64 incidents & 5 updates (1/27/16)

2016 Fatality Tracker

Industrial

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Deputies, OSHA investigate fatal industrial accident (worker was killed in an industrial accident just before 5 a.m. at the food distribution center – when crews arrived, they found the worker stuck in a piece of equipment – attempts to render aid were unsuccessful – facility was cited and fined $4,200 in 2012 for not having the proper guard on a machine that would protect the operator and other employees from being badly cut or entangled)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY Worker killed in Johnston industrial accident (worker, 22, was killed in an accident involving a belt-driven rock sorting and crushing machine at about 8:45 a.m. – he worked at the company for two years)

EXPLOSION @ STEEL PLANT 2 hurt in accident at Butler Works (two workers were injured in an explosion at a Steel plant at 1:30 p.m. – accident sent an employee to a Hospital for the treatment of burns – another worker was treated at the scene for minor burns – worker flown to the hospital did not appear to have life-threatening injuries)

MINE FATALITY Officials: Coal miner killed was crushed by boulder (coal miner, 31, was killed when he was crushed by a boulder at 6 p.m. – operations at the mine have been shut down – it’s the second death in about six months at the mine – company was cited in the earlier death)

RAILYARD Man critically injured in Kennecott train accident (switchman somehow became entangled with the wheels of a train about 9:15 a.m. – he suffered “significant” injuries to one or both legs and was flown by medical helicopter to a local hospital – he was a contract worker)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY – SCALPING Parma woman dies in accident at Caldwell seed plant (worker, 63, got her hair caught in a machine and pulling her against the machine – she died at the scene about 3 p.m. from blood loss and traumatic asphyxia – information was not available about whether the machinery was processing seeds at the time of the accident or whether it was being serviced or cleaned)

ENGULFMENT FATALITY Worker dies in portside sulfur ‘avalanche’ (an “avalanche” of sulfur killed an equipment operator, 45, just after 10 a.m. – worker was operating a front-end loader amidst a mountainous pile of powdered sulfur – the sulfur shifted (avalanche) causing the front end loader to be encased by the sulfur, causing the sulfur to enter the cabin of the front end loader – other employees and three sheriff’s office deputies tried to dig the worker out, but were unsuccessful – deputies subsequently had to be hospitalized for exposure to sulfur, which can be an eye, skin, and lung irritant – worker’s body was recovered four hours later)

LOTO/GUARDING Worker injured at Westport scrap metal plant (worker was taken to the hospital after an accident at 1:50 p.m.- worker was trapped in some machinery at the scrap metal processing plant – when firefighters arrived, they found the man lying on the floor)

FATAL EXPLOSION Texas Chemical Plant Explosion Leaves 1 Worker Dead, 3 Hurt (an explosion at a chemical plant has left one worker dead and three hurt – workers were doing a routine function when the contractor’s equipment exploded – contractor died at the scene – two plant employees and another contractor were taken to a hospital – one worker has a broken arm, while the other two were being treated for exposure – the tank spill involved about 1,000 gallons of an oil-based cleaning solution)

LOTO/GUARDING German holiday worker knocked out in meat plant accident at Rangiuru 21 (worker was screaming after getting caught on a meat spreader – he was knocked out and left with cuts to his face and head, as well as damaged teeth, when the incident occurred on the mutton slaughter chain – details of how it happened are sketchy – the man was put into one of the most dangerous parts of the freezing works with only a few weeks of employment behind him – worker was employed on December 9, 2015 and had one to two hours of induction to the company, one to two hours of department induction and up to a week of working with a buddy, depending on the complexity of the task – he was signed off as competent for the role – at the same plant in August 2014, an experienced employee was impaled through the head by a 10cm meat hook that emerged under his eye)

FATAL FALL from CONVEYOR DURING MAINTENANCE Worker dies after falling 50 feet at Henderson landfill (worker at a landfill and recycling plant was killed when he fell more than 50 feet – worker was pronounced dead at the scene around 1 p.m. – the fall happened while the man performed maintenance on an elevated conveyor)

