State, KoSa investigate worker’s death
Joy Scott Star Staff Writer
He was a kind, compassionate, loving person,” she said. For approximately 25 years, he worked for the company and its predecessors. On Tuesday, the investigation into the fall resulting in his death Monday continued with an investigator from the North Carolina Department of Labor and a team of six KoSa employees. According to Erica Luongo, communications director for KoSa, among the questions investigators are trying to answer are these: n What was Thrift doing when he fell from a ladder? n What caused his fall? n Was he was wearing a helmet? Department of Labor spokesman Juan Santosa said an employee is not required to wear a helmet while standing on a ladder. However, a helmet is required in parts of the plant. “I don’t know what the circumstances were. There are so many different areas of any plant, I would hate to say yes or no,” if a helmet was required in Thrift’s situation. It is unknown how long the investigation could take. The Department of Labor is required to conclude its investigation within six months of the incident, said Santosa. Within the past two to three years, the site had gone as much as 779 days without a serious incident, said Ms. Luongo. KoSa participates in the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division’s Carolina Star Program. According to the Department of Labor Web site, the program recognizes exemplary safety and health management. On Jan. 30, KoSa received its second recertification, marking six consecutive years as a Carolina Star, said Ms. Luongo. Thrift’s fall happened at approximately 3 p.m. Monday, said Ms. Luongo. It was reported to Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies approximately 20 minutes later, according to police reports. Thrift was found in the automated warehouse where he worked as a textile operator. Mrs. Thrift said the plant nurse called her to tell her of the accident. “She just informed me that he had been in an accident and they would get back with me,” she remembered. “I felt like something bad had happened, but I didn’t feel like it was that bad.” Together, they cared for her two children and his son, she said. They were married for 18 years and have four grandchildren. “He was just a loving, caring husband, just very thoughtful, patient, understanding. Just all those characteristics bunched into one.”
Fuel tank collapse injures two; Moss Landing accident; Men were demolishing old oil container
Staff report
Two workers were injured Tuesday afternoon when the roof of a fuel-oil tank they were trying to demolish collapsed at the Duke Energy plant in Moss Landing, sending them falling about 50 feet, a fire official said. The accident happened about 3:30 p.m. as the workers, Salvador Corona, 27, of Salinas, and Gustavo Ortiz, 28, of Las Lomas, worked to tear down the tank, which is obsolete because the site no longer burns fuel oil, said Duke Energy spokesman Pat Mullen. “We’ve stopped work on that tank until we understand what occurred and how to prevent that type of accident,” he said. The men, contractors for Long Beach-based Earth Tech, were flown by a Cal-Star helicopter to San Jose Medical Center in stable condition, said North County fire Capt. Mark Maitoza. Maitoza said both had minor head lacerations. Ortiz also had a broken left leg and possibly a broken arm, and Corona appeared to have a broken leg and was “in a lot of pain,” he said. “I think they had some type of a rope attached to them, so that probably broke their fall a bit,” the captain said. “But basically, they fell about 50 feet.” He said Cal-OSHA will investigate the accident. Mullen pointed out that in the construction of the new power plant at Duke, the company had 3.2 million labor hours without a lost-time injury. “Obviously our concern is on those injured today, but once we get past that, our focus will shift to our investigation of what happened,” Mullen said.
Worker lucky to be alive after a fall at arena site
Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic Mar. 11, 2003 12:00 AM
GLENDALE – He fell more than 30 feet at the Phoenix Coyotes arena going up near 91st and Glendale avenues. And Richard Robinette, a Valley construction worker, said Monday that he considers himself lucky to be alive. Robinette, 59, of Surprise, said he could have plunged more than 100 feet to his death, but lower scaffolding broke the nearly three-story fall. His wife, Linda, 56, agreed, saying, “I’m glad to have him home. It was a very scary situation.” The accident happened about 10 p.m. Friday while Robinette, a carpenter for Phoenix-based Perini Building Co., was working on tall scaffolding at the job site. He fell more than 30 feet and landed on lower scaffolding only 30 inches wide and still about 65 feet above the ground, said Elio Pompa, a Glendale fire captain and spokesman. Robinette was flown to a Phoenix hospital after four members of a technical-rescue team used a basket to lower him to the ground, Pompa said. It was a daring rescue in which firefighters, using a construction crane, not only climbed the scaffolding but tended to Robinette from the lofty perch, Pompa said. Robinette was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, where his wife picked him up Sunday morning and took him home, where he remained on medication Monday. Firefighters said the mishap marked the first major construction accident at the site. Perini, Robinette’s employer, is the general contractor for the planned 17,500-seat hockey arena.
