STORY OF INTEREST
Hard hat saved worker’s life, Ontario police department says (police are crediting the protective head gear worn by a construction worker with saving his life following an industrial accident on January 6)
INDUSTRIAL
ELECTRICAL Worker injured in electrical accident at Page Field Airport (one person has been transported to a Hospital following an electrical accident at an Airport – there was an electrical accident and an injury to one of the company’s electricians)
CONFINED SPACE FATALITIES – ONE ENTRANT and THREE WOULD BE RESCUERS – TOXIC ATMOPSHERE Four Workers Die in Accident at Brazilian Chemical Plant (four workers were killed and three others injured when they were exposed to toxic fumes while cleaning tanks at a chemical plant – the workers were wearing masks, but they were overcome by toxic fumes from sulfuric and muriatic acid, which are used for routine cleaning at the nickel-processing plant – firefighters found one person dead at the scene and four others in serious condition – one of the men died while being transported to the hospital – firefighters found two other victims inside the tank – a worker cleaning the tank fainted and fell inside, and two co-workers who went to help him also died – the toxic fumes spread, affecting several other workers who were outside the tank – an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the accident)
FATAL EXPLOSION 2 workers killed in Ctg scrapyard blast (two workers, 18 & 25, were killed and another sustained burn injuries in an explosion at a ship-breaking yard – they died from their burn injuries at a hospital – the cause of the fire could not be ascertained – there are reports of a cylinder exploding – before their demise, doctors at the hospital said one worker was admitted in a critical condition with 100 percent burn and the other with 50 percent of his body burnt – another victim was released after first aid)
MINE FIRE Second mine worker released from hospital (the second worker injured during a fire at a mine is released from the hospital – he was one of two workers burned when a heater apparently started a fire in a hole they were drilling – gas from that hole then ignited – workers used foam and water to try to put the fire out)
FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION One Killed, Two Injured after an Explosion at an Indiana Recycling Facility (one person, 45, was killed and two others were injured at Transfer and Recycling center after welding materials sparked a small explosion in a machine shop at the facility – two other people suffered burns and smoke inhalation during the explosion and small fire that resulted – fire department estimates damage to the building and materials to be around $10,000 – exact cause of the explosion and fire is still under investigation; however, published reports indicate that the worker was performing welding work on a tank that exploded)
PIPELINE EXPLOSION Pipeline blast injures two (two workers sustained minor injuries in an explosion and fire at a pipeline – No damage to nearby private property was reported – the blast sent flames shooting as high as 80 feet – the fire was contained within about two hours – the explosion site was a newly completed pipeline section – companywas trying to connect a production well to a supply line and that a spark from a trackhoe possibly caused the blast)
EXPLOSION @ REFINERY – Start-UP Accident
CHEMICAL REACTION Marlboro chemical mishap sends workers to hospital (a chemical reaction in a lab room at a company sent between 15 and 20 people to two area hospitals – the building remains evacuated – no fatalities were reported)
Worker injured in aluminum plant fire (an employee was sent to a hospital and treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at the industrial plant – plant produces molten aluminum for engine parts – the industrial fire was in an aluminum hopper where various sizes of aluminum are sorted – one employee tried to extinguish the fire and was sent to a Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation – Fire Rescue used wool to smother the fire and the building was evacuated – how the fire started and how much damage was caused is not known at this point)
STEAM LINE FAILURE Worker injured in Conoco Rodeo steam line rupture (one worker was injured when a steam line ruptured at a refinery – the worker was taken to a hospital – no further info)
REFINERY FIRE Brief Torrance refinery fire knocked down (a “petroleum product” spilled from a pipeline, triggering a brief fire – refinery firefighters knocked down the blaze in seven minutes – no one was injured – the cause of the spill and fire was under investigation)
FATAL EXPLOSION – INCENERATOR Man killed in explosion (one man, 42, has died and another has been seriously injured in an explosion at a recycling plant – the men were injured when a waste incinerator exploded – he was airlifted to a Hospital but died later – another worker, 50, was taken to a Hospital with serious, “potentially life-changing”, head and body injuries – he is said to be in a stable condition)
GAS PLANT EXPLOSOIN Small explosion, fire reported at Oklahoma plant (authorities say no one was hurt when a small explosion and fire occurred at a gas processing plant shortly after 6 a.m. – it was contained to one piece of equipment)
AMMONIA CYLINDER EXPLOSION One injured in ammonia cylinder explosion at ice factory (one persons was injured when an ammonia filled cylinder exploded in an ice factory – two cylinders of 100 kg capacity were stored at the plant which exploded – leakage of ammonia from the cylinder and the heated environment was suspected to have led to the explosion – a man sustained a head injury and was rushed to a hospital)
FORKLIFT BATTERY Warehouse packer treated after hundreds of pounds fall on foot (an 800-pound battery landed on a worker’s foot at a warehouse, immobilizing the 43-year-old victim until his colleagues could free him – he broke his big toe in two places – the battery was meant to power a forklift, and that the victim was attempting to make a repair when the accident occurred)
