Worker hurt after falling from forklift (a man is in hospital with serious head injuries after falling from a forklift - the accident occurred at a building - two workers were removing scrap metal from the ceiling of a building that was being demolished when one of the men fell from a forklift)
Worker dies from injuries (a man, 51, who sustained serious head injuries in an industrial accident has died - he suffered the injuries in an accident at a building while two workers were removing scrap metal from the ceiling of a building that was being demolished when one of the men fell from a forklift with serious head injuries)
Excavator crushes man (man, 30, was crushed to death when the excavator he was driving toppled from a trailer - man was unloading the excavator from a truck when the accident occurred)
Worker killed when hit by forklift at school site (a construction worker was killed when he was hit by a forklift truck at the construction site of the new High School - the victim, 58, was an electrician - the accident occurred about 11 a.m. - he was among a group of workers who were crossing a parking lot after attending a meeting in the building - the forklift driver was headed around a curve and apparently did not see him - he was run over by the right rear tire of the forklift truck)
Man injured in fall at work - sent in by subscriber and I could not find a working link to the original article (worker,54, was standing on a pallet on a raised forklift when the accident happened at about 1:30 p.m. - he was loading boxes onto a shelving unit when he stepped off of the pallet - he fell and struck his head - he was badly injured)
Worker dies after becoming pinned by machinery at paper plant (a paper mill worker, 49, has died after becoming pinned by machinery - he was doing maintenance at the plant when he became pinned between the bucket and front of a skid steer - no other details)
Filtervac International Inc. fined $90,000 for health and safety ... (a worker was using a large forklift truck to move a fabric bag containing clay that had been removed from filter cylinders when the forklift tipped over onto the driver's side. The worker jumped off the forklift and tried to outrun it as it tipped, but was unable to get clear of the equipment and was struck on the head by the forklift's "roll cage" (a structure that protects a forklift operator from being crushed if the forklift rolls over) and pinned under the cage. Co-workers attempted to lift the forklift off the worker using another forklift while waiting for emergency officials to arrive, but the worker died)
Tyson employee in Holcomb killed in on-the-job incident (an accident at the plant has claimed the life of an employee - since October, he's the second worker in Kansas to lose his life from an on-the-job incident - worker, 56, a cleanup worker at the meatpacking plant, died from the injuries he sustained in the Dec. 12 accident - accident occurred in a rendering area after a forklift heading up a ramp slid or rolled backwards down the incline and rammed into a pair of double doors - he was on the opposite side of the doors, and when the forklift struck them, they opened, hitting the man in the face and causing head injuries)
Worker dies in accident at the workplace in El Ejido (a 35 year old worker was killed when he was run over by an excavator - it happened at his workplace, a cement company - emergency services could only record his death on their arrival)
Marine dies in forklift accident (Sgt., 24, died at 12:16 p.m. when the forklift he was operating overturned - cause of the accident is under investigation)
Forklift, driver fall into water in accident at fish port (workers at fishing dock panicked when a forklift and its driver fell into the water - worker suffered only bruises but the forklift would have to undergo major repairs -worker might have miscalculated while maneuvering the forklift because of the narrowness of the way)
Vanterm worker run over, killed (a longshoreman close to retirement was killed when he was struck by a truck or another piece of heavy equipment at the terminal - the body of the victim, who was 63, was found lying on the ground in the terminal - it appeared he had been run over)
Man trapped at work on first day (a 19-year-old had to be taken to hospital on his first day in a new job after being pinned to a wall by a forklift truck - fire service took 40 minutes to free him using hydraulic equipment)
Mesa girl killed in forklift accident (a 10-year-old Mesa girl died after her father accidentally ran over her with a forklift last week - on Jan. 2, her father, 43, was giving her and three friends a ride on a forklift at his wholesale store when she tripped, fell and was crushed by the machine - the child had been getting on and off a pallet and running next to the forklift when she fell)
Woman selling ear protectors was crushed to death by forklift ... (a woman was crushed beneath the wheels of a forklift truck as she pressed its pedals with her hands to demonstrate its noise to a man she was selling a set of ear protectors - worker, 37, died of colossal crush injuries following the accident at the premises of her employer)
Accident kills forklift operator (worker, 47, was operating a stand-up forklift when she backed into a metal gate, causing "crushing injuries" - a mother of four and a grandmother of three - have young children, ages 4, 2 and 9 months - was a "relatively recent hire" and had been working there for about five months)
Forklift Crash Crushes Man (a man was killed when the forklift he was driving on the shoulder slid down a bank and pinned him)
Worker Dies In Construction Accident (a worker was killed when the roller he was driving fell about 35 feet from an off ramp at an Interstate 40 construction site - no other details)
Tractor accident kills dairy worker (the 22-year-old dairy farm worker was behind the wheel of a tractor being towed along a country road when it rolled)
Worker dies in construction accident in Stony Point (a 33-year-old worker died an hour after being struck by an excavator digging outside a house - was hit by the excavator's bucket and forced into the side of the house)
Worker falls off cliff in bulldozer at Sherwood quarry (an industrial worker was killed after toppling off a cliff in a bulldozer he was operating at a rock quarry - fell off the side of a cliff estimated to be about three stories high and the bulldozer came to rest upside down in a water-filled gravel pit)
Citizens Gas worker dies in accident (a gas employee died in a rail car accident at the company's coke plant - was a veteran coal loader - witnesses told police three rail cars broke loose - the brakemen tried to stop them - when the worker tried to help, he fell between the wheels and one of the cars hit him)
UPDATE Report: Vineyard death deemed accident (the investigation into the death of a farmworker crushed beneath a grape harvester or tractor in a vineyard has ended with no citations issued to her employer)
Industrial Accident Kills One in Virginia Beach (a construction worker died when a machine malfunctioned at a job site - there was a machinery malfunction, and one of the workers got caught up in the conveyer belt - the machine is used to crush stone)
Construction worker crushed to death near Oceana (a construction worker was snatched up by a mammoth rock-crushing machine and was crushed to death - a machine that was breaking up an old runway across from the base malfunctioned)
Tragedy of man crushed by tractor (a man died from internal injuries after being crushed against a wall by a tractor and trailer - the retired farm worker had been helping out at the farm when the accident happened)
Council worker killed by refuse truck in Northumberland (a refuse collection officer has been killed following an accident involving a refuse collection vehicle - worker, 51, was working when the incident happened just before 7am - he left his collection vehicle and it rolled forward and hit him)
Worker killed in fork lift accident (worker, 50, was pinned between the frame and hydraulic arm of the fork lift - he later died of a crushing injury - no witnesses - preliminary findings indicated multiple facial and skull fractures and brain injuries)
Bulldozer Accident (a local construction worker was run over by a bulldozer - a man got off the bulldozer, but left it running..that's when it started to roll backwards - when he tried to climb back onto the bulldozer he slipped, and fell under one of the tracks)
UPDATE Accident at work kills Macomb man (according to a press release, at noon the worker, along with another employee, were unloading pieces of heavy machinery from a truck in the dock area - as one piece of machinery was being removed from the truck on to a fork lift, another piece fell out of the truck onto the worker killing him instantly)
BUCKLE UP!!! Man, 20, killed in forklift accident (a forklift fell on the 20-year-old at the beginning of his 12-hour shift at a masonry plant - it looks as though he attempted to jump from the vehicle and the forklift fell on its side, trapping him underneath)
UPDATE Mattel Canada Inc. fined $65,000 for health and safety violation (a worker was using a lift truck to lift a load weighing 910 kilograms (2,006 pounds) when the truck and load fell forward onto the truck's front end - the worker's left wrist was broken in the incident)
Worker pinned between forklift, car at construction site (worker was airlifted to an area hospital after he was pinned between a forklift and a car at a construction site - no immediate information on the cause of the accident or nature of the man's injuries)
Worker crushed to death by lorries (a middle-aged man has been crushed to death between two lorries - it is believed he tried to stop one lorry from hitting another)
Man airlifted to UMC with broken legs (a 43-year-old man was airlifted to University Medical Center after he was pinned between a forklift and a load of lumber and plywood - he got down from the forklift he was operating to adjust a load and that's when he became pinned between the machine and the load, breaking both of his legs)
US 395 construction worker killed in industrial accident (a construction worker had been killed in a heavy equipment accident - the construction worker was operating a grader, a large vehicle similar to a tractor, on a hillside - for unknown reasons, the worker lost control of the grader and it drove off a roadway and down an embankment - the worker came out of the grader and was crushed by the machine)
Concrete truck tips, kills 20-year-old worker (a 20-year-old construction worker was killed after the arm of a concrete-pumping truck collapsed while pouring - worker was pinned beneath the concrete-pumping boom - three other workers who were not identified also suffered moderate to minor injuries, including a broken leg - construction crews were pouring concrete at a rural, unfinished housing development when the truck tipped forward onto its front wheels)
UPDATE Fined for causing accident at Freeport (a 40-year-old man was fined Lm500 after he was found guilty of charges of causing serious injuries through negligence or lack of thought to his work colleague - the accident took place on August 19th, 1999, when he was operating a fork-lifter crane known as tank master in order to lift a container and move it from one place to another - hit a container that was on top of another three containers and toppled it over - the container fell and plunged over the tank master's cabin and consequently injured the worker)
Highway worker killed in accident (a highway construction worker was killed in an accident involving heavy machinery - the 38-year old Austin man was working on a machine that lays pavement on the highway when he somehow became entangled in it - the individual was working in front of the machine and accidentally became entangled in the auger that was on the machine and was killed)
Worker hurt at Yeager Airport (a man operating a dump truck at the Airport’s runway extension project was injured when the vehicle’s cab twisted away from its dump bed and overturned as he was offloading a cargo of mud - was operating an articulated truck, where the dump bed and cab are connected by a swiveling pivot - he was dumping mud out of his truck that had been scraped off the haul road to get it dried up)
Md. Coal Mine Accident Kills 35-Year-Old Man (a 35-year-old Maryland man was killed in a coal mine - was apparently crushed between a mine locomotive and mining equipment that was being carried by a car pulled by a second mine locomotive - he was standing to the rear of a locomotive which was pulling a lowboy loaded with shields - Aa second mine worker, who was operating a second locomotive, also loaded with shields, approached the victim apparently not seeing him standing there - victim was crushed between the locomotive and the overhanging shields)
Rollover of lift kills worker (a 46-year-old employee at a bearing plant was killed when he was crushed by the lift equipment he was operating - was driving a lift at the plant around 2 a.m. when the lift rolled off a loading dock, causing the vehicle to roll over and pin the man underneath)
Worker in critical condition after being pinned by forklift (workers arrived to find the 45-year-old man pinned under a forklift truck - the worker sustained serious lower body injuries in the mishap and has been transferred to an intensive care unit - the man is believed to have been operating the forklift near a docking bay at the time of the incident - no other workers were in the immediate area when the accident occurred)
Construction Site Accident Leaves One Dead (worker, 38, was killed in an accident - had been with the company for a year - died during a paving operation - there was a large piece of machinery paving the overpass itself, and the individual was working in front of the machine and accidentally became entangled in the augger that was on the machine and was killed)
Waste Management Worker Hit/Killed in Accident (the worker was on his collection route - it was dawn alongside a road when a routine day on the job turned deadly for the 44-year-old - he was emptying a garbage can into the back of his truck when a vehicle, driven by a 19 year old, hit and pinned him, killing him instantly)
Monorail worker hurt at Newark Liberty (a man doing maintenance work on the track for the monorail system at the airport was injured - investigation is ongoing about the accident - worker was an employee the company that manages and operates the monorail systems - was injured while performing maintenance on a switch, and the accident had nothing to do with the vehicle - he is in the hospital with a fractured pelvis)
Worker is crushed to death in Ulster County construction accident (a man,47, was killed while operating an exactor - 47, had pinned himself between the excavator and a tree - while he attempted to exit the cab, he hit a lever that caused the cab to rotate and trap him)
Backhoe accident leaves one dead ((a construction worker was killed when he became pinned under the arm of a backhoe at a home construction site - man had been operating the machine by himself and had apparently walked around to the back when he became entangled in the mechanisms)
Worker dies after mishap at Bay View (a man died from severe injuries he suffered after he and a co-worker were run over by an all-terrain forklift - forklift truck driver was backing up at the site of the expansion sewer hole when one of the truck's wheels hit and ran over the workers)
Construction Accident Kills Worker In Virginia Beach - UPDATE (the 31-year-old construction worker was working with a stone crushing machine when investigators say the machine malfunctioned - the worker got caught up in the conveyor belt and was crushed to death)
UPDATE Firms fined over forklift accidents Aug 29 2003 By Elwyn Roberts TWO North Wales firms yesterday ended up with bills of nearly £20,000 for injuries to workers caused by forklift truck accidents. One woman had a broken leg, while in a separate case a worker escaped with his life after being crushed by a truck. In both cases, the Health and Safety Executive said the accidents had been avoidable and warned that workplace transport accidents accounted for 70 fatalities and 1,500 serious injuries a year. Paint manufacturers BASF Coat-ings Ltd, based on Tenth Avenue on the Deeside Industrial Park, was fined £8,000 with £2,876 costs after Flintshire magistrates heard how a worker was crushed by a faulty forklift truck. Later tissue manufacturer John Dale Ltd of Castle Park in Flint, was fined £8,000 with £752 costs after a woman was knocked down by a forklift truck and suffered a double fracture of the leg. Factory inspector Neil Rowley said Joseph Jackson was employed at BASF Coatings and wanted to check on the well-being of contractors who were working on another floor level. The stairs were blocked and he stood up on the forklift truck, but he touched a lever and was crushed between the mast and the cab. Mr Jackson, who was rescued by one of his colleagues, suffered bruising and needed hospital treatment. The company admitted failing to maintain the truck in good and efficient order, and operating the truck without it being examined for defects. Rob Elvin, defending, said the company took its health and safety responsibilities very seriously. He said standing on the forklift truck was against the training and company policy. The company was taking part in a health and safety initiative, new practices had been introduced, and it was not a case of turning a blind eye, he said. In the other case case, factory inspector Ian Evans said Caroline Carter, 20, had been walking towards the warehouse doors at John Dale Ltd when a forklift truck emerged. She suffered a double fracture of the leg and would be in plaster for six months. Plastic strips over the door had been clear to start with but it had not been possible to see through them. There had been no system in place to keep them clean and replace them as necessary. The company admitted failing to maintain the plastic curtain and failing to ensure that pedestrians and forklift trucks were kept separated in the workplace. Gary Smith, defending, said it was a family-run firm which took its responsibilities seriously. Miss Carter had been visited many times and had been assured that she would be properly compensated. Since the accident, all plastic curtains had been removed and another method would now be used.
Boy, 7, dies in fork-lift truck accident A seven-year-old boy has died in an accident in a warehouse involving a fork-lift truck. A roll of paper is believed to have fallen on Harry Palmer, from Chadwell St Mary, Essex, while he was at the warehouse at Tilbury Docks. It is believed the seven-year-old's father may have been working at the premises, thought to be a paper factory. An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the accident. An Essex police spokesman said: "A seven-year-old boy has died following an incident at the Tilbury Docks, which involved a fork-lift truck. The boy was certified dead at the scene. The incident took place at around 4pm on Friday. "The circumstances of the death are being investigated by the Port of Tilbury Police, Essex Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)." Harry's parents had separated and he lived with his mother and two older sisters. An HSE spokesperson said: "It is believed that a roll of paper may have fallen on the boy from a forklift truck. "We are going on site on Monday to carry out a full investigation."
Company fined after forklift horror BY TED JEORY August 30, 2003 06:02 AN HGV driver was left blind after being crushed against his lorry by a forklift truck driven by an untrained operator, a court heard. Anthony Sadler also needed to have his spleen removed in the near fatal accident at a stationer's depot in Colchester last summer, a judge at Chelmsford Court heard yesterday. In a case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Ian Smith (Stationers) Ltd was fined £20,000 for failures to meet its strict code of practice aimed at minimising the risk of injuries. The firm had admitted failing to prevent such risks at an earlier hearing. A lorry driver of 37 years' experience, Mr Sadler, who was not employed by the family-run company, was making his regular delivery to the depot in Commerce Way on June 6 last year, the court was told. Matthew Taylor, prosecuting, told the judge he parked his lorry outside the depot and asked for help unloading a single palette of envelopes. Company employee Mark Freeman, who had joined the firm just three weeks earlier, went to ask his branch manager what he should do. But as his manager was busy, director Duncan Jones instructed Mr Freeman to use a reach-type forklift truck believing he was qualified to do so, the court heard. In fact, Mr Freeman had only received one day's formal training on a different type of truck – and that was nine years ago, the judge heard. Minutes later, Mr Freeman, who no longer works for the company, "panicked" as his foot slipped from the pedal and struck Mr Sadler at least twice, crushing him against his lorry. Mr Sadler, from Northampton, was taken to Colchester General Hospital, where he was also treated for lacerations to his kidney and liver. He now has to be cared for by his wife and was not in court for the sentencing. Hugh Hamill, mitigating, said the Midlands-based company had admitted its failure to comply with the HSE code of practice and that Mr Jones was acting outside his remit. Since the "isolated incident", it had employed a consultant to tighten up its "ambiguous" health and safety procedures, he told the court. These included keeping forklift truck keys locked away from unqualified drivers, he added. Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Ball QC said: "I am satisfied Mr Freeman was only permitted to drive on that occasion because of the unfortunate intervention of Mr Jones. "It appears that the company was aware of the need for training, but not of the high standards laid down by the HSE. "The company was one without any blemish in health and safety matters until that incident. But there were terrible injuries to Mr Sadler as a result of the accident. "With proper training this unfortunate accident would not have occurred." The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £3,334 costs. After the hearing, Duncan Jones, said: "We are terribly sorry for what happened – we thought we were taking the correct procedures." Paul Downer, investigating officer for the HSE, also said outside the court: "There are about 8,000 forklift injuries reported to us each year. They create terrible suffering for the families' involved – we cannot stress enough the importance of adhering to our safety procedures."
Worcester parks worker killed trying to stop runaway tractor Thursday, August 21, 2003 WORCESTER, Mass. - A Worcester Parks Department employee mowing grass at Green Hill Park was killed when he tried to stop a runaway lawn mower, and was crushed beneath the heavy machine, police said. Police said James Mitchell, 54, of Worcester, had stopped the large-capacity mower and shut it off Wednesday afternoon. When the mower started rolling down a hill, Mitchell attempted to stop it, and was run over by the machine. Detective Capt. Paul F. Campbell said the mower attachments, which lower from the sides of the machine, were shut off and in the upright position at the time of the accident, and the cutting blades were not moving. Detective Sergeant Mark Richardson said Mitchell suffered crushing injuries when he fell beneath the runaway machine. He was dead on arrival at U-Mass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus at 2:40 p.m. An autopsy was to be performed, a hospital spokeswoman said. Mitchell was a heavy-equipment operator, and had worked for the city since 1996.
Worker At Marion Limestone Pit Injured; Rescuers Work To Save Victim Story by WESH.com Firefighters rescued a worker hurt in a construction accident Thursday near the community of Zuber. Charles McCrone, 23, was apparently driving a front-end loader around a limestone pit at Alliance Construction Materials, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. The pit is used for the disposal of old construction materials. The wall of the cliff reportedly collapsed under the weight of the loader, and McCrone tumbled over. He was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and was transported to a hospital. McCrone was not seriously hurt.
Girl, 6, dies in forklift accident LEONI TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 6-year-old girl died after being run over by a forklift driven by her 10-year-old brother, police said. The children were at Lindsay Heating & Cooling with their mother's boyfriend, who owns the business, when the accident happened Sunday, Leoni Township police said. The girl, identified as Arika Hamilton, was taken to a hospital, where she later died. An investigation was continuing. Leoni Township is near Jackson, about 80 miles west of Detroit.
Acid Spill In Vestal Dustin Wadsworth Aug 15, 2003, 17:08 A hazardous materials crew was called to Vestal Asphalt where almost 200 gallons of Hydrochloric or Muriatic acid spilled. A forklift operator dropped a container causing it to rupture. Greg Kapeghian from Broome County HAZMAT says, "It's a tote container, their's a steel cage around i which, inside that steel cage is a plastic tote material, and it just fell over and the top of hat cracked making the product leak out." The HAZMAT response team neutralized the acid and Vestal Asphalt cleaned up the spill. It took about 4-hours for the clear up the situation.
Woman struck by tow motor at Caledonia plant By Staff Reports MARION -- A tow motor accident at a Caledonia-area brick plant injured a Marion woman about noon Friday. Barbara Hassel, 68, 2671 Curren Drive, Marion, was struck by a tow motor at 12:01 p.m. at Glen-Gery Brick, 5692 Rinker Road, Caledonia, a Marion County Sheriff's Office news release states. Hassel was transported by a First Consolidated Fire Department emergency squad to Marion General Hospital after the accident. The employee then was transferred by LifeFlight emergency helicopter, said Capt. Al Hayden of the Marion County Sheriff's Office. She was treated in the emergency room of Marion General and transferred, a hospital nursing supervisor said. No further information was available. Hassel apparently walked from a "blind corner" into the path of a tow motor full of bricks being operated by another worker, a sheriff's office news release states. The incident was classified as an industrial accident and the sheriff's office investigation has concluded. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been contacted about the incident.
Company Fined after Death of Teenage Forklift Operator Wednesday, August 13, 2003 The U.S. Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division has fined the Newnan, Ga.-based Kaylex Company $11,000 following the June 2003 death of a 15-year-old forklift operator. Under the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the operation of a forklift is one of 17 hazardous occupations banned for youth under the age of 18. The $11,000 penalty is the maximum allowed under current law. However, the Bush administration's 2004 budget submission to Congress included a request to raise the maximum penalty to $100,000 for child labor violations, the department notes. The Wage and Hour investigation revealed that the youth was at the controls of a forklift in a warehouse when the vehicle suddenly went into reverse, ran through the loading dock gates, flipped over and plunged four feet onto a concrete floor. The teen driver was reportedly pinned under the forklift and died on the way to the hospital. "This was a preventable tragedy," says Tammy D. McCutchen, administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. "The restrictions on youth employment are designed to provide young workers with safe and positive early work experiences. Employers must understand and comply with these laws to prevent serious occupational injuries and fatalities among youth. Forklift stickers warning 'no operators under age 18' can be downloaded from our web page, and I encourage employers to place these stickers on all their forklifts." Kaylex officials cooperated fully with Wage and Hour investigators and have indicated that they will comply with all provisions of the FLSA in the future, according to Wayne Kotowski, assistant district director for the Wage and Hour Atlanta district office. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating the incident.
Injured construction worker released from Medical Center By Brad Greenberg DAILY BRUIN REPORTER A construction worker at the Physics and Astronomy Building work site was released from the hospital Saturday after being pinned by a forklift Aug. 4. The accident happened around 12:30 p.m. when Anthony Roman, 22, an employee of glass contracting company Marc Anthony Glazing, attempted to stabilize the forklift's load of more than 30 panes of glass, according to witnesses at the scene. "I just stopped for a minute, and the next thing I knew I was caught under (the forklift)," Roman said Aug. 7 from the intensive care unit at the UCLA Medical Center. According to an investigation by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Roman was pulled under the forklift when his right foot interfered with the tire tread as the forklift wheeled around the perimeter of the construction project. Roman said his legs suffered no injuries other than a dull aching, but the driver side's front tire broke seven ribs and his left shoulder. The right side of his face was forced against the ground, leaving him bleeding from his mouth, nose and ears, according to CAL OSHA. Roman was in critical condition when he arrived at UCLA Medical Center. Amy Waddell, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said patients who are in critical condition display unstable vital signs, may be unconscious or are in jeopardy of dying. The accident occurred a week after Marc Anthony Glazing arrived on campus to install windows in the new Physics and Astronomy Building. The forklift was driven by David Strobridge, another employee of Marc Anthony Glazing, according to CAL OSHA. Strobridge did not return multiple phone calls for comment last week. CAL OSHA investigator Jose Cedro said it is not clear what caused the accident and that his investigation is focusing on whether Marc Anthony Glazing is at fault. The owner of Marc Anthony Glazing could not be reached for comment after several phone calls last week. Though Roman said he was scared when he was trapped under the forklift and bleeding heavily, he is not upset about what happened. "I'm over it; accidents happen," he said. "The important thing is I am alive." Accidents regularly happen on construction sites, but they're rarely of this caliber, Cedro said. "I have seen several accidents with forklifts, but this is the first time the whole body was run over," he said.