Metro worker rescued
by Tyisha Manigo Staff Writer March 10, 2003
An employee completing work a Metrorail tunnel in Seat Pleasant had to be rescued and transported to a local hospital after falling and sustaining serious injuries, according to the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS department. The 49-year-old contract employee was operating on scaffolding 15 feet to 20 feet high when he fell onto the concrete floor Friday around 8:30 p.m., said chief spokesman Mark E. Brady. The department’s Confined Space Team removed the victim—who was approximately one-quarter of a mile into the tunnel—and transported him to MedStar at the Washington Hospital Center. The worker sustained a possible concussion and internal injuries. His condition at the time of transport was considered serious but did not appear to be life threatening.
UPDATE Contractor to pay for GG Bridge death
BY J.K. DINEEN Of The Examiner Staff
The lead contractor on the massive Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofitting project has been slapped with a hefty fine in the case of a carpenter who fell to his death last summer while working in one of the bridge’s anchorage towers, according to a citation from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. On Aug. 13, Kevin Noah, 42, was standing on a three-quarter-inch piece of rebar inside the south anchorage tower when he fell 50 feet to his death. The OSHA investigation fined contractor Shimmick/Obayashi $16,200 for failing to provide scaffolding for the tower workers and $5,850 for not having a proper failing arrest system. Noah’s harness was tied to an open-ended piece of rebar, and slipped off as he worked. The rebar should have been “crossed” off in order to prevent slippage, OSHA said. “It is definitely a serious case,” said OSHA spokeswoman Susan Gard. “The company was responsible for conducting the job in a way that protected employees properly, and that was not done in this instance.” Shimmick/Obayashi will appeal the citation, according to attorney Robert Peterson. The early-morning accident happened as Noah was strengthening concrete footings inside one of the bridge’s hollow concrete “anchorage houses.” Noah died when he hit the dirt floor at the bottom of the anchorage house, which is where the bridge cables are anchored. Mary Virenzi, Noah’s longtime girlfriend, said Noah was an adventuresome jack-of-all-trades who worked on projects big and small. He was as comfortable building a wooden house as working on the construction of 3Com Park. “Kevin was an everything guy — he knew how to do it all,” said Virenzi. “He’d leave a job and always be welcomed back on it no matter what.” Noah left behind three sons, whom he took motocross riding most weekends. The Novato resident would offer to take the family to a movie and surprise them by ending up at a drive-in in Sacramento, she added. Noah frequently complained about the lack of safety precautions on the job, according to Virenzi. At one point he turned down an offer of a foreman’s job because he didn’t want to be responsible for other workers in an unsafe environment. Virenzi said she recently visited the work site and found some of the safety problems persist. “I know they are never going to say they are sorry, but God, they should at least fix it,” she said. “He gave them his life and they should honor him.”
KoSa worker dies in fall at plant
Joy Scott Star Staff Writer
EARL — A KoSa employee died Monday after falling 6 feet from a ladder at work. Fred Bishop Thrift, 55, of 3228 Marshal Wolfe Road was working in the plant’s automated warehouse when he fell, said Cleveland County Sheriff’s Capt. Brian Hawkins. “It was just an industrial accident that ended in a fatality,” said Hawkins. Hawkins said Thrift had an apparent head injury, which led to his death. An autopsy will be performed, said Cleveland County Coroner Ralph Mitchem. Mitchem said Thrift was either going up or coming down a ladder when he fell and hit his head on a steel railing. The incident was reported to Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies shortly before 3:30 p.m., according to police reports. “It’s with great sadness that we confirm one of our employees was found dead this afternoon at our Shelby facility,” said Tom Halley, human resources manager for KoSa’s Shelby and Salisbury sites. “Employee safety is always our number-one priority. We’re deeply concerned to learn of this incident, and we want to extend our sympathy and condolences to the employee’s family and friends.” Halley said the plant is still conducting an investigation and notified the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the incident. The Shelby plant is one of KoSa’s best performing plants in terms of safety, said Halley. Almost three hours after the incident, Susan Brooks, Thrift’s niece, answered the phone at his residence. The shock was still too heavy. “He’s a very good person,” she said. “A very dedicated worker.” The plant at 2525 Blacksburg Road produces textile fibers.