FATAL FALL One dead after fall at GRDA plant (contractor died in a fall – crews had to extricate the man after he fell – he was working in the Coal-Fired Complex where he fell anywhere from 25-40 feet)

FATAL FALL @ WAREHOUSE Matalan worker killed after falling inside and suffering serious head injuries (worker, 32, died after falling inside a warehouse and suffering serious head injuries at 2am)

LOTO/GUARDING FATALITY UPDATE 1-Centerra Gold employee killed in mill accident at Kyrgyz mine (worker at a mine was fatally injured working at the ore conveyor at the mine’s mill)

UPDATE – FATAL EXPLOSION Second Worker Dies After Explosion at Cnooc Oil-Sands Plant in Canada (worker, 30, died after being hospitalized for burns from an explosion that killed another worker earlier this month at an oil-sands plant – the deadly blast was the second accident at the facility in the past six months following the discovery of a pipeline rupture in July that led to one of the largest spills ever in Canada)

FATAL FALL from AERIAL LIFT Manufacturing worker, 50, dies in Edmonton falling accident (contractor, 50, at a steel-manufacturing plant was killed after falling from a lift at the top of a tank – he was doing some welding on the top of the tank, and somehow, for whatever reason, he fell off just under six metres to the ground – worker suffered critical injuries and died on the way to the hospital – worker had been wearing fall-protection equipment at the time of the tragedy)

LOTO FATALITY Glass plant worker dies after accident in Nashville facility (worker, 51, died after suffering a severe head injury at a glass plant – she apparently put her head inside a machine when she began having problems with it, possibly inadvertently activating the machine’s sensors – she had worked for the company for nearly 18 years)

FORKLIFT Workers save man’s life after he was crushed by forklift (paramedics revived a man who was crushed by a forklift – he received severe chest injuries and went into cardiac arrest after an accident involving a forklift – co-workers have been praised for providing first aid to the man before paramedics arrived on scene)

FATALITY 54-year-old Worker Dies at Darlington Warehouse (worker, 54, has died at a warehouse – deputies say the worker died in a workplace accident, but they did not say how he was found or give any other details)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Man dies after workplace accident in Northamptonshire (worker died after a forklift accident at a distribution warehouse shortly before 4.45am – a collision between two forklift trucks, in which a male victim suffered fatal injuries)

FORKLIFT Man rushed to hospital after digger accident at Dundee scrapyard (worker was taken to hospital following an accident with a digger at a scrapyard around 10am – worker was operating the machinery and trying to lift a car when it toppled over – he was taken to a Hospital having sustained injuries to his legs)

MINE FATALITY Mine worker trapped to death in gold ore (worker, 35, lost his life when he got trapped in a stockpile of gold ore underneath a mining shaft – the platform on which he was working had caved in and that he was trapped in a heap of gold ore – rescue team was put in place which started working immediately and eventually retrieved his body at 3 p.m. the following day)

ELECTRICAL Investigation launched after Marlborough Lines worker burned on the job (electrical worker received burns to his hands while working for an electricity provider – he was working on a power cable box when he was burnt by a high-energy current at about 3pm – his hands were injured and he was taken to a Hospital and was discharged later that day)

UPDATE Refinery worker who suffered serious burns released from burn unit (worker who suffered serious burns released from burn unit – he was burned earlier this month after he apparently sank through an area that was saturated with hot water – he suffered second degree burns and he was taken to a burn unit for treatment – refinery still investigating the incident)

ACID BURNS  Man burned with acid in Vic factory (worker, 30, has serious chemical burns after a 1000-litre tank ruptured and he was covered in acid – he was sprayed with acrylic acid at the factory and was immediately put in a shower to reduce the burning – in hospital with serious chemical burns while a second worker has been treated at the scene for minor burns on his hands)