Boy crushed to death by forklift The Associated Press - SMYRNA, Ga. A 5-year-old boy was crushed to death Friday when a forklift fell on him at an apartment complex. The child, who was not immediately identified, was sitting on the lap of a man driving the forklift Friday morning, police said. The forklift apparently slid from the sidewalk and overturned on the boy, said police spokesman Cpl. Brody Staud. Staud said the man was the boyfriend of the childs mother, who was moving from one building to another in the River Parkway Apartments. Her boyfriend, for some reason, brought a forklift to help them move, he said. Staud said he does not expect any charges to be filed in the case.
Worker dies in forklift accident By Nicole Janok staff writer August 5, 2003 When Steve Sanford tried to turn and exit the steeply sloped parking lot, the small forklift turned over, slamming his head into the ground. HOBE SOUND— Faded skid marks are all that remain on the commercial parking lot where a man overturned his forklift Monday morning and died almost instantly. Steve Stanford, 43, co-director of Stanford Construction Inc., a family-owned construction company that specializes in shutters and landscaping, was moving materials from a small commercial building at 8872 S.E. Robwyn St. to another facility across the street. When he tried to turn and exit the steeply sloped parking lot, the small forklift turned over, slamming Stanford's head into the ground, said Sgt. Jenell Atlas, spokeswoman for the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Lenny Brown, whose brother's company works in the same building, said he heard the crash, but didn't know what it was. After hearing a man yelling for help, Brown ran to Stanford, who was lying in a small pool of blood, and he checked his pulse. Stanford's eyes were open, but he was motionless, Brown said. "In my heart, I knew he was already gone, but I hoped that he was in a comatose state," Brown said. Knowing there was nothing more he could do, Brown said a prayer and waited for paramedics to arrive. Stanford was pronounced dead on the scene. The accident deeply disturbed Brown, who said he moved into the building just three days ago. "This had me rattled all day," he said. Police and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration are investigating the incident. Brown said he didn't think the parking lot had enough traction for the forklift to operate properly. "This isn't an area you can really use a forklift," he said. OSHA officials could not be reached for comment. Family members could not be reached for comment.
UPDATE Firm fined over worker's death A building firm has been fined £150,000 after one of its employees was run over and killed by a forklift truck. Harold Moran, 54, was knocked down as the truck reversed out of a compound at the site at Ashdown Downs in Kirkby, Merseyside, in September 2000. On Monday, McLean Homes North West and Cheshire Ltd was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay £56,017 costs after being found guilty of a breach of health and safety regulations. The firm had pleaded not guilty, but was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court. Mr Moran was struck by the truck as he walked across a gateway at the site, where 91 homes were being built, and died at the scene. 'Analyse dangers' The Health and Safety Executive is warning other firms about the importance of managing vehicle safety. Neil Jamieson, Health and Safety Executive inspector, said: "On average around 70 people are killed and 1,200 seriously injured each year in workplace transport accidents. "These accidents are mainly caused by people being struck or run over by moving vehicles when reversing particularly in areas where people are not properly segregated from vehicle movements. "It is vital that managers of all types of workplace - not only construction sites - analyse the potential dangers posed by workplace transport and then take suitable safety measures to avoid these risks."
Man dies in yard work mishap Sunday, August 03, 2003 From staff reports LEHIGH TWP. -- A 47-year-old township man died Saturday morning when he was crushed by a piece of construction equipment at his home. Ernest Muthard of the 4500 block of West Township Drive was killed while trying to clear a stump from his yard with a Bobcat skid loader. A skid loader is a small piece of construction equipment that has a moveable bucket. Patrolman Doug Geisher of the Lehigh Township Police Department said Muthard got caught between the body of the machine and its bucket. Police are not sure whether Muthard drove the machine over a bump and was thrown from it, or if he was trying to get off of it. "I'm not sure we'll ever know exactly what happened," Geisher said. Muthard was pronounced dead at the scene by staff from the Northampton County Coroner's Office. "It was a very tragic accident," Geisher said. "There's no suspicion that it was anything other than that."
Child injured by forklift blades while in car. EL MONTE, Calif. A forklift was struck by a car Friday and the blades hit an 8-year-old boy in the face as he sat in the front seat, police said. No arrests were made. The child, whose name was not disclosed, was listed in guarded condition at Greater El Monte Community Hospital, police Lt. George Hopkins said. The accident took place at about 4:30 p.m. as the boy's mother drove down the street at about 25 mph, Detective Derek Merritt said. She apparently did not see the forklift blades jutting into the lane, police said. The forklift was backed to the curb between two parked cars as it prepared to unload a big-rig truck. The blades hit the hood of the car and crashed through the passenger's side window, striking the boy in the face, Hopkins said. Merritt said investigators were trying to determine whether the forklift operator was required to have a flagman on the scene to alert cars to potential danger. El Monte is 22 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Police investigating accident involving youth QUEBEC CITY - Local police are investigating an industrial accident involving a 13-year-old boy who is now on life support. Charles Picard, from Beauport, Que., suffered a cardiac arrest Monday after a damaged forklift he was helping guide onto a tow truck at his father's factory toppled over on him. Police say Picard was doing some light cleaning work at the factory, Usinage Beauport 2000, when the accident occurred. Workers had to use another forklift to get the boy out from under the fallen forklift. "For our investigation, we have to determine if there was some sort of neligence on the part of the father, but that doesn't seem to be the case for now," says Quebec City police spokesperson Jean Minguy. "From what we know now, he was just there to help his father. He's 13 years old — it wasn't a summer job." Minguy says the province's work, health and safety board, the Commission de la Santé et de la Securité du Travail (CSST) is not investigating because the boy was not an employee of the factory.
Plainview Girl Dies In Forklift Accident PLAINVIEW--A 12-year-old girl died Sunday night when she was run over by a forklift. The accident happened at the Old Cotton Oil Mill Plant on the Dimmitt Highway. The Hale County Sheriff's Department says Angelica Ramos and a friend were on the front of the forklift, when the vehicle hit a bump. Ramos was thrown to the ground and the forklift ran over her. The friend's father was driving.
Industrial accident An industrial accident sent one man to the hospital Monday. It happened around eight Monday morning at the Tulsa Used Equipment and Industrial Engine Service at 5000 East Admiral Court. Rescue crews say a 45-year-old man working on a forklift had his left hand crushed by a hydraulic cylinder. He was then lifted some ten feet in the air. His other hand was also injured. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Cigarette Ignites Fire An explosive fire sent a plume of smoke into the East Lubbock sky Thursday morning. An employee at Hesselbein Tires was smoking a cigarette while loading propane onto a forklift. The combination of the two caused the propane tank to explode into flames around 7:30 a.m. Three stations responded and the Lubbock Fire Department was able to put the fire out within an hour. No one was injured, but damages are an estimated $80,000.
Worker is killed in construction accident A construction worker was run over and killed by a heavy piece of equipment yesterday at a work site in Northeast Philadelphia. The worker, John Myers, 42, of Bensalem, was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center. The accident occurred about 8:15 a.m. near Algon Avenue and Levick Street in Oxford Circle. Police accident investigators said Myers walked from behind a truck and apparently fell and was hit by a large backhoe-type vehicle that was backing up. The operator, identified as Willie James, 61, of West Philadelphia, did not see Myers, investigators said. James was taken to Jeanes Hospital after the accident, suffering from chest pains. He was listed in stable condition. No charges were lodged. Both men work for Seravalli Inc., a contracting firm in the Northeast. A spokesman there yesterday said, "We sincerely regret the incident and we are cooperating fully with all the parties investigating it."
Council Bluffs man killed in forklift rollover COURTNEY BRUMMER , Staff Writer 07/25/2003 OMAHA - A Council Bluffs man was killed Thursday morning at a construction site in Omaha when a forklift rolled over on top of him. James Kirk, 42, of Council Bluffs was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident occurred at the Quality Pork International worksite in southwest Omaha around 11:20 a.m. Kirk, a forklift operator, was working for KFR Inc., a company subcontracted by Dietzel Enterprises to work on installing a support wall at the business, according to Omaha Police Sgt. Cathy Cook. Kirk was operating an extended reach forklift when the accident occurred. "It appears he had been going down a narrow, dirt road and got too close to the edge," Cook said. While the hill on the side of the road wasn't steep, it was enough for the forklift to lose balance and start to slide. Cook said Kirk either tried to jump from the forklift or he may have thought the forklift had stopped moving and tried to get out when it turned over. When the forklift overturned, it pinned Kirk underneath. The forklift was estimated to be roughly 18,000 pounds, Cook said. Two people at the scene witnessed the rollover and called for emergency rescue. Cook said it is believed another piece of machinery was used to lift the forklift off Kirk, and she added the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is still investigating.
Worker's Death An Accident Posted July 25, 2003 1:12pm A wobbly load may have caused a 13,000-pound forklift to tip, killing an Edwards man at an East Peoria Caterpillar plant in June. Sixty–two year old Bob Schmitt died inside Cat building N–N on June 11th. He was a long time employee of River City construction. On Friday morning, a Tazewell county coroner's jury ruled his death accidental. The forklift Schmitt was operating did not have a seatbelt or a door—which is acceptable under OSHA standards. However, the coroner's jury recommends that River City construction and Caterpillar install seatbelts and doors on all their machines.
Worker pinned by machine, dies By Pamela Perez, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday, July 18, 2003 BOCA RATON -- Investigators are probing the death of a construction worker who was crushed by a lift machine Monday in a work-related accident. Firefighters found 49-year-old Aldo Lopez about 1 p.m. pinned to the ceiling of a parking garage by a platform lift machine at 101 Renaissance Centre, according to police. Emergency workers struggled for several hours to free Lopez's body. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating how Lopez became trapped by the Genie Z-30/20 platform lift he had been operating. Lopez, an assistant superintendent, worked for two years as a labor foreman and carpenter for local Mummaw & Associates Inc., which is building the structure for Penn-Florida Companies and PBM Development. The work-related death is the first major accident on a Mummaw & Associates construction site, the firm said. OSHA inspectors found no violations of federal safety standards during two surprise inspections at the site this year. Being pinned by a machine, electrocuted, struck, and falling are the four most frequent causes for construction fatalities, OSHA area Director Louis R. Santiago said. Mummaw & Associates obtained visas and airfare for Lopez's two adult children to fly from Argentina and join their mother for a funeral.
Mechanic crushed to death at Ocean Breeze work site; Gruesome accident kills 47-year old in side yard of private home Sunday, July 20, 2003 By MICHAEL SCHOLL STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE A 47-year-old mechanic was killed in Ocean Breeze yesterday when he was crushed by a front-end loader. The gruesome construction accident happened around 1:15 p.m. in the side yard of a private home at 720 Liberty Ave. John Willis, of Staten Island, was repairing the loader when its shovel, which had been in the up position, suddenly shifted downward, according to Detective Brian Sessa, a police spokesman. The downward motion pinned Willis underneath one of the mechanical arms that connect the shovel to the loader's frame. He was squeezed between the arm and the frame and ultimately crushed. Willis was pronounced dead at 1:50 p.m. in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, Sessa said. He was a mechanic employed by the Midland Beach branch of The Tool Depot, a firm that rents and sells tools and construction equipment. He had been sent to the site to repair a rented loader that workers were using to clear the home's yard. Neighbors who came to aid Willis said it looked as if he got caught in the loader's machinery while working on the vehicle. One neighbor, Manuel Perez, said the yard workers reacted in horror as they saw Willis being crushed. "I heard somebody screaming," said Perez, who was at a friend's house across the street from the accident scene when he heard the workers wail for help. The yard workers joined Perez and a few more neighbors in a bid to free Willis from the machine. Three or four men who were working on a house under construction on nearby Buel Avenue also joined the rescue attempt. But the work was difficult. "We were struggling to get leverage," said Perez, who said it took about five or 10 minutes to free Willis. By the time he was pried from the machine, Willis was critically injured. Perez said he showed no sign of a pulse. "He was non-responsive," Perez said. Willis was loaded into an Emergency Medical Service ambulance that arrived at the scene in response to a 911 call. He was rushed to the hospital emergency room a few blocks away, but his injuries were too severe to be overcome. Detectives from the 122nd Precinct examined the accident scene yesterday and began an investigation into the incident. No charges had been filed against anyone as of last night. Calls placed to The Tool Depot's Midland Beach, Port Richmond and New Brighton offices were not answered. The owner of the home at 720 Liberty Ave. could not be reached for comment.
Farming accident nearly kills a town employee By Zeke Changuris BOONSBORO, MD JULY 17 - A town worker in Boonsboro was almost killed when the tractor he was driving flipped over. It happened around 7:00 A.M. Thursday morning on the town farm in Boonsboro. The employee, Kennith Eshbaugh was bush-hogging or mowing a field along a stream embankment when it gave way. The tractor rolled over on top of him pinning him in the stream bed. Boonsboro Town Manager John Kendall said, "fortunately Kenny was able to hold on to the tractor so when it landed on top of him he was not injured seriously, as we speak." Emergency crews said Eshbaugh was conscious and alert when they pulled him out. At last check, he was still at Washington County Hospital.
Forklift accident injures welder July 16, 2003 Albany - A South Georgia man is seriously injured by a huge piece of steal that fell off a forklift. 40 year-old Charles Davis, of Camilla, was standing next to the forklift at a Mitchell County barn, when the hydraulic arm of the lift fell. Several sheets of metal slammed down on top of him. Davis was rushed to Phoebe Putney with visible injuries. As of Wednesday night, he was in fair condition. Davis is a independent welder in Mitchell County.
Flagger crushed by dump truck - Investigators puzzling together how man died 2003-07-17 by Catherine Hawley Journal Reporter BELLEVUE -- A 56-year-old construction flagger was killed Wednesday when he apparently was crushed by a dump truck on Northeast 162nd Avenue. No one witnessed the accident, and investigators spent much of the rest of the day trying to figure out exactly what happened. Larry McMurchy of Seattle was pronounced dead at the scene. He was discovered under the 90,000-pound truck about 7:40 a.m. after another worker saw his flagger's sign lying in the road but did not see him, said Marcia Harnden, Bellevue police spokeswoman. ``The driver didn't know anything happened'' until a co-worker called to him to stop, Harnden said. Bellevue Fire Department crews extricated McMurchy, but he could not be revived. He was declared dead just after 8 a.m. Parts of 162nd Avenue and Northeast 26th Street in the residential area near Interlake High School were closed for five hours so that officials from local and state agencies could investigate the accident. McMurchy was part of a six-member crew from Emerald Construction of Seattle replacing a water line for a city utilities project. Just before the accident, the dump truck emptied a load of gravel, Harnden said. It was then backing south on 162nd when a worker noticed the flagger missing. The dump truck driver was a 39-year-old man from Eatonville, Harnden said. A chaplain from Eastside Fire and Rescue was called to the scene to speak with McMurchy's co-workers. Efforts to reach Emerald Construction officials for comment were unsuccessful. The accident was the second in six weeks on the Eastside in which a dump truck crushed a flagger. On May 30, a truck backed over county roads worker Tonya Riexinger, 40, on Southeast Middle Fork Road near Snoqualmie. The state Department of Labor and Industries investigation into that incident won't be complete for another month or two, said spokeswoman Elaine Fischer. Officials will compare the two accidents, she said, though it's too early to speculate in either case why the worker could not get out of the truck's way. ``Flagger safety is a huge concern,'' Fischer said. An autopsy by King County Medical Examiners may help explain what happened. Also investigating were Bellevue police and Washington State Patrol, which oversees commercial-vehicle accidents. Wednesday morning, investigators took measurements and photographs. They used a rolling board to slide beneath the truck and inspect the undercarriage. The truck's warning signal could be heard when it was backed up a few feet. While they worked, a little farther down 162nd Avenue a long-handled stop sign, the kind flaggers use to direct traffic, rested upside down against a telephone pole.
Man Killed In Metro Construction Accident POSTED: 11:39 a.m. CDT July 17, 2003 OKLAHOMA CITY -- A 71-year-old man helping build a home was killed in a construction accident. Wayne Brown was using a front-end loader Wednesday to hoist a 1,000-pound, 16-foot piece of angle iron when the iron came loose, slid down the loader's arms and hit him in the head, Oklahoma City fire Maj. Brian Stanaland said. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.
UPDATE Worker is killed in dock accident By RAY HENRY, Standard-Times staff writer NEW BEDFORD -- A 25-year-old worker was crushed to death by a falling metal cage near a waterfront loading dock off Hassey Street Monday morning, police and witnesses said. Luiz Garcia Gomez of Viall Street, a worker at Nebula Foods Inc., was repairing a pothole around 11:45 a.m. with his cousin and another man when a forklift at Big G Seafood on the loading dock above them hit a cable attached to a metal cage, said Lt. Richard M. Spirlet, a spokesman for the New Bedford Police Department. The cage, which was on a trailer, fell about 7 feet, bounced off the loading dock and hit Mr. Gomez on the head. "They yelled, two of them getting out of the way," said Olivia Varao, part owner of Big G Seafood. She called 911 when she heard shouting outside her building, but the victim's heart had stopped by the time rescuers arrived. He was taken to St. Luke's Hospital and was pronounced dead shortly afterward. "Everyone feels pretty sad around here this morning," Ms. Varao said yesterday. The forklift driver, George Smith, also a part-owner of Big G Seafood, was devastated by the accident, Ms. Varao said. Stunned, he collapsed into a chair after rescue crews arrived, and he was too upset to work his normal shift yesterday. The victim has several brothers and sisters in Guatemala, Ms. Varao said. Officials from Nebula Foods were unavailable for comment yesterday afternoon. City police, state police assigned to the District Attorney's Office and officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident.
Man Dies After Accident At Seafood Plant; Victim Struck, Killed By Cage NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A New Bedford man is dead after an accident at a seafood plant in that city. Police said that 25-year-old Luiz Gomez was apparently struck by a steel cage that fell off a forklift Monday at Big G Seafood on Hassey Street. Gomez was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The accident is under investigation by local police and state police from the Bristol County District Attorney's office.
UPDATE Furnace operator dies from forklift injuries Associated Press HAWESVILLE, Ky. — A furnace operator injured in a forklift incident at a plant in Western Kentucky died Friday of his injuries. Kenneth Horn, 60, of Owensboro, was pronounced dead at 7:04 a.m. CDT at Owensboro Mercy Health System, said Daviess County Coroner Bob Howe. Horn was injured in a July 2 incident at the Southwire Co. plant in Hawesville. Horn, who had worked at the plant for 34 years, suffered extensive head trauma and remained unconscious while at the hospital. Details of the incident are not yet known, and an investigation is ongoing, said Gary Leftwich, manager of communications for Southwire's corporate headquarters in Carrollton, Ga. Leftwich said several employees have been interviewed, but no conclusion has been reached.
Worker crushed under bag Jul 13, 2003 Ministry of Labour officials are investigating an industrial accident in Vaughan that claimed the life of a Toronto man Thursday. York Regional Police said the victim, Tameshwerdut Misir, 54, was operating a forklift at Royal Plastics on Pippin Road about 2:30 p.m. The forklift was carrying large bags of plastic pellets used in the molding of plastics. Mr. Misir got off the forklift and one of the bags, weighing more than a ton, fell on him. Mr. Misir was pronounced dead at the scene.
UPDATE OSHA Expects Investigation Of AK Steel Worker's Death To Take Weeks Reported by: AP OSHA area Director Richard Gilgrist says his office's investigation of the death of an AK Steel worker will probably take at least two weeks. Ralph E. Jones, 41, of Waynesville, was killed today at the company's Middletown steel mill. Gilgrist says Jones was killed when a two-thousand-pound crane block fell on him while he was operating a forklift at the steel mill. AK Steel and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident. The president of the Armco Employees Independent Federation at the plant says the mood there was solemn today. Union President Ed Shelley says the main concern now is Jones' family. The union represents more than three-thousand employees at Middletown Works.
Dallas man dies in forklift accident 07/11/2003 From Staff Reports A 25-year-old man died Thursday night after a forklift fell on him at a Dallas trucking company. Tyrone D. Dison of Dallas drove a forklift off of a loading dock at about 10 p.m. Thursday at Con-Way Southern Express in the 5000 block of Calvert Street near Irving Boulevard, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The Dallas County medical examiner had not ruled on a cause of death Friday morning.
UPDATE OSHA fines company over worker's death July 10, 2003, 8:44 AM EDT OGDENSBURG, N.Y. -- The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined a company $2,500 in connection with a fatal workplace accident. Gerald Smith, 49, of Norwood, died June 4 when he was using a cherry-picker-type lift to inspect upper elevators and the unit tipped over. OSHA cited Hoosier's Magnetics of Ogdensburg for a serious violation, charging that Smith was not trained on the safe operation of the specific aerial life on which he was working at the time. The company has 15 working days to appeal the penalty. Company officials did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Forklift fire ends in costly burnout at Pepsi bottling July 7, 2003 Firefighters quickly put out a fire at a Portland bottling company Monday night. But not before it caused thousands of dollars in damage. The smoke could be seen in the air around the Pepsi bottling company on northeast Pacific Avenue, off of Sandy Boulevard. Investigators said a propane fueled forklift caught fire while loading a semi-trailer full of soda. The forklift caught the trailer and its contents on fire, and then the building itself. Total damage was estimated at $116,000. Officials believe the forklift propane tank leaked, and started the fire.
UPDATE Crown court sentencing over forklift truck accident Brian Smith, 47, was working at a power press at his employers, Medway Ltd of Smethwick, last December when he was struck by a falling metal coil being transported by a forklift truck. He sustained serious leg injuries requiring extensive surgery to reconstruct the limb. Subsequent investigation revealed the forklift operator was inadequately trained and that Mr Smith was deprived of the application of immediate first aid as the company had no qualified person. Medway pleaded guilty at West Bromwich Magistrates Court to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in the circumstances of the accident and will be sentenced at Crown Court next month.
Teen dies in workplace accident Wednesday, July 9, 2003 Authorities are continuing to investigate the death of a young 16-year-old Easton man who died when the forklift he was operating at a local business overturned on July 1. Edward M. Duggan was operating the heavy machinery, reportedly at his family's business, Republic Plumbing, at 257 Oak St. The accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. Police said workers at the scene could not revive Duggan after the forklift backed up on the loading dock ramp, crushing the victim. Duggan was reportedly working at the company as a summer job. Witnesses told police that Duggan was on the forklift when it flipped over while backing up the ramp. The equipment overturned and crushed Duggan's chest area, causing him to suffer severe internal injuries. Pembroke EMTs arrived at the scene and took over from co-workers who tried in vain to administer CPR, police said. Duggan was taken to South Shore Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office and the federal Occupation Safety Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating. OSHA is the government agency that oversees workplace safety.
