46 incidents & 0 updates (7/16/12)

2012 Fatality Tracker

INDUSTRIAL

ARC FLASH Two Utility Workers Remain Hospitalized Following Electrical Accident (four Public Utilities workers were injured while performing routine maintenance work at approximately 8:30 a.m. – while two of the workers received care at a Regional Medical Center, two others were transported to a County Medical Center – one worker had already been released, while a second injured worker would likely be released from that hospital later in the afternoon – two employees who were expected to remain overnight were both sitting upright and communicating – a nearby neighbor saw one of the utility workers shocked while working on a power line from a “cherry-picker” bucket near the intersection – according to the report, the worker hadn’t technically been shocked but had rather been the victim of an “arc flash” – witnesses at the scene reported that at least one worker had visible burns to much of his back and other parts of his body)

LOGGING FATALITY Man killed in Kalamazoo Co. logging accident (worker, 36, has been killed in a logging accident – a co-worker discovered the body – he was cutting timber)

LOTO/GUARDING Factory Worker gets Head Trapped in Machine (a factory worker was injured when his head and neck became trapped in a packaging machine – worker was working on a packaging machine when he was injured – the machine was designed to wrap and seal rolls of roof felt with polythene – the machine became blocked and worker attempted to fix the fault himself by reaching under the conveyor to free some of the polythene that had become trapped – as he was doing this, the ram that pushed rolls of felt into the machine moved and trapped his head and neck against the frame of the machinery – colleagues noticed this and managed to free his head from the ram – he did however suffer injury in the incident – he suffered nerve damage to his neck and shoulder in the accident- investigation into the accident by the HSE found that employees regularly walked in-between gaps in the machine so that they could clear blockages)

FATAL EXPLOSION Explosion kills Alpine foundry worker (a foundry worker, 41, was killed when an explosion slammed a door into his head – he was dead by the time authorities arrived at the facility – he worked at the warehouse-like, roughly 30-employee foundry as a welder and metal chaser – the explosion happened around 12:30 p.m. when an autoclave door either blew off its hinges or opened and hit the worker – the machine is a kiln-like device that includes a pressurized vessel – it creates steam, which melts wax out of a mold that is then filled with bronze – medical crews also transported three people to the hospital for steam inhalation and “psychological trauma” – the trio heard the explosion and ran to help, inhaling hot steam in the process – all three people were released from a hospital by late afternoon)

URANIUM Workers sprayed with uranium dust at Cameco refinery (three workers were exposed to airborne uranium dust in an incident when a worker loosened a ring clamp on a 208-litre drum of uranium oxide yellowcake – the lid blew off and about 26 kilograms of the material were ejected into the air – the worker closest to the drum and two others in the area, who were not wearing respirators, were exposed to the dust – several other Uranium One drums that had been shipped were found to be bulging from internal pressure)

EXPLOSION Worker hurt in explosion at Iowa asphalt plant (a worker, 41, has been injured in an explosion at an asphalt plant – he suffered burns and other injuries but is doing well after the accident – no word on cause)

FATAL EXPLOSION Worker dies in blast at Baosteel factory (one man was killed and another was critically injured in an explosion at a factory around 10:20 am – a truck used to collect waste heat exploded, shattering the windows of nearby buildings – the two victims were not plant employees, but worked for a contractor hired to collect waste heat – they were the ones standing closest to the truck when it exploded)

EXPLOSION Furnace explodes injuring worker (a worker, 32, was seriously injured after a furnace exploded as he worked on it – he was working on the furnace at an iron works when the 60-ton furnace suddenly exploded – the pressure surge from the blast was so high that it ripped the safety helmet from the workers head during the blast – he suffered severe burns to the face and shoulder area and was airlifted to a specialist burns unit – cause of the explosion is not yet known)

CRUSHING FATALITY Man crushed to death by load of gravel (a subcontractor was killed on an industrial job site – the man was likely behind the gravel truck when the load elevated and the truck’s back gate opened, and the load dumped onto the worker, killing him just before 9 a.m.)

