39 Incidents & 2 Updates (1/16/12)

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2012 Fatality Tracker

Industrial

FATAL HOTWORK  Factory worker killed in freak mishap (a plastic recycling unit employee, 30, was killed when an explosion resulted in an electric saw slipping off his hand and impaling his chest – at 12.45pm, he was cutting a sealed plastic drum filled with industrial waste with a hand-held saw when it exploded – he lost his balance and fell, while the saw slipped from his hands and landed right on his chest – the sparks flying from the whirring blades ignited a fire)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Man Crushed by Press Machine at St. Louis Company (an employee of a sign-making company died after being crushed by a press machine – he died in the evening after becoming trapped in machinery at the business – it was unclear how the man became trapped in the press, which he described as the size of a pickup truck)

FOUNDRY EXPLOSION Worker was quickly treated, released after foundry blast (a foundry worker burned in a fire at a foundry was released from the hospital later that morning after being treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation – he is believed to have been hit by flying bits of molten iron when the furnace exploded around midnight – the explosion severed hydraulic lines to the three burners in the meld shop so that the lids couldn’t be closed, and the fire spread to an approximately 70-foot-high “aging” and “somewhat porous” roof in the rear of the foundry – the roof, which was considered too weak to walk on, is near high voltage lines that couldn’t be turned off without shutting down all plant operations)

TIRE EXPLODES @ MINE  Exploding truck tyre hurts worker at Mr Perry goldmine near Bundaberg (a mine worker, 26, was injured when a truck tyre exploded next to him – he was working at the gold mine on the night shift just before 4am when the accident happened – the force of the bursting tire sprayed him with gravel and dirt – he was airlifted to a Hospital in a stable condition but with lacerations to his legs, arms, body and face – “He was wearing safety glasses which was pretty lucky for him,” aircrewman Brent Malden said)

AMPUTATION  Presence of mind saves worker’s hand (worker, 30, met with an industrial accident in which his right hand was severed at the wrist at a wire-cutting factory – thanks to his colleagues, who had the presence of mind to rush the severed hand within the ideal five hours to the hospital along with the patient – worker’s hand was reattached)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITY  Jacques Parker killed in grain bin accident (a farm worker,56, was killed after falling into a grain bin around 11 a.m. – two deputies and the Fire Department responded as well as an ambulance and med-flight – at 12:16 p.m. rescue workers found the worker and he was pronounced dead at the scene – officials say he was attempting to clear a blockage at the time of the accident)

LOTO/GUARDING  Delta Police, WorkSafeBC investigating industrial accident (officials are investigating after a worker, 35, was injured in an industrial accident where an employee was pinned face down under a piece of heavy machinery – he was extracted from the machinery and transported to a hospital – he was conscious and breathing but suffered serious lower back injuries)

CRANE @ RIG  Ring road worker pinned between crane, semi-truck (a construction worker is in hospital after being trapped between the cab of a semi-truck and equipment a crane was moving – the man, in his late 20s, was at the worksite when the accident happened before 2 p.m. – he had been standing on the back of a semi-truck when he became pinned between the cab of the truck and the equipment that was on the crane – Fire Department’s heavy rescue team managed to free the man – he was originally transported to hospital in life threatening condition with many broken bones, but his condition has been upgraded to serious, but non life-threatening)

HYDROGEN SULPHIDE FATALITY  Well-service worker killed (a worker, 28, died in a workplace accident after he was overcome by hydrogen sulphide gas – he was part of a crew servicing a well – Occupational health and safety inspectors are on the scene and a stop work order is in place)

MINE – CONVEYOR BELT  Government ponders probe into Pilbara mine accident (a worker, 44, was rushed to hospital after an accident at the open cut iron ore mine left him with lacerations and hairline fractures – he was undertaking maintenance work on a conveyor belt system when the incident occurred – it is understood he was a contractor of the conveyor belt company)

CHAINSAW  Forestry worker stable after chainsaw accident (a forestry worker, 53, cut his arm with a chainsaw – he was flown to hospital in a stable condition – no other details)

DRYDOCK FATALITY w/ ANCHOR  Yokosuka drydock worker crushed by anchor while stripping paint (a shipyard worker, 31, died as a result of an accident involving an anchor at the drydock – he was removing paint from the anchor when it fell over and crushed him – he died upon impact at Drydock #5 around 2:20 p.m. – the center line anchor fell on the victim after he began using a high-pressure water sprayer to remove the paint – preliminary reports indicate that the anchor’s fluke struck the victim and pinned him to the floor of the drydock pit – the 9,000-pound anchor was not attached to its chain at the time)

MINE FATALITY  Three killed, two trapped in E China gold mine accident (three people have been killed and two others remain trapped after entering a gold mine – the workers drained water out of the shaft for 10 days before entering it to look into the possibility of discovering more gold there – three workers were lifted out of the shaft ut died after they were sent to a local hospital – an initial investigation indicated that all three choked to death, but an autopsy is still needed to determine whether they were poisoned or suffocated from lack of oxygen – rescuers are searching for the two workers who remain trapped)