UPDATE Fatal Manhattan Construction Accident Results in OSHA Citations & $60,000 in Proposed Penalties for New York City Employer
NEW YORK — Exposing employees to fatal safety hazards at a Manhattan construction site has resulted in a New York City employer being cited and fined $60,000 by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA has cited DCM Erectors, of 110 East 42nd Street, New York, NY, for alleged serious and repeat violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act after the agency investigated an accident on Dec. 6, 2002, in which a company employee was killed in a fall at a construction site at 731 Lexington Ave. The most significant citation is an alleged “repeat” violation that directly relates to the accident, in which an employee fell through an unprotected floor opening and plunged to his death on a steel deck 35 feet below. The citation includes a proposed penalty of $50,000 and charges the employer with failing to provide proper fall protection for employees working next to an unguarded floor opening. DCM Erectors had been cited for a similar violation at the same site on Oct. 15, 2002. “This employer was cited previously for a similar violation on this same project, yet continued to expose employees to the same hazards knowing full well the potential for a serious accident,” said Richard Mendelson, OSHA’s area director in Manhattan. “This outrageous flaunting of the law had very tragic consequences.” OSHA is also citing DCM Erectors for two alleged “serious” violations, each carrying a proposed penalty of $5,000, for failing to train employees exposed to fall hazards in how to recognize and minimize those hazards and for failing to require employees to use eye protection in hazardous situations. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew, or should have known. A repeat violation occurs when a company has been cited for similar violations within the past three years and the citation has become a final order. DCM Erectors has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and proposed penalties to elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The OSHA area office in Manhattan conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is 212-620-3200. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Worker falls to his death from 16-story county building
March 7, 2003, 10:44 AM EST
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A maintenance worker fell to his death from the roof of a 16-story county government building in a possible suicide. Michael Mazurek, 47, an employee of the Erie County Division of Buildings and Grounds since the mid-1980s, died about 1 p.m. Thursday after plunging from the roof of the Rath Building, authorities said. County spokesman Jeffrey Hammond said Mazurek might have fallen as he was performing a routine maintenance check on the building’s heating system. The Buffalo News reported Friday that Mazurek was scheduled this week to face sentencing in a sexual molestation case and had taken actions in the days before his death that suggested the fall was not accidental. His death remained under investigation.
UPDATE Orangeburg company fined for violations before death
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The company that employed a man who died after he fell while working on a bridge was fined for several safety violations in the 1990s, records show. Carolina Bridge Co. officials were questioned by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator Thursday after Jason Kinsey, 21, fell 80 feet into the Congaree River and died. Kinsey’s safety harness was hooked to the scaffolding that landed on top of him. It was the Orangeburg company’s first serious accident, OSHA documents show. But in June 1994, the company was fined $6,270 for six serious violations during construction on a bridge over the Broad River in Gaffney. Officials from Carolina Bridge Co. could not be reached Friday. The company failed to provide life jackets for employees working over water, ring buoys with at least 90 feet of line for rescues and a lifesaving boat, according to OSHA documents obtained by The State newspaper. The only other violation was in June 1991. Records show it also was serious and resulted in a $560 fine but didn’t specifically say what the violation was. Carolina Bridge was close to completing a $612,163 contract with the state to repair the two-lane, 54-year-old bridge at U.S. Highway 601 between the Congaree Swamp and the headwaters of Lake Marion. Kinsey and two other men, Dan Nickel and Randall Jepson, were working on the bridge when the scaffolding collapsed Wednesday. Kinsey and Nickel fell into the water, while Jepson dangled from a rope he was harnessed to and was rescued 40 minutes later. Divers pulled Kinsey’s body from the water Thursday. Nickel hit a barge that was floating near the bridge then fell into the river. He was taken to a hospital and released Thursday. Neither Kinsey nor Jepson was wearing a life jacket, officials said, and it was unclear whether Nickel was wearing one. The crew also had no OSHA-required lifeboat buoys in the water in case of emergency, rescuers said. OSHA’s investigation into the scaffolding collapse likely will take several weeks, said Jim Knight, spokesman for the state Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department. Information from: The State
Roof worker badly hurt in 50ft fall
Mar 7, 2003, 12:06:00
A man suffered serious injuries after falling 50ft through a skylight at a Wolverhampton factory. The injured man’s brother, who witnessed the accident, also ended up in hospital after suffering a heart attack brought on by the shock. Today both men, who have not been named, were being cared for at the city’s New Cross Hospital. The accident happened at a foundry in GKN Thompson Ltd, in Millfields Road. Fire crews from Willenhall and Wednesbury rushed to the factory, backed up by the major rescue team from West Bromwich. The victim was a contractor who had been carrying out maintenance work on the roof, which is 40ft-50ft high. He fell and landed on some plastic pellets which were stacked 15ft above the ground. Firefighters spent 40 minutes rescuing him after the accident yesterday afternoon and used a spine board and basket stretcher to lower him. He suffered head and spinal injuries. Station officer Jim Austin, from Willenhall, said: “We were there to get the injured man off the pallets that he had fallen onto. “They were quite high off the ground that made it awkward to reach him. “We managed to reach him using a stretcher and ropes and then paramedics took over and took him to hospital.” Peter Bailey, spokesman for GKN Thompson, said: “An outside contractor was working on the roof of the building and fell. “The fire brigade attended to free him.”