FATAL TANK EXPLOSION BLAST AT OHIO OIL AND GAS WELL SITE KILLS 1 WORKER (a storage tank at an oil and gas well site exploded and shot flames at least 50 feet into the air, killing an employee – investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blast – the employee had been performing maintenance on the tank, which was adjacent to the well – Fire and Rescue confirmed the man was painting the tank – the man was “in the immediate vicinity” of the receiving tank for the oil when it exploded – a law enforcement officer had to be treated after he was overcome by the petroleum fumes from the explosion)

FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION – CUTTING DRUM W/ GRINDER Worker dies after factory explosion (a man who died in an explosion at a factory was using an angle grinder to cut a fuel drum just before 2:00 pm – it is understood the man was cutting the drum inside a sea container when the explosion occurred – it is believed fuel vapours inside the drum were ignited by a spark from the grinder – the man died at the scene – no-one else was injured)

ELECTRICAL – CPR & AED SAVE ANOTHER ONE! Palm City power line worker flown to hospital in critical condition (a worker is in stable condition, being treated for severe burns – the man was jolted by electricity while doing some maintenance work on a power line – the man’s heart stopped after he was shocked – coworkers performed CPR on him until emergency responders arrived – the first on the scene was County Deputy who had an automated external defibrillator in his car, and used the device on the man – fire officials arrived shortly after and said if it hadn’t been for the use of the AED, the man may have died)

ELECTROCUTION Entergy worker killed (a worker, 25, was electrocuted while working outside a house – he was working on an electrical box about noon outside the newly built home – he collapsed suddenly – he was taken to a Medical Center where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival – autopsy determined he was electrocuted, but it’s not yet clear what happened)

ELECTROCUTION Saskatchewan worker electrocuted while in boom lift (a worker, 26, was electrocuted while working on a boom lift – he was trying to help a 17-year-old male who was in the boom lift – paramedics tried to revive the man but he was declared dead at hospital – the 17 year old had minor injuries and declined treatment)

CONFINED SPACE RESCUE – ENGULFMENT Worker Rescued From Cement Silo In Holden (Fire Department rescued a man buried chest-deep inside a cement silo at approximately 1:58 p.m. – the worker was in a silo surrounded by cement powder up to his chest, about 30 feet up from the bottom of the silo – the 50-foot silo is made up of three chambers and is used for mixing cement – in order to retrieve the man, the Tower Ladder was raised over the top of the silo, and two firefighter/paramedics had to be lowered into the confined space to provide oxygen to the victim and stabilize him to prevent him from getting buried any further – it took firefighters about 90 minutes to fully extricate the man – due to the confined space, the heat of the day and the hazardous environment, including the fine dust from the cement and the risk of another collapse, the rescue was very slow – after he was stabilized in the silo, the fire department removed concrete from the bottom of the silo, which allowed the firefighters to pull the victim out through the top of the silo – he was then placed in an extrication basket and lowered to safety, where he was evaluated by paramedics to determine the extent of his injuries)

HOTWORK FIRE Alpine mattress factory torched in welding fire (foam of one mattress was set ablaze in a welding accident – fire crews responded to the 911 call at 11 a.m. to find flames erupting throughout the two-story brick building – after 15 minutes, firefighters were able to contain the flames, but the interior of the building was left in ruin)

HOTWORK FIRE Welding equipment sparked huge blaze in hanger at former RAF base at Manby (a welder carrying out work on a bus sparked a huge blaze that destroyed a hangar at a former RAF base – flammable material caught fire as the welder worked inside the building, starting a blaze that burned for hours – structure has suffered severe external and internal damage)

