19 incidents & 2 updates (8/21/11)

2011 Fatality Tracker 

Story of Interest

Drunks don’t deserve workers comp (Outrageous NDP-enacted policy that lets drunks claim workers compensation must be changed – a guy shows up at work drunk out of his mind, falls off a ladder or down the stairs because he’s inebriated and he injures himself pretty badly – Should he be eligible for a workers compensation claim?)

Industrial

FATALITY Worker killed in accident at Jeffboat identified (worker, 54, died of compressional asphyxia and blunt force injuries -equated the injury to a crushing type that prevented thye worker from breathing – he worked in the maintenance department at the shipyard – he is the third employee at the shhipyard to die on the job since May 2010 – worker fell from a walkway on a barge and died on May 10 – days later, a painter fell from a ladder and died)

HOTWORK Fire at Newport Industrial Fabrication (there was a fire just after 11 – fire chief believes it started when employees were using welding materials – it was under control in ten minutes)

CHLORINE DIOXIDE Chemical Leak Forces Woodland Cannery Evacuation (a chemical leak forced the evacuation of a cannery and sent several people to the hospital – hundreds were evacuated or kept away from the tomato cannery after a chlorine-dioxide leak was detected just after noon – 40 people had to be treated medically, which included two who appeared to be in serious distress – cannery managers said they immediately began evacuating 1,400 to 2,000 employees after the leak was made known)

AMMONIA Ammonia leaks in Vindija food factory in Varazdin (some residents have complained of a burning sensation in their eyes after an ammonia leak was discovered in a food manufacturing factory – incident occurred around 9pm – workers of the hall in which the accident took place were evacuated immediately and properly-equipped firemen closed the valve to prevent further leaks)

UPDATE no a FATALITY Fargo worker dies after being crushed by bin (a worker, 49, who became pinned under a large metal bin in an industrial park has died from his injuries – he sustained a traumatic brain injury in the workplace accident – he died Thursday at a hospital – a metal bin was being loaded onto a truck when it slipped and landed on him)

FATAL FALL from CRANE One dies falling from scrap vessel (a worker, 28, died and another, 23, got injured after they fell from a ship at a ship-breaking yard – the two fell from a crane fixed on a ship at around 10.30am – they were rushed to a Hospital with serious injuries where one of them died at around 1.30pm – the victim’s younger brother and a co-worker at the same yard for the last three years, said thr two were working without any safety devices – seven people have so far died in four separate accidents in four ship breaking yards over the last eight months)

LOTO FATALITY Worker killed in abbatoir accident (a worker, 49, was found dead when emergency services arrived – it is believed that the man was cleaning a piece of equipment used for pulling the hides from carcasses when he may have accidentally triggered a switch which set the machine in motion – it is thought the victim was crushed to death)

MINE FATALITY Roof collapse at Ukrainian mine kills (two mine workers were killed when the roof of a coal mine partly collapsed around 6.17 p.m. when rocks from the roof of the mine collapsed, trapping two workers – it took rescue workers nearly 12 hours to recover the bodies – cause of the accident was not immediately known)

HOTWORK FIRE Police: Worker error caused National Plastics fire (an employee inadvertently started the fire that badly burned the plastics recycling plant last month – a worker was conducting a burn test on a piece of plastic and did not extinguish it properly and that the burning plastic was mistakenly discarded into other plastic debris at the plant – the state police released its findings, following an investigation by its fire marshal unit – the fire caused extensive damage to the north side exterior of the building)

DUST EXPLOSION & HOTWORK (possibly?) Worker Hurt In Explosion At ADM Plant (fire officials are investigating an explosion at a plant – when firefighters got to the scene there was no fire, but there was an inured worker in the New Feed Plant where the explosion happened – the worker was taken to a hospital with what are said to be non-life threatening injuries – the explosion also caused heavy damage to a cyclone dryer in the plant – earlier in the day, welders were working on duct work that exhausts the dryers – the explosion occurred about a half hour after they left – there is no word on whether that had anything to do with the explosion and the investigation continues)

ELECTRICAL Contractor Electrocuted at Ferry Road Job Site Saturday Afternoon (the man was conscious and alert when transported to a Hospital with serious injuries – when paramedics arrived they found an electrical contractor had received serious injuries and transported the man to a Hospital)

