Construction Accidents Page 6

Construction Accidents Page #6

This page was last updated on  05/06/2010

UPDATE Worker dies after backhoe accident 
Thursday, May 22, 2003 By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ STAFF WRITER 
WEST PATERSON – A construction worker accidentally run over by a backhoe on a work site this week has died, police said. Juan Pupo, 53, of Paterson died at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, one day after a fellow construction worker ran him over with a backhoe, police said. Pupo had sustained severe injuries to his pelvis and leg. Police said he was conscious but seemed to be in shock before paramedics took him to the hospital. Pupo was walking alongside a backhoe driven by Stanley Machuszek, 35, of Totowa when he tripped and fell underneath the vehicle’s wheels, police said. Authorities said Pupo was working on a construction project at 271 Overmount Ave. Felix Esposito, the borough’s code enforcement official, said the work site would eventually be a small commercial strip mall. Police earlier this week said it was a residential construction site. Pupo was working for SNM Contractors of Totowa, a subcontractor of Tower Ridge Company, LLC, Esposito said. That company has a post office box in Pine Brook. The company’s head, Patrick Dellacave, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Police found that the backhoe had not been registered with the state Department of Motor Vehicles since 1995 and gave the contractor two summonses. Police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident. 

Worker is buried alive when dirt caves in; Burton man killed when walls collapsed
By Taryn Asher
Burton — (05/21/03)–An 18-year-old Burton man died in a construction site accident. Michael Meshraky was killed in Owosso Tuesday when the ground caved in on him. ABC12’s Taryn Asher had more of the details. Meshraky works for his family business, S&M Building and Remodeling. Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, he was at a site, working to dig a sewer line when the dirt walls collapsed, burying him alive. Mershaky’s coworker quickly directed emergency crews to his construction site on Arrow head Lane in Owosso. Firefighters worked to dig Mershaky out and rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late. Mershaky’s grandmother and the rest of his family want to know what caused the cave in. “Becasue of the depth of the trench, which was approximatley 9 feet, my understanding there is a box safety device lowered into the trench to protect a worker from a cave-in such as this and there were no such devices in the trench,” said Shiawassww County Sheriff Jon Wilson. That’s why Wilson says state workplace safety investigators has been called in. S&M Building and Remodeling in Burton and Reiner Wedel Custom Homes out of Corunna are being investigated. With 25 years experience, Shiawassee County Drain Commissioner Bernard Butcher says in his opinion the dirt slopes at the site were too steep. “There’s certain areas you need to be very careful of that could break lose with little notice,” he said. MIOSHA is investigationg the incident to find out what happened and what laws may have been violated. We’re told that investigation could take several weeks. 

UPDATE Cal-OSHA complete Noyo Bridge accident investigation
By TONY REED /Of the Advocate Thursday, May 22, 2003 – 
Pacific Coast Steel has been fined $18,000 by the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health after a two-month investigation into the collapse of a rebar column in February that killed one man and injured another. According to CAL-OSHA reports, the citation was issued to Pacific Coast Steel April 17, for what they called a “serious” level violation. Investigators concluded that “the vertical reinforcing steel column at the north end of the Noyo Bridge was not guyed and supported to prevent collapse.” The collapse, which took the life of ironworker Jose Quintero and injured foreman Rex Kamoss, has been under investigation since it occurred. According to the CAL-OSHA report, Kamoss and Quintero were working 108 feet up the 123-foot-tall column, in order to release and reposition one of four supporting cables attached to the column. At the time, concrete had been poured up to the 60-foot level, leaving the top half of the column yet to be filled. “Employees were attempting to remove a twist in the assembled rebar structure prior to continuing with a future scheduled [concrete] pour,” said the report, “when the foreman (Kamoss) removed the wire rope guy from the top of the column, and forcefully tugged on the cable, still anchored at the ground level. The column moved out of plumb and folded like a jack knife, bending in half, with the top of the column striking the deck below.” The report noted that Kamoss was able to position himself in such a way as to soften his impact, while Quintero fell to his death. “The collapse was caused by the removal of an existing stabilizing wire rope guy by the foreman directing the work,” the report concluded. 

Fall from roof kills worker
By Deuce Niven Correspondent
TABOR CITY – A man working on the roof of the former Planter’s Tobacco Warehouse died of injuries suffered when he fell through a skylight Tuesday morning. The worker, who was from Mexico, had not been identified as of late Tuesday, police Chief Roy Norris said. “This looks to be an accident, nothing criminal,” Norris said. Rodriguez was taken to Loris Community Hospital, where he died. Columbus County Coroner Lynwood Cartrette said he would not investigate the death. A group of investors – Kyle Cox, Trent Burroughs, and lawyer Dennis Worley – recently purchased the warehouse and is renovating it, Burroughs said last week. 

UPDATE Worker Death at Detriot’s Ford Field Results in Penalties Totaling $556,000
May 21, 2003
The Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services (CIS) announced last week the conclusion of the nine-month investigation of a fatal work accident at Ford Field with citations and penalties against Brockman Equipment, Inc. for $286,000, and Thomarios Painting for $270,000. The CIS Bureau of Safety and Regulation (BSR) is responsible for administering the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA). Thomarios Painting was a subcontractor on the Detroit Lions’ Ford Field stadium construction site. Brockman Equipment, Inc. rented two aerial lifts to Thomarios, including a Condor 150S aerial work platform with an articulating and extensible boom. On July 30, 2002, Thomarios painter Gjon Gojcaj was in the Condor and was painting trusses more than 120 feet above the surface on the east side of the stadium. At about 10:15 a.m., the outrigger of the Condor lifted off the ground for the second time and the lift fell to the east, landing in the lower concrete seating area and fatally injuring Gojcaj, according to CIS. “Ford Field is a shining gem for the Detroit Lions and for the city of Detroit. It saddens us deeply that its construction legacy includes the death of worker Gjon Gojcaj,” says Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “This needless tragedy could have been avoided if either company had fulfilled their safety and health responsibilities.” A total of nine willful violations are alleged against the two companies–five against Thomarios Painting and four against Brockman Equipment. Thomarios was cited for a willful violation of the General Duty clause for failure to protect their worker from a hazardous condition and a willful citation for failure to have operators perform a pre-operation inspection. Brockman received a willful citation for failure to inspect and maintain the aerial lift platform. Both companies received three Willful citations for: inadequate training, no manuals provided, and missing warning decals/stickers. A willful violation is defined as one committed with an intentional disregard of or plain indifference to the requirements of the MIOSHA Act and regulations. Based on provisions in the MIOSHA Act, Public Act 154, as amended, every willful violation, which is connected to a fatality, is referred to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office for criminal investigation and/or prosecution. Thomarios received a total of 14 citations, and Brockman received a total of 10 citations, for alleged safety violations. The companies have 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply or contest the violations and penalties. “It became apparent from our MIOSHA investigation that each of these two companies abrogated their own safety and health responsibilities and relied on the other company to protect the workers,” says CIS Director David C. Hollister. “These citations today send a clear message that in a situation involving multiple companies–every company will be held accountable for the willful disregard of worker safety and health.” 

Roofer hurt in fall
BY LUISA YANEZ
A roofer was seriously injured Tuesday when he fell four stories from the top of a building at Florida International University’s south campus. The unidentified worker is an employee of a Broward County company contracted to fix the roof of a campus building that houses classrooms and offices, according to a university spokeswoman. Classes were in session at the time of the 2 p.m. accident at the DM building at the corner of Southwest Eighth Street and 112th Avenue. Miami-Dade fire rescue transported the worker to an area hospital. His condition is unknown. 

Roof Collapses On Manlius Business
Edited by Dave Pieklik
An investigation is underway into the collapse of a roof at a Manlius business Tuesday. The roof collapsed around 2:30 p.m of the building on Fairgrounds Drive. The roof was being constructed for a bakery undergoing repairs. Fortunately, the workers who had been erecting the roof had left hours before the collapse. No one was inside the building, and there were no injuries. The building was heavily damaged. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident to determine what caused the collapse. The building was being repaired after a bakery located inside burned down last year.

Spark from welding torch blamed in school fire
(Gadsden-AP) — The state Fire Marshal has determined a welding spark is blamed for causing a fire that destroyed most of Highland Elementary School last week. Arson investigators said the blaze ignited in a room where workers had been cutting away old metal-frame windows. Construction crews apparently did not realize there was wood behind the metal frames. The fire, which was discovered shortly after 8 pm Thursday night, caused extensive damage to most of the school — the school’s gymnasium and two recently built classrooms were spared. Etowah County Superintendent Tommy Mosley said yesterday the school will be rebuilt. He said portable classrooms will be used until construction on the new school is completed in 12 to 18 months. 

OSHA investigates death of worker at Millbrook construction site 
The Associated Press 5/20/03 12:41 PM
MILLBROOK, Ala. (AP) — The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating a Millbrook construction site where a worker died last week when a trench collapsed on him. Steve Owens, 40, of Tyler died Friday while working in a subdivision, police reports said. Owens was working for Liberty Construction of Montgomery. Company officials could not be reached for comment. Police reports said crews weren’t using a trench box at the time of the accident. Federal regulations require the sides of a trench be supported when workers are in place, or that a trench box be used to protect the workers in case of a collapse. 

T-REX has first fatal construction-zone accident
By News Staff May 20, 2003
The first fatal accident in a T-REX construction zone happened when a woman driving a small sedan south on I-25 plowed into the back of a heavy “impact truck” at 1:34 a.m. Monday just north of Interstate 225. Detective John White, a police spokesman, said the car then hit two workmen. One worker suffered broken bones and other injuries, and the other received minor treatment, White said. He said the truck had flashing lights to signal drivers to keep left of it. He did not know if alcohol or fatigue played a role in the crash. 

Worker badly injured after getting caught under wheels of backhoe 
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 
WEST PATERSON – A construction worker was seriously injured Monday when he was accidentally run over by a backhoe, police said. Juan Pupo, 54, of Paterson was working on a residential construction project at Overmount Avenue and Rifle Camp Road at 9:53 a.m. He was walking next to a backhoe, Detective Capt. Robert Reda said, when he became caught underneath the left wheels. The backhoe driver told police that Pupo somehow tripped. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. “He’s got injuries to his left leg and pelvis,” Reda said. “He’s in bad shape.” Reda said the accident is still under investigation. Officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration went to the scene several hours after the accident occurred, an OSHA spokesman said. Police wrote the construction company, SNM Contracting, two summonses because the backhoe was uninsured and had not been registered since 1995, Reda said. “A lot of times these vehicles are off the road,” he said, explaining how the vehicle’s missing registration went unchecked.