FIRE  Mohawk worker burned at plant (worker was burned in a fire – the individual is expected to be released from the hospital – the building, which manufactures floor mat products, suffered minor fire damage)

UPDATE on FATAL DUST EXPLOSION Apple: Explosions Caused By Aluminium Dust Two explosions at Apple suppliers last year were caused by aluminium dust from the milling and polishing of iMacs and iPads, Apple has confirmed – explosions at two of its parts suppliers last year were caused by airborne aluminium dust created during the milling and polishing of products – the explosions took place at a two different plants – one explosion killed four workers and injured 18, while the other incident injured between 59 and 61 workers)

ELECTROCUTION  Department to probe electrocution at Toyota (a 21-year-old apprentice was electrocuted while installing a submersible water pump – the worker had been employed with the company since 2009)

REFINERY EXPLOSION (may be a SECURITY incident) Three injured in refinery LPG blast (three people were injured when a fire broke out after a blast in a refinery – terrorist have claimed responsibility for the blast but the police deny any sabotage and are probing into the incident)

STEAM EXPLOSION Man injured in Selkirk steel mill explosion (one person sustained minor injuries during a steam explosion at a steel mill – a contractor received minor injuries as a result of the incident and was taken to hospital as a precaution – a “small steam explosion” in the mill’s melt shop)

EXPLOSION involving WELD EQUIPMENT Blast at sewage plant injures two workers (two workers at a sewage treatment plant were injured by a welding equipment explosion at about 9:20 a.m. – one of the workers was treated in the Urgent Care Center for temporary hearing loss – the other was treated in a Medical Center for facial injuries and released)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak prompts evacuation (several people at a building were evacuated after an ammonia leak was discovered – when crews arrived, about 40 people had already vacated the building – there was an ammonia leak and called in the Hazardous Materials Team – the cause of the leak was attributed to a valve and an onsite technician fixed the problem – firefighters ventilated the building and the occupants were able to return)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak prompts Hazmat call for local business (an ammonia leak causes a major disruption for a business – when firefighters arrived all employee’s had already been evacuated and were told the leak had been stopped – a Hazmat crew entered the building and confirmed that the gas was slightly elevated – shortly afterwards fire crews deemed the area safe and returned control to the plant manager – there were no injuries or danger to the area)

AMMONIA Chemical leak shuts down Dr. Pepper plant (plant evacuated after ammonia leak – crews found a piece of machinery that was leaking ammonia – the leak was capped and fixed – large fans had to be used to clear the air in the bottling area – after three hours, workers were able to return to their stations – no one was hurt)

FORKLIFT Man in Flint suffers fractured leg after forklift accident (a man’s leg was fractured after a forklift fell on top of his leg around 9:30 a.m. – the forklift slipped in the snow and fell on top of the man – he was taken to a local hospital with the fractured leg and listed in good condition)

Construction

UPDATE on PRCS FATALITY  Family of man who died in sewer line sues MSD, contractor (the family of a man who died while working on an underground sewer line has filed a wrongful death suit against the Metropolitan Sewer District and one of its contractors – the worker, 46 at time of accident, was working 18 feet below ground on Oct. 10 when he became unconscious inside the sewer – firefighters rescued him, but he died an hour later at the hospital – another worker who became sick was able to get out on his own and was sent to the hospital as a precaution – the lawsuit filed this week claims neither the MSD or the contractor warned him about the lack of adequate oxygen in the sewer or provided him with the proper equipment – it claims negiligence and other aggravating circumstances in his death from aspiration – the suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages)

WORKZONE Worker in critical condition after Tuesday accident (a ma, 68, was seriously injured when a vehicle struck him from behind while he was doing road work – he was operating a grinder in a construction zone when he was struck from behind by a car – the driver accidentally drove over the traffic cones and into the construction zone arou – he continued to drive and went over the cones and into the construction site, hitting the worker – worker suffered major injuries and was transported to a Hospital)

FATAL FALL  Construction worker dies after fall in park (a construction worker, 33, who suffered serious injuries after falling off a ladder died Wednesday at a Regional Medical Center – he fell 15 feet off of a ladder outside of a new employee housing unit – he was installing a second-story door – he was a plant manager for a modular housing manufacturer that was hired as a subcontractor for the park housing project)

CRANE  Worker hurt in Coral Gables crane accident (a worker was taken to a hospital after a crane fell – a crane was lifting a small cart with equipment on it when the cart fell and hit a worker in the chest – the worker was transported to a hospital – extent of the worker’s injuries is unknown)