RUNAWAY ROLL of PAPER Runaway four-tonne roll of paper crushed worker against wall (worker was left with horrific injuries caused by a runaway four-tonne roll of paper – he was left with a shattered pelvis after the four-tonne roll of paper was allowed to drop to the ground and roll away as other workers tried to separate it in to two smaller rolls – the method being used by workers to separate the paper that day was to lift the large roll up on a fork lift before releasing it from a clamp, allowing it to fall to the floor in the hope it would break in two – the roll of paper weighed 3.93 metric tonnes)

UPDATE on FATAL EXPLOSION Sunrise Propane Energy Group Inc. Fined $280,000 After Death of Worker in 2008 Explosion (company has been fined $280,000 for a 2008 explosion that killed a young worker and created a subsequent fire – on August 10, 2008, propane was accidentally ignited during a prohibited truck-to-truck transfer of the fuel, resulting in several explosions – worker on the night shift who had been employed with the company for a short time was killed in the explosions and fire)

AMMONIA Ammonia leak at Twinsburg Coca-Cola plant quickly contained (an electrical contractor who was installing new equipment accidentally nicked a small pipe, releasing 40 lbs. of ammonia from the 40,000 lb. tank – plant was immediately evacuated and a road was temporarily shut down as a precaution – within five minutes, a contractor for the ammonia system and fire officials shut down the leak using control valves – one worker was checked at the scene by paramedics for possible ammonia inhalation, but he refused transportation to a hospital – no other injuries reported and no hazard to surrounding businesses and buildings)

EXPLOSION ATF Investigates Explosion At Kilgore Flares Plant (small explosion happened just before 5:00 p.m. – no one was injured – nine people have died at the facility in the last three decades – in 2014, a worker was burned over 90% of his body – plant makes flares and munition for the U.S. military – no word on what might have caused this explosion)

WATER REACTIVE CHEMICALS Chemical Fire Explosion in Sao Paulo Hospitalizes Almost 200 Brazilians due to Breathing Difficulties (chemical fire after an explosion leads to multiple hospitalization of people who inevitably inhaled and were affected by the toxic smoke – company owners said that the cargo warehouse is set in a chemical fire when containers filled with chloric acid and sodium dichloroisocyanurate, a kind of disinfectant agent, came in contact with rainwater that caused the reaction – about 85 containers that have been damaged on site)

HOTWORK Welding sparks fire at BRF manufacturer (welding sparks caused a fire at about 12:30 p.m. – fire crews found no active flames but discovered the fire extended into a wall and attic – contractor conducting welding in the plant processing area had sparks land on oil near an air compressor, which caused it to ignite – no one was injured)

HOTWORK Mill fire contained to one machine (an arc from a welding machine started a fire – millwright was working the night shift welding a small piece on the board edger end feed table – damage was contained to the board edger end feed table, but it is enough to shut the mill down from anywhere to three to five weeks – fire also damaged the control panel, which contains some electrical conduit)

FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION Man killed in petrol truck explosion in Atyrau (worker, 53, was killed in an explosion of a petrol truck when a welder was repairing a hole in the tank – welding ignited fuel vapors in the tank causing the explosion and setting the vehicle on fire)

HOTWORK Worker’s torch sparked $3M fire at Tristan Rubber Molding (worker using a propane torch accidentally started the fire that heavily damaged the business, displacing about 40 employees – the blaze was sparked by an employee who was using a hand-held propane torch to thaw a steam discharge line that had become frozen by the sub-zero temperatures – fire originated on the east wall of the building – insurance company estimates damage at $3 million to the contents and building – no one was injured)

FIRE @ WWTP 5 Workers Taken To Hospital After Small Explosion, Fire At Quincy Sewage Plant (five workers were taken to the hospital following a small explosion and fire at a sewage plant shortly before 1 p.m. – the fire in an air scrubber was difficult to get at, adding that there was mostly insulation in the contained area and firefighters didn’t have to worry about the blaze spreading – cause of the fire is still under investigation)