Fort Pitt Tunnel damage may exceed $1 million; Cause of fire unknown, but construction stays on track 
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 By Joe Grata, Post-Gazette Staff Writer 
When more than 100 engineers, suppliers and support staff gathered at a Green Tree hotel in February for an all-day pre-construction workshop about Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel repairs, they discussed circumstances that could affect safety and the schedule. Fire was on their long list, because a piece of equipment caught fire last year during work on the lower, outbound deck. But no one expected what happened Friday night, when equipment parked at the south end of the inbound tunnel caught fire. Although no serious structural damage occurred, other damage appears likely to exceed $1 million. Nobody was injured; work in the inbound tunnel had ended for the night and it was empty. A state fire marshal and a city arson investigator are expected to rule on the cause later this week. The outbound tunnel, being used during construction for inbound traffic, was closed by the fire. It reopened Sunday morning. Traffic on the inbound Parkway West/Interstate 279 was back to what passes for normal yesterday, with the numerous pre-existing restrictions caused by the $84 million Fort Pitt project. Joe Primo, assistant project manager for consulting firm Michael Baker Corp., and Dick Skrinjar, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesman, conducted a news media tour of the damaged tunnel yesterday. Primo said that when workers ended their shift at 11 p.m. at the far end of the tunnel, they drove vehicles back to the south end and parked them, as usual, about 100 feet inside the portal. A lift truck, a Bobcat loader and four all-terrain vehicles that are called “mules” by construction workers were destroyed by the fire that erupted there. Four PennDOT employees on duty in tunnel control rooms smelled and then spotted smoke, notifying the city Fire Bureau at 11:18 p.m. As flames reached the ceiling and the tunnel portal, they ignited long wooden beams and boards stretched across the ceiling for construction purposes, fueling the fire. The heat was so intense that it blackened and popped off ceramic tiles and melted bolts holding the aluminum letters on the granite facade that displays the tunnel name. A 16-foot-high, 150-horsepower tunnel ventilation fan, one of four at the south portal, sucked up much of the heat and smoke and may be damaged beyond repair. A worker said it could cost $300,000 to replace. Three nearby fans were not affected. The intense heat charred conduit, controls, electrical cables and electrical junction and breaker boxes that control mechanical and communications elements of the tunnel. Fire also ruined a “multiplexer,” where wires from remote TV surveillance cameras feed into a fiber-optic cable serving PennDOT’s traffic management center in Collier. Skrinjar said 48 of 62 surveillance cameras were not working yesterday, mostly those monitoring traffic on the Parkway East/Interstate 376 and Parkway North/I-279. Although workers said equipment appears to have started the fire, Primo said he and others “have no clue” and are waiting word from investigators. PennDOT expressed confidence that the fire will not prevent Trumbull Corp., the prime contractor, and subcontractors from finishing work on the inbound tunnel and inbound bridge deck by Labor Day and rebuilding the exit ramp to Grant Street and the Parkway East by Halloween. “This doesn’t help,” Primo said. “Once we determine what needs to be done, everybody will have to work more hours and extra weekends.” 

UPDATE Contractor in building collapse gets 3 years probation
By SAMUEL MAULL Associated Press Writer May 20, 2003, 3:23 PM EDT
NEW YORK — A contractor was sentenced Tuesday to three years probation and 250 hours of community service in connection with a Manhattan building collapse last year that killed one worker and severely injured three others. Shunkun “Michael” Tam, 49, was sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice John Bradley on his April 8 reckless endangerment conviction. The judge could have sentenced him to as much as a year in jail and fined him $1,000. Tam told the judge he had been “very surprised” by the collapse and expressed tearful remorse. “I feel very sorry for what happened,” he said through a Cantonese speaking translator. “Everyday I have prayed for the victims.” Bradley fined Tam’s now-defunct contracting company, Tamco Corp., $5,000. The jury acquitted Tam of second-degree manslaughter in the death of Antonio Romano, 41, a Mexican immigrant who was crushed by concrete blocks and other debris on May 16, 2002, while renovating a five-story townhouse on East 61st Street. Tam was also found innocent of three assault charges in connection with serious injuries to three other workers. The town house was being renovated for Fabio Granato, owner of the Serafina restaurants. The workers were hurt when concrete blocks, loaded atop an improperly secured platform on the building’s top level, caused the walls to collapse inward. A dozen other $55-a-day workers staggered out with minor injuries. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Cort had asked Bradley to sentence Tam to the maximum of one year. “The defendant wanted to make money and do this job on the cheap,” Cort told the judge. “The defendant committed these crimes because of his greed.” Tam’s lawyer, Barry Turner, said his client had lost all of his money, and his company is out of business. The lawyer said Tam is now working for other contractors. Turner alleged that the site foreman, Cheung Keat “Ken” Ai, 33, caused the accident because he failed to follow Tam’s instructions. Ai has pleaded guilty in the case and will be sentenced later to a minimum of one to three years and a maximum sentence of two to six years in prison. 

Two bricklayers injured in accident at hospital 
Two construction workers were injured at Mary Washington Hospital when they were struck by a falling piece of glass. The accident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. May 8 at the 94-bed addition now under construction on the front side of the hospital. A plate of tinted glass fell from the fourth floor of the addition and struck two bricklayers who were working on the ground, said K.C. Haile, vice president of Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., the general contractor. One of the workmen was treated and released in Mary Washington’s emergency room, Haile said yesterday. The other man was more seriously injured and remains hospitalized, Haile said. His condition could not be determined yesterday. Haile said the cause of the accident is still under investigation. The glass had been hung earlier and was not being worked on when it fell. After the accident, work on the building was halted so that all new glass could be checked. Construction resumed the next morning. The new tower is expected to open by early next year. 

UPDATE Contractor fined for deadly Rockville garage collapse
A contractor has been fined $11,275 for safety violations discovered after a Rockville parking garage collapse that killed three North Carolina construction workers, state regulators announced Monday. Cracks were also found in the section of the garage that collapsed Nov. 15, according to the report by the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health agency. State investigators said they couldn’t determine if the James G. Davis Construction Corp., a Rockville-based contractor overseeing construction of the seven-story garage, made sure the portion that eventually fell could withstand the weight of the building’s concrete floor slabs. Davis has not been able to prove that it or any subcontractors used a qualified structural engineer to design the section that fell, the report states. The cracks, found by an independent inspector, should have indicated the building supports were about to fail, an investigator said. “This accident might have been prevented … if the project engineer had recognized the cracks along the anchor bolts as a possible sign of impending failure,” wrote Roger Campbell, a MOSH investigator. Davis is challenging the decision and will discuss the citation with state officials at a May 29 meeting, said MOSH spokesman Joseph Seidel. Stanley Manvill, Davis’ vice president for safety, did not return calls by The Associated Press on Monday seeking comment. Davis was the lead contractor for the construction of two federal office buildings and the seven-story concrete parking garage. The job included a handful of subcontractors and private inspectors hired by Montgomery County to conduct regular safety and progress checks. One of those contractors was Graham, N.C.-based C.P. Buckner, which had 15 workers laying beams on the top few floors of the building Nov. 15. The 248,000-square-foot, $7 million garage was nearly 75 percent complete at the time. Workers who survived said they heard a pop right before a 118-foot wide and 37-foot deep section of the building fell, with the concrete floors pancaking down on top of each other. Killed were Jose Ramirez, 36, of Raleigh, N.C.; Carl Gene Fisher, 42, of Wadesboro, N.C.; and Hubaldo Medina Andrade, 28, of Chapel Hill, N.C. Isidoro Garcia Lara, 37, was injured in the accident. State investigators later found a long fracture in a section referred to as C-3, leading them to believe that was the portion that caused the collapse. Davis built the C-3 section according to the design of a similar part of the garage, even though the two sections were meant to carry different amounts of weight, the report said. Investigators also couldn’t find any record that plan was properly reviewed. “I have been unable to find plans, drawings or any other documentation that would indicate that the C-3 pier as built, was designed in that manner for that location by a person qualified in structural design,” Campbell wrote. One of inspectors hired by the county later found the cracks and brought them to the attention of the project engineer, Smislova, Kehnemui & Associates, or SK&A. A SK&A official said the cracks could be fixed, but there is no evidence any action was taken, the report states. A woman who answered the phone at SK&A referred all calls to Davis. 

Building Collapse At Upper East Side Construction Site
(New York-WABC, May 20, 2003) — The front of a building at an Upper East Side construction site has collapsed onto the sidewalk. No injuries were immediately reported at the construction site at 204 East 74th Street just before 9 a.m. A building at the site was being demolished when the front of the structure fell. It collapsed onto the scaffolding surrounding the building, and all the material then fell onto the sidewalk. None of the workers were injured, and it did not immediately appear that anyone on the sidewalk was hurt. East 74th Street is closed while authorities secure the scene. 

Crane Topples
A crane came toppling down in downtown Fresno, putting several lives in danger. It happened at the construction site for the new federal building at Tulare and P Streets in downtown Fresno. The crane crashed down just after 8:00am Monday morning, falling on a semi trailer. No one was hurt. The accident is being attributed to operator error. Construction officials are now working on a way to right the fallen machine. 

Accidents kill 2 on Gulf Freeway
Houston Chronicle
Houston police said two people were killed in separate motor vehicle accidents on the Gulf Freeway this morning. A pickup burst into flames, trapping the driver inside, about 2:30 a.m. in the 15000 block of the southbound Gulf Freeway. The driver apparently lost control and struck a guard rail, causing the truck to roll on its side, police said. “The driver was burned beyond recognition,” said HPD spokesman Joe Laud. About three hours later, a construction worker was killed after being hit by a vehicle at a work site in the 6800 block of the Gulf Freeway. The driver, possibly a woman in a red pickup, struck the worker shortly before 6 a.m. and then fled the scene, police said. 

Construction Worker Dies After Falling From Scaffolding
(New York-AP, May 17, 2003) — A 27-year-old construction worker died Saturday when he fell six stories off scaffolding at a residential building in Brooklyn, police said. Lee Keenan of Maspeth, Queens, appeared to have slipped, said Carmen Melendez, a police department spokeswoman. Keenan was pronounced dead on arrival at Woodhull Hospital at 9:10 a.m., less than an hour after the fall. The incident occurred in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. No other injuries were reported, Melendez said.

UPDATE Crane-hire company fined for worklace death that was ‘wholly avoidable’
Robert Grant, an employee of Rumney Crane and Engineering Ltd, Rumney, S.Wales, lost his life in what a Welsh judge described as a “wholly avoidable accident” in March last year. Mr Grant died from injuries he sustained in a 10-metre fall from a crane at his employer’s premises as he undertook electrical work. The company admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in the circumstances of Mr Grant’s death and was fined £15,000 with £1,266 costs at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. Steve Scott, HSE Principal Inspector commented: “Wearing a suitable safety harness would undoubtedly have saved Mr Grant’s life. Firms whose employees work at height should operate the ‘two-metre rule’. In essence, workers should not work within 2 metres of an open edge from which they might fall more than 2 metres unless appropriate precautions have been taken.” 

Welders Caused County Building Fire 
A fire that destroyed the headquarters of Charles County’s Department of Community Services this week was caused by welders who were renovating the 52-year-old building’s heating and air conditioning system, federal and Maryland investigators said. The fire caused more than $2.5 million in damage and destroyed the only copies of waiting lists for the Section 8 low-income housing program, county spokeswoman Nina W. Voehl said yesterday. Officials have stopped taking housing applications until a new list can be made, Voehl said. The fire began in an attic-type space above the building’s boiler room, where a contractor was welding, said W. Faron Taylor, a spokesman for the state fire marshal. Fire marshals and investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives could not determine whether the fire was started by sparks from the welding or from a surge of electricity that welding sends through material, Taylor said. No charges will be filed in connection with the fire, Taylor said. 