UPDATE Young boy was seriously injured in Kiltimagh work accident AN accident involving a youth on a forklift at a business premises near Kiltimagh last July led to a hearing at the local District Court last week. The case was taken following an investigation by the Health and Safety Authority into an accident at Genfitt (Mayo) Ltd., a company with a clear record for 30 years, and involved a 17-year-old employee who sustained serious internal injuries when he became trapped between the mast cross-bar and the cab frame of a fork lift truck while lubricating its chains. The charges to which the company pleaded guilty at the outset involved the obligation on an employer to bring the terms of a ‘safety statement’ to the attention of employees and the duty to ensure that self-propelled work-equipment is driven only by employees who have been appropriately trained in the safe driving of such equipment. Ms. Bernadette Gannon, a Health and Safety Authority Inspector, outlined the background to the incident which occurred on July 20th last. She said the young man, Thomas Elliott, worked with the company at weekends and during the school holidays. The accident happened when his foot slipped on a lever as he went to grease a chain and he became trapped, suffering a laceration to the liver in the accident. He was taken to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar and was later transferred to St. Vincent’s in Dublin. He was off work for two months but had since returned to Genfitt. c She outlined the need for a ‘safety statement’ to be displayed in all work places and the need for all who operate forklifts to be trained in their use. In response to Mr. Brendan Donnelly, defending solicitor, Ms. Gannon agreed there had been no previous convictions against the company and that they had a clear record. Mr. Donnelly said his client, Larry McEllin, had been in business for up to 30 years. He had never been before a court in his life. This was the first accident in the history of his company. Ms. Gannon outlined some of the duties undertaken by Thomas Elliott, including counter-sales and stocking the stores which involved taking pallets in by a forklift. He normally worked with Paddy Morley. She said there was no record of formal training in relation to the forklift. She agreed the Genfitt company had a good track record and said that the company had co-operated fully with the enquiry and were helpful. She also said that 17 members of the staff had since undertaken training and safety matters had been upgraded accordingly. Two staff members were now trained in first-aid. Thomas Elliott told the court he was operating a forklift when he heard a chain screech. He climbed up and started to grease it but his foot slipped on the tilt lever and the frame came back on top of him. He added that he had now made a good recovery. Larry McEllin said it was the first time in 30 years of business he was in court. He said that since the accident he had sought out the services of a company called Atlantic Health and Safety, who were recommended to him by the ESB, and several staff members had undergone various training programmes in relation to safety. "Safety is paramount in my workplace. He (Elliott) is a brilliant young fella. I spent a week at the hospital with his parents," said Mr. McEllin, who said he had given talks on safety in relation to P.T.O. shafts around the country over the years. "I thought an ordinary driving licence covered someone to drive a forklift," he added. Judge Mary Devins imposed fines totalling almost 23,000, (as well as costs of 2950 and 2200 witness expenses) and she highlighted the need to take all possible precautions to eliminate or minimize the risks associated with forklift trucks. She said it was an unfortunate accident in which the young boy had suffered life-threatening injuries. The prosecution was represented by Mr. John Jordan, B.L. and State Solicitor Mr. Séamus Hughes. In a statement issued after the Court, Ms. Bernadette Gannon stressed the need for all employers to become aware of the need for safety training. "Employers must ensure that all employees involved in driving or operating fork lifts have adequate levels of appropriate training. Workers who have not been trained in the safety requirements of such vehicles, simply should not use them," she said.
Accident puts window washers in hospital; Flat tire on forklift hoisting platform causes 2 men to topple 28 feet From Staff Reports The State A window washer was in poor condition and another was fair Wednesday after the machine hoisting them at a Fort Jackson Boulevard building blew a tire and crashed to the ground. Both men, whose names were unavailable, were taken to Palmetto Health Richland. One went straight to surgery, said Columbia Police Capt. Steve Conley. The men, ages 47 and 18, fell about 28 feet, said Jim Knight, spokesman for the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. State Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating what happened. The men's employer, Innovative Building Products, of Charleston, could not be reached Wednesday. The company has not been cited for workplace violations, Knight said. The men, who were working in a basket attached to a platform, were power-washing windows about 8:30 a.m. at the building, officials said. No one connected to the investigation knew who owned the building or its use Wednesday. The forklift that held up the platform got a flat tire, Knight said, which caused the forklift to topple over. The tires were larger than those on a tractor-trailer rig. A third man, the forklift driver, was not badly hurt. He also was not identified. Knight didn't know the extent or type of injuries to the men who had been working in the basket. Everyone involved spoke Spanish, which slowed the gathering of information, Knight said. OSHA investigators relied on a Spanish-speaking Columbia police officer to get information. It could be at least five weeks before the investigation is done, Knight said.
Worker killed at 29/Trancas work site; Martinez man struck by a piece of construction equipment Friday, July 4, 2003 By MARSHA DORGAN Register Staff Writer A construction worker was struck and killed by a piece of heavy equipment at the Highway 29/Trancas Street interchange project on Thursday afternoon. John Castro, 45, of Martinez, died around 2 p.m. at Queen of the Valley Hospital. Castro was part of a crew working in the northeast corner of the construction site. He was struck in the lower back by a bucket attached to backhoe, according to Acting Fire Capt. Phil Stith. "When we got there, the victim was lying on the surface of the dirt up against a berm, away from the bucket," Stith said. Co-workers said the bucket hit Castro in the lower back and pushed him into the dirt, Stith said. "He was breathing at the scene and was talking a little bit in the ambulance on the way to the hospital," Stith said. "He was taken to surgery and expired at the hospital." The site was cordoned off with yellow plastic tape. By 3:30 p.m., most of the workers had left the site, replaced by detectives who were looking for clues. The monster backhoe that dealt the fatal blow sat idle, its bucket resting on a pile of dirt. At this time Castro's death is being handled as an industrial accident. The investigation has been turned over to California Occupational and Health Safety Administration. This is second industrial fatal in the county within a month. Nelson Rivera, 39, of Angwin was killed June 16 when he was crushed to death in a trash compactor at the Pacific Union College landfill on Highland Springs Road, north of the college. Rivera worked for PUC since 1996. Investigators believe he slipped and fell into a four-foot pit where he was raking trash. He was killed instantly when the compactor engaged, crushing him. Cal-OSHA is still investigating the accident. The $55 million Highway 29/Trancas Street interchange project has been under construction since the spring of 2002 and is scheduled to be completed next year. The freeway will be submerged beneath Trancas Street/Redwood Road. The Napa Valley Wine Train tracks will remain at grade.
Bulldozer traps, kills landfill worker By Michael Wright The Facts Published July 03, 2003 Republic Waste officials don’t know why a veteran bulldozer operator got off his vehicle Tuesday morning, leading to an accident that killed him. Secundino Martinez, 39, of Dickinson, was trapped between his bulldozer and a mountain of trash being pushed by another machine at the Seabreeze Environmental Landfill on FM 523. He was pronounced dead at the scene. “He got pinned between the dozer and the trash and the weight of the trash crushed him,” said Bill Linthicum, area president of Republic Waste. Chris Anderson, an investigator with the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department, said the death was an accident. “For some unknown reason, the victim got off his dozer and the other operator didn’t know it,” Anderson said. Both Anderson and Linthicum declined to identify the other driver. Linthicum said the man is trying to cope with his role in Martinez’s death. “He’s doing as well as expected,” Linthicum said. “He’s not at work at this time.” Both men had years of experience moving trash, which is different from moving dirt, Linthicum said. “It’s like walking on a million sponges,” Linthicum said. “It’s hard to stand up and maneuver and get around. It’s not a normal practice to get off and walk on that trash out there. It’s not a stable surface.” Martinez’s death devastated employees, Linthicum said. “The employees are almost like family members down there,” he said. Martinez, who had worked for Republic Waste for two years, leaves a wife and six children behind, Linthicum said. It’s the first time an employee was injured in an accident since Republic Waste took over the facility in 1998, Linthicum said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is investigating the accident.
Worker injured at ISU site By: Jason Kristufek, Staff Writer July 02, 2003 A construction worker was injured on Tuesday at the site of a new community center on the Iowa State University campus. Authorities identified the injured worker as Michael McCool, 37, of Ogden. He was transported by ambulance to Mary Greeley Medical Center for treatment of injuries to his arm and wrist. A spokesman for the hospital had no information on McCool this morning. University officials said McCool is an employee of Miron Construction Co., based in Wisconsin. The company does have a branch office in Des Moines. McCool was part of a construction crew working to complete the Union Drive Association Community Center. The building will have a cafeteria and commons area for use by students. It is located between State Gymnasium and Friley Hall on the west side of campus. ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said workers were unloading several cement columns with a forklift. Apparently, a strap that held one of the columns in place broke and pinned McCool's arm, he said. "He had several hundred pounds on top of his arm," Deisinger said. "The other employees used the forklift to raise the object off of him." The Ames Fire Department and rescue units responded, as did officers from ISU Police. Authorities said the injuries did not appear to be life threatening.
Police and Fire Report Wednesday, July 2, 2003 By MARSHA DORGAN Register Staff Writer AmCan employee pinned by forklift in accident. An American Canyon employee suffered major injuries when he was pinned between a forklift and a flat-bed truck, according to American Canyon Police Chief Doug Koford. Richard Castorena, 39, of West Sacramento, was seriously hurt while he was loading lumber onto a flat-bed truck on Tuesday morning at Golden State Lumber at 150 Napa Junction Road, Koford said. "Two flat-beds trucks where being loaded when a second forklift came in to help load. One of the forklifts was backing up, when it pinned the victim between the forklift and the truck," Koford said. Keith Caldwell, American Canyon fire chief, said fire units called for an air ambulance while driving to the scene based on the medical aid call that came into police dispatch. Caldwell said Castorena was conscious when fire crews arrived at the business. Castorena was airlifted by helicopter to Queen of the Valley Hospital. Since the injury is being treated as an industrial accident, officials from California Occupational and Health Safety Administration were called to the scene. An employee from Golden State Lumber who declined to identify himself to the Register on the telephone, said he had no comment about the accident.
Construction accident leads to death 6/30/2003 A 59-year-old man who worked for a Fairburn construction company was crushed and killed June 23 by a back-hoe on Autry Mill Road. The incident occurred at the Atlanta-Fulton County Water Treatment Plant, near the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, at about 8:30 a.m. Leonard Albert McCright of Monroe was killed when the bucket of a back-hoe driven by his brother, John E. McCright, 60, was lowered, crushing him. he victim had been standing on a ladder about 15 feet off the ground that was leaning against the top of a temporary steel plate, which covered a pipe. He was waiting for the back-hoe to lower a chain so he could attach it to the plate so workers could pull it off the ground. The victim was on one side of a 16-foot concrete wall and the back-hoe was on the other. McCright reportedly yelled for his brother to lower the arm of the back-hoe over the wall. No one saw what happened after that, police said. It appears when the bucket came down it pinned the victim between the top of the plate and the bucket. The two brothers worked for Reynolds Inc. construction company.
Dump truck backs over road worker CAMDENTON, Mo. (AP) -- A 58-year-old road worker was killed Thursday morning when a dump truck backed over him, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Harold Morrison, of Macks Creek, was working on a construction project along Missouri 5 near Camdenton around 8:28 a.m. when the dump truck backed up to dump asphalt and ran over Morrison, the patrol said. Morrison didn't notice the truck was backing toward him, the patrol said. Morrison was pronounced dead at the scene.
Forklift driver found dead 26jun03 A FORKLIFT driver working on his own was found crushed to death by his machine today at a fertiliser depot in Swan Hill, in northern Victoria. Police said one of the dead man's workmates found him at about 3.50pm (AEST) yesterday. Paramedics were called but they were unable to revive him. The 52-year-old man was working the forklift at a fertiliser works at Karinie Street, Swan Hill, when the accident occurred. WorkSafe investigators and police were preparing a report for the coroner. No further details were available at this stage.
St. Paul man dies in front-end loader accident By Robert Pore Publication Date: 06/25/03 ST. PAUL -- A 71-year-old St. Paul man died on Tuesday as a result of an accident involving a front-end loader, St. Paul Police Chief Steve Studnicka said. The St. Paul man killed in the accident was Tom Pflepsen. He was pronounced dead at the Howard County Community Hospital at 11:29 a.m. Studnicka said the accident was called in to the Police Department at 10:34 a.m. by a city utility worker who was driving by the building where the accident took place. He said the accident took place at a shop/storage building at Sixth and Grand streets in St. Paul. Pflepsen was alone in the building, Studnicka said, when the front of the loader fell on him. The loader belonged to Pflepsen, who was getting it out of the storage facility to help pick up some tree limbs in the community when the accident happened. While Studnicka said authorities are not certain about how the accident happened, he said Pflepsen had the front-end loader propped up with some wood, and for some reason it gave way while he was under it. Pflepsen was retired. He was the former owner of the Gambles Store in St. Paul and also worked as a bank courier, Studnicka said. He said the incident was an accident, and foul play is not suspected.
UPDATE $1M settlement reached in forklift injury lawsuit Advertiser Staff A 38-year-old man whose leg was crushed by a forklift at a Campbell Industrial Park auto wrecking yard in October 2001 has settled a lawsuit against yard owner Michael Cunningham for $1 million. Attorney Jan Weinberg, who represented Dan Easterday, said his client has received a check from the company that insured Leeward Auto Recycling at the time of the accident. Weinberg said Easterday had a "verbal agreement" with Cunningham to use a portion of the wrecking yard to repair "muscle cars" for resale. Easterday was injured after he stepped off a 1984 forklift to help another man and the forklift reversed into him, nearly severing the leg, Weinberg said. Cunningham and his attorney could not be reached to comment.
Man hit by forklift dies 20jun03 A MAN has died after being hit by a 12-tonne forklift at an industrial site near Gympie, north of Brisbane. The 47-year-old man was working at the Laminex Industries factory at Toolara when the accident happened about 10pm (AEST) yesterday. He died at the scene from head and chest injuries. The forklift driver suffered shock and was taken to Gympie Hospital for observation. Police are expected to visit the factory today to investigate the incident.
Steel and Tube worker hurt in accident 17 June 2003 By JOHN HENZELL A Christchurch workman has suffered a crushed leg in an accident at Steel and Tube. The man was taken to hospital by ambulance after the accident at the Blenheim Road distribution centre about 5.30pm yesterday. No further details were available. The accident is being investigated by Occupational Safety and Health. Last month, Christchurch Coroner Richard McElrea heard that Steel and Tube had made big improvements in its safety practices since the death of contract truck driver Rory Herrick at the Blenheim Road site in October 1999. Mr Herrick, 27, was getting something from his toolbox while securing a load of steel rods on to his semi-trailer when a forklift nudged a wooden pallet the rods were on, sending them crashing from the deck of the truck. He died instantly. At the time, Steel and Tube had recently introduced a health and safety policy that made it mandatory for forklift drivers to attend safety courses. The forklift driver had not yet attended the course. A prosecution of Steel and Tube ended with te company being discharged without conviction. Judge Graeme Noble found that "the nature of the offending had nothing whatsoever to do with the unfortunate fatality". The inquest was told that in June last year, Steel and Tube reached its goal of no lost-time accidents in the previous 12 months compared with 86 such accidents in 1996.
Truck driver dies in dump accident June 12, 2003, 6:59 PM EDT SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A payloader pinned a 41-year-old truck driver against the back of his rig Thursday, crushing him to death at a city recycling plant. Michael White, of Pennelville, had just delivered pulp about 7:30 a.m. and was attempting to close the back of his truck when the accident occurred. The driver of the payloader pulled out of a barn to scoop up the load and backed into the truck, pinning White between the vehicles, said Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan. "He never saw him," Connellan said. White was pronounced dead at University Hospital less than a half hour later, Connellan said. Officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were called to investigate, but no charges were filed, he said.
UPDATE Firm fined for man crushed at work By Richard Stirling 12 June 2003 – Coatings firm Plascoat Systems has been ordered to pay £9,000 (E12,750) after a worker was crushed by a reversing lorry at its site in Dudley, UK. Operator Michael Wakeman suffered broken vertebrae and ribs when he was crushed by a reversing lorry on 14 May last year. A spokeswoman for the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) said the company was fined £6,500 (E9,200) and ordered to pay £2,500 (E3,500) in costs for failing to meet health and safety regulations. Dudley magistrates took into account that the company had been given advice previously by the HSE and that the accident could have been fatal. The fines were reduced because the company had submitted an early guilty plea and implemented a health and safety training programme since the incident. The HSE spokeswoman said Wakeman, had since returned to “light duties” at work.
UPDATE Worker dies in forklift mishap; Schmitt remembered as hard-working family man June 12, 2003 By ANGELA GREEN of the Journal Star EAST PEORIA -A 62-year-old Edwards man died Wednesday afternoon when a forklift he was operating at Caterpillar Inc.'s East Peoria plant overturned, pinning him beneath the machine. The accident occurred about noon, as Robert Schmitt, a supervisor for River City Construction Co., moved steel racks with the machine. Schmitt, 9427 W. Kickapoo One, worked for the construction company for nearly 19 years and was known as an outgoing, tireless laborer, said coworker and friend Kevin Carter, River City's business development coordinator. "He was the guy who was always doing more," Carter said. "He did so much, and will be very missed." Witnesses said Schmitt was driving the forklift slowly, pivoting around the large pieces of steel that scattered the factory floor when either his vehicle or his load appeared to catch on one of the pieces, according to a police report. Phillip Long of Havana, who worked alongside Schmitt for 18 years, told East Peoria police he heard Schmitt yell, "Watch out!" as the forklift tipped, then flipped over on its left side, crushing his friend underneath. Long was on a nearby forklift and drove over to Schmitt as another worker cleared the way of scrap metal. He used his forklift to hoist the fallen machine off his friend, who was by then unresponsive. Schmitt's son, Jeffery, who was also working nearby, pulled his father from underneath the machine as a coworker called police. Robert Schmitt was pronounced dead at the scene. Coworkers remember Schmitt as a hardworking, honest man who put in his best effort at work every day. But Schmitt's work didn't end when he clocked out. He spent several hours a week helping out at his church and with other local causes. "He was an icon here in Kickapoo," longtime friend Bob Carman said Wednesday night. "If it wasn't for Bob, we wouldn't have our new school . . . He was awful good for Kickapoo." Both men attended grade school and church at St. Mary's in Kickapoo. That's where Schmitt met Carman's cousin, Carol, who later became his wife. The pair's five children also called the halls of St. Mary's home, as did several of their 15 grandchildren. Carman remembered his friend as being a proud, loving grandparent who would get gumballs for his grandchildren each week after their big Sunday breakfast. When their church congregation decided a few years ago to expand the current school and add a gymnasium, Schmitt was the one of the driving forces that got the $2 million-plus project done. In 2001, the first class of students passed through the new and improved halls on the way to the new gym - the Robert C. Schmitt gymnasium. But the work wasn't done. At the time of his death, Schmitt had half a dozen building and maintenance projects going on around the school. "He was a workaholic," Carman said. "He'd come home after work, then go up to the church or school, sometimes until midnight." Schmitt worked hard and did it without thought of recognition, said Father Patrick Riordan of St. Mary's. "There were so many projects going on and Bob was in the center of it," Riordan said. "(Imagining walking down the halls), you feel very empty. "He wasn't looking for applause. He just wanted to be there for his parish. He loved his family and was dedicated, not only to his family but to his church family." An autopsy is scheduled for today.
Forklift rollover kills Homer man A Homer man is dead after the forklift he was driving slid off a soft road shoulder and crushed him yesterday. Homer police say 43-year-old Scott Cunningham died in the accident. Cunningham was owner of Smokey Bay Air, a Homer air taxi business. Police say Cunningham was backing the forklift along Kachemak Bay Drive to his business when the accident occurred. A witness told police that Cunningham had some difficulty keeping the vehicle moving straight and it veered off the asphalt and down the steep, soft shoulder. Police say Cunningham reportedly attempted to jump free but fell into the ditch and the forklift rolled on top of him. Members of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department used inflatable bladders and a truck-mounted winch to free Cunningham but he could not be revived. Cunningham was an active fire and rescue volunteer in the Homer area.
Fatal Accident at Cat Plant Posted June 11, 2003 4:43pm A longtime River City Construction employee died Wednesday after an accident at a Caterpillar sub-assembly plant in East Peoria. Sixty-two-year-old Bob Schmitt of Edwards was moving steel racks inside Cat building NN when a forklift overturned and pinned him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Schmitt was a supervisor for River City Construction LLC. Caterpillar, River City Construction, and the coroner's office are investigating the accident. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday morning.
Man killed in forklift accident Published June 4, 2003 By DOUG HIGGS H&N Staff Writer Matthew Burrows, 32, Klamath Falls, died Tuesday afternoon from injuries suffered in an industrial accident involving the forklift he was operating in the 2900 block of Maywood Drive, the Klamath Falls City Police reported. Burrows leaned out of the front of a "Bobcat" type tractor to retrieve an item off the ground, but a tool belt he was wearing got caught on a lever, activating it, police said. This caused the front forks of the vehicle to lower, pinning Burrows between the forks and the body of the forklift, police said. After being extricated by personnel from Klamath County Fire District No. 1 and the city police, he was taken to Merle West Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Burrows was the son of the owner of Stephen Burrows Construction of Klamath Falls. He was born and raised in Klamath Falls, and graduated from Mazama High School. Ward's Klamath Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements.
Worker dies in Hanscom base accident By Stephen Hagan / CNC Staff Writer Saturday, June 7, 2003 BEDFORD -- In what local officials from the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office claim was an accident, a construction worker was killed Thursday night at Hanscom Air Field during a re-paving project in the parking lot of the airport's Civil Air Terminal. Killed was Gardner's Robert Bourgeois, 43, a worker for the P.J. Keating Co. of Fitchburg. He apparently died when he was crushed by an asphalt grinder, according to Lincoln firefighter Joe Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh said fire officials responded to the emergency call at 9:11 p.m. Thursday. State Police, Lincoln firefighters, Hanscom Air Force Base fire officials and Massport officials responded to the site of the accident, which was located in the town of Lincoln. He said a crew of three was operating the machinery at the time of the accident. They were grinding up the old pavement, said Cavanaugh.. He was found partially under the machinery and he had crushing injuries to his lower extremities and pelvis. He was unconscious when we arrived. Seth Horwitz, press secretary for the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, said Friday that his office determined the death to be accidental. It was apparently an accident, Horwitz said. There will be no further investigation by our office. Cavanaugh said Bourgeios was being administered CPR and in full cardiac arrest when Lincoln firefighters arrived and was taken by ambulance by paramedics to Emerson Hospital. The emergency helicopter, Boston Med-Flight, had been initially alerted, but according to Cavanaugh, fire officials generally do not use emergency helicopters when victims are suffering a heart attack. Med-Flight operations are based at Hanscom. Cavanaugh said the incident is being investigated by State Police, Massport, and by officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He was partially underneath the machine and was being extricated by Hanscom firefighters, said Cavanaugh. Massport spokesman Jose Juves said OSHA officials will investigate the incident and then present their findings to P.J. Keating and state officials. Juves would not speculate on the cause of the accident. It's too early to tell, he said. The investigation is ongoing. It was a milling machine which grinds old asphalt so a new layer can be applied. Juves said the parking lot project had been underway for the past three weeks and added that because of the accident, work on the project has been halted.
Man hurt in Nevada mining accident A heavy equipment operator working at the Cortez Gold mine site in Lander County was critically injured when the 150-ton truck he was driving overturned down an embankment. The accident occurred Sunday at the mine 75 miles southwest of Elko in Lander County. Cortez Mine officials say the contract employee was hauling leach-grade material for processing when his Caterpillar truck went through a berm and crashed 20-feet below. The unidentified worker was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake city, where he is listed in critical condition. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Pompa Bros. owner dies in equipment accident JIM KINNEY, The Saratogian June 04, 2003 MIDDLE GROVE - Nelson Pompa, owner of Pompa Bros. Inc., was killed Tuesday evening while using earth-moving equipment at his company's sand pit on Coy Road, north of Middle Grove. Pompa, 74, lived on Rowland Street in Ballston Spa. Saratoga County Undersheriff Michael Woodcock said Pompa was working on an access road above one of the pits to the back of the property shortly before 5 p.m. The equipment, described as a grade-all, tumbled down a 15-foot embankment onto large rocks. It came to rest upside down, with Pompa trapped in the partially-crushed cab. Woodcock said another worker discovered the accident and called 911 at about 5 p.m. "It is unknown how long Mr. Pompa was there before he was discovered," Woodcock said. Firefighters from the Middle Grove, Porter Corners and Greenfield Center fire companies responded. They used a bulldozer and a front-end loader to shift the grade-all's weight enough to give them access to the cab. Then, they used hydraulic cutters to open the cab and remove Pompa. Woodcock said this extrication took 30 to 40 minutes. Albany Medical Center had sent its MedFlight helicopter on the 16-minute trip to MiddleGrove from Albany. The helicopter set down on Coy Road at the entrance to the pit, about 11/2 miles from the accident scene. The medical crew went into the pit to help, but returned at about 7:15, loaded an empty stretcher back into the helicopter and flew off. Woodcock said Saratoga County Coroner Thomas Salvadore pronounced Pompa dead at the scene. His remains were removed to Saratoga Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Woodcock said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration would investigate the accident. Pompa and three brothers started Pompa Bros. in 1947 as a heavy construction firm. Its last big construction job was building Ballard Road in Wilton in the early 1970s. Pompa moved the company into mining for sand and stone, first on Route 29 in just west of Saratoga Springs. Company headquarters are still at Route 29 and Petrified Sea Gardens Road. Pompa's son, Ed Pompa, runs the company asphalt plant. His daughter, Mary, works in the firm's office. The company owns 1,800 acres off Coy Road, about 11/2 miles north of the hamlet of Middle Grove. Pompa has asked the town to rezone the area and allow more quarrying, a move hotly opposed by many neighbors. The issue is still before the town.