Bridge painter dies after scaffolding collapses
A worker painting the U.S. 601 bridge over the Congaree River has died after the scaffolding he was standing on collapsed, authorities say. Two other workers were injured in the incident Wednesday afternoon. Divers located the body of Jason Kinsey Wednesday evening, But he was still trapped in the scaffolding, and Natural Resources Department workers had to wait until Thursday morning to get the equipment needed to free his body, diver Anthony Walker said. An autopsy showed 21-year-old Kinsey, of Cordova, died from multiple trauma, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Thursday. Rescue workers and police did not know why the scaffolding broke loose. The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate. One of the injured workers, Dan Nickel, fell 80 feet into the river, but was rescued by a fisherman who happened to be nearby. The second injured painter, Randall Jepson, dangled by a rope for 40 minutes before being rescued by Columbia firefighter Wayne Melton, who had to rappel about 15 feet under the bridge to reach him. Both are expected to recover. The bridge, which spans the border of Richland and Calhoun counties about 30 miles southeast of Columbia, is one of the highest in the state.
UPDATE OSHA fines companies in fatal fall
By David Gilligan Advocate Reporter
UTICA — The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined two companies in the death of a construction worker who fell at Utica High School. OSHA cited general contractor Robertson Construction Services and its subcontractor, Exterior Systems Inc., for failure to remove scrap metal, roof decking and plastic from the roof of the high school, which contributed to the January death of Jason Thatcher, said David Wilson, spokesman for OSHA’s Columbus regional office. Each company was fined $2,000. Thatcher, 32, of Delaware, died Jan. 15 after he fell at the site of the new Utica high school. Thatcher was an employee of Powell-based Exterior Systems. Specific information on the fall and the nature of Thatcher’s injuries were not available before press time. Both companies have contested the case. Lawyers for the companies and for OSHA are preparing their cases. Neither company could be reached for comment Tuesday. There was no answer at the phone number listed for Exterior Systems, and the safety rector for Robertson Construction Services Inc. was not available. North Fork schools Superintendent Tom Slater was unaware of the result of OSHA’s investigation until contacted by The Advocate and declined to comment on the findings until he could study them further.
Man critical after falling through roof
05 March 2003
A man is in critical condition in hospital after falling five metres through a roof in Petone yesterday morning. The 47-year-old man and a colleague were working on the roof of a building in Nelson St when the accident happened about 9.30am. Occupational Safety and Health were investigating the incident, a spokeswoman said. It appeared the two men had been dismantling a roof when they both fell through it, landing five metres below. One man was uninjured and the other had serious head injuries, she said. The injured worker was from Porirua-based company Fogartys Structural Services. Company director David Fogarty said he believed the men were setting up when the accident happened. “I just hope he’s all right, he’s a bloody nice guy,” Mr Fogarty said on his way to the site yesterday. “We’ve never had an accident on a building site before, and normally our jobs all go very smoothly. He is not a man who is accident-prone – some people are, but not this guy, he’s brilliant.” Mr Fogarty hoped to find out more about how the accident happened after talking to his workers, but his thoughts were with the injured man. The man was taken to Wellington Hospital in a serious condition by Wellington Free Ambulance after the fall. A hospital spokeswoman said he was in intensive care in a critical but stable condition.
UPDATE Waverly Plant Fined After Accidental Death
Monday, March 03, 2003, 7:43:19 PM From The KCRG-TV9 Waterloo Newsroom
The State of Iowa is fining the Nestles Plant in Waverly $32,000 for safety violations after a worker fell to his death. Fifty-four year old Henry Daniels III of Waterloo died at the plant in December. His wife says he fell from a lift that was knocked over when someone opened a garage door. The state says workers at the Waverly plant were not properly trained while working on overhead doors. Nestle has fifteen days to contest the fine.
Man dies during safety inspection aboard ship; Rescue workers arrive at the scene
JACKSONVILLE, Fl (Northside) — Rescue workers rushed to the scene of a tragedy Sunday evening when a ship worker fell to his death while performing a routine safety inspection. It happened on the freighter ship “Alice Oldendorff Monrovia,” which is docked behind the U.S. Gypsum Company. Authorities said the 50-year-old man apparently lost his footing and fell through a small opening on to the deck below. The man was with another worker on the ship when the incident occurred, but it is not known at this time if the other worker actually saw the incident. Rescue units responded to the emergency call shortly after 5pm Sunday. “The person was in a limited access area and fell approximately 10 feet. Unfortunately, while the person was falling, he had apparently hit his head at some point,” said Roscoe Hager, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers and the U.S. Coast Guard will continue to investigate the incident. They are not releasing the name of the victim until the next of kin has been notified. Police say an autopsy will be performed before officially ruling this as an accidental death. The man was a Polish citizen and an executive officer aboard the ship. First Coast News
Worker Killed In Church Community Center Roof Collapse
POSTED: 7:58 a.m. EST March 3, 2003
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A church held a memorial service Sunday for a construction worker who died over the weekend when the roof of new community center collapsed beneath him. Geraldo H. De Oliveira Jr., 31, was pronounced dead at a hospital within an hour of Saturday’s accident at Eternal Life Christian Center’s new community and recreation center. The Brazilian man lived in Harrison. Miqueiaz Franco E. Silva, 19, also of Harrison, was treated for a leg injury and released, police said. The church’s pastor planned to hang a plaque bearing De Oliveira’s name at the community center after it is completed. “His death will not be in vain,” Pastor Vollie Smith said. “We are going to make him an honorary member of our church and dedicate a plaque in his honor … because his efforts will not be forgotten.” The men worked for Myler Church Construction Co. of Indiana. Rick Pitre, Myler’s northeast regional vice president, said the national firm had never had a construction site fatality before. The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. The construction site was closed Saturday while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigates. Franklin Township police Sgt. Marie Bandtlow said the department received no reports of problems at the site before the collapse and all permits were in order.