Man survives 30-foot fall
Friday, May 16, 2003 By Zeb Carabello
GILROY – An Eagle Ridge construction worker suffered minor internal head injuries Thursday afternoon when a bridge structure he was working on collapsed, sending the man on a 30 foot free fall into a trickling creek. The worker was Francisco Torres, 44, according to Torres’ work partner, who declined to give his name. Rescue crews arrived on the scene around 3:30 p.m. at the south end of Eagle Ridge Court near Bullybunion Drive where Torres fell, eventually pulling him out of the creek and transporting him a quarter mile up the road by ambulance where he was met with a helicopter ambulance that transported him to a Santa Clara Valley hospital. Rescue workers on the scene said Torres was lucky to have full body motion and did not appear to suffer paralysis, and Torres was released from the hospital this morning. “I was on one side of the bridge and Francisco was on the other when it just collapsed,” said Torres’ co-worker. “I saw him and all the materials fall and he was just laying there not saying anything. When I got down there blood was coming out his ears.” Shapell Industries is the developer of the Eagle Ridge area, although several separate construction contractors are believed to be building within the division. When contacted this morning a Shapell official said she was not aware of the accident or which construction company employed Torres. 

One Dead In Lancaster Accident
May 16, 2003
LANCASTER, S.C. — Emergency officials are on the scene of an accident that killed one person in Lancaster. The accident involved four vehicles on Highway 521 south on the bypass. The victim was driving through a construction zone when the car was struck by a vehicle Highway Patrol says was speeding. The victim’s car then went into the median and struck an asphalt truck. Troopers say the car of the driver who was speeding went down an embankment. Authorities say traffic is backed up in the area as a result of the accident.

Ethanol plant worker shocked, but doing OK
Associated Press
BROOKINGS, S.D. – A worker at an ethanol plant under construction in Brookings County was brought to the hospital after getting an electrical shock. Robert Rassel, 39, of Iowa, was conscious and doing OK after the accident Thursday afternoon at the Vera Sun Energy plant near Aurora. He went to the Brookings hospital as a precaution but has since been released. The sheriff said the accident happened when a back hoe unearthed a buried cable and it came in contact with chains being used to move equipment. Rassel was shocked when he touched the chains. 

UPDATE Bosses charged over chimney deaths
TWO company bosses have been charged with manslaughter after a pair of steeplejacks were killed by a fireball which engulfed them while demolishing a chimney in Greater Manchester. Paul Wakefield, 40, and Craig Whelan, 23, were working inside the 200ft tower in Westhoughton, near Bolton, when there was an explosion. Their deaths at the Carnaud Metalbox tin can plant triggered an investigation by Greater Manchester Police and the Health and Safety Executive. Now two of the company’s managers have been charged with manslaughter and police say a third manager, believed to be from Swansea, is to be summoned. Ian Billington, 39, of Conisber Close, Egerton, and Colin Stevens, 57, of Barford Grove, Lostock, each face two counts of manslaughter. They will appear before Bolton magistrates on Tuesday. Father-of-two Paul Wakefield was due home to celebrate his wife Lyn’s 39th birthday and their 17th wedding anniversary when he died. He phoned her at their Nottingham home to say he loved her minutes before he started work on a cradle inside the chimney. But two hours later he and his workmate were engulfed by a huge fireball. They both died instantly in the inferno, which spewed 30ft-high flames into the air for 40 minutes. Mr Wakefield’s widow said after the tragedy: “Paul and I loved each other. That’s the last thing we said to each other and I’m thankful for that. He was a wonderful, devoted family man.” Their daughters Kelly, 16, and Nicola, 12, are still struggling to come to terms with their father’s death. Craig Whelan’s fiancee Jill Wallace, 24, is also struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. The couple, also from Nottingham, had been looking forward to their wedding, which was planned for February this year. They had been living together since they were 17 and had a three-year-old daughter, Katie, who was the “apple of her daddy’s eye”. Miss Wallace said: “Daddy’s girl just didn’t describe it. All she had to do was flutter her eyelashes and he’d do anything for her.” The force of the explosion, which happened on May 23 last year, dislodged a 180ft ladder. The investigation had to be delayed while the site was made safe. The tragedy has shocked fellow workers at Churchill Steeplejacks, in Ruddington, Nottingham. A company statement after the incident said: “The devastating tragic event has left us all shocked and numb. “Our deepest heart-felt condolences and thoughts are with their families.” Mr Wakefield had worked for the family-run firm for eight years. Mr Whelan had been employed there for over two years. Steve Thomas, a spokesman for Carnaud Metalbox’s parent company Crown, Cork and Seal Ltd, said: “We can confirm that two employees are facing charges following the industrial accident at our Westhoughton plant. “The conclusion of our internal investigation of this dreadful accident is that these employees acted at all times conscientiously and with consideration for the safety of others. “They continue to receive our full support as we work with the police and the Health and Safety Executive to establish the cause of the incident.”

Fire extinguished at construction project
FITCHBURG — Firefighters put out flames caused by a construction project Tuesday afternoon inside the UEL Construction building at 270 Airport Road. Deputy Chief Andrew Gallant said welders working on a project to enlarge the building accidentally set fire to insulation inside the building. Firefighters isolated and removed the insulation and put out the fire in about a half hour. Gallant said the fire caused a few thousand dollars worth of damage to the interior of the building. No one was hurt. 

Worker Falls At Soldier Field; Suffers Head Injury After Landing On Head 
May 14, 2003
CHICAGO — A construction worker was hospitalized Wednesday night after falling 8 feet while working on the renovations to Soldier Field. The accident happened just before 11 a.m. The worker suffered lacerations to the head after falling on his head. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where a representative said he was in stable condition Wednesday night. 

Freeways Reopen After Crane Accident; I-5, I-805 Shut Down For Several Hours 
May 14, 2003 
SAN DIEGO — A crane collapsed on Interstate 5 early Wednesday, pulling down power lines, snarling traffic and causing a chaotic commute. The accident closed stretches of Interstates 5 and 805 until midmorning. A southbound stretch of Interstate 5, a main traffic artery linking the North County to downtown, was the last to reopen at noon, more than nine hours after the accident. The closures left tens of thousands of commuters with nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait. About 270,000 vehicles a day that come through this interchange, so it’s a lot of traffic. It impacted all the surface streets and freeways both north and south. It was a headache for commuters and officers,” California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Gregg said. A pregnant woman stuck in traffic called 911 about 6:30 a.m. to report that her water broke. Paramedics were able to reach her and get her to a nearby hospital. Earlier, a truck driver stuck in the backup was arrested for drunken driving, according to CHP officer Phil Konstantin. Amtrak and the Coaster, a commuter railway from Oceanside to San Diego, also were held up for hours. The accident occurred about 2:30 a.m. as Caltrans construction crews were working overnight on a project to widen the I-5 and I-805 merge. A crane was attempting to lift 145 tons of steel rebar into place when it collapsed and knocked down power lines that cross the highway. No one was injured, but nearly 3,000 nearby homes and businesses were left without power for several hours. About 700 people still remained without power as of Wednesday afternoon. Those affected are mostly businesses in the Torrey Pines area, 10News reported. Around 6 p.m. the California Highway Patrol reclosed both lanes of I-5 and northbound I-805 around the merge and State Route 52 to repair power lines. According to 10News, traffic flow was back to normal as of 7 p.m. and cars moved freely on the freeways. San Diego Gas and Electric said it could take several days to fully repair three high-voltage transmission lines and two distribution lines that were damaged. 

Davis Commuters Hit Unpleasant Suprise
May. 15, 2003 Sandra Yi reporting 
Davis County commuters get their patience tested when a big construction project hits an unexpected roadblock. Highway 89 was closed all morning, much to the surprise of commuters. And parts of highway 89 are still closed. Part of the problem is construction crews were installing a sewer line and dug a trench, only to see it begin to collapse. It looked like rush hour– at noon. Chris Lloyd/Driver: “NOBODY LIKES TO GET STUCK IN TRAFFIC FOR A LONG TIME, THAT’S FOR SURE.” But drivers in Davis County had a tough morning commute as a construction project on highway 89 hit a roadblock. Tom Hudachko/UDOT: “AND THIS IS REALLY WHERE WE HAD THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROBLEMS THIS MORNING. YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE ASPHALT STOPS AND THE ROAD BASE BEGINS. ABOUT 20 FEET WIDE.” Crews installing a sewer line ran into trouble when a 10 foot trench sloughed on some unstable soil and expanded. Workers would have to tear up the asphalt and repave. Tom Hudachko/UDOT: “WE’RE STILL HAVING SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE TRENCH HERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PRESSURE IS RELIEVED AND WE’VE GOT SOME CRACKING IN THE ASPHALT HERE.” The problem, though unexpected, caused major headaches and delays for drivers who had no idea the highway was shut down. It was supposed to reopen at 5 am. Chris Lloyd/Driver: “OH, IT WAS ABOUT A HALF HOUR DELAY.” By 10:00 this morning only one southbound lane would open to traffic. Jennifer Cate/Traffic Specialist: “UP IN DAVIS COUNTY, WE STILL HAVE THAT DETOUR.” All northbound lanes are still closed, leaving commuters to think again about the drive home. Trever Breuhn/Driver: “THEY HAVEN’T POSTED IT OR ANYTHING SO I DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT WAS CLOSED OFF UNTIL JUST NOW WHEN I GOT HERE. SO I’VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HOME COMING THE BACK WAY.” Gary Birell/Driver: “NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.” “SO WAS IT FRUSTRATING?” “VERY FRUSTRATING, VERY FRUSTRATING.” Chris Lloyd/Driver: “I’M NOT GOING TO BE TAKING IT TONIGHT.” Highway 89 northbound lanes will be closed until tomorrow morning at 5. The detour is at the Farmington exit. If you take Main Street, you can get back on 89 at Cherry Hill. If you’re heading north, you can stay on I-15 and take the Kaysville exit. A reminder that Lagoon Drive is also closed. UDOT says this project will help ease traffic in Davis County, so the headaches now will be worth it in the long run. 

Fire destroys Anderson carpet store
May 14, 2003 – 4:51 pm By Ron Barnett STAFF WRITER
Fire destroyed a 50-year-old building and $500,000 worth of carpet and hardwood flooring in Anderson on Wednesday, but no one was seriously hurt, officials and the owner of the business said. he blaze, at the Carpet Fashions/Carpet One store at 1620 North Main St., apparently was sparked by roofers using torches, according to Anderson Fire Department spokeswoman Kim Strickland. Businesses within 2 1/2 to three blocks around the building were evacuated because of possibly noxious fumes, she said. Firefighters tried to douse the flames from above with a ladder truck but couldn’t make much headway, Strickland said. “It became too dangerous for firefighters to actually walk on the roof, so we did have to evacuate everyone from the roof and the inside of the building and do an exterior attack,” she said. David Rumph, who owned the carpet business but not the building, said he managed to get computer records out before the building was fully engulfed, but nothing else was saved. There were no customers in the store at the time the fire started, around 1:15 p.m., he said. The business employs eight, most of whom were inside at the time. “Everybody got out safely, but the store started filling up with smoke pretty quickly,” he said. The business was in a former Winn-Dixie building that dated to the 1950s, he said. The value of the building wasn’t immediately known. Rumph was at lunch when he got word that there was a problem on the roof. “They were just about to finish up and were in the back of the building,” he said. “They had put the torch in and were heating up the last bit of the roof and evidently burned through and caught the roof up underneath on fire. “Once it hit, it just went up. That stuff was so dry and old, it was a lost cause.” An official of the roofing company could not be reached. Two or three firefighters were taken to a rehab unit for treatment of smoke inhalation or heat exhaustion, Strickland said, but no one was sent to the hospital. Fire officials were concerned about the possibly noxious smoke from the smoldering carpet and evacuated businesses in the area, including a child care center about 200 feet behind the burning building, a restaurant and a strip mall, she said. There were also calls from nearby residences about the smoke, she said. Firefighters were expected to remain on the scene dousing hot spots through the night, but there was no apparent danger of the fire spreading, Strickland said. 