UPDATE Inquest set in gravel pit death KELLY PEDRO, Free Press Reporter 2003-06-04 03:22:40 A coroner's inquest will examine an accident that killed a 26-year-old Goderich man, Southwestern Ontario's regional supervising coroner confirmed yesterday. Under the Coroner's Act, an inquest is mandatory when a worker dies as a result of an accident in a mine, pit or quarry, said Dr. Bonita Porter. Shawn Cooper died in a London hospital after being crushed between a truck and a front-end loader at a Huron County gravel pit in May 2001. He was working at C. E. Reid and Sons when a dump truck got stuck in sand. Cooper tried to free the truck by hooking chains to a front-end loader, but it malfunctioned, moving forward and crushing him against the truck. Yesterday, Porter said an inquest, slated for July, would probe the events leading up to the incident. "The timing of it may depend on whether there are any charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act," Porter said, referring to the lapse in time between the incident and the inquest. The coroner, she said, may know early in the investigation if an inquest will be held, but cannot call one because it would risk tainting a trial if charges are laid. In November 2002, C. E. Reid and Sons pleaded guilty for failing to ensure proper workplace procedures were followed, said Belinda Sutton, spokesperson for the Labour Ministry. The company was fined $80,000. It has appealed the fine. The inquest is expected to last two days and hear from five witnesses.
Propane gas leak forces evacuation of housing facility Staff report, Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. WATERVILLE — Emergency crews evacuated an elderly housing facility on Elm Street on Monday after an accident ruptured a valve on an underground propane tank next to it, causing a serious leak. Police cordoned off the area around the leaking tank and shut down a section of Elm Street in front of the building, Elm Towers, while fire crews moved in to control the escaping gas. Waterville police Sgt. Michael Benecke said tenants of Elm Towers were able to return to the building after about an hour, and no one was injured in the accident. The accident occurred shortly before noon when a Waterville Housing Authority worker backed a vehicle over the tank, according to Waterville Firefighter Jim Roy. "Basically it was an underground tank that was evidently used for their emergency generator," Roy said. "One of their workers backed into it and busted the relief valve." Propane from the tank began hissing out of the broken valve and emergency crews were notified. Anthony Bernard, 29, of Waterville was riding his bicycle on Elm Street at the time the leak was reported, and watched the first fire crews arrive. "You could see the gas, the fumes just coming out, and you could smell it," Bernard said. "It was coming right out of the ground." Firefighters quickly surrounded the leaking tank and began hosing it down with water. "By doing that we can control the vapors, plus if there was ever an ignition we'd be prepared," Roy said. "It mostly vented out...the gas company was there, and they were going to attach a line to it and burn the rest of it off." Michael K. Johnson, executive director of the Waterville Housing Authority, which operates Elm Towers, said the fire department ordered the evacuation of the building as a precaution. Johnson confirmed the underground tank was used to power the building's emergency generator, but said it will not be used again. "It will be taken out of service and we'll go to an aboveground tank," Johnson said. There are 48 apartments in the Elm Towers building, Johnson said. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection was notified about the accident, Roy said. Breezy conditions Monday helped disperse the propane, sources said.
Forklift worker found dead Curtis Hines Taylor, 39, of Cameron was found dead after an apparent industrial accident in a Temple warehouse Wednesday morning, police said. Taylor, a forklift operator, was found on the ground with a head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy has been ordered, although authorities said foul play is not suspected.
UPDATE Widow of Two Rivers city worker files wrongful death suit By Michelle Kubitz Herald Times Reporter MANITOWOC — A wrongful death lawsuit was filed last week seeking damages for the family of a Two Rivers man killed last spring when he was struck by a garbage truck. Timothy Schramm, 41, died of massive head trauma May 17, 2002, after he was struck by a 1998 Crane truck driven by Timothy York. Schramm was marking water lines for the city of Two Rivers water and lights department at the time of the accident. His widow, Elizabeth Schramm, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday suing York, Manitowoc Disposal Inc., 1800 Johnston St.; and Acuity, an insurance company in Sheboygan. Schramm is seeking compensation for her loss and for funeral and medical expenses. Schramm alleges that the negligence of York and his employer, Manitowoc Disposal, were responsible for her husband’s death. According to court records, York’s driver’s license was revoked at the time of the accident. Although York passed a preliminary breath test and field sobriety tests, a blood test revealed he had traces of cocaine and marijuana in his body at the time of the accident. According to the accident investigation: •Timothy Schramm was marking a water line near the middle of Lowell Street, west of Mishicot Road, about 20 feet from the intersection. •Schramm was in a crouching position in the road and not wearing a reflective vest. In addition, no cones or other safety equipment marked that utility work was being done. •York had turned off Mishicot Road onto Lowell and did not see Schramm prior to striking him. Elizabeth Schramm’s lawsuit alleges York was using “excessive speed” when her husband was struck. In suing Manitowoc Disposal for negligent hire and negligent entrustment, Schramm’s lawsuit alleges that York had been convicted twice of operating while impaired. In addition, the lawsuit alleges that York allowed his liability insurance to lapse and that his driving privileges had been revoked at the time of the accident. Earlier this year, York pleaded no contest to a charge of operating while revoked that stemmed from the fatal accident. In March, the court ordered that the judgment of conviction be withheld. If York shows proof of a valid driver’s license by July 1, the charge will be amended to operating without a valid driver’s license.
Student critically injured in lift accident Andrew Tucker, 19, has sustained serious multiple crush injuries when he somehow came into contact with a lift's mechanism in an accident at Reading University's Sibly Hall residence in the Berks town. Emergency services required 30 minutes to free the student from the lift shaft. The accident is under joint HSE/ police investigation.
Construction worker hurt as backhoe overturns at Pronghorn Resort; Operator was wearing seat belt and was not seriously injured From bend.com news sources May 27 - A 43-year-old Terrebonne man was flown to a Bend hospital, but avoided serious injuries when his backhoe rolled onto its side Tuesday during construction work at the Pronghorn Resort between Bend and Redmond, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Deputies, Redmond fire crews and Air Life of Oregon responded shortly before 11 a.m. to the reported injury accident. Michael Matheny, a worker with Hap Taylor & Sons Construction, had been back-filling around a pressure-reducing valve station when the edge of the dirt gave way and the backhoe rolled onto its side, hitting the cinder-block structure, said sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Swearingen. Matheny was wearing a seat belt at the time, and was able to crawl out of the John Deere backhoe and walk a few feet away before needing assistance, Swearingen said. When officials arrived, members of the construction crew were helping the victim. An Air Life helicopter landed a short time later. Flight medics assessed the patient and, with the aid of Redmond fire-parameics, the man was placed on the chopper for the flight to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. A nursing supervisor said he was treated for minor injuries and released.
Bulldozer accident claims life By ANDREW PERALA/West Hawaii Today A 37 - year - old Honaunau man died Friday afternoon when the bulldozer he'd been driving ran over him, police said. Jesse Young, an experienced heavy - equipment operator, had been clearing a sloping, three - acre lot in Makalei Estates off Mamalahoa Highway when he somehow fell beneath the 17,000 - pound machine. The 3:43 p.m. accident likely killed him instantly, a police spokesman said. Funeral arrangements are pending, as police investigate the sequence of events resulting in Young's death. The home lot had a steep slope on the upper end that Young had bladed smooth earlier. Young may have been walking the land when the Caterpillar D4H bulldozer suddenly took off in reverse, "but we may never know," a police spokesman said. Unmanned, the bulldozer continued running in reverse, police said. About 125 feet after running over Young, the bulldozer's right - corner blade clipped the left post of an electrical box before crossing the subdivision's main street and climbed up and over the road's rain gutter. Then, tipping backward at an angle down a steep embankment, the bulldozer crashed through a six - foot tall chainlink fence surrounding a 15,000 - gallon water tank, police said. The bulldozer missed the tank by about 30 feet, according to measurements of the tracks. The fence, uncut though damaged beyond repair, leashed the runaway bulldozer, police said. Entangled in the bulldozer's undercarriage, the more than 100 feet of fence and concrete - embedded posts swung the bulldozer uphill until it ground to a halt. The bulldozer had traveled more than 300 feet without its driver, police said. Police found Young's ballcap about 50 feet and his cellphone 25 feet upslope from his body. A police spokesman confirmed Young had severe leg injuries, as well as massive trauma to the rest of his body. Young was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he ws pronouced dead. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death, police said.
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 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.
Indonesian driver crushed by heavy machinery In KUANTAN, an Indonesian driver was believed killed after the forklift driven by him, to lift timber, overturned and crushed him in a rubberwood factory in Kuala Kenong, near Lipis, yesterday. Pahang CID Deputy Chief Supt Mokhtar Mohd Ali said the victim, only known as Landriadi, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Lipis Hospital. In the 9 am incident, the victim was believed to have driven the forklift along the hilly area and lost control. "The machine overturned and fell to the foot of the hill," he told reporters here Monday. Mokhtar said several workers managed to pull the victim, who suffered severe bodily injuries, out from the mangled wreck. Police have classified the case as sudden death and ruled out foul play.
Worker slips, falls, is killed by truck By SUZANNAH GONZALES, Times Staff Writer HERNANDO - A worker for FDS Disposal Inc. was killed Thursday afternoon when he jumped off a garbage truck, slipped and fell to the ground and then was run over by the truck, authorities said. The accident happened in the Hernando City Heights neighborhood east of U.S. 41 between Inverness and Hernando. The Florida Highway Patrol, which is handling the investigation, did not release the names or ages of the victim or others involved. The man's next of kin had not yet been notified, an FHP trooper said Thursday afternoon. While one man drove the truck, two others - including the victim - rode on the back, FHP trooper Jamie Mulverhill said. The man jumped off when the truck was near Hawaii Lane and Arkansas Terrace. Dispatchers received the call at 2:17 p.m., according to Citrus County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gail Tierney. The first deputy arrived seven minutes later. Following the accident, sheriff's officials cordoned off about half a block of Arkansas while the white garbage truck remained parked on Hawaii. A covered body and a red cap lay on the ground in front of it. It was "a total accident," said a tearful FDS Disposal Inc. owner, Ina Ray, who was at the scene. "Just a total, stupid accident."
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.
Close call for refuse worker By Nigel Regan (News from 2003-05-14 Edition) A WASTE management worker is lucky to be alive today after being hit by an eight-foot by eight-foot steel door attached to a refuse truck. The accident occurred shortly after 9am yesterday when a truck was dumping its load at the Tynes Bay Incinerator. A source close to the incident told the Bermuda Sun: “There’s a possibility that the retention device on the door of the dumpster truck wasn’t closed properly.” The door hit a 48 year-old Pembroke man who had been working on an adjacent truck. The man was treated for contusions and lacerations at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and subsequently released. The incident is being investigated but our source said it is likely to result in changes at the incinerator whereby trucks dump their loads at the far end of the hall, where there would be no room for anyone to get in the way. Our source said: “I think they’ve learnt something by this. When you think about it, whenever a dump truck dumps there’s a lot of debris around and there’s always the potential for someone to get injured — the accident really fits into that kind of category.”
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.
Police, state probe warehouse center death - Food Services employee struck by trailer identified as 59-year-old Renton man 2003-05-10 by Bruce Rommel Journal Reporter KENT -- An employee fatally injured in an accident at a warehousing center was identified Friday as Renton resident Bernard Lee Ottesen, 59. Ottesen was pronounced dead about 6:45 p.m. Thursday after he was struck by a trailer that was being moved in the lot at Food Services of America, 18430 E. Valley Highway, said an investigator for the King County medical examiner's office. Kent firefighters and King County Medic One paramedics attempted to revive the Renton man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy Friday indicated he suffered rib and spinal fractures, resulting in severe heart, lung and spinal cord injuries, the medical examiner's investigator said. Gary Odegard, vice president of corporate communications for Food Services of America, said Ottesen was a warehouse employee who had been with the company for 19 years. Ottesen has a wife and an adult son in Arizona, Odegard said. Kent police are investigating the accident. The state Department of Labor and Industries also will investigate. The agency routinely reviews any fatal accident in the workplace to determine if the employer is in compliance with worker safety regulations, said Steve Pierce, an L&I spokesman. Odegard said the company also is investigating the accident, which occurred in an area where equipment and vehicles are frequently being moved. ``The mystery is why this happened, especially in broad daylight,'' Odegard said. ``Equipment is moving through there all the time and everybody who works there is familiar with that.'' There are striped safety areas where employees are supposed to walk. Odegard said, and Ottesen was in one of those marked safety areas. Odegard said the distribution center is inspected regularly and always exceeds worker safety and food handling standards because of the company's ongoing training program. Several hundred employees work at the center. The worker's death Thursday was the first fatality there since the complex opened in the late 1980s, Odegard said.
Man dies at Rio's Argyle diamond mine A WORKER at Rio Tinto's huge Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia died today when two haul trucks collided. The accident happened about 5am (WST) at the world's biggest diamond mine, 120 km south-west of Kununurra in WA's far north. Inspectors were travelling to the mine to start investigating the causes of the incident, said a spokesman for the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. The man's death is the third mining fatality in WA this year. On January 27, a female pit technician died after a rock fall at Barrick Australia's Lawler's gold mine, 50 km south west of Leinster. Just 12 days before, a male mine worker died in a loader accident in decline at Western Metals lead and zinc mine known as Kapok, near Fitzroy Crossing.
Police investigate death of S.J. recycling plant worker By the Mercury News Police are investigating the death early Wednesday of a woman crushed by a forklift at a recycling center where she worked. But officials say it appears to have been accidental. The coroner's office identified the woman as Carmen Beltran, 34, of San Jose. She was struck about 4:25 a.m. by a forklift driven by a fellow employee in the GreenTeam of San Jose recycling warehouse at 525 Charles St., said San Jose police Sgt. Steve Dixon. The driver, whom police would not identify, had a load of material and apparently did not see Beltran as she walked down a corridor, Dixon said. ``He had some bales of recycled material on the front of the forklift that apparently blocked his view,'' Dixon said. ``It just looked like he didn't see anybody there. Nothing so far makes it look like anything other than an accident.''
Construction worker critically injured in accident on the job By ABC13 Eyewitness News (4/29/03) — The Harris County Sheriff's Department is investigating a Tuesday morning accident at a northwest Harris County construction site that left one worker critically injured. The man suffered a leg injury when an earth-moving truck backed up over his leg at the site on Hollister and Blue Creek Ranch. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital by Lifeflight and at last report was listed in critical condition.
UPDATE Failure to apply brake caused death April 29, 2003 19:13 A LORRY driver who died under the wheels of his runaway vehicle had failed to apply the parking brake, an inquest heard. Andrew Bone, 29, of Carraways, Witham, was delivering scaffolding to a site in London when his lorry began rolling towards rush-hour traffic. Mr Bone, who was employed by Essex-based Pole Position, died from multiple injuries in The Strand on July 23 last year while trying to stop the fully loaded Mercedes lorry careering into the path of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Westminster coroner Dr Paul Knapman, who had ordered a police investigation into the vehicle's condition, recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest yesterday after deciding Mr Bone's error was to blame. “The death was caused by Mr Bone not putting the parking brake on. It is as tragic as that. If the family were looking for negligence by other people, that has not been forthcoming,” he said. “On the evidence we have it does seem the most likely explanation that the parking brake was not applied.” Mr Bone was seen by fellow workers running alongside the lorry trying unsuccessfully to reapply the trailer brake, then trying to disconnect a vital braking airline before the lorry suddenly jack-knifed, crushing him under the wheels. His death left widow Cheryl to raise their four-year-old daughter Kelsey and a second child born eight months after Mr Bone was killed. The inquest had heard from scaffolder Bradley Whitnell, from Bow, east London, who had helped Mr Bone disconnect the trailer brake by hitting it with an eight-foot length of timber. “I gave it a clunk and it started rolling. He tried the brake, he pumped it three times and he's running beside the trailer, telling everyone to move back,” he said. Mr Whitnell revealed the same trailer had suddenly rolled forward two months earlier during a separate job, crashing into two parked black cabs. Pole Position manager David Lunn, from Chingford, told the inquest the earlier incident had been put down to driver error. He added the vehicle had been checked every six to eight weeks and no defects were found. Accident investigator Pc William Wright said the handbrake had not been on the lorry when it had been checked after Mr Bone's death. Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Bone said she and his family had been devastated by his death. Mrs Bone was two months' pregnant at the time of the fatal accident and has since given birth to the couple's second child, Tierney. “At the end of the day he died trying to save the lives of a lot of people. It would have been his 30th birthday this year. It has been really hard with two children,” she said. “However, at least I have them - it has helped me cope. He was a wonderful man. His family have been great.”
Forklift driver hurt in warehouse KEARNY - A forklift driver was hospitalized yesterday after being pinned against metal shelving in a warehouse, according to police reports. Richard Howell, 35, of Newark, was driving a forklift at Uncommon Carrier on Hackensack Avenue in the River Terminal at 12:54 p.m. when he got too close to metal shelving and his hip became pinned between the shelving and the forklift, reports said. Howell complained of pain in his hip and the Kearny Volunteer Emergency Squad transported him to University Hospital in Newark for treatment. His injuries did not appear to be serious, reports said.
Truck driver killed while trying to repair truck in Pompano By Jaime Hernandez Staff Writer April 17, 2003 POMPANO BEACH · The driver of a semitrailer-truck died Wednesday afternoon when the rig ran over him while he and a mechanic worked on the vehicle's brakes, authorities said. James Conrow, 48, of Fort Lauderdale was driving to Pilot Steel Inc., his employer, with a load of steel beams and had turned onto Northwest 22nd Court from Powerline Road when the vehicle broke down, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. Conrow radioed Pilot Steel, located a half-mile down the road, for help, and a mechanic was sent to repair the rig. After fixing the brakes, the mechanic got into the cab and tried moving the truck, apparently unaware that Conrow was near the rear of the trailer, authorities said. A witness told deputies that Conrow slipped and fell near the rear axle, and the wheels crushed him. Conrow was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff's office deemed the death an accident and said it was unlikely that charges would be filed. Co-workers described Conrow as a family man who had worked at Pilot Steel for more than 10 years. Efforts to reach Conrow's family Wednesday night were unsuccessful.
Truck lot accident victim identified ONTARIO — A man who died Tuesday when he was crushed between two trailers at a trucking yard has been identified as 23-year-old Mario Alberto Campos of Hacienda Heights, San Bernardino County Supervising Deputy Coroner Randy Emon said. Campos was working in a trucking yard in the 3800 block of Guasti Road about 5:50 p.m. Tuesday when another worker backed a tractor-trailer into him, pinning Campos between two trailers, Emon said. Campos was taken by ambulance to San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, where he was pronounced dead at 8:35 p.m., Emon said. The Ontario Police Department is investigating the incident.
Garden River man killed in skidder accident Sault Star Staff Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 09:00 Local News - A Garden River First Nation man is dead following an industrial accident Tuesday morning. Aaron Lawrence Jones, 41, was part of a work crew clearing brush near Ball Park Road in the community just east of Sault Ste. Marie. At about 11:30 a.m., a skidder that was parked on a grade rolled backwards and struck Jones, standing near the rear of the tractor. There was no operator in the skidder at the time of the accident, according to the Anishinabek Police Service. Jones was taken to Sault Area Hospital, where he died of his injuries. The incident is being investigated by the OPP Northeast Region’s technical identification services unit, OPP technical accident investigation services and the Ministry of Labour. Jones was one of a crew clearing land for the extension of a gravel pit used to supply the Highway 17 construction project, said Anishinabek Police Service Staff Sgt. John Syrette.
Woman dies in forklift horror Apr 23 2003 by Nicky Tabarn, Liverpool Echo A WOMAN died after she was knocked over and trapped under a forklift truck. The 51-year-old died instantly after the accident on the main shopping street in Southport. Police, fire and ambulance were called to Lord Street just after 10am today (Wednesday, April 23). An ambulance spokesman said: "A 51-year-old woman was trapped under a vehicle. She died at the scene." Police said the woman was run over by the truck outside the town hall. A spokesman said: "A woman, believed to be local, became trapped under a forklift truck. "Police, fire and ambulance were all at the scene to try and free her. "The health and safety executive are now looking into the incident." The fire service sent a special rescue unit to help free the woman. A spokesman said: "We sent two appliances after receiving reports that somebody was trapped under a vehicle. We also had a special rescue unit which has specialised equipment." The forklift truck driver was taken to Southport and hospital suffering from shock. Val Rimmer, 48, rushed to help the woman as she lay underneath the vehicle. Mrs Rimmer said: "They were the worst injuries I have ever seen. I didn't know if she was alive. "She was lying between the back wheels. I could see her arms and I tried to find her pulse, but she was unconscious. "I held her hand and waited until the emergency services arrived."
Man dies in forklift mishap A report will be prepared for the coroner after a man died in a forklift accident at a scout camp at Appin, north-west of Wollongong, late yesterday. Police say the 25-year-old Sydney man was driving a forklift along a bitumen road at the Cataract Scout Camp when he lost control, causing the forklift to tip over. They say despite the best efforts of witnesses, the man was trapped in the crash and died at the scene. The forklift has been taken to Moss Vale police station for mechanical examination.
UPDATE Firm fined £8,000 over near escape by ALISON BELLAMY A CONSTRUCTION company was fined £8,000 after a dumper truck overturned on a building site in Leeds. A man driving the truck escaped uninjured. Morrison Construction admitted putting labourer Anthony Mongey at risk during work at Headingley Water Treatment Work on May 16 last year. The city magistrates were told that Mr Mongey, 59, was working as a sub-contractor for the national company, which was building a concrete water tank at Yorkshire Water's site at Otley Road. The work was being carried out in partnership with Earth-Tech Engineering. Mr Mongey drove the eight-tonne truck on a one- in-four gradient, a manoeuvre that was against safety advice. It overturned. He was taken to the accident and emergency department at Leeds General Infirmary but was uninjured and returned to work four hours later. Sarah Hague, HM inspector for Health and Safety, said: "There was certainly potential for a fatal accident here. Dumpers on gradient feature prominently on accidents of this sort. "The company has co-operated fully with the HSE investigation." Paul Burnley, for Morrison Construction, which has 100 sites nationally and employs 1,900 people plus 200 sub-contractors, said: "Mr Mongey, who has 40 years' experience in the construction industry, was unscratched. Although a sub-contractor, he had been on a full induction course. "Despite safety training , procedures were not followed. "The company was obviously shocked at what happened. An internal investigation was held and this incident is now used in training sessions." The firm was also ordered to pay £1,409 costs.
Worker recovering after Lupin mine mishap WebPosted Apr 23 2003 07:07 AM MDT CAMBRIDGE BAY, Nunavut - Nunavut's Workers Compensation Board is investigating an accident at the Lupin gold mine. Sylvester Wong, the chief mining inspector with the board, says a vehicle operator drove into a open hole and fell about 10 metres. Wong would not give the worker's name. He says the worker suffered cuts, three broken ribs and a bruised left lung. Wong says the investigation is the first step in preventing such accidents from happening. "That's one of the key purposes of the investigation to find out what went wrong so they can take corrective measures," he says. Wong says the injured worker is recovering. The Lupin gold mine is operated by Echo Bay Mines about 300 kilometres southeast of Kugluktuk.