FIRE Surry meat plant engulfed in flames; no injuries reported (meat processing plant caught fire – building was fully engulfed, with smoke showing, according to emergency management officials – there were reports of explosions heard after the fire started – no injuries have been reported)

AMMONIA Officials investigate what caused ammonia leak at plant on Iberville-Ascension parish line (storage tank leaking ammonia gas forced authorities to close a stretch of road for nearly eight hours – workers unclogged a backed-up line and stopped an ammonia leak – once the blockage was cleared, pressure in the line, which is tied to an ammonia storage tank, was reduced and a pressure relief valve closed, halting the flow of the ammonia to the atmosphere – calculations for how much ammonia was released were still being made – workers spotted the leak from the storage tank in the plant’s ammonia production unit about 4 a.m. and notified authorities – company officials worked with State Police to close La. 3115 when the wind began shifting toward the highway and used the plant’s water suppression system to reduce the amount of ammonia gas escaping)

AMMONIA Ammonia Leak At Food Processing Plant Leads To HELLYEAH Concert Evacuation (Fire Department spent around 30 minutes attempted to track down the source of the smell after evacuating Warehouse Live about three quarters into a concert – security guard at the warehouse waved the firefighters down, at which point it was discovered that one of the pipes for the cooling system there had cracked and leaked ammonia – no injuries were reported as a result of the leak)

FORKLIFT Work accident sends man to hospital (worker, 54, was on the yard helping to unload delivery when he was pinned between a forklift and an 18-wheeler – he was taken to a Hospital where he underwent surgery – he is expected to make a full recovery)

AMMONIA Three in hospital after ammonia leak at creamery (three people have been taken to hospital following an ammonia spill – leak was isolated and a secondary leak was identified but there was said to be no immediate risk to life or property – injuries were not life threatening)

CHLORINE Hazmat called in for chlorine leak, Anderson River Park closed (park is closed after a chlorine leak at a Waste Water Treatment Plant at 1:30 p.m. – there are five tanks at the plant, all of them are one ton each – 2 hold sulfur dioxide and 3 hold chlorine – employee was exposed to the chlorine, and they were treated and released at the scene – the leak is coming from the fitting where the pipes meet)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Two dead in New Westminster lumber yard accident (two workers, 60 and 65, at a lumber yard were killed around 1 p.m. when lumber fell from a forklift –  – no other details have been released)

UPDATE on FATAL HOTWORK EXPLOSION Omega Protein settles suit with wife of Jackson County worker killed in explosion (wife of a man killed in a 2014 explosion at a fish-processing plant has settled a wrongful death-lawsuit – her husband, 25, was welding on top of a metal storage tank when it exploded July 28, 2014 – he was thrown 100 feet and landed on another tank – he died, and three others were injured, one seriously – according to the lawsuit, he did not receive adequate warnings about flammable hydrogen and sulfide gases in the storage tank he was working on – he was a temporary worker hired to cut and weld storage tanks at the plant – plant had a contract with a metal fabricator to set up a wastewater-storage tank requiring modifications to existing pipes – a staffing agency provided the metal fabricator with its employees – after the settlement was reached, Global Employment Services filed a motion asking to be reimbursed for the $153,442 paid to the wife as part of her husband’s worker’s compensation insurance coverage. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Gargiulo denied the request)

CONFINED SPACE FATALITIES – ONE ENTRANT and TWO WOULD-BE RESCUERS 3 die of asphyxiation inside septic tank (three people, 28, 35, and 48, including a woman and her son, died of asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank – the cleaning worker and another worker were hired for cleaning the septic tank – after entering the tank, the worker started cleaning it using some chemical, he called out for help after apparently inhaling toxic gas from the tank – when he collapsed inside the tank from suffocation, the son of the homeowner rushed into the tank to save him, unaware of the risk – then seeing her son also collapsing inside the tank, the mother went inside the pit only to be trapped inside – rescue personnel removed the three after breaking open the tank – all the three died on the spot)