UPDATE Worker is killed in fall at Brandeis
By Peter Demarco, Globe Correspondent, 3/3/2003
WALTHAM — A 39-year-old Malden man fell to his death while working on a new three-story dormitory at Brandeis University on Saturday, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are trying to determine the cause. Mark Chopelas, a laborer working for William A. Berry & Son, a Danvers-based construction management firm, was in an inside stairwell in the partially completed structure at about 8 a.m. when he fell, his family and officials said. He was taken from the South Street construction site to Waltham Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. Chopelas, of Malden, had been working on the dormitory since he joined the company in January. David Passafaro, a vice president at William A. Berry, said officials would meet soon to discuss ways to honor his memory. ”He was always with a smile on his face. Always willing to help anyone in need,” said an uncle, Timothy Chopelas, of Melrose. Mark Chopelas, who would have turned 40 this month, was born and raised in Malden. His family ran Malden Square’s Chopelas Cantina for more than 60 years before it closed in the 1980s. Rich Fazzio, area director of the Methuen-area office of OSHA, said he hoped the weekend’s accident would compel other construction firms to review safety procedures. ”Falls are one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in the Commonwealth. I believe it is the leading cause in the last decade,” he said. Fazzio said he would not give any additional details about the company’s record because an investigation is continuing. Passafaro said he did not know whether William A. Berry, which was founded in 1857, had ever lost an employee to a job-related accident. The company has had a clean safety record in recent memory, he said. Construction on the 70,000-square-foot dormitory will resume today except in the section of the building where the accident occurred. Fazzio said the company could face fines if it is found in violation of safety regulations.
Scaffold collapse sends workmen down lift shaft
The collapse of a scaffolding tower on the inside of a lift shaft led to the fall of three construction workers of WC Cornfield & Son some 10 metres down the partly constructed shaft on a construction site at Leegomery in Telford on Friday morning. Three men, aged 34, 38 and 51, were rescued from under the debris of the collapse by fire rescue services and were admitted to hospital with leg, back and chest injuries, a 4th man in the team escaped with less serious injuries, his condition was described as “walking wounded.” HSE arrived on site in the afternoon to open an investigation.
Man escapes death in fall
Abu Dhabi | By Nissar Hoath | 02/03/2003
A construction worker escaped death by inches when he fell from a platform and landed on a scaffolding at a hotel construction site here yesterday. The accident occurred when the high platform on which the labourer was working slipped off its support because of gusting winds. The worker landed on another platform made of wooden planks, sustaining multiple fractures and bruises. He also sustained severe injuries when part of a wooden plank pierced his back. The South Asian worker remained suspended on the loose wooden planks in mid air until a rescue team from Civil Defence brought him down. The rescue attempt attracted a huge crowd, causing a traffic jam on Khalifa Street. The crowd was dispersed by police. The Civil Defence rescue team arrived with a crane, an inflatable air bed, ambulance and paramedics. The strong, gusting winds made their task difficult and slow. The worker was rushed to Central Hospital. According to a Civil Defence official, he is out of danger. Recounting the incident, another worker at the site said: “We thought he would hit the ground and die. But by the grace of God, the scaffolding below saved his life.” The workers at the site were without proper safety equipment in the strong wind. The wooden planks were not secured firmly to the metal scaffolding, and some workers had no safety belts. After this accident, work was stopped at other construction sites in the city.
Painter dies while working on Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens
By the Associated Press March 2 2003
JAMES CITY, Va. — A painter working on a roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park died Saturday morning after the high-reaching vehicle he was in overturned. Park spokeswoman Cindy Sarko said she did not know the details of the accident. Authorities said Bill Linnin of Hampton was dead when rescue workers arrived shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sarko said Linnin was employed by St. Louis-based Hartman-Walsh Painting Co. and had been working on the Big Bad Wolf roller coaster. The Big Bad Wolf, one of several roller coasters at the park, opened in June 1984. At its highest point, it is 110 feet tall. “We extend our deepest sympathy to the family,” Sarko said. “It’s just a terrible day here at the park.” No one was available at Hartman-Walsh’s company headquarters for comment Saturday. The park is scheduled to open March 22.