UPDATE BOMBARDIER INC. FINED $225,000 FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY VIOLATIONS Bombardier was fined $225,000 on April 9, 2003, for three violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in a serious leg injury to an employee. On Aug. 24, 2001, a forklift operator was in the process of transporting compressed gas cylinders when a cylinder struck the ramp of a rack that was attached to a forklift. The ramp struck the worker below the right knee. A Ministry of Labour investigation revealed the worker had not been sufficiently trained in a safe procedure for moving cylinders and that following the accident the worker drove himself from the plant to the hospital. The accident occurred in Bombardier's plant on Montreal Street in Thunder Bay. Following a four-day trial, Bombardier was found guilty, as an employer, of: failing to ensure cylinders for compressed gas were moved in a manner that did not endanger the safety of the worker, as required by Section 45 of the regulations for industrial establishments. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act; failing to provide the worker with information, instruction and supervision on the safe movement of the compressed gas cylinders. This was contrary to Section 25(2)(a) of the act; and failing to take the reasonable precaution of providing appropriate medical attention to the injured worker at the workplace, and/or failing to provide transportation for the injured worker to a hospital. This was contrary to Section 25(2)(h) of the act. Justice of the Peace Gordon Buterin, of the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay, fined the company $125,000 on the first count and $50,000 on each of the second and third counts. A supervisor was found guilty of failing to take the reasonable precaution of providing appropriate medical attention to the injured worker and/or failing to provide transportation for the injured worker to a hospital. This was contrary to Section 27(2)(c) of the act. Justice of the Peace Buterin fined the supervisor $5,000. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge on the fines against the company and supervisor, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Reversing refuse collection vehicle kills pedestrian A reversing refuse collection vehicle has fatally injured a senior citizen in an Edinburgh street. According to one account Mr Frank Dingwall, 83, was struck as he was walking behind the vehicle as it reversed around a corner in Liberton.
Fatal accident at Hull docks It is reported that a lorry driver has died of crush injuries in an industrial accident at Queen Elizabeth Dock in Hull. According to one account the man sustained injury when he was crushed between the lorry's load and a wall. The facility is operated by Associated British Ports.
Forklift injures worker at coffin sales company An employee at a coffin sales company was critically injured when a forklift fell on top of him Monday morning. Hallandale Beach police spokesman Andrew Casper said police received a call at about 11 a.m. Monday and was told a man was trapped under a manual forklift. The incident occurred inside Cardinal Casket Sales on Northwest Sixth Avenue. Police had not released the victim's name as of late Monday. He was described as being about 19 years old. Casper said the victim was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood with head injuries and was listed in critical condition.
UPDATE Berks County mushroom plant fined for worker's death April 05, 2003 A mushroom plant where a worker died when he was scooped up by a front-end loader and dumped into a compost grinder has been fined more than $12,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, officials said. Richard D. Kielbasa, 51, had been collecting samples from a compost pile when the accident happened Nov. 28, investigators said. OSHA has issued two citations to Ontelaunee Farms Inc., one for general disregard for safety conditions and another for failing to have protective equipment and reflective clothing for workers, OSHA investigator Robert Fink said. The Muhlenberg Township plant was issued $12,600 in penalties. The plant has corrected the violations since the accident, Fink said. Plant owner Giorgi Mushroom Company has appealed the citations and a hearing is pending, Fink said. A person answering the telephone at Ontelaunee Farms on Saturday said plant officials had no comment on the citations. Police have determined that the death was an accident, and the investigation is complete. Kielbasa, a 24-year employee and assistant general manager, was collecting samples from 40-tall piles of compost. "It is possible he could have been bent over trying to get samples," police chief Robert Flanagan said. "We think it (the loader) hit him, knocked him down and knocked him out, then scooped him up." Steam coming off the mushroom compost hindered the visibility of the driver of the front-end loader, Fink said. If the additional safety measures had been taken, the accident could have been prevented, investigators said. "The equipment and clothing doesn't always eliminate the hazard, but it reduces the probability of an accident occurring," Fink said. Information from: Reading Eagle
UPDATE Jury awards $13.9 million to worker run over by truck April 3, 2003, 6:51 PM EST FREEHOLD, N.J. -- A Monmouth County jury awarded $13.9 million to a man and his wife after finding his employer's negligence was largely responsible for an accident in which he was run over by a truck and blinded in one eye. The verdict for David H. and Doris Green, of Farmingdale, is believed to be one of the largest personal injury awards in the state, their lawyers, Angelo and Robert Bianchi, a father and son team, said Thursday. The jury awarded a total of $14.5 million, but the jury reduced it because it found that David Green was 5 percent at fault. The remainder was assessed to Stavola Management Co. Inc. Stavola lawyer Joseph D. Deal said the company would probably seek a new trial or a reduction in the award. He had argued that Green and the truck driver were at fault. The driver settled for $500,000 before trial, Robert Bianchi said. The verdict was delivered March 27 after a seven-week trial before state Superior Court Judge Ronald Lee Reisner. Green was crushed by an asphalt truck in 1996 while walking at an asphalt plant operated by Stavola in Howell. Green, who was 40 at the time, had worked there 12 years and operated a front-end loader, Bianchi said. The Greens sued in 1998. The truck was backing up, but two police officers testified that its backup beeper could not be heard above the other noise at the plant, Bianchi said. In addition to losing sight in one eye, Green suffered multiple fractures, lost some hearing and can no longer work, his lawyers said. They argued that Stavola failed to protect its workers because the site lacked signs, crosswalks, barriers and mirrors at the loading area.
Friends, Co-Workers Can't Save Man Pinned Under Lift April 1, 2003 DAVIE, Fla. -- An industrial accident Monday night in Davie claimed the life of a worker at a Nations Rent location. When rescue workers arrived at the equipment rental company in the 6500 block of state Road 84, they found the 42-year-old victim pinned under a scissors lift and a truck. His co-workers tried to help, but could not free the man from under the lift. He died at the scene.
Man critical following accident Friday, March 28, 2003 NEWS staff report Shelbyville Police on Thursday afternoon investigated a work-related accident that caused an Indianapolis man to be airlifted to a hospital for serious injuries. Ralph D. Butrum, 31, was flown by Lifeline Helicopter to Methodist Hospital following a forklift accident at Sparks Automotive Sales, 311 Habig St. According to the police report, Butrum, who is not employed with Sparks, had gone to work with a friend, Ronald D. Orebaugh, 43, also of Indianapolis. The two were attempting to move an engine cradle they had taken out of a Dodge Neon when the accident occurred, around 3:47 p.m. Orebaugh said at one point Butrum had been sitting on the back guard of the forks in order to steady the cradle. According to the report, Orebaugh looked away for a moment to reach for his sandwich, and when he looked back, both Butrum and the engine cradle were gone. He almost drove over Butrum, but stopped the forklift in time, Orebaugh told police. He found Butrum on the floor with a pool of blood under his head. Medics transported Butrum to Major Hospital. He was later transferred to Methodist Hospital for skull fractures on both sides of his head, and broken ribs, vertebrae and pelvis. Staff at Methodist told local paramedic Tom Laughlin that Butrum is in critical condition, but he is expected to live. Shelbyville Police administered sobriety tests; Orebaugh tested 0.062 on the portable breath test. Drug and alcohol testing also is being performed at the Indiana State Police Lab. Orebaugh admitted he smoked marijuana and drank beer and whiskey the night before the accident, according to the report.
Forklift operator dies in warehouse accident Thursday, March 27, 2003 SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A 40- year-old Hawthorne man was killed Wednesday after he was pinned by a forklift he was operating when the machine overturned on top of him at a warehouse here, officials said. Authorities were withholding the victim's name until his relatives could be notified. The victim was employed by Triangle Network. The accident happened shortly before 11:25 p.m. at a company at 12816 Shoemaker Ave. Whittier police were called following the accident. Investigators from Cal-OSHA were investigating the cause of the accident, said Dean Fryer, Cal-OSHA spokesman. "We're looking at the forklift to see if there were any mechanical malfunctions or if any safety procedures were not followed,' Fryer said.
Forklift truck fatal accident It is reported that Robert Mann, 59, has sustained fatal injuries in a workplace accident involving a forklift truck at a Welshpool, Dyfed-Powys, scrapyard. Mr Mann was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries there.
UPDATE Fatally injured worker used truck's forks to gain access A fish processing company worker used a patently unsafe method of work to tend to large bags of fishmeal at his employer's premises. In December 2001 David Cobban accessed the stored product using the raised forks of a forklift truck from which he fell through four metres, sustaining fatal head injuries. Mr Cobban's employer, United Fish of Aberdeen, admitted and was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £16,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, failing to provide a safe system of work for Mr Cobban. HSE's John Radcliffe commented that the "biggest cause of serious and fatal accidents in industry is from working from height and transport in the workplace, the two most common factors of serious and fatal incidents which were present in this case." Forfab, based in Rothes, Moray, the forklift truck driver provider, was fined £4,000 in respect of failing to provide adequate training.
City worker injured by sanitation truck Daniel Borunda El Paso Times A city sanitation department employee was seriously hurt when he was run over by a garbage truck Thursday morning, officials said. Roberto Rodriguez was walking in a parking lot at 4:50 a.m. when he was clipped by a garbage truck, fell to the ground and was run over by a truck tire at a sanitation facility, 7969 San Paulo, officials said. Rodriguez, 31, was in critical condition at Thomason Hospital, police said.
Lorry driver crushed to death Mar 20 2003 By Mike Hornby Daily Post Staff A MERSEYSIDE lorry driver was crushed to death when he was caught between a fork lift truck and quarry equipment. The 53-year-old father-of-one from Whitby, Ellesmere Port, died at Cavendish Mill in Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire, on Tuesday afternoon. Police and the Health and Saf et y Executive have launched an investigation into the incident which happened on the premises of Glebe Mining. It is thought that the man was injured at around 11.20am at the site's limestone processing plant, close to the quarry. It is understood that he had left his vehicle prior to the accident. Police said that the man, who has not been named, was airlifted to the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arrival. It is understood that he was married and had a daughter. A team of HSE site inspectors arrived at the scene yesterday morning and sealed off the area although much of the quarry remained open for operations. Derbyshire Police have ruled out any suspicious circumstances but will remain in close contact with the HSE while interviews with witnesses are carried out. A HSE spokesman said: "It is believed that the man was crushed between a fork lift truck and a caterpillar load-ing shovel. "An investigation with the police is being carried out at the scene and interviews with witnesses will take place over the next few weeks. "This is a very delicate investigation and it is too early to say how the man came to be involved in this accident. A Derbyshire police spokesman said the death was not being treated as suspicious. A post mortem would be carried out by a Home Office pathologist before details are passed to the Derbyshire coroner.
Forklift driver killed after being crushed into wall A forklift driver was killed today in an industrial accident. The 41-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was working at the Safeway Regional Distribution Centre, within Righead Industrial Estate in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, when the accident happened shortly after midnight. He suffered serious leg injuries when he fell from his truck and became trapped between it and a wall. He was taken by ambulance to Monklands Hospital but died a short time later. About 60 forklift drivers work on the busy nightshift at the depot. A workmate said: "He was unloading a lorry that had come into the base. "I heard he had been on the truck ramp when it was parked in an unloading bay. "Maybe he was trying to straighten up his bogie to uplift the palettes from the lorry and his unit lost its balance and toppled into the bay. "I was told he was crushed into the wall." A police spokesman said: "It was a tragic accident. The driver fell from the back of his unit and his legs were crushed between it and the wall of the bay. "Workmates quickly raised the alarm and he was given emergency treatment at the scene by paramedics before an ambulance rushed him to Monklands Hospital. "Unfortunately, he died shortly after being admitted. He had been bleeding heavily and possibly died of a cardiac arrest." Health and Safety Executive officials have started an investigation into the tragedy. A Safeway spokesman said: "We are assisting in every way possible with the inquiry."
£1.2m for paralysed worker March 15, 2003 07:00 A supermarket worker left paralysed when a loading cage fell off a lorry has won a £1.2m compensation settlement, a court heard yesterday. But magistrates dealing with a criminal prosecution of two companies for health and safety failures refused to pass sentence in the case because their £20,000 maximum fines were not enough. Sheringham man Simon Ayers has been in a wheel-chair since suffering back injuries in the accident outside the town's Budgens supermarket on July 18 2001. Haulage company Gist and Budgens had both admitted Health and Safety Act offences of failing to ensure the safety of workers, other firms' employees and the public. After a two-hour hearing and an hour deliberating, Cromer magistrates felt their powers were not enough and sent the case to crown court where sentencing is unlimited. Geoffrey Knipe, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said the accident happened when a 430kg cage full of goods went through a delivery lorry's tail lift side protector and hit Mr Ayers as he stood in front of the store. Mr Ayers, who damaged three vertebrae and his spinal column, had received no training on health and safety, and Gist had not trained driver Robin Gilbey in loading safety. Solicitor Peter Atkinson, for Gist, said it took safety seriously but the driver had "slipped through the net" because he was experienced on the Sheringham run. The company had a good safety record while delivering 5000 cages to 237 Budgens stores. He said reconstructions showed the cage could only have come off the side of the tail lift if the side plate was not properly fitted. Budgens' barrister Gerard Forlin said it seemed human error by the driver had caused the tragic accident. The supermarket "apologised unreservedly" to Mr Ayers and his family and accepted it had fallen below the standards required by law – but added that safety methods and training had been stepped up since the accident. There was a risk assessment of loading dangers in place when it happened – but no one had told Mr Ayers about the precautions in it, including standing clear of the lorry during loading. Mr Forlin said a civil case had now been settled, with a £1.2m payout agreed – Gist paying 85pc and Budgens 15pc. The Ayers family and the two companies declined to comment after the case.
Runaway dump truck returning from Ledges plows into Target store; Employee is trapped between a cart return and a sport utility vehicle 03/13/03 By WENDY REEVES Times Staff Writer A runaway dump truck barreled down Huntsville Mountain and through the parking lot of the Valley Bend at Jones Farm shopping center Wednesday night, injuring a department store employee and narrowly missing two women and a baby before smashing into the front brick wall of SuperTarget. Dennis Grierson, 21, a SuperTarget cart attendant, was trapped between a shopping cart return and a sport utility vehicle. He was taken by HEMSI to Huntsville Hospital, where he was in guarded but stable condition this morning. The truck was leaving The Ledges community on the private Ledges Drive, which empties onto Carl T. Jones Drive across from the shopping center. Police cited the dump truck driver, Jermaine Pearson, 23, for operating an unsafe vehicle. "The brakes should be good enough to hold coming off there," said police officer Jerry Key, an accident investigator. "There's no excuse for that." Witnesses said Pearson and his passenger, Frank McCrary, jumped out just before the truck hit the store's front wall. Neither was injured. The accident was the second mountain-related crash in the shopping center parking lot in the past two months, and the fourth such wreck since the center opened in October 2001, according to shopping center employees. Police Sgt. Clay Warmbrod of the south precinct said several customers raised concerns to him about the mountain "and wondered whether a runaway truck ramp should be installed." "There's no doubt people could have been killed here tonight," Warmbrod said. "This potentially had the equivalent of loss of life as the tornado that hit Airport Road. The only difference is that this is preventable." More than 20 people died in the tornado that struck Airport Road in November 1989. John Blue, a co-developer of The Ledges, couldn't be reached for comment this morning. The truck, pulling a heavy-equipment trailer loaded with wood, hit several vehicles before crashing into the SuperTarget around 6:30 p.m.. A teary-eyed mother, who didn't want to be identified, said she used her body to shield her 15-month-old baby from flying dirt, glass and other debris thrown into the air by the dump truck as it plowed through the parking lot. "I saw the truck when it ran under the light, and I knew something was wrong," said another bystander, Ann Anderson. Before she knew it, the dump truck was plowing through the parking lot, smashing into a pickup truck it dragged about 250 feet and hitting other cars. Anderson and others helped pull one of the shopping cart rails away from Grierson so he could lie down. He apparently suffered a broken leg. He was trapped between the rail and an Acura SUV belonging to the mother of the infant. Grierson was talking, Anderson said, "but he didn't know what hit him." "It happened that quick," Anderson said with a snap of her fingers. "We are so lucky, really blessed." Three vehicles in the parking lot were heavily damaged, including a van with three children inside. The van crashed into a light pole as its driver tried to get out of the dump truck's path. No one in the van was hurt. Pearson was driving the 1990 Ford F700 truck for Pearson Concrete, a company he said he co-owns with his father, James Pearson. He was halfway down the mountain when he noticed "something was wrong." The truck was moving faster and faster. "It was so fast, I was just trying to keep the truck straight, trying not to hit anything," he said. The next thing he knew he was jumping curbs and headed for a brick wall at 45 to 50 mph. "It was so fast, I really couldn't see what was happening," Pearson said. "I just feel so blessed that no one was seriously hurt." Mike Slovak, project superintendent for Rawlins Construction, in charge of building the shopping center, said if the truck had crashed through the store's front doors, "it wouldn't have stopped until it hit the back wall." He said it was the fourth parking lot accident related to the mountain since the center opened. More recently, about 5 p.m. on Feb. 3, a white car occupied by construction workers went out of control as it descended the mountain and landed in the parking lot, crashing into a blue BMW roadster. The sports car was near the SuperTarget entrance. "Something needs to be changed," Slovak said Wednesday night. "It's a miracle" no one died.
Johnson Police Officer Injured In Construction Mishap Wed, Mar 12, 2003 The Morning News/NWAonline.net SPRINGDALE -- Johnson police officer C.B. Caya was injured Tuesday after being pinned between his vehicle and a dump truck. The accident occurred at the construction site of the Clear Creek Club development, at Great House Springs Road and Arkansas 112. Johnson police spokesman Eric Evans said Caya, 47, had gone to the construction site shortly before 8 a.m. to pick up donated construction material for use at the police firing range when he was injured. Evans said Johnson had gotten out of his pickup to help direct a construction truck that was backing up. As he went to re-enter his vehicle, it apparently popped out of gear and began to roll, pinning Caya between the door of his pickup and a parked dump truck. Evans said Caya apparently was bruised, but he did not break any bones. He was treated at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville and released by midafternoon Tuesday.
Worker crushed by 40-ton load after truck rolls 03/08/03 ALOHA -- A Carson, Wash., man was in critical condition Friday after two wheels of a semi-tractor truck rolled on top of him while he was securing heavy equipment on the trailer. He was crushed by a load estimated to weigh 40 tons. William D. Truitt, 53, underwent several hours of surgery at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital for injuries to his legs and abdomen, said Karen Eubanks, spokeswoman for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Eubanks said the accident happened at 10:19 a.m. Friday near Southwest 182nd Avenue and Marseilles Drive, where a new housing development is under construction on Cooper Mountain. Truitt, who works for Newman Transportation of Vancouver, had loaded a crane onto the trailer and was securing the equipment when the truck rolled down the inclined street and two wheels from the cab pinned him to the blacktop. Eubanks said it took about half an hour for fire personnel to jack up the wheels and pull Truitt out. She estimated the truck, trailer and crane weighed about 80,000 pounds. -- Holly Danks
Forklift driver killed It is reported that a forklift truck driver has died in an industrial accident on the Moorfield Industrial Estate, Kilmarnock. According to one account, the accident occurred when the driver was transferring pallets of bricks from one trailer to another and he was struck by the forklift as he dismounted from it. Update: The dead man is William Speirs, 57. Mr Shearer died at the premises of Chris Shearer haulage. It is reported that he left the forklift to clear a pallet when his machine moved forward and crushed him.
UPDATE POUNDS196K FOR DAD Mar 8 2003 A WORKER whose legs were crushed when two tons of steel fell on him was awarded pounds196,000 compensation yesterday. The metal fell on father-of-two Michael Delaney when it was being unloaded from a lorry with a fork-lift. The Court of Session decided that McGregor Construction should have provided a proper crane. The construction firm denied any fault and had fought the case for more than three years. Mr Delaney, of Fort William, who now works as an electrician, said he was happy and relieved the case had come to an end at long last.
Forklift operator badly injured It is reported that a forklift operator has sustained back, abdominal and leg injuries in an industrial accident at the premises of Target Express, Deans Industrial Estate, West Lothian. It is not known if the 26 year-old man's injuries are life-threatening.
Bourbonnais man dies in dumpster accident Tamara Sharman, Daily Journal March 06, 2003 The simple task of emptying a garbage dumpster turned deadly Wednesday when a freak accident killed an ABC Disposal employee in Bourbonnais. Bourbonnais resident David W. Fulk, 37, died instantly from massive chest injuries, according to Kankakee County Chief Deputy Coroner Bob Gessner. Faulk was rushed to Provena St. Mary's Hospital and officially pronounced dead in the emergency room at 8:37 a.m., Gessner said. Fulk had labored for ABC Disposal for 16 years. "He was a very good employee, very well-liked. He'll be deeply missed by all of the employees," company owner Joe Deno said. Bourbonnais police investigated the fatal incident. "We're viewing this as a terrible tragedy," noted Detective Lt. Greg Kunce. No charges will be filed. "There is nothing criminal that we saw out there that can be pursued," Kunce said. The accident occurred at the village's public works garage at 255 Mooney Drive as Fulk and another ABC Disposal worker were trying to empty a metal dumpster into a garbage truck. The vehicle had backed up and attached to the dumpster and was lifting it into the air to be emptied when something went terribly wrong. The front ledge of the dumpster either broke loose or shifted, Kunce said. "The dumpster dropped to the ground rather than continuing up in a normal fashion to be dumped into the truck," Kunce explained. The dumpster was dangling by a cable with one corner on the ground when the container swung toward Fulk. "It must have pivoted around and smacked him," Gessner said. Visitation for Fulk will be from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday at the Kankakee chapel of Schreffler Funeral Homes. The funeral service is scheduled for Monday at 10:30 a.m. Toxicology tests are pending on Fulk, which is a standard procedure, Gessner noted. A coroner's inquest will be scheduled at a future date.
Load topples trailer By Advocate Staff Thursday, March 06, 2003 - No one was injured Monday morning after a dump trailer toppled onto its side at the northwest end of the Noyo Bridge construction site. According to Caltrans public information officer Ann Jones, the driver of the truck was backfilling the abutment at the north end of the bridge when the accident occurred. When the long trailer lifted its dump bed into the air, the dirt failed to slide out, causing the trailer to become top heavy and off balance. No one was injured in the accident, and traffic was halted by Fort Bragg Police officers for approximately five minutes. By using one of the mobile cranes stationed at the site, MCM construction personnel were able to right the trailer. Caltrans personnel were also on scene to assist. Meanwhile Cal-OSHA investigators are still looking into the cause of the rebar column collapse that took the life of 38-year-old Julio Quintero, of Fairfield, and injured Rex Kamoss, 34, of Long Beach, on Wednesday, Feb. 19. According to Cal-OSHA reports, subcontractor Pacific Coast Steel has a good safety record, having had one fatal accident, with the fault attributed to another contracting company. Pacific Coast Steel and MCM construction officials speculate that the repair and replacement of the collapsed column will not delay the completion of the bridge as scheduled.
County trucker killed in fork lift accident March 06, 2003 A truck driver died after being struck by a forklift at an industrial warehouse Thursday morning. Joseph Beck, 59, of Oakdale, died of torso injuries in what the Allegheny County Coroner's Office said was an accident. Beck, a driver for PGT Trucking in Monaca, was making a stop at the Galv Tech Industrial warehouse in Pittsburgh when he was struck just before 7 a.m., authorities said. Officials at Galv Tech, a steel galvanizing firm, didn't immediately return calls for comment. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating.
Lumber falls off forklift, pinning man A Prunedale man was seriously injured Monday when a 2,000-pound load of lumber slipped off a forklift and crushed his legs. Robert Bennett, 62, was helping unload a shipment of lumber from a railcar onto his truck in the 11000 block of Commercial Parkway in Castroville. The load slipped through the forks of the lift and pinned Bennett against a truck, said Mike Vindhurst, division chief for the North County Fire District. Fire officials said the forklift operator used the machine to lift the load from the injured man. Bennett was taken by helicopter to San Jose Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, a nursing supervisor said Tuesday.