Man crushed to death by steamroller in freak accident
By Donal Hickey
A MAN was yesterday crushed to death in a freak accident involving a steamroller. The Health and Safety Authority launched an investigation after 54-year-old Tom Flaherty, of Keel, Castlemaine, Co Kerry, died while carrying out roadworks for Kerry County Council. The accident occurred at Lougher, Annascaul, around 10.30am. A number of men were working on the road and it is believed the steamroller rolled back dragging Mr Flaherty underneath. Traffic was delayed for about an hour as emergency services dealt with the accident, the second of its kind on Kerry roads in the past two years. Mr Flaherty is survived by his wife, Eileen, three sons and a daughter. He was described locally as a hard-working, family man who was well respected. Meanwhile, an 18-year-old woman was killed when her car collided with a truck at Lea Road, Portarlington, Co Laois. Two other women in the car, both in their late teens, were seriously injured. The crash happened around 10pm on Tuesday night. One of Dublin’s busiest roads was closed yesterday for a number of hours after two trucks, one containing nitric acid, crashed. Dublin fire brigade, the Hazardous Chemical Unit and gardaí attended the scene on Ashbourne Road.

Wall collapse injures one man 
By James Haynes Wednesday, May 14, 2003
City building officials and OSHA are investigating after a partial wall collapse at 407 Rear Mystic Ave. sent one man to the hospital. EMS medics transported one employee from L.Feinman and Sons, an Acushnet based facility maintenance company, to Massachusetts General Hospital with a possible head injury shortly after 1 p.m. on May 6, after the concrete block wall he and other employees were working on collapsed suddenly. Medford Police and Fire responded to the incident, although the fire department stayed for only a brief period, as Somerville’s fire department arrived on the scene first. Somerville Fire reported the worse injured worker appeared to have suffered a skull fracture. In an incident report, a Somerville firefighter noted, “Two other minor injuries to other workers.” Steve Gubbins, a licensed contractor working for Feinman and Sons, and supervisor of several projects, including the 407 Mystic Ave. job, said the man was not seriously injured. “He was back on the job the next day, as a matter of fact,” said Gubbins. Feinman and Sons were apparently removing blocks from the front and rear walls at AMI Leasing, one of the tenant of the business park at 407 Rear Mystic Ave. The crew was reportedly doing masonry work, repairing and remortaring, when a block fell from the wall and apparently struck one of the workers on the head. Building Commissioner Paul Mochi said work on the site was done without a permit. “There was crew out there and they didn’t have a permit. There was no one there supervising the work, which was done by two or three young kids,” said Mochi. “We also were told by some of the people who work in AMI that they didn’t have hard hats on.” Gubbins, however, disputes some of the Building Department’s claims. He said the injured man was the foreman on the site. He also said the crew was doing minor repairs, and he did not believe it required a building permit. “We were just doing patch work, so to my understanding you don’t need a building permit to do patch work,” said Gubbins. “Unless they changed the rules, as they do all the time. And there was a foreman in charge on the job.” Gubbins said he had visited the AMI site that day, as part of his rounds. Donald Bolanger, another inspector for the city investigating the incident, said there were several evident safety lapses at the building site. “They didn’t have a permit. What they were doing was not secured properly. They were busting some block out of the back wall, but they weren’t really doing anything properly,” said Bolanger. “I know there was some electrical lines that went to the used oil tanks in the back that were still attached to the wall. You had the gas meter right out on the outside of the wall, the same side they were breaking the wall down.” Richard Fazzio, Occupational Safety and Health Administration director for Northeastern Massachusetts, confirmed OSHA is investigating the accident, but declined to offer details. Feinman and Sons, according to a search of OSHA enforcement inspections, does not appear to have any prior citations. Mochi said a representative at AMI told them he was not aware that the work was done without a permit. Mochi said he is requiring AMI to hire a structural engineer to design repairs, hire a licensed contractor to carry them out, and apply for the appropriate building permits before work could resume on the building. AMI Leasing also did not return calls for comment on the collapse. 

Road worker critical after A47 accident
May 14, 2003 11:44
STAFF at a road engineering firm today spoke of their shock at hearing a colleague had been critically hurt while carrying out repairs on the A47. Marcus Frost, 26, of Low Common, Swardeston, was taking measurements on the busy road on Monday afternoon when he was hit by a dark blue Saab 9.5. He suffered serious head and leg injuries and is being treaetd at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Mr Frost, who had been working with a colleague for East Anglian engineering contractors Atkins, was initially taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. The driver of the Saab, a 67-year-old man from Leicestershire, was not injured in the crash which happened less than a mile from the Swaffham side of Church Road, West Bilney. Richard Scrase, marketing manager for the Atkins Group, said the firm wished Mr Frost a speedy recovery. He added: “We were shocked and saddened to learn of the accident and our thoughts and prayers are for Marcus, his family and friends. “We take incidents of this sort extremely seriously and will be conducting our own inquiry. We will cooperate fully in any investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the circumstances.” 

Fallen crane causes power outage: Driver escapes injury, but Natick homeowners are inconvenienced 
By Jon Brodkin Wednesday, May 14, 2003
NATICK — A crane attempting to move a tree tipped over yesterday morning, pulling down wires and causing a power outage to 1,900 homes. The driver, Ernie Tupper of Framingham, escaped serious injury, needing only bandages for cuts on his hand. Tupper was removing a tree for a homeowner at North Avenue and Tibbets Street around 11 a.m., when the three-axle vehicle tipped over, causing the crane to drag down wires. That set off a chain reaction which broke a nearby pole, officials said. Deputy Fire Chief Gene Sabourin said the long crane likely was holding the tree at an angle too close to being parallel with the ground, causing the whole vehicle to tip. “It’s just a matter of too much extension and too much lean,” Sabourin said. The longer the crane, the higher it should be, especially when holding heavy objects, he said. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is leading the investigation into why the crane tipped. Officials were still on the scene as of 6:30 last night. It was taking them many hours to lift the truck upright because of OSHA’s investigation and delays in getting the proper equipment to the scene. The crane was eventually righted and towed just away before dark. The last fire crew left just after 9 p.m. NStar crews, though, worked into the night trying to restore power. Tupper, 35, declined to comment, except to say that his hand was not hurt badly. Natick Sgt. Robert Davis said one of four outriggers used to steady the vehicle broke, another possible cause of the accident. He also said OSHA officials likely will look into whether the tree exceeded the allowed weight the crane can carry. The longer the boom, he said, the less weight it is supposed to haul. NStar spokesman Mike Monahan said all but about six of the 1,900 customers who lost power had it restored within 45 minutes. NStar could not replace a transformer to restore power to the other six until several hours later, when OSHA finished its on-site investigation, he said. Because of the nature of the accident, local officials were required to notify OSHA, which did not arrive until almost two hours after the mishap. Residents who had lost power in their homes milled about the scene, as NStar employees worked to put the lights back on and firefighters and police officers tried to determine how the crane fell. Tupper, whose vehicle was labeled All Time Crane Service, apparently was unsure about why the accident occurred. At one point, he asked several local officials for their opinion on why the crane tipped over. The tree he had been removing from next to the house lay broken on the street. The driveway in which the crane had been working was cracked in the fall. A 38-year-old Tewksbury worker died in a crane accident in Waltham last November. Dennis O’Neil was riding in the extended bucket of a crane when the truck tipped over. In yesterday’s accident, there was no bucket on the crane. Sabourin said the tree was secured to the crane by a cable with a hook. 

Backhoe accident cuts Boston Net service 
By Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff, 5/14/2003 
An errant backhoe blade wrought havoc on Internet service throughout Boston yesterday, and The Boston Globe’s Internet site, Boston.com, was among the victims, as was the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Workers accidentally sliced through a fiber-optic data cable used by Dallas-based Allegiance Telecom Inc., a telecommunications company that hosts the server computers of Boston.com and other local businesses. The accident, which occurred at about 6:45 a.m., disrupted Internet services throughout the day. ”In the Boston area, all of our data customers are affected,” said Allegiance spokesman Michael Caputo. ”They have no service to the public Internet.” Other customers who used Allegiance to carry their telephone traffic also lost voice communications, but Caputo wouldn’t identify the customers. Allegiance began to restore service by late afternoon, with the help of Veroxity Technology Partners Inc., a Boston-based Internet provider, which shared some of its Internet capacity with Allegiance. ”It was a unique situation where we could lend a hand,” said Michael Papell, Veroxity’s director of business development. Randy Brandenburg, Boston.com vice president of product and technology, said the website actually never lost contact with the Internet because it has a secondary data connection. Unfortunately, the domain name service (DNS) computer for the site was still operated by Allegiance, and was knocked offline. A DNS computer is part of a global network of machines that direct visitors to the correct Web servers. If DNS is down, it doesn’t matter whether the Web server is working, because Internet users will have no way of reaching the server. Brandenburg said that Boston.com was aware of the danger before the outage occurred. Next month the site was to adopt a new system that included its own DNS computer. But the cable cut ”got in 16 or 17 days ahead of us,” said Brandenburg. Boston.com moved quickly yesterday to set up a new DNS computer, but Brandenburg said that it wouldn’t do any good until some time today. That’s because the Internet’s entire DNS network must be told how to contact the new DNS computer, and the worldwide directory is updated only once a day. Fortunately, Veroxity came to the rescue, lending 100 megabits of data-carrying capacity to Allegiance. This put the Allegiance DNS computer back on line and restored service to Boston.com at around 5:30 p.m. yesterday. 

Gas explosion destroys home
By Town Crier staff
Santa Clara County firefighters extinguish flames at a Cupertino home that exploded after utility workers accidentally punctured a gas line while working on a home down the street near the Los Altos border May 6. Gas from the damaged gas line filled the house and ignited when it came into contact with a lit pilot light, authorities said. The explosion nearly leveled the home. Nobody was injured in the explosion. The owner told local news stations that he had left for the store to purchase a box of screws for a project he was working on just before the disaster occurred. 

OSHA proposes $49,300 fine for Panhandle bridge worker’s death 
The Associated Press 5/14/03 3:30 PM
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — Federal officials have proposed that two construction companies be fined $49,300 for alleged safety violations found after a bridge worker fell 90 feet to his death. Richard Martin James, 33, of Fountain, hit part of the bridge on the way down before falling into St. Andrew Bay on Dec. 14. The eight-lane bridge on U.S. 98 is expected to be completed later this year. It will replace an existing four-lane bridge connecting Panama City and Panama City Beach. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking fines of $29,000 against Granite Construction Co. of Watsonville, Calif., and $20,300 against Granite-Rizzani de Echer, a joint venture between Granite and an Italian company. OSHA investigators found two violations contributed to the death: failure to properly secure ladders and lack of proper equipment to prevent falls such as safety harnesses or guard rails, said James Borders, the agency’s Jacksonville area director. Borders said six other violations unrelated to the death were discovered including the lack of a facility where workers could wash corrosive materials from their eyes, tripping hazards and exposed steel rods that could impale a falling worker. All of been corrected, Borders said. The companies have 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed fines before an independent review commission. Granite spokesman Michael Lawson said his company, the senior partner in the joint venture, will decide how to respond after meeting with Borders some time before the deadline.

