42 incidents & 1 update (9/5/11)

2011 Fatality Tracker 

Industrial

FATALITY Worker killed at Cumbrian concrete firm (a worker, 37, died in a workplace accident as he was working at a precast concrete firm – he is understood to have been polishing a concrete staircase that had recently been cast when it fell on top of him)

FALL Worker hurt in pole leap (a power worker has been injured after he jumped from the top of an electricity pole he was working on – it is thought that the accident occurred after the worker was spooked by an incident that occurred while he was fixing the overhead network – he was taken to the ER after injuring one of his legs)

LOTO FATALITY Poultry plant maintenance worker dies in accident (a maintenance worker, 25, at a poultry plant was killed in an accident -coroner said he died from head injuries – he was fatally injured by machinery used to unload chicken crates – he and two other workers had finished servicing the machinery and were testing it when the accident occurred)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Worker dies at Port Botany (a worker has died and another remains in a serious condition hospital after a forklift accident at a container terminal – paramedics were called about 11.40 a.m. and took a patient to a Hospital with serious abdominal injuries)

MINE Loy Yang worker unharmed (an employee was found unharmed following a single vehicle accident that occurred at the mine’s overburden dump – about 1.25pm an employee was driving downhill alongside a conveyor when he lost control of the vehicle – the vehicle rolled onto its side at low speed and the driver exited the vehicle without any assistance – he did not require any medical treatment – the driver lost control of the vehicle due to “slippery conditions”)

EXPLOSION Liquid salt explosion injures employees at Penn Township plant (several workers at an industrial plant suffered burns following a liquid salt explosion – three victims were flown out on three separate med-evac helicopters to the regional burn center – the company manufactures roller and ball bearings, bearing housings, seals, and other related products for the machine tool industry)

CONFINED SPACE Employee injured at U.S. Steel plant in Braddock (a worker at steel plant was injured while performing maintenance work in a blast furnace – the worker is being treated at a hospital – no one else was injured and operations at the blast furnace were not impacted – an investigation into the incident is being undertaken by the company and union representatives)

MINE Miner Injured at Shoemaker Mine (a miner was taken to a Hospital after an accident at the mine – it appears the miner was shocked – his condition and the cause of the incident were not released and the it remains under investigation)

LINEMAN ELECTROCUTED Calgary man dies of electrocution on jobsite (the utility worker was about five metres up a power pole at about 1:10 p.m. when the equipment delivered a powerful shock – coworkers witnessed the incident and quickly lowered the man, who was in a safety harness, to the ground – they initiated first aid and called 911 – an ambulance took the man, believed to be in his 20s, to a Hospital in critical condition – he died later that afternoon)

FATAL FALL into cistern filled with hot lye Worker dead after fall into vat of hot lye (a worker, 66, died in an accident at a paper mill after falling into a cistern filled with hot lye – “He basically fell through the roof of the silo” – the liquid was corrosive and was heated to somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius – the accident occurred shortly before midnight, although the exact circumstances remain unclear – some people in the area couldn’t find him and then they heard him and were able to figure out where he was – he is believed to have fallen about 8 metres into the cistern – emergency crews and colleagues spent the night working to gain access to and empty the vat and were finally able to recover the man’s body around 7am – the man had worked at the factory for more than 20 years)

MINE FATALITY Man Dies After Coal Mining Accident in Wyoming (a contractor, 29, is dead after an accident at one of Wyoming’s largest coal mines – this is the second fatal accident at a Wyoming workplace in the last week – on Monday [last week], three workers were killed in an explosion at a Wyoming oilfield)

STEAM EXPLOSION Steam explosion injures 3 workers at Hanover plant (a steam explosion injured three workers at a plant – the accident injured an employee and two technicians from a furnace manufacturer – the accident was caused by an explosion of hot salt solution in the plant’s heat treatment area – the injured workers were flown to a Medical Center for treatment of their injuries)

ELECTRICAL Mansfield linemen injured by live wire (two linemen who suffered electrical burns after touching a live wire are on the mend with no apparent long-term injuries – the men were trying to restore power in the aftermath of a tropical storm when they touched a live line that was down on the ground – one worker was airlifted to a Hospital as a precaution because of serious burns to his hands – the live wire with which the two men came in contact was not a high voltage power line)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Worker Fatally Crushed In Industrial Press At Milwaukee Door Manufacturer (a worker has died in an accident at a door manufacturer – the man was crushed in an industrial press – the man had been an employee for more than 30 years)

UPDATE Paint stripper fumes the ‘presumed’ cause of worker’s tragic death (a man, 33, who collapsed while working in a chemical tank is presumed to have died from inhaling paint stripper fumes – he became unwell as he worked – official documentation lodged with the city’s registrar office states the cause of death is “presumed inhalation of industrial paint stripper fumes,” although the record also states laboratory investigations are pending – it could take several weeks for toxicology analysis results to come through, which could pinpoint the cause of his death – the tragedy remains the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Health and Safety Executive)

FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION 9 teams used to control Mehsana dairy fire (a major fire at a Dairy ended up killing six and injuring 25 – the fire is believed to have happened due to a leakage in a gas pipe – the gas caught fire allegedly due to the welding work in the nearby area – the fire led to a blast in the boiler of the cold storage department – five people were killed in the incident)

HOTWORK Welder ignites fire at Carbon Plant (a rooftop blaze at a Carbon plant led to congestion in morning rush hour traffic, but caused little damage and no injuries – the blaze started when a subcontractor with a wielding torch attempted to remove a scrubber used to eliminate carbon dust – the fire was contained inside that machine, which is on the roof between buildings 5 and 6 – the fire was small, but the manpower involved was not – it took 16 public safety officers nearly two hours to extinguish the flames – it was difficult to get to the fire because the only access point was on a catwalk and firefighters burdened with full turnout gear and carrying a hose had to scale narrow fire-escape stairs to make their way to the blaze)

FIRE 2 fires reported at Sinclair refinery within day (the cause of 2 fires at the crude oil processing unit at a Refinery remains under investigation – the fires happened Thursday afternoon and early Friday morning – the fires have been extinguished, all workers have been accounted for, and all government notifications have been made – crews were on stand-by Thursday afternoon while the company got that fire under control – but five units from the department spent four hours at the refinery fighting another blaze that erupted around 3:30 a.m. Friday)

FATAL EXPLOSION (a worker, 56, was killed and two were seriously injured in an explosion at a commercial research plant at 4:15pm – he was preparing a pre-gas mixture involving methane, helium, and nitrogen when the 4:07 p.m. explosion occurred – a cylinder filled with methane gas was being moved in the facility – two people were seriously injured and about a dozen others suffered more minor injuries in the explosion – more info @

AMMONIA Employees Evacuated at Ft. Dodge Fertilizer Plant (one person suffered a “minor” exposure during a leak at a fertilizer plant – employees were evacuated – one person was transported to the hospital – there was a minor exposure to anhydrous ammonia)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak at plant causes scare (an ammonia leak caused a scare – it’s not clear what caused a storage tank’s valve to begin leaking around 11 a.m. – two workers were near the tank at the time, but neither was exposed – one worker twisted his ankle when he ran away from the tank – other workers at the plant were either moved or told to shelter-in-place, depending on their location – the cause of the leak will be investigated)

Construction

WORKZONE FATALITY Surveyor killed in Quebec road construction accident (a worker, 60, is dead following an accident at a construction site – the surveyor was pinned beneath a 12-wheel truck for more than an hour – the truck was backing up when it struck the worker – he was taken to hospital with critical injuries and pronounced dead that afternoon)

CRANE Crane topples injuring worker (a young construction worker was taken to a Hospital suffering from injuries after a crane he was operating toppled over just before 3 p.m. – he was reportedly in and out of consciousness and bleeding from the nose and mouth – no word on the cause of the accident or the condition of the crane operator)

FALL Injured SF Construction Worker Upgraded To Fair Condition (one of three workers seriously injured in an accident at a construction site has been upgraded to fair condition – the accident was reported shortly before 8 a.m. at a six-story building under construction – workers were pouring concrete on the building’s roof when a support structure underneath collapsed, causing three workers who were in a stairwell on the sixth floor to fall three stories – the three were severely injured but were conscious when taken to a Hospital  – a fourth worker was also hospitalized after suffering minor injuries while trying to help the workers who fell – one of the workers has since been upgraded to fair condition, while the other two remain in serious condition)

SKID STEER FATALITY Worker killed in skid steer accident at London, Ontario construction site (a construction worker, 37, was crushed by a skid steer – skid steer backed up onto him – he was rushed to hospital with serious lower body injuries and the labour ministry confirmed that the injured worker had succumbed to his injuries)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Worker killed in Naples forklift accident was planning trip to Mexico to visit children (worker, 30, was killed in an apparent construction accident – he was accidentally run over by a forklift driven by a coworker – he was part of a team of workers delivering tile to a home – once the delivery was complete, the forklift and delivery truck moved down the street – he was walking between the moving forklift and the delivery truck parked in the road when he was run over – police officers said his death was caused, in part, by faulty forklift equipment — a broken mirror and beeping mechanism that wasn’t working – the forklift driver, 19, had only been with the company for about two weeks)

ELECTROCUTION Roofing Accident Kills Topeka Man (worker, 37, was roofing an outbuilding when a ladder he was using struck a high voltage power line – a co-worker called 911 – he was transported to a Hospital where he was pronounced dead)

FALL Worker injured in fall off tower (a worker on a water tower apparently suffered only a twisted knee in a mishap about 4:45 p.m. – the worker was painting on the tower about 10 feet above the ground when he became entangled in safety lines and fell – the injuries are minor – he was taken to a Hospital for treatment)

FALL Construction worker injured (a construction worker was flown to a hospital after an accident at a new engineering building – the worker fell about 30 feet to a lower floor inside the building – his condition was unknown)