UPDATE Family mourns victim of Claymont industrial accident; Father of two was 35
By MARY ALLEN AND ESTEBAN PARRA Staff reporters 03/02/2003
The family of a 35-year-old Wilmington man who died 13 days after falling into a container of boiling water said they were dealing with the situation as best they could. It came so tragically and so quickly,” said John M. Barden, Anthony F. Fuhr’s father-in-law. “We’re coping, is the best way to put it.” Fuhr died Thursday at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., where he had been hospitalized since Feb. 14. He is survived by his wife, Pam Fuhr, their 10-month-old son, Anthony J. Fuhr, and a 9-year-old son, Nick, from a previous marriage. Fuhr had been working on a scaffolding about 7:15 a.m. when he fell into a 10-by-30-foot container holding about 2 feet of boiling water at CitiSteel USA in Claymont, state police said. After falling into the water, which is used to cool molten steel, Fuhr was able to climb out and yell for help. Fuhr did not regain consciousness while hospitalized, Barden said. CitiSteel officials could not be reached for comment Saturday. Police are investigating. Family members said Fuhr loved spending time with his family and enjoyed helping neighbors by cutting their grass or shoveling snow if they were unable to do the chores on their own. He would play ball and watch NASCAR with Nick. He and his wife of two years were planning to renovate their Wilmington home. “We were planning a renovation for more children,” Pam Fuhr said. Fuhr’s viewing will be 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Gebhart Funeral Home, 3401 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont. The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with burial in Chester Bethel Cemetery in Brandywine Hundred.
UPDATE New Jersey firm fined $53,000 in worker death as power plant chimney
February 27, 2003
A New Jersey construction firm will pay $53,000 in federal fines because a worker was killed in August when he fell 100 feet from a power plant chimney that was under construction. Hamon Custodis of Somerville, N.J., also agreed to provide fall-protection equipment to workers more than 6 feet above ground and to provide a full-time safety officer for any projects involving the building of concrete chimneys, under the settlement with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA investigated after Ronald Bush, 46, of Grayson, Ky., fell while installing metal grating inside the chimney at the Allegheny Energy Supply plant in Springdale, about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Bush was killed when he fell from a 400-high landing to another landing 100 feet below. It was the second fatality at the site. OSHA had fined the company $7,200 because another worker, Chris Beabout, 36, of Washington, Pa., fell 290 feet from a platform inside the same chimney in November 2001. Robert Szymanski, the OSHA director for the Pittsburgh region, called the $53,000 fine “fairly substantial.” Jonathan Lagarenne, chief executive officer of Hamon Custodis, said the settlement with OSHA “focuses on safety enhancements” _ some of which have already been made. The chimney is part of a 540-megawatt power plant scheduled to open this summer, Allegheny Energy officials said. The plant will use three generators, two powered by natural gas and another by steam byproducts. Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Wright miner dies after fall in plant
By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER Star-Tribune energy reporter
WRIGHT — Wright man Rick Richardson, 44, died early Wednesday morning of injuries sustained in a fall February 20 at the Black Thunder coal mine where he was a plant manager. Richardson is the second miner to be killed at the mine in year. Allen “Big A” Greger was killed on Feb. 20, 2002, when a section of highwall came loose and smashed the rubber-tire dozer he was operating in the pit. A spokesman for Arch Coal, which owns the Black Thunder mine, said Richardson’s accident is still under investigation with the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the State Mine Inspector’s office. Spokesman Greg Schaefer said Richardson, an experienced miner, was by himself when he fell through an open section of a walkway in the plant. Sections of the walkway were removed to allow parts to be transported in the plant, Schaefer said. Richardson fell about 19 feet, sustaining traumatic injuries to the head. He was take by Life Flight from the mine to the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper where he remained in critical condition until his death. When the accident occurred, the mine shut down operations until the next morning. “Everybody from top to bottom at the mine is numb from this,” Schaefer said of Richardson’s death. Another Black Thunder miner, Les Butts, is still recovering from a separate highwall accident that happened in January 2002. A large rock crashed down on a vehicle being operated by Butts. He suffered severe spinal injuries. Butts is still in a wheelchair and has not returned to work. Black Thunder produces about 68 million tons of coal annually. It is located about 15 miles southeast of Wright on Highway 450.