UPDATE MOSCOW FIRE KILLS TEN 
A fire at a Moscow building site has killed ten people and hospitalised one worker. Initial investigation suggests it was sparked by welding equipment being used in the construction of a three?story parking facility. It’s being reported that migrant workers from former Soviet Republics who work there were forbidden by the private security to talk to the media or to ask for assistance when the fire started.
Source: WorldWatch

EMS Crashes On Way To Rescue Worker; Roof Collapses At Construction Site
May 13, 2003
A construction worker was reportedly trapped as the result of a roof collapse in Chesterfield Township Tuesday morning. The accident happened at 10:50 a.m. on the construction site located on 23 Mile Road, near Interstate 94. Chesterfield Township police said this is the third time the roof has blown down due to high winds since the building has been under construction. The construction worker reportedly suffered a broken leg. The Chesterfield Township Fire Department said an emergency medical services crew responding to the scene was delayed because it was also in an accident. There were no reported injuries in the EMS crash at 23 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue. Stay with ClickOnDetroit.com and Local First News for the latest developments.

Construction worker killed in accident 
05/13/2003 
A construction worker was killed on Monday in an industrial accident in Kingston. Kingston police said Neil Metcalf, 62, of Stillwater, died when a 12-foot steel I-beam fell on him. The accident occurred at the site of the former Mack Truck Co. building, 135 S. Wyoming Ave., at 1:06 p.m. The building is being renovated for new occupancy. Police said Metcalf died after the I-beam he was welding shifted and fell, striking him in the face and chest. The I-beam was being placed over a doorway approximately 12 feet high and was being held by a forklift. Police said one side of the I-beam was welded, and the weld broke lose, causing the beam to fall on Metcalf, who was on a ladder. Metcalf was transported by Kingston Emergency Medical Services personnel to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where he later died from the injuries. Coroner Dr. George Hudock performed an autopsy at 6:15 p.m. and ruled that Metcalf died from multiple traumatic injuries. Police are not filing any charges and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been called to investigate. 

Safety a concern after fire
By W. MATT MEYER May 13 2003
As a downtown trash bin fire spewed billowing black smoke in the air, John Allen looked up from his work a few blocks away. Allen was overseeing repair work at one of his downtown buildings hurt in last week’s tornado. When he first saw the smoke, he didn’t think much about it. Then he realized where it was. The trash bin was outside Allen’s Liberty Square Apartments, at the corner of Lafayette and Liberty streets. The building, along with several other of Allen’s properties, had sustained roof and water damage during the tornado. The repair job at Liberty had just been finished Monday afternoon. But about 4 p.m., a trash container filled with old asphalt roofing ignited and the intense heat singed the outside of the building and damaged some windows and exterior trim work. Several dozen downtown workers gathered to watch as four fire trucks struggled to put out a stubborn tar fire. No one was injured. “Bring some hot dogs, we’ll have a wienie roast down here,” Allen said on a cell phone as he surveyed the activity. “I just don’t believe this.” Jackson Fire Chief Kenneth Lay said he was unsure what caused the blaze. He guessed that some of the roofing materials might have ignited through spontaneous combustion. Allen, a general contractor, thinks something was thrown into the dumpster and ignited the fire. “That’s the only thing that makes sense to me,” he said. The apartments are mostly occupied, but no one was home at the time. Allen said another tenant was supposed to move in this week. “Oh well,” he said. A doctor staying in the apartment that received the most exterior damage during Monday’s blaze had moved into Liberty Street because he had been burned out of his Gordon Street house last month, Allen said. “He’s not going to believe this, two fires in one month,” Allen said. This is also the second fire at Liberty Street in the last four months. A spark from a torch repairing the roof in February set a fire that damaged the roof and part of the third floor. Repair work from that accident had just ended the eek before the tornado struck, Allen said. “And the hits just keep on coming,” Allen said. “I’d have to get better now before I could die.” Lay said the incident should remind all who are cleaning up from the tornado and involved in rebuilding efforts to redouble their safety efforts. Though he was unsure of the cause of this fire, Lay said mixing certain chemicals – like carpet adhesives or roof tar – can cause fires to ignite easily. Lay also warned cleanup crews to not place debris where it might trip someone. “Some people might trip on it unless it is clearly marked,” Lay said. Also, debris should not cover up fire hydrants, he said. Wes Forsythe, co-owner of Nando Jones, was outside cleaning up on Lafayette and could see the commotion of the downtown fire Monday afternoon. He said he is trying to keep his debris away from the building to stay safe. “It’s a monumental cleanup job,” he said. “I’m just trying to get a handle as to what we can do.” 

Buildings evacuated after gas line break
News Herald reports 
PORT CLINTON — A construction crew restoring West Perry Street broke a 3-inch gas main Monday, causing about two dozen people to be evacuated from local stores for more than 40 minutes. Workers and shoppers at Great Scot grocery and Goodyear-Fanmark Tire & Auto Service were asked to leave the stores until the gas was shut off, said Port Clinton Fire Chief Chuck O’Neal this morning. “We checked the buildings afterwards once they did come in and shut the main off,” the chief said. “It was at lunch time so it affected the businesses.” Construction crews broke the main right at noon, and it took a little more than an hour for Columbia Gas to get the line shut off and repaired. Since the break was closer to Jackson Street than to Monroe Street, authorities shut down Jackson until the gas flow was stopped. No one was injured in the hour-long ordeal. It could not be determined this morning which construction crew caused the break. 

Worker hospitalized after fall from Davenport construction site
UPDATED: 5/13/03 1:59 PM
DAVENPORT – A worker is hospitalized after he fell from the roof of the Super Wal-Mart under construction in Davenport. Jose Martinez, 26, was working at the site of the new store in the 3100 block of West Kimberly Road. He apparently was lifting some building materials and stepped onto an unsupported area of the roof. Martinez fell 22 feet onto concrete. He was taken to Genesis East, and later flown to University Hospitals in Iowa City. There is no word on his condition at last report. 

Lightning Injures Two Men In House 
By: By BILL JONES/Staff Writer Source: The Greeneville Sun 05-07-2003 
Two men were injured about noon Tuesday in a freak incident in which a lighting bolt struck the southern Greene County house on which they were working. A Sheriff’s Department report identified the victims as Ronnie Hensley, 51, of Chad Shelton Road, and Dan Macon, 59, of Cedar Creek Road. Initially reported as an explosion, the lightning strike occurred shortly before noon Tuesday at a house under construction on Davy Crockett Drive across the Asheville Highway from the Victory Church of God. Authorities said the lightning strike was accompanied by a loud explosion-like sound, which was heard over a wide area extending at least from the South Greene Volunteer Fire Department, located south of the Nolichucky River, to the south side of Greeneville itself a few miles away. Robbie Babb, an Emergency Medical Service technician who was manning the Response One “medical first responder unit” at the South Greene VFD on Tuesday, said he heard the sound there. Babb was subsequently dispatched by Greene County 911 to Davy Crockett Drive, where he examined Hensley and Macon. The two were injured when lightning struck a house adjacent to 170 Davy Crockett Drive on which they had been doing inside work. Both men later were transported to Laughlin Memorial Hospital by EMS ambulances, according to a report filed by Deputy Sheriff Howard Gale. A hospital spokesman said this morning that, because of new federal privacy regulations, the hospital could not release any information about the condition of either victim. However, a subsequent check with officials at the Johnson City Medical Center indicated that Hensley had been transferred there and was listed in good condition this morning. Deputy Sheriff Gale said he was told by witnesses at the scene that Hensley had been standing on a fiberglass ladder inside the house drilling a hole through a rafter through which electrical wiring was to be passed when the lightning bolt struck. Macon, who also was injured, was standing nearby at the time of the lightning strike. Damage to the house near a second-story window on the north end of the house indicated that the lightning bolt apparently struck there. A powerful electrical charge from the lighting bolt literally blew apart the electric drill Hensley was using, according to Gale. Witnesses at the scene told a Greeneville Sun photographer that the fiberglass ladder on which Hensley had been standing at the time of the lightning strike might have somewhat insulated him, and that his injures probably would have been worse had he been standing on a metal ladder. Also responding to the “explosion” were Sheriff’s Lt. Jakie Christy, two Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers, and units of the South Greene Volunteer Fire Department. Lt. Christy, a Sheriff’s Department veteran, said he had never before heard of an incident in which someone inside a house was injured by a lightning strike.

Ten Moscow builders die in basement parking fire
MOSCOW, May 12 (Reuters) – Ten building workers died on Monday in a fire that tore through a partially-built elite housing complex in Moscow, the Russian capital’s fire service said. It was in a basement, where the underground parking will be. There were 10 dead,” a spokesman said. The Alye Parusa (Scarlet sails) complex of three yellow towers sits on the banks of the Moskva river in northwestern Moscow, and has been marketed as a high-quality housing development for Russia’s rich. Television footage showed smoke billowing from windows on the lower floors. TVS television said the fire was caused by exploding gas cylinders used in high-temperature welding. “According to preliminary information, we can say there was a violation of security regulations,” Vladimir Rodin, deputy head of the city fire service, told TVS. In a separate incident, three people were killed and one injured in a fire at an industrial estate in Russia’s second city of St Petersburg, Interfax news agency reported. 

Worker seriously injured
Staff Reporter
A worker was seriously injured yesterday after he fell off a wooden plank two-and-a-half storeys up, police said yesterday. The 34-year-old Syrian worker, from St Paul’s Bay, who was carrying out plastering and painting work in an office in Zachary Street, fell into an internal yard. The accident, which took place at around 3pm, happened after the plank became dislodged, police said. Valletta police are investigating. 

Construction Accident Costs Man Part of Leg
5/9/2003 by Stephanie Scurlock 
Memphis,TN- A day after a construction worker amputates part of his leg in a construction accident he is listed in good condition at the Med’s trauma unit. The construction crew were he worked continues its job replacing a city of Memphis sewer line. They are working in a tunnel underneath railroad tracks near Wells Station Road and Chelsea. The injured construction worker is identified as 48 year old Gldino Santiana. The owner of White Contracting, where he worked says Santiana stepped in a hole and got his leg caught on a auger. The auger is used to clear dirt out of the tunnel. “It looks like a drill bit inside a tube. And, that’s what it is. When he stepped off in it. The drill bit or auger pressed his leg against the exterior tube or casing and that’s what cut his foot off,”says Charlie White. White says santiana worked for his company for about 5 months and knew his job well. This he says is just a horrible accident. “He’s used to it. Everybody knows the auger is there. They know it’s dangerous. We try to watch these people and unfortunately it just happened,”says White. White says those who continue to work on the job a day after the accident know the job can sometimes be dangerous. accident. “They understand accidents. Unfortunately, in our business we’re around a lot of heavy machinery and equipment. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it does happen,”says White. Doctors had hoped to reattach the part of Santiana’s severed leg but they couldn’t. However according to physicians, it is better for him that he amputated his leg below the knee than above it. It’s makes the fitting of a prosthesis a little easier. 