ENGULFMENT Man rescued after industrial plant accident (a worker, 52, fell into a trench of gravel at an industrial plant – crews were trying to figure out what was causing a clog of gravel in one of the plant’s big pieces of machinery – worker was walking over the area to kind of survey the situation when the ground gave loose which sucked him down in – he was approximately five feet underground – for about two hours, a 52-year-old man was not only five feet underground, but buried in gravel from his waist to his neck as his legs dangled below him)

AMMONIA Hazmat team stops ammonia leak at Denver sausage plant (a hazmat team responded to a spill at a sausage plant around noon – when hazmat teams arrived they found an ammonia leak – Hazmat teams were able to turn off a pump to stop the leak – building was ventilated and no one was hurt)

AMMONIA VESSEL FAILURE Ammonia leak forces evacuation of 1,000 at Edmonton casino (an ammonia leak at a Resort and Casino caused about 1,000 people to flee the area at 10:30 a.m. – a 700-pound ammonia tank failed at the resort’s twin hockey rinks, causing ammonia gas to leak into the resort – initial readings showed a dangerously high ammonia level of 300 parts per million – there were no major injuries as a result of the leak)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak briefly causes evacuation of Newark baking company (an ammonia leak briefly caused the evacuation of a baking company – the leak was reported at about 5:15 a.m. – employees there smelled ammonia and left the building – two employees were treated at the scene for irritation and released – hazardous materials team responded and determined the leak was from a refrigeration machine that was set for repair – by around 7 a.m., hazmat crews determined there was only a residual amount of the ammonia left and declared the business safe)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Wapato farmworker killed in forklift accident (a farmworker, 23, was been killed in a forklift accident – he suffered fatal injuries while operating the forklift – the accident was a rollover, but the exact circumstances remain under investigation)

CONSTRUCTION

BLOCK WALL COLLAPSE FATALITY 1 killed, 2 injured in accident at Metrobus repair site (during repair work on a Metrobus line a concrete bridge siding collapsed killing one worker and injuring two – the connecting bridge was being built across the highway when a large section of concrete blocks fell from the side of the bridge – one worker was trapped under the blocks and died at the scene of accident – two other workers, 41 and 42, were injured)

ELECTRICAL Man sent to hospital after suffering burns in a workplace accident (a worker was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening electrical burns to his hands and arms – he was working on a renovation project at the work site)

ELECTROCUTION & FORKLIFT Worker ID’d in fatal construction mishap (worker, 40, was killed in a possible electrocution during a workplace accident – he died shortly after witnesses said he was electrocuted while operating heavy machinery to lift a steel beam at a construction site – accident occurred at 4:45 p.m. – the beam came into contact with a live wire hanging from a light fixture – he was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived)

WORKZONE FATALITY Patrol IDs crew worker killed near Buffalo after he rolls truck while in reverse (a construction worker, 52, died while driving a truck in reverse on a stretch of county road being resurfaced – the truck he was driving rolled into a county ditch and he was partially ejected through a window – he died of his injuries at the scene and his  passenger, 47, was airlifted to a Medical Center – the driver and passenger weren’t wearing seat belts)

COLLISION Industrial accident sends one person to hospital (a construction worker was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after a collision with a backhoe at 7:55 a.m. – officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the collision)

CRUSHED by CONCRETE TRUCK ROLL-OVER Truck operator killed on Markham construction site (a truck operator was killed when he was pinned underneath a concrete pump truck that rolled over on a construction site around 3:30 p.m.)