UPDATE Double Fatal Construction Accident Results in OSHA Citations & Over $27,000 in Proposed Penalties for Brooklyn, NY, Employer
NEW YORK — Exposing employees to fatal safety hazards at a Manhattan construction site has resulted in a Brooklyn, N.Y. employer being cited and fined $27,200 by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA has cited Atlantic Heydt Corp., of 1281 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, for alleged serious and repeat violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act after the agency investigated an accident on Aug. 23, 2002, in which two employees of the company were killed at a construction site at 300 Madison Ave. in New York City. The two most significant citations, both alleged “repeat” violations, relate directly to the accident, in which the two workers fell to their deaths when the material hoist on which they were working plunged 280 feet to the ground. One charges the employer with failing to provide employees working at an elevation of 280 feet with proper fall protection. The other is for failing to comply with the manufacturer’s safety requirements for securing and rigging the material hoist on which the employees were working. “This employer was cited previously for similar violations on another project, yet exposed employees on this project to the same hazards with full knowledge of the potential dangers,” said Richard Mendelson, OSHA’s area director in Manhattan. “That’s totally unacceptable.” OSHA is also citing the company for five alleged “serious” violations, including: unsafe stacking of stored materials at the construction site; exposing employees to the hazards of uncovered floor holes; failing to require employees to use hardhats to protect against falling objects; failing to post the rated load capacity on material hoist cars; and exposing employees using unevenly spaced ladders to fall hazards. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm result from a hazard about which the employer knew, or should have known. A repeat violation occurs when a company has been cited for similar violations within the past three years and the citation has become a final order. Atlantic Heydt Corp. has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, and/or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The OSHA Area Office in Manhattan conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is 212-620-3200. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Man in hospital after 25-foot fall
By SUE McCLURE Staff Writer
COLUMBIA — A Hohenwald, Tenn., man was in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last night, after he fell 25 feet off an industrial crane, authorities said. Thomas Lindsey Jr., 26, 109 Black Road, was changing light bulbs when the 12:43 p.m. accident occurred at Industrial Door Contractors, according to Columbia police detective Don Rose. ”He fell off the crane and landed on the concrete floor below,” Rose said. ”LifeFlight (medical helicopter) picked him up from the scene.” Columbia Fire Department Cmdr. Mark Blackwood said his units responded to the scene and provided patient care and stabilized the scene until police and emergency medical personnel arrived. Workers at Industrial Door Contractors, 820 Mayberry Springs Road, would not comment on the accident.
Worker survives 3-in-1 accident unscathed
HSE is investigating an accident in which employee Michael Wilson, 35, first fell over two metres, required rescue from a confined space and had to overcome the effects of hypothermia. Mr Wilson, an employee of North-east Ice and Cold Storage of Peterhead, fell down a shaft at the quayside in Peterhead in the early hours, landing uninjured among the flake ice but was unable to move. Another worker shut down the ice making equipment and raised the alarm to summon the emergency services who freed him after twenty minutes of shovelling, attaching a rope around him to raise him up.
UPDATE Employee Fall Leads to Over $70,000 in OSHA Fines for Nashua, N.H., Industrial Laundry
CONCORD, N.H. — A Nashua, N.H. industrial laundry’s failure to protect workers against fall hazards has prompted $70,200 in proposed fines from the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Unifirst, Corp, located at 8 Industrial Park Drive in Nashua, was cited for alleged willful and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following an OSHA inspection initiated when an employee suffered serious injuries after falling 10 feet from an unguarded mezzanine on Sept. 3 of last year. “There was a clear need for guardrails that would have prevented this accident from occurring, yet they were not installed,” said David May, OSHA’s New Hampshire area director. “It’s imperative that employers identify and effectively address such hazards before workers are injured or killed.” As a result, OSHA has cited Unifirst for an alleged willful violation, the most severe category of OSHA citation, and proposed a fine of $63,000 for failing to guard the mezzanine against fall hazards. The size of the fine reflects the citation’s classification as willful. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. OSHA’s inspection also identified a tripping hazard from a protruding toeboard on the mezzanine, uncovered or unguarded waste water treatment tanks, an unguarded press and pit, and no ‘no exit’ sign in the mezzanine area. These alleged violations have been classified as serious and fines of $7,200 are proposed for them. OSHA defines a serious violation as one that could cause death or serious physical harm from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. Unifirst Corp. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, and/or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA’s Concord Area Office conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is (603) 225-1629. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America’s workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Carman worker killed in fall
By STAFF
A 33-year-old Carman man was killed after falling 15 metres to the ground in an industrial accident just northeast of town. The incident occurred about 10 a.m. when the victim, an Agricore United employee, fell while working on the outside of a grain elevator. He was taken to Carman Memorial Hospital where he died of his injuries about four hours later, police said. Pembina Valley RCMP said the fall appears to have been an accident and no foul play is suspected. Agricore safety representatives and Workplace Health and Safety officials were investigating the cause of the accident last night. The man’s name was not released as of press time. Carman is about 60 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.