Worker buried alive as mud wall collapses 
By Karthik Subramanian CHENNAI MAY 11. 
A casual labourer who was digging a well inside a candy factory in Old Washermanpet on Sunday was buried alive when the sand wall collapsed on him, due to the lack of proper safety procedures. The mishap, reported to have occurred at around 2.15 p.m., when the labourer, V. Ramakrishnan, dug the well with three others including his wife, Shanti, inside a candy factory on Telugu Chetty Street to a depth of around 15 feet. Another labourer, Janardhanan, was also caught when the sand caved in but he was rescued as he was above Ramakrishnan. The Fire and Rescue services said they received the rescue call at 2.29 p.m. and a unit from Old Washermanpet station was rushed to the spot. Even while Janardanan was rescued immediately with the help of the locals, Ramakrishnan was already buried under four feet of sand. A police team headed by the Deputy Commissioner (Washermanpet), A.G.Maurya, said the owner of the factory, A.P. Natarajan, had not acquired proper permission with Metrowater to sink the well nside the factory premises. Mr. Natarajan has been arrested. The police were not willing to accept the statement that the well was being dug for rainwater harvesting purposes. Clearly, the well was being dug inside a roofed factory premises, the officer added. The Fire and rescue services headed by the Divisional Fire Officer (North), K.Bakthavatchalam, determined that the well was dug up without placing concrete sleeves along the circumference of the well to prevent the sand from sliding in. “We could not risk letting anyone else enter the well as there was a possibility that they too would get stuck,” the officer said. In effect, the rescue operation was reduced to a `recovery’ operation and dragged for nearly four hours with five rescue units working together. Meanwhile, tension was building on the street outside with a large crowd gathering to witness what was going on. For the public, it was almost a replay of the accident in another North Chennai locality, Mannadi in August 2001 when six-year-old Tamilmani died after falling into an incomplete open bore well. The wife of the labourer, Shanti, who was a witness to the `rescue’ operations was getting hysterical with every passing hour, even while the Fire Service personnel struggled to get the hardware needed for the rescue operation, such as `S-shaped’ hooks. The police tried to pacify the crowd and even prevented some of Ramakrishnan’s relatives and colleagues who were willing to risk an accident and get into the well. “We cannot risk more lives as we fear that he is already dead,” an officer said. By 6-30 p.m., when the body of Ramakrishnan was removed from the well by dragging the rope with a clamp fixed to his body, the streets outside were near empty resembling a curfew of sorts. The public were not allowed to pass through the street. Only a few political volunteers and the local councillor, Vannai Ganapathy (ward 9) were present. The body was transferred to a waiting ambulance and taken to the Stanley Hospital for post mortem. Meanwhile, the local residents pointed out that the acute water scarcity was prevailing in the region and wondered what precautions would need to be taken, as more wells would be sunk in the coming months.

Construction Worker Loses Leg
May 9, 2003
Memphis, TN – A construction worker is hospitalized this afternoon after falling 75 feet and losing a leg in the process. The accident happened near Chelsea and Well Station roads in northeast Memphis. The construction worker is identified as 48-year old Galdino Santiana. He is recovering at the Med. Santiana worked for White Contracting. He was a part of a work crew putting a tunnel under a railroad track on Wells Station. The owner of the company says he severed the part of his left leg near his ankle. The worker was flown to the med in critical condition along with his amputated leg. Doctors are working to see if it can be reattached. 

UPDATE OSHA cites firm for alleged safety violations 
By Christine Gillette
NEW CASTLE – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will fine a Portsmouth contractor $57,100 in connection with a worker’s four-story fall at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel. Courtcon Inc., of Portsmouth – an affiliate of Ocean Properties, the company that owns the Wentworth – is being cited by OSHA for what the agency called “alleged willful, repeat and serious violations” of safety laws. The citation for a willful workplace hazard, carrying a proposed fine of $49,000, is for circumstances surrounding the January fall of a Courtcon worker that resulted in serious injuries. The worker fell 40 to 50 feet and required hospitalization, said David May, OSHA’s New Hampshire area director. The accident occurred when Courtcon was using a forklift to raise a pallet of material to a wall opening for transfer into the building, according to OSHA. An employee removing material from the pallet fell when that material shifted unexpectedly. The citation was issued, May said, because the worker should have been ted or secured against a potentially fatal fall. “When you’re working close to an edge or open wall or floor, you either need something like a guard in front of you. Probably the best thing they could have done was use a safety harness,” May said. “They didn’t have or were not using that equipment for the operation.” The citation is classed as willful, defined by OSHA as “one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.” While neither OSHA nor Ocean Properties officials would detail the extent of the injuries suffered, the worker has not returned to work since the accident and is undergoing physical rehabilitation, Richard Ade, Ocean Properties chief financial officer, said Thursday. “He’s presently in therapy. Our benefits person spoke to his sister just this past Monday and he seemed to be doing well,” Ade said. “It was an unfortunate accident. We’ve done what we can think to assist him and the timing for OSHA is just coincidence, I guess.” The historic hotel is scheduled to reopen on May 15. In addition to the citation issued in connection to the fall, OSHA is proposing additional fines for other violations, $5,100 for an exposed electrical panel and fall hazards associated with misuse of stepladders and failure to train employees in their safe use, and $3,000 for an alleged repeat violation for improper storage of oxygen and acetylene cylinders. Courtcon was cited in August 2002 for what OSHA called a “substantially similar hazard” at the same site. Courtcon has 15 days to appeal the proposed fines or request an informal conference with OSHA to discuss the penalties. Ade said no decision has been made yet on whether the company will appeal. “I just got copies of (the citations) today,” he said. “We haven’t yet had a chance to review them. After we have some time to review them, we’ll decide which way we’ll respond.” Courtcon is a safe company to work for, Ade said. “We make every effort to have a safe work environment, to abide by OSHA rules. Construction sites at some times have some risks and we try to mitigate them the best we can.” 

£75,000 fine for Imperial Museum worker death firm 
Following the death of a worker in 1998 from scaffolding erected around the Imperial War Museum in London, the steel erection company responsible has been fined £75,000, it has been announced. One of UK’s largest steel erection companies, William Hare Limited of Bury, Lancashire, was fined yesterday after Norwich-based scaffolder Brian Knights fell to his death in April five years ago. Knights and another man, Richard Bartram who escaped serious injury, had been standing on a wooden staging board resting on two horizontal steel beams, 13 metres above the ground. They were retrieving a ladder that gave access to the top of a column of scaffolding where steel channels had been bolted into position a few days earlier. The board became unbalanced and tipped both men off. William Hare pleaded guilty to breaching section 21 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states that, ‘It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of al his employees.’ Inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that the scaffolding had not been constructed well enough to cover the erection of steel channels. This had led to the firm bodging together a makeshift system: ‘This dreadful accident has highlighted the need for the most detailed planning and preparation for all high-risk activities such as steel erection. This accident could have been avoided if the company had specified a safe system of work undertaken with suitable supervision,’ he said. The prosecution is a positive action for the HSE which is currently the target of a National Audit Office investigation into whether the safety body is using public money wisely in combating deaths in the construction industry. In 2001-02, 79 workers were killed in the construction industry, the highest contribution of any sector out of the total 249 worker deaths the UK. A further 4,700 construction workers suffered serious injuries, and many more suffered and died from long-term health effects such as musculoskeletal disorders: ‘Our examination will focus on whether the Health and Safety Executive has effective strategies in place to secure improvements in the health and safety record of the construction industry and what effect the strategies are having,’ say the NAO. 

Construction worker dies when drill touches power line
A Temple Terrace man was killed when the drilling pipe he was using touched 7,200-volt electrical lines, officials said. Daniel Rivera, 43, was pronounced dead about one hour after the incident, which occurred late Thursday morning. Rivera worked for Nutting Engineers of Florida Inc., officials said. Pasco County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Campbell said the death was “avoidable,” but that investigators found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. John Pita, one of Rivera’s co-workers, said the drillers relied on drawings provided by Rimkus Consulting Group. Michael Powell, a co-consultant at Rimkus, told Campbell he had “misaligned the drawing 180 degrees,” a mistake that put the drilling too close to power lines. 

Workmates rescue stricken steelworker 
09 May 2003 By BERNIE NAPP
A steelworker suffering convulsions high up scaffolding in Wellington was saved by workmates and elite rescue crews. “He tripped on a piece of scaffolding tubing. He reached out to break his fall, grabbed at the rails of the protective barrier, missed that – he struck the side of his head or neck on the bottom rail,” Sergeant Andrzej Kowalczyk, of Wellington, said yesterday. The man had a seizure and started writhing toward the edge of the Victoria University construction site platform. Two Atco Steel co-workers then held him down to stop him falling several metres on to Kelburn Pde, Mr Kowalczyk said. Police interviewed two people who saw the accident at 8.50am at the Easterfield Building where a new entrance is being built. Occupational Safety and Health will investigate. Wellington Free Ambulance Rescue Squad members and Fire Service officers fastened the man into a fibreglass stretcher and lowered it on secured ropes to a waiting ambulance for transport to Wellington Hospital. Rescue Squad leader Wayne Gray said rope techniques were used in only a few emergency operations in Wellington each year. “We told him to keep his hands together on the way down so he wouldn’t snag on anything. He was conscious enough to know what he was doing.” The managing director of university contractor McKee Fehl, Maurice Clark, said the man, a sub-contracted rigger from Atco Steel, had been working on a a canopy for the new entrance. The man had fainted, rather than tripped, Mr Clark had been told. Seizures in such events were not unusual. The patient was expected to be discharged from hospital. Victoria University public affairs director Jude Urlich said the new entrance was part of a $14 million campus upgrade.

Construction Worker Rescued From Collapsed Trench 
A Tri-state construction worker who became trapped in a collapsed trench Friday morning has been rescued after more than two and a half hours. Nita Lunsford, 32, of New Lebanon, was working at the De Sales Plaza construction site, at the intersection of Madison and Woodburn in Walnut Hills, when an old foundation collapsed around her. Lunsford, who works for Reece-Campbell Construction Company, was stuck in between two walls 12 feet below ground while rescuers worked to dig her out. The rescue took more than two and a half hours because Urban Search and Rescue crews had to shore up the ground around Lunsford to keep the old foundation from collapsing more. Lunsford’s main injury was to her left leg, which was the only part of her body that had become trapped. She was alert and talking with emergency crews during the entire rescue which ended at 1:45 p.m. Friday. Lunsford’s sister was on the scene during the rescue and called her a ‘strong woman who has been through a tough ordeal.’ DeSales Plaza in East Walnut Hills will include shops and apartments when it is completed. 

Workers Trapped In Southern Iowa Trench Collapse; Investigators Blame Rain, Soft Soil For Accident
May 8, 2003
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa — Officials in Mount Pleasant said Thursday all the rain may have been a factor in a trench collapse Wednesday, which trapped two city utility workers for about 15 minutes. Randy Carver, of Mount Pleasant, and Jake Syfert, of Salem, were working in the trench when it caved in. Lori Glanzman, of Mount Pleasant Municipal Utilities, said Syfert was buried up to his hips and Carver was buried above his chest. Other utility workers quickly dug the men out. Glanzman said the hole was dug correctly, with the sides shored up and reinforced. She said the ground in the area had been dug up before, and combined with the rain, made the ground soft.

Worker Suffers from Electric Shock
May 9, 2003 — A worker suffered a serious electric shock atop a ladder today. It happened at 12th and Chew in Fern Rock at 2pm. The man was putting siding up on a house and one of the pieces of siding hit a line and the man was shocked. After being shocked the 50 year old man fell approximately 50 feet onto concrete and brought wires down with him. He was rushed to Einstein Hospital. PGW and PECO responded to the scene. The man was working on an area line which can carry anywhere from 4-13 thousand volts. A fire department battalion chief reported a strong odor of natural gas when he arrived at the scene. PGW said they are investigating the cause of the leak at this time. Power is currently out in the area.