CONSTRUCTION
WSDOT Worker Killed Near Carnation (a Department of Transportation employee, 66, was killed by a falling tree as he worked to mark off a roadway where other debris had fallen – he was a 12-year veteran of the DOT maintenance team – he was in a position to retire – the accident happened around 9 p.m – he usually worked the day shift, but was called out to help close roads and clear water)
MANLIFT FATALITY Worker is fatally injured in a bucket lift this morning at Tri-C East (a construction worker, 45, was fatally injured in an industrial accident – he was pronounced dead at a Hospital – he was working in a bucket lift with another employee about 8 a.m. – they were controlling the bucket’s movements as they inspected decorative concrete beams on a building – the bucket became wedged under the beam, injuring the worker – the co-worker lowered the bucket to the ground)
FATALITY Worker Identified in Fatal Construction Accident (authorities have identified a construction worker, 52, killed in an accident while he was working on a project to build a tugboat dock – he was killed when he was struck by a pylon that had fallen – he was standing on a sea wall at the time of the accident – another worker was also struck by the pylon – he was listed in critical condition at a Medical Center)
FORKLIFT Jersey City worker hurt on the job when pallet gives way under him while on … (a man, 22, was taken to a Medical Center after an industrial accident left him with teeth missing and suffering pain in his right leg, head and neck – he fell through a pallet that was mounted on top of the forks of a fork lift – victim said he was wearing his safety harness at the time the pallet gave way beneath him, adding that police said he had lost an unknown number of teeth)
2 hurt in Minn. wind turbine construction accident (two workers were hurt when a section of a wind turbine under construction rolled on the ground – a section of the tower rolled from its position on the ground onto two employees of a subcontractor, causing non-life-threatening injuries – one worker suffered a cracked pelvis and was treated and released from a hospital – the other worker had a slightly more severe cracked pelvis but is expected to soon leave the hospital)
Bricks fall at Metro site, worker killed (a 22-year-old labourer on the Metro rail died – he was sitting on a pile of concrete bricks and talking on his mobile phone – when a reversing tipper hit the pile, he lost his balance and fell down and the bricks slammed into him)
CRANE Emergency crews rescue worker after crane accident in northern Manatee (a 52-year-old crane operator was in good condition after his machine collapsed at the old phosphate plant – he suffered a broken leg about 8:45 a.m. when the crane fell and landed on its side, trapping the man inside the operating booth – he was rescued about 11:10 a.m.- the man was laughing and joking with rescue crews as they worked to free him the debris – the man was operating the crane along a road on top of a berm on the site when he felt the crane starting to slide on the sandy soil)
CONFINED SPACE & ELECTRICAL EXPLOSION Two construction workers burned in underground fire on W. Preston Street (two construction workers were burned in an underground explosion and electrical fire – two workers were burned in the fire and have first and second degree burns – one of the victims was taken to a Shock Trauma and the other was taken to a Burn Center – the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but there is no active fire burning – no information about what caused the fire is available yet)
EXPLODING TIRE Exploding tire sends worker to hospital (a worker, 29, at an auto repair shop is in the hospital after being badly injured by an exploding tire – the man was airing the tire of a dump truck when it exploded – the man was thrown against a wall and was hit by shards from the tire’s rim – the worker was taken to a Medical Center with head trauma and was in critical condition)
MISCELLANEOUS
ZOO FATALITY w/ ELEPHANT Elephant that Killed Zoo Worker was an Accident (officials at a Zoo believe that Sthe workers death was an accident – an African 8,000 pound elephant backed her into a stall – she was pushed into metal bars – the elephant named Edie did not act aggressively – Edie followed the commands of anther handler to move back – by the time the African elephant moved away from the worker it was too late and she died due to internal injuries)
Worker injured in accident at Dixie Stampede in Myrtle Beach (a worker was injured in an accident at an amusement park – the initial call reported that a worker had been crushed, but there was no entrapment of the individual – word is he worked for a crane company, but no details as to what happened)
Beaker on hot plate causes explosion (a beaker left on a hot plate caused a small explosion and difficulty breathing for two workers at the state’s Labor and Industry building – lab workers had heated a non-toxic substance inside a glass beaker, but the moisture had evaporated and the residue began to smoke – the smoke set off the building’s alarm system, and all workers were ordered outside – firefighters donned Level B suits and went inside, but found there was no danger from the smoke – two workers who had trouble breathing were evaluated at the scene as a precaution)
FORKLIFT FATALITY Trucker dies after accident at northeast Iowa farm (a truck driver has died of injuries suffered when he was pinned between his truck and a skid loader at a farm – the driver had delivered drainage tiles to the farm – the driver was trying to free his big rig from the snow when he got pinned between the semitrailer and what was described as a skid loader or forklift – he was found unconscious about 9 a.m.)