ELECTRICAL w/ TRUCK Worker Shocked When Dump Truck Hits Power Line (a highway worker, 25, has been hospitalized after a dump truck he was driving hit a power line – the accident happened when the man hit a power pole, causing power lines to fall on the truck – he was taken to a hospital but his injuries were not believed to be serious)

FUELING HOT CHAINSAW Worker burned at Martin County High School (a construction worker is being treated for burns following an accident at a High School just before 8 a.m. – the worker was trying to refill a chainsaw that was still hot when the gas fumes apparently exploded – he was airlifted to a burn unit)

FORKLIFT Man hurt in airport construction accident (a worker is in serious condition – he was driving a forklift while installing the wiring for the lights along a taxiway – the forklift tipped onto its side, and the man was trapped – he was taken to a Medical Center)

FORKLIFT Forklift accident in Belchertown leaves worker hospitalized (a construction worker, 56, was injured in a forklift accident – he remains in serious condition – the forklift malfunctioned at a house under construction – he was reportedly bringing materials to an upper floor of the construction site when the accident occurred about 4:15 p.m. – the machine became stuck in reverse gear and he was injured as he escaped from the forklift)

WORKZONE FATALITY Police: Salem construction worker killed by intoxicated driver (a DOT contract worker, 48, was killed while putting up construction signs – he was struck and killed by an intoxicated driver at 7:40 p.m. – the driver of the car, 40, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants)

Condition of Worker Hurt in Pipeline Project Accident Improving (a worker who was badly hurt in an accident at a pipeline project has been upgraded from critical to fair condition – a boulder rolled down the hill, split in half, and hit the worker in the shoulder)

WORKZONE Injured county worker identified (road workers were setting out cones in preparation for summer road repair – a worker was in a county truck when a vehicle struck his pickup truck from behind – worker was taken to a Hospital with multiple injuries and then later transported by LifeNet helicopter to a Med Center – accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. and remains under investigation)

WORKZONE FATALITY Roadway Worker Killed On Grand Central Parkway (a roadway worker, 63, was struck and killed by a drunk driver – he was laying down cones in the left-hand lane of the highway when he was hit at around 11 a.m. – driver, 26, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, DWI, and resisting arrest)

WORKZONE and FORKLIFT Accident Leaves Benton County Road Worker Hospitalized (a County Road Department employee, 51, remains in stable condition after being injured while working with a crew – he was working as a flagman directing traffic while co-workers trimmed trees – a surplus military forklift the workers were using rolled down a hill, knocking a county vehicle into him  before rolling over his lower body – he was flown to the hospital with injuries to his right leg and pelvis)

BULLDOZER RADIATOR Hopkinton worker badly burned on job (a worker, 53, was badly burned when scalding hot fluids shot out of a bulldozer he was working on at a work site – he is in intensive care where he has been put inside a bubble to prevent infection of second-to-third-degree burns – as much as 50 percent of his body could have been burned, but  it appears he was burned on about 25 percent of his body – he went to check the bulldozer radiator when the cap blew off and scalding hot fluid flew out – if the burns do not get infected, he is hopeful he can be released as soon as Monday, and is not expected to need skin grafts)

HOTWORK FIRE w/ GRINDER Construction work sparks small fire at Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center (construction work sparked a small fire at a Technical Skills Center – workers put out most of it before firefighters arrived – sparks from a construction worker’s grinder ignited insulation material beneath the two-story building’s roof – “They were using a fire blanket. They were doing everything right,” Fire Department Battalion Chief said – no injuries were reported – estimated damage at $5,000)

CRANE Crane topples over in Chalk Farm blocking traffic (a crane toppled over in the middle of a road shortly before 1.30pm – the crane, which was working on a building site remained sprawled out across the street many hours after it toppled)

MISCELLANEOUS

FATAL FALL from SKI LIFT Lift worker dies in Saas-Fee (worker, 37, died after falling from a lift pylon in the high altitude Swiss resort – accident happened at 08.50 on Thursday morning as the man was carrying out routine maintenance work – he was lubricating a cable when he fell 25m to the ground – first aid was carried out at the scene and the rescue services were on site quickly but he could not be saved)

ELECTRICAL MTA employee injured in subway accident (worker suffered burns on his arms Wednesday night after a southbound train came in contact with a signal box that was left open – it was unclear whether the unidentified worker, who maintains signals, was burned after having touched an electrified rail or some other way – worker was transported to a Hospital but information about his condition was unavailable)