UPDATE Agency cites city construction company in worker’s death
LAWRENCE FERCHAW, The Saratogian February 22, 2003
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Federal officials this week cited a city construction company for alleged safety violations in connection with the December death of one of its workers. Jelenik Building and Renovation, however, is contesting the six alleged violations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which charge the company did not properly install scaffolding, adequately train its employees on safety or provide safety equipment for workers. ”We don’t think we did anything wrong,” said David Jelenik, the owner of the company. ”It was just a freak thing.” Jeffery Post, 42, of Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa, died from head injuries he suffered Dec. 7 when he fell from scaffolding at a work site on Vanderbilt Avenue. Jelenik said Post threw a load of shingles onto the scaffolding, which caused the plywood the brackets were secured to to give way. He fell about 10 feet to the ground. The company is subject to $3,750 in fines if the citations are upheld. OSHA alleges that employees were not trained to erect the scaffold according to the manufacturer’s specifications and that employees working on the scaffolding were not provided with a guard rail system or ”personal fall arrest system.” Terry Harding, the assistant area director for the OSHA office in Albany, said she could not comment in detail on the citations because the case is still open. OSHA is required to respond to the site of any worker death within one day. Jelenik said the scaffolding was installed correctly and that the brackets were attached to 1-inch thick plywood instead of the required 5/8-inch thick plywood. ”Safety equipment was available,” Jelenik said. ”The training was there.” After falling, Post was transported to Albany Medical Center, where he died the next day. Post’s wife, Leslie, could not be reached for comment. The family had moved to the area from Florida less than two months before the accident. Jelenik said he and Post had been friends for about 10 years and that he gave him a job when he returned to the area to take care of his mother. OSHA’s job, Jelenik said, ”is to come out and cite you with as many violations as they can.”
UPDATE Man settles catwalk fall for $1.3 million
Democrat and Chronicle
(February 22, 2003) — A Rochester man was awarded $1.3 million for injuries he suffered when he fell from a catwalk in 2000. Frank Miller settled a lawsuit against Mott’s in Williamson, Wayne County. Miller, a contractor for J.J. Young, a metal fabrication company in Sodus, was working at the apple plant in August 2000 when he fell through a broken grate in a catwalk he was repairing, according to a news release from his lawyer’s firm, Moran & Kufta. Miller, who was 54 at the time, fell 15 feet, landing on his back. His injuries included a spinal fracture that required surgery. He has been unable to work because of his injuries, according to the release. The settlement, intended to cover Miller’s future medical bills, lost wages and disability, came a week before the trial was to begin. Miller, who had been heavily involved in martial arts, taught children karate prior to the accident. A spokesman for Mott’s was unaware of the settlement Friday and said he could not comment.
Shell worker dies in fall in Norco
Sunday February 23, 2003 From staff reports
A worker at a Shell chemical plant in Norco was killed Saturday in an accident, the St. Charles Parish coroner’s office and a plant official said. The victim was Henry Sutherland, said Lily Acosta Galland, a spokeswoman for the Shell Chemical Norco facility. His age and hometown were not released. About 11:30 a.m., Sutherland, an operator at the central utilities system, fell from a pipe rack at the east site, a large chemical facility, Galland said. Sutherland was taken to River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace. Galland said he died at 12:29 p.m. The accident is under investigation, Galland said. The coroner’s office said an autopsy will be performed.
UPDATE Worker ‘fell to his death from faulty platform’
A BUILDING worker plunged to his death after stepping on a badly cracked scaffolding platform, a court heard. Graeme Oliver, 39, from Rutherglen, fell four storeys after wooden boards collapsed as he worked in Brunswick Street in Glasgow city centre. A contractor had put up the scaffolding to allow ScotDem to carry out the work. But safety checks failed to spot a 6ft long crack on one of the platforms, a fatal accident inquiry has been told. The accident happened on a site behind the former Goldbergs store, owned by property developers Pathfinder, on February 21 last year. The court heard how one of the platforms was severely weakened by two split boards. Professor John Dunwoodie, a building safety expert, said: “It was asking a lot for the platform to support a 16st man. “Any competent foreman, carrying out regularly inspections, would have spotted the damaged boards.” Contractors Lyndon Scaffolding of Broxburn, West Lothian, insists the platform was part of a “buttress” – used to support the front of a building – and was not supposed to be used by workmen. Foreman Robert Polea of Lyndon Scaffolding, who oversaw the platforms being put up, told the court: “The platform was outwith the main access scaffolding – I had no reason to believe it was going to be used. “With hindsight, the boards should have been removed altogether. The platform was in a no-go area and was not reinforced but there was a bar to prevent workers from gaining access. I accept it should have been brought to the contractor’s attention before work began.” The fatal accident inquiry before Sheriff Linda Ruxton at Glasgow Sheriff Court has been adjourned until March 5.
1 Dead, 4 Injured In Roof Collapse
February 17, 2003
EDISON, N.J. — One man died and four people were injured when an aluminum roof collapsed Monday at a job-training school, police said. The identity of the man who died was not immediately released. The injured had broken bones and scrapes, said Lt. William Bunting of the Edison Police Department. They were taken to hospitals. The roof was covering a smoking area outside the Edison Job Corps Academy, Bunting said. He said a combination of wind and snow accumulating on the roof caused the collapse. Authorities were digging through the rubble to determine whether anyone else was trapped after the noon collapse. Also Monday, the roof of a Rite Aid drug store in Clifton collapsed, according to Lt. Ken Dalpos of the Clifton Police Department. He said EMS workers were checking to see if anyone was trapped. It was not immediately known whether the drug store was open at the time.