Greensburg man dies Jim Cummings Staff Writer Timothy Myer, Jr., 30, of County Road 480 East, was pronounced dead at Decatur County Memorial Hospital Wednesday afternoon after being crushed by a skid steer loader being operated by his father, Timothy Myer. The Myerses had just recently moved to the city after living in and operating their construction business out of St. Paul. Details on other family members in the area were not available at press time. At 4:26 p.m., the Greensburg Police department received a report of a male subject injured by an implement vehicle and lying on the ground near a home at 724 N. Franklin St. "The EMS crew was already working on him when I arrived," said Assistant Police Chief Bob Herbert. "The information I received was that he was pinned by the machine momentarily and released." Myer was treated at the scene and transported to Decatur County Memorial Hospital. He was later pronounced dead by Decatur County Coroner Doug Banks. "While this is still under investigation, all signs point to this being a tragic accident," Banks said. "The official cause of death will be listed as crushing trauma to his abdomen." Banks said he and the police are still attempting to contact several witnesses. Preliminarily, authorities are saying Myer was near the rear of the vehicle when he entangled himself in the New Holland LS180 with a turbo boom. He was apparently trapped between a metal bar at the rear and the hydraulic boom arm. The men were using the LS180 to lift pallets of wood, used in home building, at the time of the accident. Police will release more details as the investigation is completed.
Monroeville Facility Closed Tomorrow An usual odor forced the evacuation of about 150 people from a facility for the mentally-challenged in Monroeville this morning along Seco Road. Once staff members noticed the odor, they immediately contacted the fire department and evacuated everyone inside the Allegheny East Mental Health/Mental Retardation facility to a nearby fire hall. Though several people were taken to the hospital for evaluation, no one was seriously injured. Late this afternoon, fire officials determined the source of the odor was a forklift that had been left running without proper ventilation. As a precaution, Allegheny East will remain closed tomorrow.
Man Killed In Industrial Accident Hatboro, Montgomery County, officials are working to determine how a man operating a front-end loader was killed. An early investigation suggests the Delaware Valley Concrete worker was crushed by heavy machinery while removing snow, but exactly what went wrong is not known. The accident happened just before 10 a.m. Thursday and detectives have not released the victim's name.
UPDATE Storage company fined for foul air A LAVERTON North company has been convicted and fined $50,000 after seven young workers were hospitalised with carbon monoxide poisoning. WorkSafe Victoria spokesman Justin Peysack said the company, AB Cold Storage, was found guilty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to provide a safe plant and systems of work. It was also found that the company failed to provide adequate training and supervision to its workers, failed to provide adequate facilities for the welfare of its employees and failed to maintain a workplace that was safe and without risk. Sunshine Magistrates Court placed the company's director on a good behaviour bond and ordered him to pay $4000 into the court fund. The incident occurred on December 29, 1999, at Pipe Road, Laverton North, when seven university students employed as casual workers were overcome by carbon monoxide emitted from a forklift. A WorkSafe Victoria investigation revealed that there was no ventilation in the freezer. WorkSafe Victoria's executive director, John Merritt, said operating forklifts without adequate ventilation could be deadly. "Machines that emit carbon monoxide fumes should not be used in enclosed areas," Mr Merritt said. "Employees must also ensure forklifts are properly tuned and maintained so the emission of fumes is reduced," he said.
Double-decker ripped open in fork-lift crash BY FIONA MACGREGOR A FORK-LIFT truck sliced open a bus like a tin opener as the double-decker drove down one of the Capital’s busiest streets. One passenger, a 38-year-old man, had to be taken to hospital after torn metal from the side of the bus ripped open his left knee. Passengers told how they heard a loud bang as the forks punctured the metal sides of the bus, tearing a three-feet-long gash of ragged metal along its front left side. The forks left another rip almost 12-feet long down the bus’s rear left side. The injured man had been sitting at the very front of the bus on the left-hand side when the accident happened shortly after 2.20pm yesterday. The number 10 Lothian Bus was travelling up Leith Walk, past the junction with Albert Street, where the fork-lift truck was trying to enter the Walk. Emergency services feared mass casualties when reports of the accident first came in. A female passenger, who asked not to be named, said there had been about two dozen people on board when the collision happened. She said: "We were just passing Albert Street when I heard a bang and the sound of glass breaking. "A woman from downstairs went upstairs and asked whether everyone was all right and somebody said no, there’s a guy been hurt at the front of the bus. "A girl came down and said metal had gone into his leg and she had tied a tourniquet around it. "I got off after about ten minutes because I was so shaken up and the driver of the fork lift came on and asked whether everyone was all right." Emergency services were on the scene within minutes. A spokesman for the ambulance service confirmed that only one passenger needed treatment. He said: "A 38-year-old male was taken to casualty at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with lacerations to his left knee." The fork-lift truck was being operated by a sub contractor working for Ballast, a construction firm which is building a five-storey block of flats in Albert Street. David McKenzie of Ballast said: "We understand that the fork-lift truck was stationary with his handbrake on [at the time of the accident]. We are doing everything we can to ensure that the injured party is in good care, and that the police have all the assistance they need . "The fork-lift was licensed to be on public roads, and the driver - a very experienced, certified, fork-lift truck driver - would have been following a frequently-travelled route, turning on to Leith Walk in order to access a second site road." A spokesman for Lothian Buses said: "We are working with Lothian and Borders Police to establish exactly what happened. "As in any accident that happens, the driver was shaken, he was certainly not expecting something like that as he was driving up Leith Walk." A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police confirmed the force was investigating the cause of the accident.
Roller kills traffic woman By Ben Martin and Pamela Magill A WOMAN controlling traffic at roadworks in Wanneroo Road, Neerabup, yesterday was killed by an out-of-control multi-wheeled roller. The woman, 20, whose name has not been released, was a trained traffic controller contracted to the Main Roads WA site. WorkSafe officials were investigating the incident last night but had been unable to interview the driver of the roller, who was in hospital suffering from shock. t is believed the roller hit a kerb about 10am and went out of control, driving in a wide arc and running over the woman. The roller is believed to be relatively simple to operate and workers do not need a certificate specific to that type of machine to qualify to drive it. Machinery operators said the roller would have a top speed of just 20kmh. The driver was employed by a labour hire firm contracted to the company employed by Main Roads. It is believed he has experience driving similar machines. The traffic controller had been employed by Midland-based Advanced Traffic Management for less than a year. A company official said she had industry-based training in controlling traffic. Her death is the second involving heavy plant machinery in less than three weeks. A 35-year-old Falcon man was crushed by an earthmoving machine on January 25 while working on a new housing subdivision in Ocean Keys Boulevard in the northern suburb of Clarkson. The man was on the ground giving instructions to a fellow worker in a scraper when a second scraper reversed over him. WorkSafe is investigating.
UPDATE Tamarack Developments Corporation fined $150,000 for health and safety violation Tamarack Developments Corporation, an Ottawa- based housing developer, was fined $150,000 on February 10, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of a worker at a residential construction site in Ottawa. On January 10, 2001, a surveyor was measuring a site for a house foundation when the surveyor was struck on the back by a power shovel and pinned into a pile of dirt. The shovel operator had been taking excavated dirt from an adjacent lot to a dump truck for removal when the incident occurred. The shovel operator's supervisor had gestured to alert the shovel operator to the surveyor's presence behind a debris pile, but the shovel operator had misinterpreted the hand signal as confirmation to proceed. The supervisor, along with the surveyor's assistant and a truck driver, waved their arms trying to signal the shovel operator to stop, but it was too late. The shovel operator couldn't see the surveyor from the vehicle's cab. The surveyor was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. The incident occurred at a construction site on Pinehill Drive in Ottawa. Tamarack Developments Corporation was the owner and constructor of the project. Tamarack subcontracted the surveying, grading, excavation and debris removal work to four different companies. The deceased worker worked for the surveying company. Tamarack Developments Corporation pleaded guilty to failing, as a constructor, to ensure a shovel operator and a signaller jointly established the procedures by which the signaller was to assist the operator, as required by Section 104(3) and 104(4) of the Regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 23(1)(b) of the act. The fine was levied by Justice of the Peace Lorraine Watson of the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per- cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Salt truck overturns on Ohio 7 By Brad Bauer A mechanical failure is being blamed for a rollover accident involving an Ohio Department of Transportation salt truck on Ohio 7 near Reno Wednesday morning. The accident totaled the $80,000 ODOT truck, and spilled 8 tons of salt onto the road. The driver of the truck, Scott A. Orr, 40, of Marietta, was treated and released from Marietta Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. An investigation into the crash revealed undercarriage bolts that secure the wheel to the axle on the 1990 International 4900 dump truck broke, allowing one of the two right rear tires to come off. The weight of the vehicle, plus the 8-ton load of salt forced the remaining right-rear tire to go flat. "At that point the load shifted and there wasn't anything (the driver) could do," said ODOT spokesman Jim Spain. "It's just a blessing no one was seriously hurt." Orr was driving north on Ohio 7, preparing to treat roads in the eastern part of the county, when the failure occurred about two miles north of the Marietta Industrial Complex, which is home to Kardex. As the load of salt began to shift, the vehicle was forced into a sideways skid left of center, before finally rolling over and landing upright facing south, partially off the road. "Once something like that happens you're just along for the ride," said Ronnie Walters, an ODOT plow driver who was on the scene to check on Orr and help clear the road. "There's nothing he could have done." Orr, a 15-year veteran of ODOT, was not cited. Spain said it is not unheard of for undercarriage bolts on trucks to break. Because of that, he said ODOT officials examine them every time the trucks are taken out of the garage. "Even with the best inspections and maintenance plans, you can have a failure," he said. State crews were cleaning the scene for 90 minutes after the 8:40 a.m. accident. "My understanding is a school bus was out ahead and had stopped traffic to make a pickup," Orr said. "That may have held up the line of traffic just enough to prevent this from being a lot worse."
Bobcat operator dies after contruction accident in Miramar BY EVAN HESSEL A 42-year-old Bobcat operator was pronounced dead after an early morning construction accident in Miramar left him trapped underwater for 30 minutes. The accident took place 8:35 a.m. Wednesday morning at S.W. 185th Ave. and 50th Ct. in Miramar, where new housing contruction is taking place. The worker had just finished clearing debris and was inside his Bobcat, rinsing off the front end in a nearby lake, when it rolled over and sank into 30 feet of water. He was transported to a local hospital shortly before 9: 20 a.m. where he was pronounced dead.
BNFL's compactor shut down by R. Cathey Daniels Oak Ridger staff Jeff Stevens, BNFL project general manager, confirmed Wednesday that equipment being removed from Building K-31 at the K-25 site dropped from a forklift with enough force to crack a concrete floor in Building K-33. Super Compactor operations were shut down Tuesday and will remain so until investigations are complete, said Stevens. The container of pipe was headed to the BNFL compactor outside Building K-33. Stevens said no personnel were in the area and no injuries occurred. "We've notified DOE and we're investigating to see why the pipe did more damage than normal," said Stevens. "We'll look to see how we can empty those containers a little more carefully, and we will be reporting the results of our findings." Stevens noted that both the loading area and the area beneath the concrete floor were cordoned off during compactor operations. "Nothing actually went through the concrete floor," said Stevens. "The concrete was cracked with an opening of about 12 inches long and a couple of inches wide." The pipe, said Stevens, was 24 inches in diameter and about 10 feet in length. Frank Juan, DOE spokesman, said Wednesday that the cost of fixing the problem would be lower than $10,000. "It's pretty clear this kind of thing can happen when you're dealing with big equipment -- the main thing we'll look for is whether safety plans are in order." Stevens said BNFL's safety record is sound, with approximately 2.05 recorded incidents per 200,000 worker hours. Operations at BNFL were shut down Friday for a couple of days due to the increased safety alert issued by the federal government. BNFL Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels, is the Department of Energy's contractor for decontaminating and decommissioning three buildings at the former gaseous diffusion site.
Meatworks fined after workers overcome A north Queensland meatworks has been fined $15,000 after three chill room workers were overcome by carbon monoxide gas. Thomas Borthwicks and Sons pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrate's Court to a breach of Workplace Health and Safety regulations. The court was told the workers were overcome by fumes emitted from a forklift in June 2001. One person required treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. Magistrate Ross Risson fined the company $15,000, but did not record a conviction.
Teenager killed in forklift accident online.ie 08 Feb 2003 A teenager has been killed in an accident involving a fork lift in Co Cork. The 16-year-old boy was driving the forklift on the outskirts of Castletownbere at around 4.25am when it overturned.
Accident kills man at City Hall work site By Brent Flynn , Staff writer 02/08/2003 One man was killed and another was injured when a forklift backed into two workers at the Lewisville City Hall construction site on Wednesday. Duane Pope, 43, of Carrollton was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. at the 100 block of West Church Street. Pope was a supervisor for one of the subcontractors on the project, Dallas-based Don Burden & Associates. Chief Executive Officer Don Burden said Pope had been with the company for 1-1/2 years and was a "very nice guy." Pope was reportedly talking to Randy Davis of Invensys, another subcontractor on the project. An employee of Rowlett-based CMD Masonry, whose name is being withheld by authorities, was reportedly using a 10-ton industrial forklift to lift stone arches for use on the front of the building. He then lowered the boom and started backing up. When he backed away from the building over a curb and turned back to the right, he hit the two workers, officials said. Davis was hit on the right side and fell to his left, suffering five broken ribs. He was taken to the Medical Center of Lewisville and released later that day. The major question being asked by city officials and investigators after the accident is why the two men did not hear the forklift's back-up warning alarm. Invensys project manager Robert Mintor said that after speaking with Davis, he still does not know how the accident happened. "The only thing Randy has told me is he didn't hear or see anything," Mintor said. "He said he didn't have a clue what was going on until he was on the ground looking at the tire getting ready to roll over him. He said, 'First I was walking and talking, then this thing was on top of me.' He's emotionally very upset over what happened. They had just met, and (Pope) was showing him around the job site. He had only been there 10 minutes when it happened." Mike Talmont, Occupational Safety and Health Administration assistant area director, said that as far as he can tell, the warning alarm and horn on the forklift were functioning at the time of the accident. "The back-up alarm worked when I got out there and the horn worked, so I'm not sure why they didn't hear the back-up alarm," he said. "When I had them back up for me, it was working." Talmont said he is waiting to see additional documentation on the extent of the forklift operator's training before he can determine whether or not a safety violation was to blame for the death. "They are supposed to be trained and certified to operate the vehicle," he said. "I saw his card that was dated August 2002. I was asking for a little bit more documentation on what that training entailed." City of Lewisville spokesman James Kunke said police investigators are waiting for a toxicology report on the forklift operator and the deceased. A preliminary report is expected in mid to late next week. Commercial Structures and Interiors of Lewisville is the construction management company overseeing the building project. Company spokesman John Peveto issued a statement Wednesday about the accident "This is a very unfortunate accident that saddens us all," he said. Mayor Gene Carey expressed his condolences for Pope's family. "It was a tragic accident, and our prayers and thoughts go out to their families," he said. This was the second fatality associated with the construction of Lewisville's new city hall. Brian Keith Cummings, 27, of Howe, Texas, was killed on March 14, 2002 when he was caught between a large drill bit and a counter weight on the back side of a crane.
Forklift Pins And Kills Worker CHARLOTTE, NC -- Paramedics confirmed a man was killed in a forklift accident in east Charlotte. People at the scene Thursday night, said a forklift somehow pinned the man against a building on Sharon Amity road near Harris Boulevard. Police officials said the accident happened around 9 p.m. at Carolina Builders. The mans coworker had left about an hour earlier. The victim was working alone, when he got off the forklift to shift a load; the forklift rolled forward and pinned him. He died on the scene. OSHA is expected to investigate the accident.
Village in shock after worker's death February 7, 2003 05:33 By John Howard A VILLAGE is trying to come to terms today with the death of one of its residents in an accident at work. British Sugar factory dispatch worker Lorraine Waspe died after she was involved in a collision with a mechanical loading shovel in a warehouse at the company's factory in Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday. Mrs Waspe, 40, who lived in Valley Lane, Great Finborough, was an only child and came from a farming family well-known in the area. She married her sweetheart Colin last year at a wedding ceremony in Gretna Green. The Rev Nigel Hartley, parish priest for Great Finborough, said: “What has happened is a tragedy for the family and the community. The Waspe family are extremely well-known in the area. “Lorraine was a very bubbly, sparky character, very well-liked and was getting into village affairs. I was involved in the funeral of her mother, Joyce, during 2001 and her father John still lives in the village. “For Lorraine to die in such a tragic way at such a young age, particularly given she had only recently arried Colin, is a tragedy.” Sue Marks, who runs the village post office and stores with her husband Paul, recalled a woman who was full of fun. “She was a customer at the shop, she was a lovely woman, always full of fun, lively, someone who enjoyed life,” she said. “She was a super, super girl. What can you say? She has lived in the village for years, everybody knew them. This is such a terrible shame. “The family are all absolutely devastated, in a state of shock. To think you could go to work as normal and not come back. I can't imagine what they feel like, it's terrible.” Lesley Cass, one of Mrs Waspe's neighbours, added: “She was a bubbly, friendly person, passionate about cats, loved the birds and was keen to encourage wildlife. “She was enthusiastic about the environment and environmental issues. She and her husband were creating their own garden to her design and she was involved in village activities such as the gardening club. “I am absolutely stunned by her death. The couple were only married last year in Gretna Green after being together for a long while. Her husband will be absolutely devastated.” A spokeswoman for the Transport and General Workers' Union, which has members at the factory, said it deeply saddened to hear of Mrs Waspe's death and sent their condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. Mrs Waspe worked for British Sugar as a seasonal worker and her colleagues are being offered counselling. Suffolk police are not treating her death as suspicious, but the Health and Safety executive has launched an investigation. A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive said yesterday: “Investigations started straight away and inspectors are at the company today. “Generally we try to ascertain what happened and why, take statements from people, look in to the training histories. “We are looking to see if there have been any breaches of health and safety legislation to keep people safe in the workplace.” John Smith, a spokesman for British Sugar, said it was working closely with the Health and Safety Executive to discover exactly what happened. An inquest into Mrs Waspe's death will be held at a later date.
Construction worker killed in Lewisville 02/05/2003 By LESLEY TÈLLEZ / The Dallas Morning News One construction worker was killed and a second was injured Wednesday afternoon when a forklift apparently ran over them at the site of the new Lewisville City Hall in Old Town. The injured man was transported to Medical Center of Lewisville, where he was listed in stable condition. The victims’ names were not immediately available, officials said. All three men involved were employed by a contractor, whose name was not available Wednesday. The cause of the accident remained under investigation. Police, firefighters and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were to be involved in the probe. “We are just interviewing workers to try to find out what happened,” city spokesman James Kunke said. “We just don’t know yet.” This was the second fatality at the site. Last March, Brian Keith Cummings, 27, of Howe was killed while working below a crane. Mr. Cummings worked for N.L. Schutte Foundation Drilling Inc., a company subcontracted to do foundation work on the new $12 million City Hall.
Forklift accident Updated: 1/31/2003 6:07:55 PM By: Capital News 9 web staff A Canadian truck driver is being treated at Albany Medical Center, after a work site accident. Peter Primeau was loading his shipping truck with a fork lift at A. Duie Pyle, on Route 9 in Schodack. Police said the fork lift rolled forward, pinching the 54-year-old truck drivers leg. State police, along with paramedics and the fire department decided that Primeau's injuries were serious enough to have him airlifted to Albany Medical Center. Schodack Police Chief Bernard Peter said, "Possible broken ankle, a good sized cut on his leg, which is pretty serious. The loss of blood and such he didn't want to take any chances. We thought it was best to the chopper pick him up and fly him to Albany Med. State police chopper is the one who came in today with the paramedics to pick him up. No word yet on the driver's condition.
UPDATE Mystery why rail worker died 30.01.2003 - BY GRAHAM SKELLERN and JEFF NEEMS IT'S a mystery why James Jacobs died. As one of four rail workers, he was helping attach seven passenger cars to a locomotive in Mount Maunganui. They were having trouble and it was decided to shunt the engine into the cars. It should have been a simple job and the workers were sent away for safety. But for some reason Mr Jacobs turned and headed back to the train. No-one saw him and just over a minute later a workmate found him on the ground. Mr Jacobs, a 46-year-old servicing assistant for Alstom Transport, had suffered a fractured skull when he was somehow struck by one of the passenger cars during the shunting movement on Saturday afternoon. He was the second rail worker to die in six months and, as he was buried by family and friends yesterday, angry rail union officials lashed out, calling his death a ``national disgrace''. Only now are details beginning to emerge and six separate inquiries have started into his death. The accident happened at Alstom's Totara St depot about 1pm but it remains a mystery. Mr Jacobs, a health and safety and union boss, was considered by family and workmates to be safety conscious. Mr Jacobs and three colleagues were working on the seven old railway passenger cars which had just been shipped over from Australia. They were being prepared for the rail trip to the Dunedin Hillside workshops to be refurbished and put on the Auckland suburban passenger service. The workers were having trouble linking the locomotive engine to the row of passenger cars. The Australian and New Zealand coupling systems did not quite match and it was decided to make a short, sharp shunting movement to force the couplings together. The workers were told to clear the area and Mr Jacobs was seen by his colleagues leaving. About 90 seconds later, one of his colleagues turned around and found Mr Jacobs collapsed between the passenger cars in the middle of the row. He rushed over, hauled Mr Jacobs clear and raised the alarm but it was too late. Mr Jacobs had died instantly. Police said Mr Jacobs had head injuries consistent with a fall. There were no suspicious circumstances and the matter was with the coroner. Today, his widow Ngaere spoke to the Bay Times about her husband's life and death. Born in England in 1956, Mr Jacobs married Ngaere in Palmerston North in 1977. The couple have two grown-up children, James and Olivia, and two grandchildren, Kelly (3) and Skyla (18 months). He considered himself a Kiwi and thrived on many of the pastimes New Zealanders are fond of. Fishing, surfing and snorkelling were integral in family life and, as Mrs Jacobs recalled, ``the kids would be his excuse to go to the beach himself''. His son James, also a keen surfer would regularly catch a ride with his father to Mount Maunganui so he too could ride the waves. In typical surfer lingo, James said his father ``charged'' when he took to the water. Fishing was also important to him. ``He'd sit there and reel a big fish in and not let people know he was pulling it in,'' she said. Always willing to lend a hand, Mr Jacobs would always be prepared ``to drop anything and help anyone''. His work on the rail yards meant the family often had some peculiar houseguests. A ``Dr Doolittle'' of sorts, Mr Jacobs once brought home a stray baby goat _ which actually went on holiday with the family at one stage _ and a stray goose. It wasn't uncommon for him to stop and pick up wounded birds that had been clipped or injured at the rail yards. ``Anything and anyone that came to the house became a member of the family,'' James said. Although quiet and thoughtful, Mr Jacobs always found himself at the forefront or any issues at work. He became a high-ranking union official almost by default, Mrs Jacobs said, `` because he was able to get his point across without any animosity. People respected what he said, it was the way he acted and spoke. He never got angry.'' James summed up his father quite simply: ``He was one of those guys you meet, shake his hand and he'd always leave and impression on you.'' Colleagues say Mr Jacobs had a fixation about workplace safety in the Mount Maunganui railyard. He was also a hero to his workmates. Five years ago, Mr Jacobs worked tirelessly to keep the Mount car and wagon workshops open _ after Tranz Rail was planning to close them down. ``He saved 26 jobs,'' said the Mount Rail and Maritime union secretary, Steve Peacock. ``Jim put together the facts and figures in a booklet and presented it to Tranz Rail. By page three the Tranz Rail people's jaws were on the floor and they were saying `we can't close the depot'. It's still one of the busiest in the North Island.'' Mr Peacock said Jim had a firm but light-hearted manner about him.``Even when management was bringing in the walls, Jim always smiled _ and we used to win as well.'' As chairman of the Mount Rail and Maritime Transport Union for the past three and a half years, Mr Jacobs would in his light-hearted way rebuke his colleagues for arriving at work with loose shoelaces. He was the second rail worker killed in a workplace accident in the past six months, to the day, and the 12th since 1995. Wayne Butson, general secretary of the Rail and Maritime union, said: ``All I know is another rail worker has died _ there's been far too many over the years. The safety record of the rail industry continues to be a national disgrace.'' The depot owner Alstom Transport NZ, Tranz Rail, Transport Accident Investigation Commission, Occupational Safety and Health, Land Transport Authority and the police are all completing investigations.