Construction

CRANE FATALITY Construction worker killed in crane accident in American Fork (worker, in his 20s, was killed in a crane accident at approximately 9 a.m. at a construction site – they were setting cement walls when the crane fell over and took out a wall that was already set and the victim crushed by the wall)

STRUCK BY FATALITY Construction Worker Killed in Accident at Maclellan Building (a 2x6x16 piece of lumber fell on a male construction worker, killing him – workers are working to renovate the building)

FORKLIFT FATALITY Amarillo police say worker, 53, dies in forklift accident (worker, 53, has died after being hit with a forklift at a construction site – he was on the right side of a large forklift, just ahead of the rear tire – another worker started the equipment and pulled forward, striking the worker, who died at a hospital – ONE NEWS account says the worker was trying to fix the forklift when the other worker hopped on and drove it)

TRENCHING FATALITY Construction worker dies in accident at Wetumpka Municipal Airport (contractor was hired to install a drainage ditch and was fatally injured by one of the concrete drain (pipes) striking him around 4:30 p.m.)

UPDATE on WORKZONE FATALITY Former DPW worker faces charges in fatal Tolland accident (a public works employee, 56, who allegedly drove a dump truck, hitting and killing a fellow worker was due to appear in court nearly a year after an incident – he was arrested and charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle – police reports say in March 2015, he was backing up a dump truck during a pothole job and killed a worker, 50 – the two had patched hundreds of potholes before – while backing up the truck to set a pothole, police say the driver ran over his co-worker – police found no drugs or alcohol in his system and he wasn’t using a cell phone – an OHSA report shows there were no violations either)

Lakeville fire under investigation after construction worker’s death (officials are investigating a fire and possible explosion at a housing development after a worker, 35, burned in the fire died as a result of his injuries when a fire started in the basement of a house where he was doing construction work – he was a construction manager and had been checking heaters in the basement)

CRANE FATALITY Crane accident in Lahore, 2 workers killed, 1 injured (two workers died and one other was injured when a crane came into contact with an 11,000 KV wire)

WORKZONE FATALITY Worker struck and killed by a car in Fitzwilliam (flagger has died after being hit by a motor vehicle just before 9 a.m. in the construction zone where work is being done on high-tension power lines – gender and age of the victim were unavailable)

FATAL FALL down ELEVATOR SHAFT Update: Worker dies after fall in Boury building (construction worker, 39, has died from his injuries after a fall just after 1 p.m. down an elevator shaft)

FATAL FALL Construction worker succumbs to injuries from Sutton fall (construction worker, 22, injured in a fall Jan. 14 has died – he fell from a height of at least 25 feet at a construction site)

FALL down ELEVATOR SHAFT – IMPALED Construction worker impaled on steel bars after a five-story fall in Flatiron building (worker was seriously injured after falling in the elevator shaft and was impaled on steel rebar after he fell five stories inside a building under renovation – he was listed in critical condition)

CRANE Injured Bridge Worker Expected to Recover (contractor working on a bridge was injured around 4:30 pm, when he was caught between some equipment during a crane pick – worker was taken to a trauma center)

WORKZONE FATALITY – BACKING DUMP TRUCK – 2^nd DAY on Job WORKER FATALLY HIT BY DUMP TRUCK IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE ON HIGHWAY 290 (worker, 26, has been fatally struck by a dump truck in a construction zone at about 1pm – the victim was a project engineer who was walking behind the truck when it backed over him – he had only been on the job for two days)

LEAD ABATEMENT 8 Capitol Workers Hospitalized After Possible Lead Paint Exposure (eight workers have been hospitalized after possible lead paint exposure – several cafeteria workers were evaluated; eight were taken to area hospitals as a precaution and all injuries are reported to be minor – during the Cafeteria renovation work overnight, there had been a potential release of lead paint dust in the kitchen area – the area that was initially impacted was not being used for food preparation – it was not clear if the workers tested positive for lead after the possible exposure)