Construction

MANLIFT Two Injured In Painting Accident, 40-Foot Power Lift Falls Into Parking Lot (two members of a painting crew were rushed to a hospital for trauma care after 40-foot power lift crashed around 11 a.m. – crews found two people laying in a parking next to the fallen lift – a man, thrown from the lift bucket, had possibly life threatening chest injuries – a female co-worker on the ground was also hit by the falling machinery – it appeared the man tried to remotely drive the lift while in full extension over uneven ground – the crew was painting a two story medical building)

BULLDOZER FATALITY Construction Worker Named in Port of Anchorage Accident (worker had worked in construction for 35 years and was the safety officer on the project – company was hired to excavate gravel already in place at the ports expansion project site, to inspect the steel sheets, and then backfilling the cells – worker was operating the bulldozer when the ground collapsed under his machine – he tried to jump off the bulldozer as it fell into the water but he became pinned under debris in the water –  Fire Department dive team attempted a rescue but it was too late – he was pronounced dead at the scene)

WORKZONE FATALITY Utility contractor killed in Searsport accident (a contractor working on a water utility project was killed after being struck by a dump truck – the accident took place about 4 p.m. – the victim was standing near a Water District construction project when a dump truck backed into him, killing him instantly – he died as a result of impact from being struck and was pronounced dead at the scene)

WORKZONE Two Construction Workers Struck by Drunk Driver in Yorktown (the accident happened at 12:45 a.m. – two construction workers, 40 and 26, were struck by a vehicle – allegedly, the driver, who was driving while intoxicated, failed to keep right and struck the two members of a paving marking crew – paramedics found both workers in the roadway with multiple fractures and injuries upon arrival – they were transported by Paramedics to a trauma center – the two men have broken bones and are expected to survive – driver was charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated for having a blood alcohol level of more than .18, misdemeanors; as well as failure to keep right, a traffic infractions – she was released to a friend on $250 bail and is due in court on Sept. 20)

FALL from SCAFFOLDING Worker falls from scaffold near bridge (a construction worker who was working on a coffer dam around a pier was injured after falling from a scaffolding – initial report said he fell 20 to 30 feet – he did not suffer any serious injuries as a result of the fall – he was alert and conscious when he was taken from the boat ramp by ambulance)

TRENCH FATALITY Authorities Still Investigating Fatal Trench Accident (authorities are still investigating a man’s death at a work site – the victim was digging a trench at the time – just after 10 a.m., the 32-year-old was in a trencher, or ditch witch, at the time of the accident digging a trench by a field of sugar cane – he may have stood up and lost his balance or was tossed from the machine – most trenchers have a kill switch under the seat meant to prevent just this kind of accident – “This is a safety switch that you’re looking at. So when you get up off the seat, the machine should automatically turn off as soon as someone, the weight of the person, comes off the seat, just very similar to a lawn mower,” says Cavazos – Although we do not know what happened with the equipment Friday, Cavazos says disabling the safety switch is a common problem in the Valley)

MIscellaneouS

UPDATE now a MOWER FATALITY Escambia worker pinned beneath tractor dies from injuries (a county worker, 64, who was seriously injured in a mowing accident last month died Friday – he had been in a Hospital since the July 26 accident – he was mowing grass on the shoulder of a Road when his tractor flipped into a ditch that was hidden by overgrowth – the tractor fell about 15 feet into the ditch and overturned, trapping him underneath – he was pinned under the tractor for several hours before a passing pedestrian discovered the accident and flagged down a state trooper for help – he underwent emergency surgery and spent nearly four weeks in the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries Friday)

MOWER FATALITY falls off jack Lawnmower slips from jack, kills cemetery worker (a cemetery worker, 40, was killed when a lawnmower fell on his head – he was an on-duty maintenance worker when he was injured about 3:55 p.m. while attempting to fix a hydraulic pump on a lawnmower on a jack – he was underneath the lawnmower when it slipped off the jack – Fire Department initially took the man to a Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 4:29 p.m. – autopsy determined he died of head injuries from a lawnmower slipping from a jack)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY Mechanic dies after collapsing in chemical tank at work (a mechanic, 33, died after collapsing while in a chemical tank at a car care business – it is understood he was washing out a large tank in preparation for a fresh delivery of high-strength, acid-based chemicals – paramedics tried to save the man after he collapsed – the man was taken to a Hospital in the city where he later died – two other members of staff at the premises who had tried to help their colleague were taken for checks, although there are no concerns for their health at this time)