Worker run over by dump truck; Victim hospitalized after levee accident Thursday January 30, 2003 By Mary Swerczek River Parishes bureau A 32-year-old Marksville man was in stable condition after being run over by a dump truck on the Mississippi River levee across from Ormond Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon. Jonathan Dauzat was pinned under the truck until East St. Charles volunteer firefighters lifted it with air bags and freed him, St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Pat Yoes said. Dauzat was airlifted to West Jefferson Hospital. Dauzat was working for James Construction Group LLC marking lines along the levee when Joseph Berryhill, 46, of Westwego, who works for Miller Excavating Service, accidentally backed over him, Yoes said. The accident happened at about 1:45 p.m. "He was bending over marking lines," Yoes said. "The driver didn't see anyone behind him and backed up." Another worker ran to the truck and told Berryhill that Dauzat was pinned underneath it, Yoes said. Yoes said he did not know how long Dauzat was trapped under the truck. Dauzat and Berryhill are among workers pouring asphalt on the levee to build the first eight miles of an 18-mile bicycle path. The first section of the route will tie into the existing path at the St. Charles-Jefferson Parish line and extend to Ormond Boulevard.
Runaway truck hits church social hall By Rod Ohira Advertiser Staff Writer A 56-year-old woman escaped serious injury yesterday when a runaway 7 1/2-ton delivery truck plowed into a termite-eaten building adjoining a Waipahu church. Ata Alapati was found under the building after the impact of a Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Hawaii truck crashing into the Waipahu Samoan Assembly of God's social hall split the floor of the room where she was preparing for a morning prayer session. "We were worried about the house falling on her," Waikele Fire Capt. Howard Naone said. Alapati was treated for neck and back injuries and taken to St. Francis-West, where she was reported in stable condition last night. The 6 a.m. accident at 94-515 Waipahu St. could have been worse if it had occurred 60 to 90 minutes later when Waipahu Elementary School students could have been in the path of the truck. The driver, a 29-year-old man, had parked the truck alongside the school's cafeteria, which is above the school parking lot. He arrived at the school shortly before 6 a.m. to service vending machines. "He said he put on the air brakes but heard a hissing noise," Officer Dana Paikai said. "He said he checked the truck out but the hissing noise had stopped." The driver was away from the truck when cafeteria workers told him it was rolling down the hill. The driver told Paikai he chased after the truck but could not safely enter the cab to stop it. The truck rolled off the cafeteria's driveway and down a grassy slope, hit a light fixture, and went through the parking lot and a chain-link fence before going off an 8-foot ledge and into the building about 200 feet away from the cafeteria. "Fortunately, the woman was . . . on the other side," Paikai said. Bill Neighbors, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Hawaii's division safety manager, said the company will cooperate with the police investigation but will also conduct its own probe. Dez Vaofasa, the injured woman's son and a licensed truck driver, said the driver should have never left the truck if there was a hissing sound. "I don't blame him, but with air brakes, anything can happen," Vaofasa said. "I believe this was preventable."
Man killed in shunting accident 29.01.2003 6.00 pm A Tauranga man was killed in a train shunting accident at Mt Maunganui on Saturday. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) said it was investigating the death of Alstom Transport employee James Jacobs. Mr Jacobs died in the 1pm accident in a yard at Tauranga's rail terminus at Mt Maunganui. Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Wayne Butson said Alstom Transport took over locomotive, car and wagon maintenance from Tranz Rail in March last year. Mr Butson said Mr Jacobs was the second rail worker killed at work in the past six months. He said the union would help Tranz Rail, Alstom Transport, OSH and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission with investigations.
UPDATE Forklift truck used as crane killed employee United Engineering Forgings Ltd of Bromsgrove, now in administration, has been fined a total of £30,000 with substantial costs over the death of an employee struck on the head by the arm of a forklift truck. Calvin Hughes, 26, died in July 2001, while working at the company as a maintenance engineer. Droitwich Magistrates Court heard HSE's Mark Harris explain how a lifting operation normally undertaken by overhead crane could not proceed because of lack of space. A forklift truck was pressed into action with a rope suspended from one of the arms. Tragically, during the lift the right hand bar of the forklift struck Mr Hughes on the head. The company was found to have failed to meet the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and failing to ensure provision and maintenance of plant and systems at work; failing to ensure thorough examination of the fleet of forklift trucks; and failing to check the lifting sling.
Worker in Kearny hurt loading truck KEARNY - A New York man was injured in a town warehouse yesterday when a 400-pound barrel fell on him while he was loading a truck, Kearny Police Sgt. Thomas Osborne said. Yerly Soorio, 44, of Queens, was loading the truck at the St. George's Warehouse on Pennsylvania Avenue when the accident occurred. Soorio and another man were using a manual forklift and were entering the truck when a barrel inside the truck fell on Soorio, Osborne said. Soorio complained of chest and neck pain and was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center, Osborne said. A spokesman for the hospital said Soorio was treated and released.
Man killed in forklift collision 01/27/2003 PHOENIX (AP) -- A loaded forklift pierced the passenger side of a Jaguar, killing the driver instantly in a desolate area of northeast Scottsdale. It is unknown why the man lost control of his car Saturday. His car hopped a desert landscape median and collided broadside with a forklift. The identity of the Jaguar's driver was not known. The man was in his late teens or early 20s and his car had Arizona license plates, Scottsdale Officer Scott Reed said. The driver of the forklift, a 23-year old man employed by Peoria-based JLC Roofing, was not injured. There were no independent witnesses, and police do not believe alcohol was a factor.
Worker has leg crushed by steel Jan 25, 2003, 3:15pm A worker was flown to hospital with serious leg injuries after he was crushed under a steel coil weighing 200kgs. Wayne Miles, aged 31, was involved in the accident at Steel Processing Midland Ltd in Chasetown, Burntwood, at 12.15pm yesterday. Paramedics arrived on the Chasewater Industrial Estate and called for an air ambulance due to the severity of his injuries. Mr Miles, from Burntwood, was flown to Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital where he underwent surgery on a damaged artery in his leg. A spokesman at the firm said Mr Miles was due to undergo a further operation this morning after breaking a bone in the same leg. "He had moved the coil with a forklift, but then it fell on top of him. Another worker was by him at the time and raised the alarm," he added. An air ambulance spokesman said: "He was conscious but was in considerable pain." Hospital staff added Mr Miles was in a "comfortable" condition this morning. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the incident.
Equipment Traps Construction Worker, Injuries Not Yet Known January 23, 2003 HOUSTON -- Emergency crews responded to the scene of a construction accident Thursday afternoon, when a worker became trapped in a 14-foot hole that had been shored up, officials said. Authorities said that the accident happened around 3 p.m. in the 14000 block of Hillcroft near Chasewood Drive in southwest Houston. Officials said that a concrete pipe hit the 20-year-old worker, causing him to fall into the hole. He then became wedged between the pipe and concrete. It took about an hour for rescuers to free him, stabilize him and place him on a rescue basket so he could be pulled out of the trench with a crane. He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital in stable condition. His exact injuries are not yet known.
Worker pinned by trash truck By Norman Miller Wednesday, January 22, 2003 FRAMINGHAM -- Joe Scully hasn't had much luck as a sanitation worker in his nearly three years on the job. Two years ago, he was dragged down the street by an angry driver. And yesterday, the 31-year-old Framingham man narrowly escaped serious injury when he got crushed between the garbage truck he was on and a street sign. "I'm sore, very sore," said Scully of Newbury Street, who has been a member of the Sanitation Department for three years. "It just happened so fast. I was on the back of the truck and the next thing you know, I was already between the truck and the pole. I'm really bruised bad." Scully said he did not break any bones or receive internal injuries. At 11:28 a.m., police and fire personnel responded to the intersection of Heather Drive and Cherry Road for the report of a man crushed between the truck and the pole, police said. Scully was on the ground, but conscious when rescue workers arrived. Scully was taken by a medical rescue helicopter to the Boston Medical Center to be treated for possible internal injuries, police said. Scully's brother, Matt Scully, is also a sanitation worker. He was one of the first on the scene. "My driver told me my brother was hurt, and we headed over there," said Matt Scully. "We were the first ones there. When we got there, he was in the snow and he wasn't moving. He was conscious, which was good. He was in a lot of pain. I didn't want to move him, just in case." Public Works Director Peter Sellers said he hoped that Scully could recover fully. "He's going to have a long future ahead of him," said Sellers. "We want the best for him." It is unclear if the driver of the truck, Caleb Martinez, 19, of Pratt Street, Framingham, will face disciplinary action from the DPW. Police said he will not be cited. "In this case, we take an operator, because he has a federal license, in for a drug and alcohol test to make sure there's no factor," said Sellers. "He'll be off (work) until such time that we determine if he is a contributing factor." Both Scullys, as well as Sellers, said weather and traffic make being a sanitation worker a dangerous job. "Stuff like that happens," said Matt Scully. "He's just lucky it wasn't a telephone pole. It's a dangerous job out there. It seems like a lot of people don't give us the credit for the work we do. I have had cars who follow so closely, it looks like they're trying to get in the compactor. If some guy hits the steps, I'm going with them." Both Joe Scully and Sellers agreed. "People don't pay attention," said Scully. "The streets are narrow. There's trash around, there's cars on the street. It's very hard to get the job done. People do it all of the time to us. I've seen a lot of close calls -- people hitting the side of the trucks -- the steps." Sellers said, "It is bad out there. The weather conditions and the snow banks -- all of those things make it hazardous. "We have a relatively young group of drivers, but I don't want to make a judgment on that being the cause of the accident. He (Martinez) may be an excellent driver. I don't want him to feel any worse than he does." The last time Scully had a serious problem was in December 2000. Then a man police said was frustrated that a trash truck was blocking his path, struck Scully with his minivan and dragged him down Wilson Street. Scully wasn't seriously injured, and was able to free himself. The driver was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and driving to endanger. The outcome of the case could not be determined last night. Benjamin told police he waited for the trash collector to let him pass, but admitted he became "very upset" when one of the workers dropped a trash bag in front of his car, police said. Despite the problems he has had, Scully said he'll be back to work. "I think it would have been more serious if it was a telephone pole," said Scully. "The doctors said I'll be out of work until Monday."
Employee faulted in accident: DPW worker faces drug test, disciplinary action By Peter Hartzel Wednesday, January 22, 2003 DEDHAM - A Department of Public Works laborer faced disciplinary action and a drug test yesterday after crashing a dump truck into the department's cemetery division headquarters, leveling two garage doors and sending a coworker to the hospital, according to sources in town familiar with the incident. An emergency repair contractor had to be called to the scene of wreckage yesterday morning after employee John Maloney rammed a department truck into the garage, leaving a pair of white-paneled garage doors lying twisted in a heap next to the Brookdale Cemetery shed, according to the sources. After smashing into the narrow area between the two garage openings, Maloney careened into a backhoe driven by DPW employee John Dalessandro, who was sent to an unidentified hospital for treatment of a back injury, according to a witness and others with knowledge of the incident. Maloney - the son of DPW Cemetery Superintendent Roscoe Maloney - was not authorized to operate any department vehicle because his driver's license is suspended, sources said. In accordance with a provision in municipal contracts, Maloney was required to take a drug test following the accident. The results weren't immediately available. The truck and backhoe sustained "substantial damage," sources said. Assistant Town Administrator Nancy Baker refused to discuss what she labeled a "personnel matter" within the Department of Public Works, except to acknowledge that "disciplinary action" was pending. The reported accident was the latest in a string of embarrassments for the department. Over the past year the department has been plagued by complaints about sexual harassment filed with the state, and the disclosure that its truck-washing operation violated state environmental laws.
Factory operator dies in mishap NILAI: A 45-year-old factory operator was killed in a freak accident when a forklift knocked into her, before the logs it was carrying rolled off and crushed the lower part of her body here yesterday. The victim, identified as S. Sarojini of Ladang Bukit Pelanduk, died on the way to the Seremban Hospital after she was pulled out by colleagues who had witnessed the 7am incident. Her remains were sent for a post-mortem before being claimed by family members. OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Khalid Abu Hassan said police had detained a 24-year-old Myanmar national to assist in investigations. He said the man, said to be the forklift driver, would be investigated under Section 304A of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence.
Natural Gas Leak Forces Evacuation Two Dozen Had To Leave Worksite For About An Hour SAN ANTONIO -- A natural gas leak forced the evacuation of a couple dozen people from an eastside San Antonio warehouse complex Monday morning. Fire officials say a forklift operator accidentally ran into an overhead gas heater, causing natural gas to leak out into several nearby buildings, including a church. "They had a pretty substantial gas leak, so they evacuated the building," district fire chief Kevin Scott said. "We cut the gas off to the entire building here and opened it up to ventilate, (to) get the excess gas out of it. " Those evacuated from the area were able to return in about an hour, after repairs were made.
UPDATE OSHA Fines Birmingham Company $84,500 Following Inspection Of Fatal Truck Accident BIRMINGHAM , Ala. -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today cited a Birmingham company for safety violations that contributed to a temporary worker's fatal fall from a refuse collection truck. The agency fined Environmental Waste System, a subsidiary of Waste Away Group, Inc., $84,500 for willful and serious safety violations and failure to report a fatal accident within eight hours. The accident occurred on July 22 after an employee was picked up at a temporary agency to work as a helper on a rear loading refuse collection truck. After working for only 30 minutes collecting trash in a residential neighborhood, the employee fell backwards off the riding step, as the truck made a turn. He struck his head on the asphalt surface of the street, sustaining fatal injuries. "OSHA has issued a willful citation against this employer because of a plain indifference to OSHA standards and a clear disregard for worker safety," said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA's Birmingham area director. "The parent company has been cited before in other parts of the country for the same violations we found during this inspection." OSHA fined Environmental Waste System, also known as Waste Management, $70,000 for one willful safety violation for failing to provide personal protective equipment, such as high visibility vests, to temporary employees. Without the protective gear, these employees were far more likely to be stuck by vehicular traffic or otherwise injured while placing trash in the refuse truck. Two serious safety violations for failing to train temporary employees in safe work procedures and protection from exposure to sharp objects or infectious material found in solid waste cost the company an additional $9,500. The remaining $5000 fine resulted from the company's failure to report the accident in the prescribed time period. Waste Management has 15 working days to contest OSHA's citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's area office at Vestavia Village, 2047 Canyon Rd. in Birmingham; telephone: 205-731-1534. OSHA is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Sanitation worker dies after being hit by an SUV The Courier-Journal A Shively sanitation worker died yesterday morning after he was struck by a sport utility vehicle at Berry Boulevard and Seventh Street Road. Mark Jones, 44, of the 2100 block of Garrs Lane, died of multiple injuries in the emergency room of University Hospital shortly before 9 a.m., said Jack Arnold, a Jefferson County deputy coroner. The driver, Aholab Mendez-Gonzales, 26, was arrested on a charge of reckless homicide at the scene, said Officer Dwight Mitchell, a Louisville Metro Police spokesman. The garbage truck had been traveling in the right lane in the 3600 block of Seventh Street Road when Mendez-Gonzales' Jeep Cherokee hit Jones, Mitchell said. The driver apparently didn't see the worker as he loaded trash, he said. The incident remains under investigation. It was the fourth accident involving a garbage truck since early November, when a man was killed when his minivan hit a garbage truck that was backing into Trevilian Way. Another man was killed in December when his pickup was struck by a garbage truck at Newburg Road and Trevilian Way. Earlier this month, two women were injured when the car they were in was hit by a garbage truck traveling the wrong way on a one-way street near downtown. The driver, who worked for a private company, was looking for the expressway and was unfamiliar with downtown streets, police said.
INDOT worker killed on the job Kris Schubach/Eyewitness News Greenfield, Jan. 17 - Snow removal can be dangerous work, battling the elements and sometimes the traffic. But one Department of Transporation worker had just finished his shift when something went wrong. "Apparently he was cranking it full to discharge. At some point either slipped or we're not sure, when he was found right here on the ground," says a State Police Investigator. Forty-five-year-old David Borgmann was a softspoken guy, but he left a lasting impression on the people he worked with, like Ed Cox. "Great guy. Great work ethic, well-liked by his fellow employees." Even those who didn't know the man, knew his work. "Every sign along the highway in Greenfield district he either made, ordered or designed," says Cox. Borgmann's work late Thursday night was behind the wheel of a plow truck. He had just finished his shift around midnight, investigators say, standing on the back of his truck unloading sand. Another worker was driving a load lifter working beside him. State Police Detective Jeffrey Coffey explains, "After a second or third trip out he sees him lying on the ground and calls for medical assistance" State Police are among investigators looking into the accident to find out exactly what happened. Borgmann's death is the fourth for INDOT in a year's time. He leaves behind a family at home and at the 65th Street and Binford station. "He's gonna be really missed, not only as a co-worker, employee, but as a friend." January 25th would have been David Borgmann's 22nd year with INDOT. Police say he did suffer some type of head injury. An autopsy will be performed to determine how he died.
TDOT workers injured by Alagasco truck By Stephanie Taylor January 18, 2003 TUSCALOOSA | Three city workers who were injured in a vehicle collision Thursday while working on the Hugh Thomas Bridge have been released from the hospital. Malcolm Storey, Billy Powell and Jamaal McCollins were cleaning inlets on the downtown bridge in preparation for possible severe weather and icy conditions Thursday night. Inlets are the openings for water drainage on the sides of a bridge. The Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation workers had blocked traffic in the right northbound lane while they cleaned the roadway. The Alagasco driver said he didn’t realize the TDOT truck had stopped. He said he couldn’t tell whether it was stalled or just moving slowly. He tried to get in the left lane, and when he saw that he couldn’t, it was too late to stop," said Beverly Stone, an Alagasco spokeswoman. When the driver hit the brakes, she said, the Alagasco truck slid on the wet road and collided with the TDOT vehicle. The three city workers were treated for minor injuries at DCH Regional Medical Center. TDOT director Joe Robinson said the men/ssuffered no visible injuries but were experiencing back, leg and neck pain. Tuscaloosa Police Department Capt. Mitt Tubbs said that the chance of being injured in an accident is greater if both vehicles are moving at very different speeds. If a vehicle traveling 45 miles per hour struck a vehicle traveling 20 miles per hour, the impact would be less than if one of the vehicles were not moving. “The impact is greater if the vehicle is stopped," he said. Tubbs said that, according to the accident report that was made available on Friday, the Alagasco driver rounded a curve on the bridge and saw the yellow strobe lights the TDOT workers had set up in the roadway but wasn’t able to stop in time. Stone said that Alagasco employees attend monthly safety classes, which include an annual defensive driving course. “We regret that [the wreck] happened. We’re really glad that everyone’s fine and that there were no serious injuries," she said. “We take this kind of thing very seriously because we have such a strong safety program." Robinson said that this is the first time workers have been injured while working on one of the city’s bridges. “We’ve been very fortunate that we’re able to attract the attention of drivers almost all the time, to let them know we’re working," he said.
UPDATE, Federal Investigation Complete... WTAP News Denise Alex A federal investigation into last October's death of two painting contractors at a Pleasants County power plant has ended with no violations being found. Fifty-five-year-old Fred Burkle and 26-year-old Joe Spiker were killed on October Fourth when the lift they were working on tipped over. The two Vienna men were painting a conveyor belt at Allegheny Energy's Pleasants Power Station when the accident occurred. As they tried to move the mechanical lift around a slope, it tipped over and they fell 45 feet. The two were subcontractors to a New Martinsville company. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration investigated the accident and determined that no violations of agency standards occurred at the time. Agency spokeswoman Kate Dugan says the agency's investigation is complete.
Gold miners to be arraigned in accidental death of worker Miller The Union Staff John Dickey Two embattled Sierra County gold miners will face involuntary manslaughter charges Thursday in connection with a fatal mine accident. Michael M. Miller and Jonathan T. Farrell are set to have an arraignment Thursday in Sierra County Superior Court. The court will also hear a motion to set aside the charges. Miller, 60, is the owner and president of the Original Sixteen to One gold mine in Alleghany. Farrell, 32, is the mine's manager. In October, a grand jury charged both men with involuntary manslaughter and willful violation of an occupational safety or health standard, causing death. The charges are in connection with the accidental death of miner Mark Raymond Fussell in 2000. ussell died when his head was wedged between the battery of the mine locomotive he was driving and a protruding ore chute in a newly reopened section of the mine. ederal investigators say the accident was caused by failure of the mine operator to properly mark the chute with warning devices. hey also said the locomotive had a defective speed mechanism, which contributed to the accident. California District Attorneys Association attorneys approached Sierra County's prosecutor with information that indicated there could be a case in connection with Fussell's death. Miller and Farrell are being prosecuted by a deputy district attorney from the California District Attorneys Association, which oversees the Worker Safety Project, a state-funded program that provides rural areas with attorneys versed in employee safety matters. The fact the case is being tried by the state prosecutors has caused some controversy in Sierra County. The case has a gag order issued at the prosecutors' request.
Snowplow Driver Dies on the Job A state snowplow truck driver died overnight on the job. He was at a salt barn on the city's northeast side when he fell off his truck. Investigators still don’t know exactly what happened, but they say 45-year-old Dave Borgman was emptying his truck at the end of his shift when he fell off the back of the vehicle. Witnesses say one moment they saw Borgman on the back of the truck, and the next moment he was on the ground. Investigators say Borgman could have slipped, he could have been struck by a piece of equipment or he could have had a heart attack or other medical problem. Borgman’s colleagues are remembering him today as an enthusiastic worker. He was with the department for 22 years, and leaves behind a wife and children. INDOT is conducting its own investigation.
UPDATE OSHA Slaps Trash Collector With Penalty In Worker's Death Company Has 15 Days To Contest Citations BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A Birmingham trucking company has been fined $84,500 for safety violations that contributed to a worker's fatal fall from a garbage truck in July of last year. The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Environmental Waste System for not reporting the incident within an eight-hour period. OSHA inspectors said the firm did not provide a temporary employee with the necessary safety equipment and training before he fell off the truck, sustaining fatal head injuries on July 22, 2002. Roberto Sanchez, area director of the agency's Birmingham office said the company's parent firm, Waste Away Group, Inc., has been cited for similar violations in the past. "OSHA has issued a willful citation against this employer because of a plain indifference to OSHA standards and a clear disregard for worker safety," said Sanchez. "The parent company has been cited before in other parts of the country for the same violations we found during this inspection." OSHA levied the fines Wednesday. The company has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties.
Garbage Collector Struck And Killed By Eric Flack (LOUISVILLE, January 17th, 2003, 12:30 p.m.) -- A Shively garbage collector was killed Friday in what police are calling a "freak accident." The man was doing his job on Seventh Street when he was struck and killed by a car just after 8 a.m. Eric Flack has the details. Traffic in both the northbound and southbound lanes of Seventh Street was blocked as police investigators interviewed witnesses. Shively police and firefighters say the victim's death will hit them all hard because Mark Jones died on the job. It was a bizarre accident, that will result in charges of reckless homicide for the illegal alien who hit Jones. Investigators say the driver of the car who hit Jones was on his way to work at a fast food restaurant and wasn't paying attention when he slammed his SUV into the back of garbage truck, pinning Jones against it. Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell says Jones was picking up trash when "another vehicle traveling south on Seventh Street struck the sanitation worker." Jones was taken to the hospital where he later died. The driver of the SUV moved to the area two years ago, but he is not a U.S. citizen. Some states, including Kentucky, allow non-citizens to get a driver's license. The investigation is continuing. We'll have more tonight on WAVE 3 News.
UPDATE, Clinton police say truck alarm not sounding when worker died Associated Press CLINTON, S.C. - A Clinton police report says a garage truck alarm that was supposed to sound when the vehicle backed up was not functioning the day a Laurens city worker was run over and killed. The report said officers checked the alarm twice after a Laurens city garbage truck backed over Hugh Edward Leake, 47, at a waste disposal company in Clinton on Dec. 23. the truck was then taken to a garage, where workers said a wire leading to the alarm had been pulled loose, police said. The report also cites problems with the vehicle's steering system and ball and socket joints, according to investigators. Laurens Administrator Gene Madden said the driver of the truck checked the alarm that morning and it was working. "I'm no mechanic, so I couldn't say how the wires may have come loose," Madden said. "All 12 or 13 of the checks were done that morning." The state Occupational Health and Safety Review Board is investigating the incident and should issue a report soon, spokesman Jim Knight said.