FATAL SCAFFOLDING COLLAPSE Scaffolding collapse kills worker, injures six (a scaffolding collapsed killing one person and injuring six at a construction site at about 10.30am – workers were finishing the 10th-floor stairs of the buildings – investigation into the accident is under way)

FALL from BRIDGE Construction worker hurt in fall from bridge to ice below (construction worker, 57, is recovering after falling from a bridge and being trapped under ice – he was working when he fell 11 feet and through an icy stream underneath – co-workers pulled him from the water using a crane – he was in the water for around 30 seconds – his injuries are from a combination of hitting the ice and being in the cold water)

BOOM TRUCK Boom Truck Operator Hurt In Todd County Accident (worker was hurt when the boom truck he was operating tipped over just before 4:00 p.m. – a tree trimming crew was trimming trees and brush along power lines – the boom truck operator had extended his bucket and boom over the top of power lines when it tipped over on its side – truck operator was taken to a Hospital and the truck was a total loss)

HOTWORK Welder accidentally sparks fire along Joe Fulton Corridor (construction crew accidentally started the fire during welding work – no homes or businesses in the area)

HOTWORK Rooftop fire at parking garage sends heavy smoke through downtown (firefighters quickly contained the blaze, and the fire appeared to be extinguished within about 20 minutes – asphalt was being poured on the roof of the parking garage when the flames broke out – the asphalt caught fire –  there was some welding work going on and although this is still under investigation — the Fire Marshal is on site — we believe the fire was started by the welding sparks)

HOTWORK Fire at Miami Valley School blamed on construction work (firefighters are blaming a fire that sparked at a School on some construction work – construction crews were on the roof doing some welding when a spark fell into a wall and caused some smoke in the building – students were immediately evacuated as a precaution – damage was minor and no one was hurt)

Miscellaneous

ELECTRICAL UNC worker burned on campus as power outage hits several areas (outage was caused by an incident in an electrical closet in a Hall shortly before 4 p.m. and one University employee was transported from the scene by EMS – worker came in contact with a live wire, which caused him to be badly burned)

GOLF CART FATALITY City worker dies from injuries sustained in a golf cart accident (at approximately 9:00 p.m. two City employees were operating a golf cart style vehicle in the parking lot of the City Yard – the driver of the vehicle said he swerved to avoid an animal, which caused the passenger to fall out and strike his head – he was taken to a local area hospital for treatment – days later he succumbed to his injuries)

FALL @ ZOO LA ZOO WORKER RESCUED AFTER FALLING 15-20 FEET INTO GORILLA ENCLOSURE (employee was rescued after falling 15 to 20 feet into the gorilla enclosure – the four gorillas in the enclosure were in a separate sleeping area at the time of the fall, which was reported around 8:30 a.m., and the worker was never in danger from the animals – the LAFD Urban Search and Rescue team lowered down a basket for the rescue, which took approximately 25 minutes – employee was safely extricated from the enclosure around 9 a.m. and was transported to an area hospital in fair condition with a possibly fractured leg)

FALL Man taken to hospital by Flight for Life after tree trimming accident in Pleasant Prairie (worker, 46, was hurt when he fell while completing a tree trimming job shortly before 10:30 a.m. – co-workers at the scene indicated the man was working from an elevated position in a tree when he fell)

CHLORINE DIOXIDE Nine treated after gas leak alert at Perth Royal Infirmary (nine people were treated after a gas cylinder leak in the hospital’s boiler room – worker was overcome by fumes, prompting calls for a full evacuation – chlorine dioxide was escaping from a disused water treatment unit in a room close to the stroke rehabilitation ward – evacuation was ruled out once the cylinder was removed from the building and air in surrounding rooms was tested and found to be safe)

EXPLOSION Fire, explosion injures one at Kent auto repair shop (explosion and fire injured one person at an auto repair shop – paramedics transported the shop employee to a local hospital with undisclosed injuries – shop’s sprinkler system controlled most of the fire – fire investigator ruled the explosion to be accidental, but didn’t have a specific cause)