FATAL FALL from BRIDGE  Worker falls from Ambassador Bridge (the U.S. Coast Guard got the call at 1:45 p.m. and deployed two boats and a helicopter to search for the worker, 27 – witnesses saw the man fall into the water – the painter was last seen wearing work coveralls – it is not known whether he was wearing a safety harness – the river’s temperature was 2.7 C (37 F) at the time of the fall and that an average male can survive in the water of that temperature for up to seven hours)

FATAL FALL from ROOF  19-year-old construction worker fatally injured in fall (a construction worker, 19, suffered fatal injuries when he fell from the roof of a tornado-damaged home about 10:30 a.m. – he fell four stories inside the home, from the roof to the basement floor and died at the scene – he was part of a crew framing the house)

CRANE  Workers walk out as 40-tonne crane falls in Cairns (a 40-tonne crane crashed to the ground only metres from construction workers – it is the second time Workplace Health and Safety officers have investigated an accident at the site, after a man was taken to hospital in June, 2011, after falling from a concrete slab – no one was hurt when the crane fell, but workers downed tools until inspectors gave the all-clear to principal contractors)

ELECTRICAL  Electrical fire injures Union Gap worker (a worker suffered significant burns from an electrical system fire in a warehouse – he was part of a crew that was installing the electrical system in a warehouse – others in the area helped put out the fire with extinguishers as firefighters were responding – worker was thought to be in his 20s)

SCAFFOLDING FATALITY  Worker dies as scaffolding falls on him (a worker, 32, who was working in a building under construction died on the spot when a scaffolding fell on him)

FIRE  Booming Fire Tears Through Offices at Wilmington Refinery (flames engulfed an administrative office building as Firefighters battled a massive fire at the refinery – the call was made at 4:22 am by a passerby who noticed fire in a second-floor window of a two-story, administrative building – 30 minutes into the incident Firefighters experienced a partial roof collapse of the nearly 100 year-old structure and the decision was made by the Incident Commander to pull all Firefighters off and out of the structure – at no time was the refinery itself or any of its petroleum products ever in jeopardy – no injuries were reported, despite a firefight that lasted 3 hours and 48 minutes – no occupants in the building at the time of the fire)

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

3 killed at NC lumber company; gunman hurt (a man, 50, opened fire at a lumber company killing three co-workers and critically wounding a fourth – he walked into the Lumber Co. and shot the four individuals – about 16 other employees were in the building but were unharmed – after the shooting, he went home and shot himself in the head, but he survived – witnesses described him as a disgruntled employee, but it was unclear what he was upset about)

MIscellaneouS

ELECTRICAL Worker receives shock removing meter (a man is recovering after he was hurt working on a power meter around 5 p.m. – he was taken to a hospital by medical helicopter after suffering burns to his arms and hands as he tried remove a meter at an apartment complex – the man, in his 30’s, was alert and talking after the accident – no other injuries were reported)

WOOD CHIPPER FATALITY Man killed in wood-chipping accident was decapitated (a man who was decapitated in a wood-chipping accident appears to have gotten stuck in rope while feeding something into the industrial-sized machine – County Chief Deputy Coroner stated that a rope became wrapped around his neck and beheaded him – it does not appear that his body actually entered the wood-chipper, which was a large machine capable of processing full-size trees)

TRAILER FATALITY Maryborough worker crushed by trailer (a worker, 22, was crushed by a trailer – he and some colleagues were attempting to move a trailer from the workshop into a yard when the accident happened about 8.30am – he was taken to the hospital in a stable condition – he was in the process of securing a trailer onto a dolly when the trailer dropped and crushed him)

PASTA MACHINE  Man Severely Injured in Pasta Machine Accident (a man, 25, received severe arm injuries after his arm got stuck in a dough-mixing pasta machine at an Italian restaurant – the worker waited for at least two hours before he was taken to the hospital – fire and ambulance workers tried to find a way by which they could free his arm – every attempt failed and they had to detach that portion of the machine which was still attached to the man’s arm – then, they took him to the hospital with along with that portion)

ELECTRICAL ARC FLASH  Utility worker burned on the job (a utility worker had to be hospitalized after he was burned on the job – he was working on a power box on the roof of an apartment complex when a blaze sparked – crews later put out the fire, as the man was airlifted to the hospital with burns to his body – investigators are now trying to figure out what sparked the fire)

HOTWORK  Blaze, explosion leave Fort Wayne auto business in ruins (put a cutting torch and fuel line together in a garage, throw in a few propane tanks, and you can get explosive results – a fire and explosion left a auto business in ruins after a worker accidentally ignited a car’s gasoline line while trying to remove its engine)

CONFINED SPACE ENGULFMENT Farm worker rescued from grain silo‎ (a farmworker who was trapped and sinking in a grain silo escaped death after firefighters rescued him – he had been removing grain from inside the silo when he got into trouble – fire crews were called to help the man – he was up to his chest and sinking, with the potential for life-threatening injuries – the worker remained conscious throughout his ordeal and was described as “extremely lucky” to escape unhurt)