5 Die in Explosion, Landslide Buries 30 Others in China Accidents
VOA News 11 May 2003, 15:38 UTC
At least five workers are dead and the fate of more than 30 others is unknown after two accidents in southern China. The official Xinhua news agency says both accidents occurred Sunday morning. More than 30 road construction workers were buried in a landslide Sunday outside the village of Baoutou in Guizhou Province. Xinhua did not say whether any of the highway builders survived. It said Guizhou’s Communist Party secretary, governor and other officials are leading rescue efforts. Five factory workers died in a chemical plant explosion in neighboring Yunnan province. The news agency said a sixth worker was seriously injured in the blast at the factory in the capital, Kunming.

Worker crushed to death under crane
CHIBA — A construction worker was fatally crushed Thursday when a 47-meter long crane came falling down on him in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, police said. Takashi Kokubun, 54, died instantly. Two of his colleagues were also hurt in the accident. Police said the crane was trying to lift a wall at a construction site. It toppled when the arm of the crane was stretched to the maximum 47-meters, construction officials said. The area was very windy at the time. Police are also investigating a claim that operators of the crane forgot to put weights on the crane to prevent it from toppling. (Compiled from Mainichi and wire reports, Japan, May 8, 2003)

Two workers hurt in A.C. scaffold collapse
By BRIDGET MURPHY Staff Writer, (609) 272-7257, E-Mail
ATLANTIC CITY – Two construction workers were injured Wednesday when a scaffold collapsed beneath them as they were repairing brick work on a South Pennsylvania Avenue office building. Authorities said one man suffered a compound leg fracture and the other may have broken both his ankles. The incident happened just before 3:30 p.m. at 26 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Construction worker Phil Crites said his two colleagues were on ladders atop the scaffold and fell about 25 to 30 feet to the ground as he watched in horror. “We were just about to pack up,” said Crites, 20, of Ocean City, who has a phobia about working on ladders. “That’s why they left me on the ground. They know I hate ladders. Now they know why.” Firefighters and medics responded to the scene, giving the victims oxygen while securing them to backboards and stretchers. Both victims were conscious. A bloody white sock, a baseball cap and two work boots lay among the broken pieces of red scaffold authorities secured behind police tape while waiting for investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who probe construction accidents, to arrive at the scene. Crites identified one of the victims as his cousin, 39-year-old Jim Waterman, of Somers Point, who owns the company, Waterman Plastering, that was doing the brick-repair job. The other victim, who also appeared to be in his late 30s, he knew only as “Danny.” Authorities couldn’t immediately provide the victims’ names or ages. Acting Fire Battalion Chief Bob Palamaro said it appeared as though the accident was caused by the force of the ladders pushing against the building while they were on top of the scaffold, but that further investigation is necessary. The three-story brick office building houses several businesses, including an accounting firm, law offices and the Civil Rights Division of the state Department of Law and Public Safety. It was unclear Wednesday who had contracted for the construction work. 

UPDATE Crane accident again claims man from firm; Same company employed workers killed at Miller Park
By LINDA SPICE Last Updated: May 7, 2003
A Minnesota man killed in the city’s first fatal crane accident since the 1999 Big Blue crash worked for the same company that employed the three ironworkers killed in the Miller Park tragedy. According to a Milwaukee County medical examiner’s report, Edward Dern died Tuesday afternoon when an 616-pound steel beam fell on him during construction of Cathedral Place, a $52 million development near N. Jackson and E. Wells streets that will include parking, condominiums and offices. Dern, a married father of four who was working for Danny’s Construction Co., based in Shakopee, Minn., died at the accident scene. An ironworker since age 16, Dern, 35, had Preacher written on his hard hat. Outside of his construction work, he was the pastor of Apostolic House of Prayer in Worthington, Minn., and was studying with Aenon Bible College to finish pastoral credits, according to obituary information released by Dingmann Funeral Home, which is handling services for Dern in Minnesota. He was hired as the varsity soccer coach for the Worthington Senior High School and recently took the U-14 traveling team to the state level, winning two gold medals. He was active in his community’s YMCA and with other youth groups. Dern was to celebrate his wedding anniversary on Friday with his wife, Angela, the funeral home reported. George Yoksas, area director for Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the incident was the first crane accident causing a fatality in Milwaukee since Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave and Jerome Starr died on July 14, 1999, when the Big Blue crane toppled while lifting a 450-ton roof piece on the Miller Park project. The three men were employed by Danny’s Construction. Company officials at the Minnesota office for Danny’s Construction referred a reporter to the Milwaukee office, where officials said they had no comment about Tuesday’s incident nor about Dern. Government documents on the OSHA Web site confirm that the company also was involved in the Miller Park project. Yoksas said Tuesday’s accident remained under investigation. He said two people from OSHA were interviewing witnesses, employees and contractors and would be checking into worker training in the next few weeks. Milwaukee police Lt. Eric Moore said the case is also being investigated by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s Office. Developer Joel Lee, one of four owners of the Cathedral Place building, said OSHA officials had just visited the work site two weeks ago and reported no problems. He said Danny’s Construction was a subcontractor hired by another subcontractor working for KBS Construction, the general contractor. “Everything seemed to be OK,” he said. “We just got word about this late yesterday. Everybody around here is just very upset by it. It’s unfortunate. We just don’t have any idea as to what the cause of it was. It just seems to be basically an industrial accident. It’s a tragic one, too.” The medical examiner’s report says Dern died of crushing chest injuries as well as other injuries to his head and extremities as a result of blunt force trauma from the falling beam. Preliminary accounts contained in the report indicate Dern and another worker were in a parking lot near the construction site linking two steel beams to a crane. Dern’s job was to place the choke on the beam and hook it to the crane. The choke is located in the middle of the beam and tightens when the beam is lifted, according to the report. The accounts indicate the crane had lifted two beams 50 to 100 feet in the air when the other worker noted that the lower beam was not hooked up right. The crane operator, a third worker, was given instruction to lower the beam down. When it was about 26 feet from the ground, the lower beam fell off the hook and landed on Dern. 

Construction Site Accident Causes Explosion
May 7 — A bizarre accident at a construction site in Cupertino ended with an explosion and a fire that burned down the house next door. It happened at Imperial and Granada avenues around 2:45 Wednesday afternoon. The fire department says a construction worker hit a gas main with a backhoe and vapors drifted to the house next door. The explosion was a shock to everyone. One woman was injured with minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. A male with minor injuries was treated at the scene. 

Worker may have incurred spinal injury
Aworker who was installing Sheetrock in a new housing development in Salinas fell Wednesday and may have suffered a spinal injury. The 22-year-old was contracted to work on the Creekbridge development near the Twin Creek Golf Course off Constitution Boulevard. He apparently lost his balance and fell backward on to a pile of Sheetrock, said Salinas firefighter paramedic Paul Fenwick. The man, whose name and employer were not released, told paramedics he could not feel anything below his diaphragm. A helicopter was called to rush the man to Valley Medical Center in Santa Clara, Fenwick said. 

House explosion kills worker; Flooring chemicals may be root cause of blast, officials say 
05/07/2003 By L. Anne Newell ARIZONA DAILY STAR 
A 37-year-old man was fatally injured Tuesday afternoon in an explosion at a Sabino Canyon-area home he was helping to remodel, officials said. Russell Norman Behrman was pronounced dead at Tucson Medical Center at 3:10 p.m., about an hour and 45 minutes after the explosion at a home at North Moccasin Trail and East Sunrise Drive, said Deputy Steve Easton, spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Behrman, an independent contractor, suffered severe head injuries in the incident, which also hurt his 18-year-old co-worker, David Brown, Easton said. Brown was treated and released at TMC. Rural/Metro Fire District Chief George Good said Behrman and Brown had been installing a new floor throughout the home, including laying wood laminate above a sunken floor in the living room. Investigators said the work involved ether-based chemicals, which produced vapors that became trapped between the two layers of floor. They suspect a spark from a nail gun ignited the vapors, causing an explosion powerful enough tthrow Behrman head-first into the 8- to 9-foot-high ceiling. The explosion also caused a blast wave that shattered windows in the house, Good said. It did not start any fires, but left residual smoke, he said. “From what I saw in there, it was a pretty severe explosion,” Easton said. The noise brought neighbors rushing outside to see smoke drifting out the front door. “It was huge,” said Cristine Fridena, who lives across the street from the home. Margarete Sokser, who also lives across the street, was talking with a friend when she heard the blast. “I heard a loud sound and said to my friend, ‘Did you hear that? It sounded like an explosion.’ I looked out the window and couldn’t see anything,” she said. “Five minutes later, the police and the firetrucks were out there.” Sokser said the workers had been at the house since last week, performing heavy work. She’d even stopped to chat with them the day before. The owner was expected to come in Friday, she said. “It’s so tragic, I can’t believe it,” she said. Brown, of the 8100 block of East Speedway, called 911 on his cell phone at 1:24 p.m., officials said. Neither he nor his family could be reached for comment. Efforts to reach relatives of Behrman, who lived in the 800 block of South Stewart Place, also failed. One of the many people who stopped to watch the aftermath of the explosion was the home’s former owner, Mike Katz, who said he and his wife sold the home last August but stayed there as renters through April. His family still lives in the area and he was driving past Tuesday when he noticed all the trouble outside his old home and stopped. “I’m flabbergasted,” he said. He and his family bought the home new 19 years ago and had extensive work done, he said, starting a complete remodeling project five years ago. “There’s been construction for years and we’ve never had problems,” he said. “My wife and I are beyond words. That’s all I can say. We’ve got memories for 19 years there, my kids grew up there and we never had an accident once in that house. I wish I knew what happened.” 

Beam falls, kills construction worker; Downtown accident under investigation
By KELLY WELLS May 6, 2003
A 35-year-old construction worker was killed Tuesday when a steel I-beam being lifted by a crane fell on him at a downtown Milwaukee construction site, authorities said. The man was working on the parking structure for the Cathedral Place development being built on the southeast corner of N. Jackson and E. Wells streets. He was in a small lot on the east side of Jackson St. when he was killed. Authorities declined to release the man’s name or to say for which construction firm the man worked because his family had not been notified. When rescue personnel arrived, the man’s co-workers had already lifted the beam off him, Milwaukee Fire Department Lt. Randy Hamburger said, but the man died at the scene. Hamburger estimated the beam weighed between 800 and 1,000 pounds. KBS Construction, the general contractor for the project, said the man who was killed did not work for KBS. Larry Breneman, vice president of Madison operations, said he was at the site at the time of the accident, but he declined to speculate on what went wrong, saying the accident was under investigation. “Our heart goes out to his family,” Breneman said of the man who died. A representative of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration who was at the accident site also declined to comment and referred questions to the agency’s Milwaukee office, which had closed for the day. Cathedral Place, a $52 million development, will include parking, condos and offices. 

PM’s jet hangar collapses
By ALISON REHN in Canberra 08may03
TWELVE workers were injured when an $11 million hangar being built for Prime Minister John Howard’s VIP jets collapsed yesterday. Dozens of workers fled as the structure at the Fairbairn RAAF base at Canberra airport fell inwards from its centre before noon. Airport managing director Stephen Byron said the gradual collapse of the roof allowed most of the workers to escape serious injury. “The roof did collapse slowly so that the structure was taking the weight as it was collapsing,” he said. “We’re very fortunate in that it did allow a number of the workers to ride the roof down and other workers to move clear of the falling structure. The cause . . . is unclear, however the site has been closed and the builders will be co-operating with ACT Workcover who will undertake the primary investigation.” Of the 55 people on site, Mr Byron said “a number” were on the hangar’s roof when it collapsed. One worker sustained serious head injuries and had to be treated on the collapsed roof before being rescued by the ACT Fire Brigade. Five workers suffered suspected spinal injuries, while another six received minor injuries. All were taken to Canberra Hospital. A Department of Defence spokeswoman said it was being built through a lease with the Canberra International Airport and will house the Government’s fleet of VIP aircraft, which transport the Prime Minister, Governor-General and other government ministers around Australia and overseas. The fleet includes two Boeing 737 business jets and three smaller jets. “The hangar was designed to house five special purpose aircraft,” the spokeswoman said. The hangar was due for completion in July. 