CRANE Cal OSHA investigates crane collapse at Scandia (a crane toppled at a family fun center and destroyed a ride and sent two workers to the hospital – Cal OSHA is currently investigating what may have gone wrong when the crane – the crane collapsed just after 4 p.m. when two employees were attempting to replace a gear box on The Screamer – the moment the swinging arm was removed and placed onto the crane, it toppled over – one employee’s arm was crushed as he hung on to the crane as it toppled over)

WORKZONE Caltrans subcontractor hit by car, seriously injured in Eureka (a subcontractor hit by a car near an intersection was seriously injured – the worker had to be resuscitated at the scene before being transported to a Hospital for treatment – his current condition is unknown – the crew was contracted to do cable work related to traffic signals – the work, which is occurring at night, requires the closure of one lane of traffic in each direction)

CRANE FATALITY Worker trapped under crane near Genesee River dies (a man, trapped under a construction crane for more than three hours, died from his injuries – the man was slowly moving the crane from one spot to another when it tipped over – crews spent three and a half hours working to save the crane operator – the man was conscious for some time, but when crews started to release the crane, he passed away – the man was in the crane at the time it tipped over, and he was partially in and partially out when help arrived)

CRANE/BOOM TRUCK Truck-mounted boom collapses into a building in Brooklyn, workers escape uninjured (a truck-mounted boom tipped and slammed into a building – all workers escaped injury – a construction crew was adding a third-story extension on a brownstone about 11 a.m., but the weight of the sheetrock and plywood for the job was apparently too much – the collapsed boom left the truck on a 45-degree angle)

HOTWORK Two men burned in Airport Link tunnel fire (two men had their faces and heads burnt during a welding operation – shortly before 8am this morning a fire ignited during a welding operation in the tunnel – two workers were taken to a Hospital with burns to their heads and faces – all workers were evacuated from the immediate underground area as a precautionary measure – both workers had been released from hospital a short time ago)

HOTWORK Fire Marshal Rules on Cause of Chili’s Fire (the fire that destroyed a Chili’s resturant was due to the improper use of an open flame, which ignited roofing materials – a contractor had been performing repair work on the building’s roof on – with this type of roof, a propane torch is used to heat the edges of the roofing material, then pushed down to seal it – the contractors stopped working about 5:30 p.m. and it appears that the fire was smoldering from that point until it ignited early the next morning – patrons and employees smelled rubber burning early in the evening, then smelled smoke, but did not call the fire department)

CRANE Crane accident investigated (Department of Labour is investigating an accident where a Titan crane tipped over – an inspector was making preliminary inquiries into the accident – it was the second involving a Titan crane in three days – on Tuesday a crane truck lost its drive shaft and rolled on to its side on a State Highway)

MIscellaneouS

FATAL FALL Worker dies after falling 20 feet from tree (a tree trimmer, 25, has died after falling about 20 feet from a tree in which he was working – he was part of a four-man crew working on a tree – he was leaning on a branch and didn’t realize it was rotted on the inside – the branch gave way and he plunged to the ground, even though he was using proper safety devices – officials called the accident “just one of those unfortunate acts of God, an unforeseen circumstance”)

ELECTROCUTION Day laborer killed in tree-trimming accident (worker, 48, was electrocuted when a ladder he was using to trim a tree touched a high-voltage power line)

FALL from TREE Worker Who Fell From Tree Did Not Sustain Life-Threatening Injuries (homeowner said the man is lucky he was wearing a helmet when he fell – a landscaping worker removing a tree leaning over a house fell to the ground and was transported to a Hospital at around 1:45 p.m. – the “long-time worker” did not sustain life-threatening injuries)

Fair Go reporter impaled on chair (reporter was injured after a piece of wood became lodged in his back when he fell off a chair – he was in a stable condition in a hospital – it is understood he was sitting outside the company’s cafeteria when the accident happened – the chair he was sitting in collapsed – some kind of wood lodged in the victim’s back and part of his leg – he was in a serious condition when he was rushed to a Hospital)

REFRIGERANT (do not think this was ammonia, but it sort of sounds like it) Construction mishap evacuates Safeway (a construction mishap cut a refrigerant line that released fumes in the store – store was evacuated when construction workers on a remodeling project accidentally opened a pressurized refrigerant line – a worker experienced a burn from the super-cold liquid refrigerant, which when released gassed off exposing others nearby to fumes – a total of seven people were transported and treated in the emergency room – six of the seven treated were customers and store employees – a large quantity of the freon-like refrigerant was dumped in the mishap – when the refrigerant line was accidentally cut, cooling to some of the store’s meat display coolers failed – valuable time was lost while firefighters attempted to locate a current MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) – firefighters were using self-contained breathing apparatus inside the store while they tried to identify the chemical, its side effects and amounts used in the refrigeration system – “The Delta Fire Department cannot express enough, how important it can be to have updated, accurate and easy-to-find MSDS sheets, log books and a list of chemicals and where they are stored,” Suppes said. “This information is critical in an event of a spill, accidental release or fire.”