Worker dies in fall 
By MAZEN MAHDI MANAMA
A Bangladeshi worker was killed when he fell from the second storey of a building under construction in Juffair yesterday. Joynal Miah Abdul Kadir, 26, fell at about 9.15am and was taken by his co-workers to Salmaniya Medical Complex, where he died at about 10am. Friends said Mr Kadir was unmarried and had worked in Bahrain for over a year. Labour and Social Affairs Ministry safety inspectors later visited the site. Bangladeshi Embassy officials are reportedly co-ordinating with the employer and the ministry to send the body home. 

Ruptured gas main closes two Lansing schools
By James McCurtis Jr. Lansing State Journal
The Beekman Center and Forest View Elementary School were shut down Wednesday after workers ruptured a gas main at the south Lansing center. Lansing School District employees were installing playground equipment at Beekman, 2901 Wabash Road, when they broke the 2-inch pipe about 8:21 a.m. Beekman students were on buses when the accident happened and never entered the school, said district spokesman Mark Mayes. Beekman students were taken to Forest View about a quarter mile from the center, but officials detected gas there as well. Forest View students were then taken to the Hill Center for Academics & Technology for the remainder of the day. Beekman students were taken home, but if a parent wasn’t home they were taken to the Hill Center. Both schools are expected to re-open Thursday, Mayes said.

Workers hurt in 2 accidents; Falls leave 1 man in critical condition
Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic May. 6, 2003 12:00 AM
Four Valley workers were injured Monday in unrelated accidents about 90 minutes apart in Peoria and Anthem. One was rescued by firefighters after a 25-foot fall from scaffolding at a job site in north Peoria. Tino Patterson, 40, suffered head injuries after plunging to the bottom of a hillside concrete reservoir. He was flown to a Phoenix hospital, where he later was reported in critical condition in the intensive care unit. In Anthem, two workers fell 20 feet when roof trusses gave way about 8 a.m. at an Ace Hardware store under construction. A third worker on the ground was injured when he was struck by one of the falling trusses, officials said. The male workers, whose names were not released, were taken to Phoenix hospitals with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, said Dave Nielsen, a captain for the Daisy Mountain Fire District. One of the workers broke both of his feet when he landed on the ground, said Bob Rohn, regional vice president for RAS Builders Inc., a Phoenix firm that is the general contractor for the Ace Hardware project. The three injured workers are employed by BPR & Sons, a subcontractor, he said. Officials at the Phoenix firm could not be reached. Darin Perkins, director of the state Occupational Safety and Health Division, said BPR received safety citations last year for failure to build a guardrail on scaffolding and failure to instruct employees. The citations resulted in two $1,875 fines. An investigation has been launched into both accidents, Perkins said. It may take at least two months to complete the probes, he said. Both mishaps underscored the danger of falls, the second leading cause of industrial deaths in Arizona. OSHA investigated 94 workplace deaths in Arizona in the two-year period ending Dec. 31. Falls accounted for nine deaths. Thirty-two died from being crushed or struck by an object, the leading cause. The others died from electrocution and other causes. In north Peoria, Patterson, the fall victim, was breathing on his own when firefighters got to him, said Tom Pendley, a Peoria fire captain. “He was moving and awake, but he wasn’t talking to us,” Pendley said. “That’s typical in a head-injury situation.” Firefighters used ropes, a basket and a construction crane to raise Patterson to the top of the reservoir, then into a waiting rescue helicopter. The industrial accident took place at a reservoir near 91st Avenue and Jomax Road that will serve WestWing Mountain, a master-planned community. Archon Inc., a Gilbert firm, is the general contractor for the project. Patterson was identified as a worker for a Gilbert subcontractor, Waco Scaffolding & Equipment. Jeff Dangel, a Waco branch manager, declined comment on the mishap, but added, “We’re just praying that all goes well for Tino and that he has a speedy recovery.” Perkins of OSHA said Waco was last investigated in July 2001 but had no citations. 

Worker Hospitalized After Falling From Roof
A construction worker was injured Monday morning when he fell from the roof of Rice Creek Elementary School at 4751 Hard Scrabble Road, said George Rice, spokesman for Richland County Emergency Services. The worker, whose identity wasn’t immediately known, was taken to Palmetto Health Richland where he was listed Monday in good condition, Rice said. Details about the accident at the Richland 2 school were unavailable Monday. 

UPDATE Blame laid in deadly construction accident 
MONTREAL – Quebec’s workers health and safety commission blames the engireening and the construction firms for the deadly collapse of an overpass. The du Souvenir overpass collapse killed one man and injured two others in June 2000. The overpass is located on Highway 15, north of Montreal. Gilbert Vinson was killed when huge concrete beams fell onto the car in which he was travelling. The Commission de la Santé et de la Securité du Travail, or CSST says since the accident, it has implemented measures to avoid such a tragedy. The CSST has identified the factors which contributed to the collapse of the overpass: here was confusion on the construction site between the engineers and the workers: the engineers didn’t give the workers proper instructions as to how they had to attach the concrete beams to the ground an inadequate system was being used to attach the beams. Basically, the beams were only hooked to the overpass by one single metal rod. Nothing was holding them onto the ground. As a result, the beams were left dangling. The concrete beams were so unstable, the wind pushed eight of them on the ground, resulting in the deadly accident. The CSST has decided it will inspect more often these types of contruction sites. It will work with Quebec’s order of engineers to make sure they understand the importance of detailing their plans more. The commission says ultimately the engineering firm is responsible for the plans. It is uncertain whether enginieers or construction companies will face lawsuits as a result. Although coroner Gilles Perron completed his inquest in the matter last November, he has not yet published his report. 

Workers Hurt in Scaffolding Collapse
May 6, 2003 12:19 pm US/Eastern
Moon Twp (KDKA) A construction accident in Moon Township this morning has sent three workers to the hospital. The men were injured when the scaffolding they were working on at the Forest Glenn Apartments — near Moon Township High School collapsed shortly before noon. Two of the workers have been flown to an area hospital. The third was taken by ambulance to another hospital. Officials have not commented on their identities or the extent of their injuries.

TEANECK – The roof and walls of a West Lawn Drive home were moderately damaged by fire, said police Lt. Thomas Sikorsky. Sparks from welding tools being used by a plumber ignited the two-alarm blaze Saturday afternoon, Sikorsky said. The homeowners were inside when the fire started and immediately called the Fire Department. Several fire engines responded and the smoky blaze was extinguished within 15 minutes. – Catherine Holahan

UPDATE OSHA penalty is paid, $7K fine levied in training lapse
By NANCY POSTER For Dispatch/Sunday News 
Monday, May 05, 2003 – A Hanover contracting company fined in connection with a worker’s death in January has paid the fine but says it does not admit any wrongdoing. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Conewago Enterprises $7,000 — the maximum the agency can assess — over the training of the employee who was operating a crane involved in the Jan. 16 death of William D. Coulter, 44, of Fairfield, Adams County. The company also was fined $5,000 — later reduced to $3,500 — for a violation not related to the accident, said Robert Fink, director of OSHA’s Harrisburg office. Coulter, who had worked for Conewago for 4 months, was killed Jan. 16 when a bridge crane struck the elevated scissors lift on which he was standing into a precast shop roof. Coulter was pinned against the roof. Adams County Coroner Patricia Leinbach said he died from asphyxia due to blunt force trauma to the neck. OSHA levied the $7,000 fine after determining Conewago did not have each crane operator “designated or trained to operate an overhead bridge crane,” according to the OSHA citation and notification of penalty, which is dated April 4. The employee who was operating the crane the morning Coulter was killed had not been trained to operate the equipment, Fink said. Company’s position: Conewago Enterprises president Donald Smith confirmed that “OSHA investigated the accident and felt there were two areas where we could have done a more thorough job in training. We do not necessarily agree with their assessment.” In a prepared statement, Smith said the company “has one of the best safety and training programs in the industry and in fact have received awards from The Associated Builders & Contractors Association.” Accidents do occur, he wrote. Smith said the company made a business decision to settle the matter with OSHA without admitting any violations “while continuing our efforts to train our employees to work in a safe manner.” Coulter’s death was the first fatality at the company, according to Smith. Last week, Conewago verified that the violations had been corrected and the fines were paid. The second fine, Fink said, was for allowing employees to work in proximity to electric power circuits without protecting them against electric shock by de-energizing and grounding the circuits or shielding the circuits with insulation. After a conference with the company earlier this month, OSHA reduced that penalty to $3,500, Fink said. “They were very cooperative,” he said of the company. Conewago Enterprises, based on Edge Grove Road, does construction work on commercial buildings and public works facilities. The company was formed 10 years ago and is a subsidiary of Conewago Contractors Inc., a 45-year-old Hanover firm. Coulter was married and the father of two children. He was an Army National Guard veteran and had spent 10 years in the Navy. 

Buckled sign scaffolding bottlenecks SPID; Some are trapped on the highway for more than an hour
By Mike Baird Caller-Times May 4, 2003
A damaged and dangling 18-ton sign bridge that buckled while being removed caused traffic to be closed in both directions for several hours early Saturday on South Padre Island Drive. The sign bridge, a road sign-holding metal scaffolding that stretched across all six lanes of the highway, buckled while being removed by a 100-ton crane near the fly-over construction on SPID between Kostoryz Road and Ayers Street. Workers were forced to leave the damaged sign bridge dangling on the crane until Texas Department of Transportation workers could safely cut off about a third of it with an acetylene torch. The Corpus Christi Police Department provided 15 units to help reroute traffic, which quickly bottlenecked on access streets and side roads, said Lt. Carlos Rios, police department traffic supervisor. Dozens of drivers were trapped on SPID for more than an hour while police worked to clear the highway, police said. Mathis residents Deborah Dodd and her 10-year-old son, Gus, were delayed nearly an hour while commutng to the science fair at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “I was pretty worked up by the traffic delays,” Dodd said. Buckled just before 8 a.m. The sign bridge was to be removed at 7 a.m., said Cliff Bost, transportation department spokesman. “It was in the way for the expansion project close to the interchange, where the fly-over is being constructed,” Bost said. “It got hung up on the metal supports and about a third of it buckled just after 8 a.m.” Because of the way the sign bridge was bent, the crane couldn’t move it until another crane was brought in and the structure was cut into two pieces, he said. “Anytime you have construction, traffic patterns can change hourly, and people need to expect things – today was a good example of that,” Bost said. Police received a call for assistance about 11 a.m., and Rios said their units had cleared the southeast-bound traffic by 1:50 p.m. Northwest-bound traffic was clear by 2:30 p.m., he said. At least one police sergeant was trapped by the unexpected traffic mess. Sgt. Tim Revis, who works in robbery and homicide investigations, couldn’t get off SPID for an hour and 20 minutes, he said. The delay was long enough that he couldn’t get to a suicide investigation. “It was a mess,” he said. “Some people were backing up, going the wrong way.” One accident that occurred near the congestion couldn’t be directly linked to the SPID traffic problem, police said.