Teenager run over by a forklift Worksafe is investigating an accident at a business in Rochester where a 14-year-old boy was run over by a forklift. The boy is in the Echuca Hospital with a broken leg. Worksafe spokesman Michael Birt says a state wide campaign will be launched shortly highlighting safety practices for operators and pedestrians. "People should never be riding on the sides of forklifts. Forklifts have one seat and that's where the driver should be," he said. "Anyone else who has something to do with a forklift, whether adjusting loads or removing loads or putting them on, they should be kept well apart until the load is set down on the ground and everyone's clear and safe."
Work lift collapses Downtown, 2 injured By Terry Horne Two stagehands were injured this morning when a scissors lift collapsed as they were hanging banners at the Indiana Convention Center. Barney Levengood, executive director of the center and the RCA Dome, identified the stagehands as Floyd Paulsen, a fulltime employee of the convention center, and Herman Teepe, a part-time worker. Both were taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital. Levengood said he did not know the extent of their injuries. Wishard spokesman Don Payton said both men were in fair condition. Levengood said the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Division was investigating why the lift collapsed. The employees were hanging banners on the outside of the center along Maryland Street when the accident occurred about 8:30 a.m.
Worker crushed by forklift A WORKER was crushed to death when a forklift tipped over at a Melbourne railyard. Police said the man, aged in his 40s, was driving the forklift carrying machinery when it toppled over at the railyard on Dynon Road, West Melbourne, about 1.45pm (AEDT). "The driver appears to have tried to jump from the forklift but has been squashed by the roll bar as it came down," a police spokesman said. Another man who tried to stop the forklift from tipping over was taken to hospital with minor leg injuries. The forklift driver was dead when paramedics arrived. WorkSafe Victoria is investigating the incident.
Trucker killed at New London Pier (New London-AP) -- A trucker from Shelton, Washington, died Monday when he was pinned against his truck by a load of plywood that slid off a forklift at a New London Pier. The Day of New London reports that Michael Ryckman was struck as he was standing with his back to a forklift as it removed plywood from the trailer of his truck at the state pier. Police say he was found lying face up, with no major external injuries. He died at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London. A hospital spokesman says the 54-year-old Ryckman died of multiple trauma. He was an employee of Nor West Express Incorporated in Tacoma, Washington. An autopsy is planned by the state medical examiner. It was the second fatality at State Pier in less than a week. A 43-year-old pilot boat crewman died Wednesday after falling into the Thames River.
Construction accident kills Henderson man By Gleaner staff A 46-year-old Henderson resident died Thursday afternoon in a construction accident on Janalee Drive. According to the Henderson County Coroner's Office, Randall S. Kitchens died from blunt force trauma when the industrial forklift he was operating overturned on him. Henderson Police Department reports said that Kitchens -- who owned Randall Kitchens Construction -- was running the forklift and doing masonry work about 1:15 p.m. at a house located at 101 Janalee Drive. The forklift was on a steep slope and when Kitchens raised the boom the machine tipped over on him, authorities said. Kitchens was married and had three children. He was a hunter and spent a lot of time coaching girls softball and baseball.
Forklift Accident Injures Two Workers in Knoxville By JENNIFER CARMACK KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- Two construction workers are in a Knoxville hospital Thursday after a forklift fell 45 feet and trapped them. The incident happened on Weisgarber Road at the Bush Brothers construction site. Just before 11:30 Thursday morning, the Knoxville Fire Department got a call that a construction worker was trapped underneath a forklift at the Bush Brothers site. But they found something different. "We discovered that it had not fallen on top of a person, rather two people had been in a bucket on top of the forklift and it had fallen over with them in it," spokesman Charlie Barker says. The two workers, Steven Ball and Pedro Libardo, fell and were partially pinned underneath the bucket. "The temperature had heated up some and on a construction site, you can get a little loose dirt," Barker explains. "So there may have been some cushioning there. But that's an awful long fall." As the men were rushed to the UT Medical Center with severe injuries. Then safety inspectors arrived on scene, trying to piece together what happened. Lockwood Greene, the construction firm in charge of the site, says the men were installing window frames when it tipped over. TOSHA has launched a full investigation into the accident. Both workers are recovering.
Construction accident kills N.J. man, 59 By RYAN CORMIER A construction worker died Tuesday after he was caught between a building and a piece of construction equipment in Bridgeville. The victim, a 59-year-old man from Bridgeton, N.J., was taken to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, said Tedd Winneberger, Sussex paramedic spokesman. The man was working at the site of the new Woodbridge Middle School on Church Street about 3 p.m., Winneberger said. The worker was on a scissor lift on the roof when the lift suddenly moved, Bridgeville police Sgt. Chuck Manuszak said. "Somehow he hit the lever and got pinned," Manuszak said. The man suffered severe head trauma, Winneberger said. The victim's name was not released Tuesday because his family had not been contacted, police said. The man's body was turned over to the state Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, police said. Kevin Carson, superintendent of the Woodbridge School District, said he did not know which company the man worked for. Members of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will arrive today to investigate. The police investigation is continuing but no foul play is suspected, authorities said.
Garbage Truck Kills Sanitation Worker By Samuel Bruchey STAFF WRITER A 20-year-old sanitation worker was run over by a garbage truck in Farmingville yesterday morning and crushed to death, Suffolk police said. About 10 a.m., Peter Christ of Bay Shore was standing on a metal platform on the passenger side of the truck as another worker backed the vehicle down Lidge Drive, a dead-end road off Dogwood Avenue, said Sixth Squad Det. Sgt. Charles Christ, who is not related to the victim. "Apparently, they back down to the dead end, then, as they pull forward, pick up the garbage," Det. Sgt. Christ said. When the truck was about 400 feet from Dogwood Avenue, its driver, Christopher Safronsey, 27, of Ronkonkoma, looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Christ was no longer there. "He stopped the truck, got out, and observed him in front of the truck lying down," Det. Sgt. Christ said. Christ, who was run over by the front wheel of the truck, suffered "massive internal injuries," police said. Det. Sgt. Christ said Safronsey hollered out to a resident to call 911. Christ was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital but was pronounced dead at 10:27 a.m. Police spoke to Safronsey after the accident and said they do not suspect any criminality on his part, although police issued 11 summonses for violations on the condition of the truck to its owner, National Waste Services of Bay Shore. It was unclear if Christ stepped off the truck and slipped on the pavement or fell from the ledge, which may have been slick with snow, police said. It was also unclear how fast the truck was traveling in reverse at the time of the accident. Neither Christ's relatives nor anyone at National Waste Services could be reached yesterday for comment. A woman who answered the phone at Safronsey's house would not comment.
Construction worker dies from accident By: News 14 Carolina CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating a fatal construction accident that occurred Monday at 5th and Pine Streets in Charlotte. The victim, Javier Donjuan, was elevated in the bucket of a back hoe, trying to attach something outside a window when the bucket tipped pinning him to the side of the building. Donjuan was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.
UPDATE, Employees mourn loss of co-worker, Cause of accident still undetermined Post staff report A Highland Heights man killed Friday while unloading a bulldozer in Cincinnati was, according to his boss at Art's Rental Equipment in Newport, the most well-liked employee in the company. Nicholas J. Groeschen, 37, was killed when the bulldozer he was unloading fell off his flatbed tractor-trailer outside Noramco Transportation Corp. in Riverside about noon. Cincinnati police and federal labor investigators are trying to determine how the accident occurred. Groeschen's boss at Art's Rental Equipment in Newport said he and the company's 125 employees are devastated by his death. Art's Rental Equipment President Ken Arlinghaus said Groeschen had worked there for 19 years and had become one of the best and most-liked employees. "He has been with us so long and has so much experience," said Arlinghaus. "He had a lot of knowledge of the equipment, and he was good at explaining to the customer how to operate it. -- But most of all everybody liked him and everybody knew Nick. Even our competition have been calling about him." Arlinghuas said Groeschen was a truck driver for the company, which had never experienced a serious accident or death in 35 years in business. Arlinghaus said it appears Groeschen was unloading the bulldozer on an unpaved, slightly inclined parking lot which might have caused the equipment to slip off the flatbed. He said employees have already started a memorial at work filled with pictures and other reminders of Groeschen.
Fire Dept. responds to gas leak PORTSMOUTH - A gas leak Saturday afternoon caused the evacuation of customers and employees from several stores at the South Gate Plaza on Route 1. The Portsmouth Fire Department responded to a report of the smell of natural gas around 3 p.m. Capt. Steve Griswold said it appeared a snowplow accidentally struck and broke a pressure regulator on a pipe behind the shopping plaza, causing some gas to be released. The stores, including Shaw’s Supermarket and the Far East Superbuffet, were evacuated for 10 to 15 minutes, and Northern Utilities was called to repair the damaged line, Griswold said. The storm was blamed for several minor car accidents throughout the Seacoast yesterday. None were reported to involve serious injuries. Maine State Police reported the speed limit on the Maine Turnpike was reduced to 45 mph for most of the day. Karen Ellis, of Exeter Hospital, said it was a pretty quiet day in the hospital’s emergency room. Ellis said several patients were treated and released for minor injuries from slips and falls, but nothing was out of the norm for a typical snowy day. In Portsmouth, an unidentified man was treated at Portsmouth Regional Hospital for a serious hand injury late Saturday morning. No further information was available. Public Service of New Hampshire and Central Maine power reported no power outages Saturday as a result of the storm.
Carbon monoxide sickens workers Nicole Chavez - Reporter January 03rd, 2003 A carbon monoxide leak in Yakima sent seven workers to the hospital Friday. During the year-end fruit inventory count at C.M. Holtzinger, several workers had difficulty breathing. Firefighters later found carbon monoxide was at an unsafe level and evacuated the building. Mark Holzinger is the company's owner. He believes the CO leak was caused by emissions from the engine of a forklift. "If a forklift gets out of adjustment, it doesn't burn the fuel efficiently and can cause a problem, and evidently, that's what happened today," Holzinger said. Seven people were taken to the hospital for treatment. All are expected to quickly recover. This was the first gas leak in the company's history.
Worker Accidentally Killed While Making Delivery Reported by: 9News Web produced by: Liz Foreman 1/3/03 2:11:17 PM A worker was killed Friday in a freak accident at a scrap metal company in Sedamsville. An unidentified man was loading a bulldozer onto a flatbed truck at Cohen Scrap Metal, at 3291 South Side Avenue, when the bulldozer slipped on some ice, flipped over and trapped his head between the two vehicles. The man was instantly decapitated. His body was discovered by a Cohen employee. Police said the man was not wearing a safety harness at the time of the accident. Apparently, he had delivered the bulldozer to the wrong location so no one at the company was expecting him.
Update to story above, Bulldozer death is mystifying; victim an experienced operator By Susan Vela The Cincinnati Enquirer He was known for his thorough knowledge of heavy equipment, which is why Nicholas J. Groeschen's former employees are wondering whether his death Friday was some horrible fluke. They were left reeling when they learned that Mr. Groeschen, better known as "Nick," died when the bulldozer he was delivering at Noramco Transportation in Riverside slipped off its tractor-trailer and crushed him. Mr. Groeschen, 37, of Highland Heights, had worked at Art's Rental Equipment Co. of Newport for 18 years and was well-respected for his experience. "He was the best guy we had," company president Ken Arlinghaus said. Cincinnati police, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating Mr. Groeschen's death. Mr. Arlinghaus thinks that, for some inexplicable reason, Mr. Groeschen ignored some basic precautions. Noramco has a dirt lot, and Mr. Groeschen parked the semi on a slight incline, which is frowned upon. He also wasn't wearing the bulldozer's seat belt. Mr. Arlinghaus thinks the incline caused the bulldozer to slip on a patch of ice and fall off the semi. Mr. Groeschen apparently jumped, but "he didn't jump far enough, and (the bulldozer) fell on top of him," Mr. Arlinghaus said. "We're all in shock because he did enjoy his job so much," said Terri Groeschen, Mr. Groeschen's sister-in-law. Survivors are his mother, Dorothy Groeschen; brother, Tom Groeschen of Camp Springs, Ky.; sister-in-law Terri Groeschen of Camp Springs; two nephews; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Church, Cold Spring. Burial will follow at St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials can be made in the form of Masses or in donations to the Adopt-A-Student Program at St. Joseph Grade School, 4011 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076.
Ex-London Mills man dies in mine accident LONDON MILLS - A former London Mills man was killed Thursday in a coal mining accident after being struck by a piece of mining equipment, according to a West Virginia newspaper. The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reported Saturday that Daniel Gray, 48, died after being struck by a drag line after returning to his job site after hours. The West Virginia State Medical Examiner's office is investigating Gray's death. The Herald-Dispatch said Gray left after completing his shift at the Catenary Coal Co.'s Samples Mine Thursday but returned to the mine for an unknown reason and was killed by the equipment. Workers discovered his body about 3 a.m. the next morning, the newspaper reported.
Worker Rescued at Pentagon After Accident With Cart Sunday, December 29, 2002 Arlington County firefighters plucked an unidentified construction worker from the roof of the Pentagon after a minor accident yesterday afternoon, officials said. A worker with the Pentagon renovation project was driving a motorized cart on a ramp about 12:15 p.m. when the vehicle struck something and catapulted the man about 10 feet onto the roof, Battalion Chief Benjamin Barksdale said. The worker blacked out, and co-workers dialed 911. When firefighters arrived minutes later, the worker had regained consciousness, Barksdale said. The man suffered minor head injuries. Firefighters reached the roof using a ladder truck and construction lift and lowered the man to the ground in a basket stretcher. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital, Barksdale said. The worker was between rings C and D and corridors 3 and 4 near the Pentagon's South Parking Lot when the accident occurred.
Gladwin man killed in dumpster accident Gladwin County Record A Gladwin man was killed last Wednesday when he was pinned under a trash dumpster. Dale Roger Ballard, 50, an employee of Republic Waste Services of Northern Michigan, had just dropped off an empty dumpster and was attempting to lift a full dumpster onto his truck with a Hydraulic Cable. The dumpster slid off his truck and Ballard became pinned under the dumpster. The accident occurred at approximately 4 p.m. Dec. 18 at Crane Resistoflex on Wilder Road in Bay City. Employees and medical personnel attempted to revive Ballard and started CPR, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center. Republic Waste Services declined to comment.
Garbage truck runs over Laurens city worker Associated Press CLINTON, S.C. - A Laurens city employee has been killed after another worker backed over him with a garbage truck. Hugh Edward Leake, 47, was killed Monday as he and two other workers prepared to dump garbage at the Container Company of the Carolinas in Clinton, Police Chief Carroll Barker said. Witnesses told police Leake was standing behind the truck as one of the employees backed up. The worker told officers he never saw Leake. Barker said police continue to investigate the incident, but he thinks the death was accidental. Firefighters worked for more than two hours to get Leake's body out from under the truck. The truck's alarm that sounds when it backs up was functioning, Laurens City Administrator Gene Madden said. Leake had worked for the city since April 2000, Madden said. "They called him 'Spanky,'" Laurens Mayor Jim Goss said. "He was always on the job and I understand he missed very little, if any, days. This was a very unfortunate accident."
Construction worker crushed by forklift at WalMart construction site in Montgomery By: Erika E. Durhan, Courier staff December 25, 2002 A construction worker was transported via LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston Tuesday morning after being crushed by a forklift while at work on a local construction site. It was the second serious construction accident in Montgomery County within a week. t about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday emergency workers responded to a call from the Wal-Mart store under construction at Texas 105 and Walden Road. According to Mark Schwind of the Conroe Police Department, the unidentified man was crushed between a forklift and the ceiling of the building, causing him severe chest injuries. Apparently he was on the forklift while it was moving and it kept moving toward the ceiling," Schwind said. Brian Hurst, of the Montgomery Fire Department, said he did not know how severe the injuries were except that they "were enough to warrant LifeFlight." uperintendents at the construction site failed to comment about the details of the incident or the man's identity. ther agencies involved also would not release the man's name. uesday morning's incident is the second severe work related injury to occur in the county within the last week. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently investigating the death of a man who fell Friday through the roof of a medical facility under construction at 1501 the Riverpointe Drive.
UPDATE, Worker crushed to death by load A FORKLIFT truck operator misjudged the load he was carrying before it fell on him and crushed him to death, an inquest has heard. Andrew Chillingworth, 41, from Riverside Mill in Godmanchester, was working at Jewsons building materials suppliers in Huntingdon when the accident happened on September 24 this year. He was lifting crates of plasterboard and got off the vehicle to get at some boards underneath them when the load toppled over causing him massive head injuries. He was taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A jury passed a verdict of accidental death at the inquest in Shire Hall, Cambridge and noted that he had miscalculated the weight of the load. He was attempting to lift one-and-a-half crates at once rather than the usual single crate. He had received full training in safety procedures and forklift truck operating and no blame has been placed on his employers. Terry Humes, another employee at the firm, told the hearing: "Andrew had loaded the forklift up and I saw that it had fallen on him, the whole lot came on top of him. "There was no indication it was going to go, it just happened in a split second." Yard foreman Jason Smith said: "It would have been part of Andrew's duty to load his own lorry and make deliveries from the yard. "I was working when Terry came shouting to give him a hand because Andrew had had an accident. "When I saw what had happened I took a step back and I freaked. Each of those packs of plasterboards is about 1.7 tonnes."
Workman killed in railyard accident; Officials say Willowbrook father of 4 was crushed when overloaded machine fell on him
By RYAN LILLIS, MICHAEL WAGNER and REGINALD PATRICK STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE A construction worker was killed yesterday when the machine he was operating in a railyard next to the St. George Ferry Terminal tipped over under an excessive load and crushed him, officials said. Mensur Capa, 41, of Willowbrook, was lifting a large red container at 10:56 a.m. when the material-hoisting machine toppled to its left. He apparently tried to jump out of the machine's cabin but was struck in the back by its massive arm, Fire Department officials said. Capa was pinned underneath, his legs, arms and back badly injured. He was pronounced dead at the scene, fire officials said. Within a few hours, the city Department of Buildings issued an "unsafe construction practices" violation to Capa's employer, M. Ferrante Construction Co., a Sunnyside-based subcontractor working on a new control center for the Staten Island Railway, said Ilyse Fink, a Buildings spokeswoman. The company was cited because the machine Capa was using was overloaded, Ms. Fink said. It is unclear if Capa was licensed to operate the machine, but Ms. Fink said a permit is not necessary for a material-hoisting machine, also known as a "fixed boom rough terrain telehandler." Railway service was shut down between the St. George and Clifton stations for about 20 minutes, but ferry service was not affected. M. Ferrante Construction is a masonry firm hired by Grand and Halmer, New York City Transit's general contractor, on the project. Michael Ferrante, the company's president, did not return several phone calls seeking comment. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is investigating, as well as transit authorities, who called the incident a "freak accident." "This was a tragic loss," said Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges. "He was out there doing hard work for us. Our condolences go out to his family and friends." FAMILY MAN Railway sources said the ground at the St. George station is sandy and unstable, possibly contributing to the machine's toppling. Called a "Pettibone" in construction circles -- referring to its manufacturer -- the lift is known as a particularly dangerous piece of equipment. Sources said it should have been supported by stabilizer legs. The project is part of a $100 million signal upgrade on the 14-mile Railway. The building was being converted from a substation, which at one time supplied power to the rail line, to a train dispatch and control center. Capa leaves behind his wife, two teen-age sons and a son and daughter who are 3-year-old fraternal twins. "He was a hard worker," said Kreshnik Capa, Mensur Capa's 16-year-old son. "He was determined. He had ambition." Kreshnik said his father was of Albanian ancestry but was born in the town of Diber in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. Capa immigrated to United States 18 years ago in search of better opportunities. He lived in Brooklyn for three years before he and his family moved to Staten Island. Kreshnik said his father spent most of his time working and had little time for hobbies, although he was a friendly man who "liked to tell jokes" and "always tried to help somebody out." Capa worshipped at the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center in Tompkinsville. Dozens of Capa's friends and relatives gathered at his Uxbridge Street home last night to console each other over his sudden death. GUIDELINES FOLLOWED? For months, Railway workers have questioned whether safety guidelines are being followed by the numerous contractors working on the line. Equipment has been left near live tracks, sources said, and flagmen are rarely used at construction sites. Instead, orange construction fences -- which are sometimes supported with metal rods instead of the wooden posts required on an electrified property -- surround the sites. This summer, a contractor blew a Grasmere track switch, shutting down service for about an hour just before the afternoon rush. "That place is run by those contractors," said one Railway source. "Safety? Forget about safety." Construction workers have also been spotted walking across tracks in front of an oncoming train "just to get a cup of coffee," the source said. Capa's co-workers said he had been working at the site a little less than two years and went by the nicknames "Suri" and "Skip." Under steely gray skies, more than a dozen construction workers milled around the scene as emergency workers labored feverishly to extricate Capa's body. Many of the workers wore blank, stunned expressions. The Fire Department's Ladder Co. 78/Engine Co. 155 from New Brighton was the first on the scene, followed closely by Rescue Co. 5 and the Police Department's Emergency Service Unit. Firefighters "cribbed" the unstable lifting machine into place, making sure it wouldn't move, and slowly lifted the apparatus, using powerful airbags. When the beam that had struck him was four inches off the muddy ground, Capa's body was pulled out. Paramedics covered the body with a white sheet and placed it on a stretcher. The scene went almost silent. "I'm absolutely in shock, yes," said one worker, rubbing his eyes. "I really can't take this. Suddenly, life for this man's family has changed forever, just like that. He was gone in a second." "This is a terrible thing," a construction worker said. "This could have happened to any one of us. Construction work is a very dangerous business. You never know if you'll be going home at night."
NZL Group ltd fined $17,500 for man's death NZL Group Ltd was fined $17,500 in Tauranga District Court yesterday after a stevedore was killed earlier this year at the Port of Tauranga. Maurice Jones, 58, from Te Puke, died instantly on March 9 when he was run over by a 50 tonne forklift carrying a 6m container at the port's Sulphur Pt facility. "This was a horrific accident which has greatly affected fellow workers and the family of the victim," Occupational Safety and Health service manager Faye Frelan said. She said the forklift driver was unable to see the victim in front of him because of the container being carried. "The company had health and safety systems in place but failed to identify the practice of driving a forklift where the load obscured the view forwards as a hazard," Ms Frelan said
Construction student injured LIMA, Ohio - An Apollo Career Center student hurt Wednesday in an accident at a construction site was in fair condition last night in St. Rita’s Medical Center. Jarrod Hyde, 18, was hurt when the bucket of a backhoe operated by his instructor, Philip Odenweller, swung around and struck him on the shoulder. Mr. Odenweller said the student was in his blind spot. Mr. Hyde was part of a construction trades class from the vocational school that was working in the Country Aire subdivision in American Township. The school is investigating the incident.
Bulldozer rolls over and kills construction worker in Weston Associated Press WESTON, Fla. - A 60-year-old construction worker was killed in this Fort Lauderdale suburb Thursday when the bulldozer he was driving rolled over on him. Hollis Jones, of Davie, was driving the bulldozer during construction of homes at the Swan Lakes Estates project when he lost control of the vehicle and it rolled into a lake, said Todd LeDuc, a Broward County Fire Rescue assistant chief. He was trapped under about 40 feet of water and died. A fellow construction worker tried to free him but wasn't able to. Police removed his body later Thursday. Workers planned to removed the bulldozer from the lake on Friday. Jones worked for Ryan Construction Company.
Men are killed in accidents at workplaces Two outdoor workers from Shropshire and Mid Wales have been killed in separate accidents in their workplaces. Gareth Roberts, 32, died in a farm accident near Llangollen. He was found under a Bobcat mini-digger at Gyfelia Farm at Rhewl. Emergency services responded to a 999 call but Mr Roberts, a well-known local mechanic, was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.40pm on Tuesday. And in south Shropshire, a 56-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was killed as he felled trees in the grounds of an historic house at Tenbury Wells just after 11am yesterday. The sub-contractor, who is believed to have lived nearby, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident at Burford House and Garden Centre in Tenbury Wells. Farmer Hywel Lloyd said Mr Roberts had been working on the mini-digger while other staff were at a senior citizens' Christmas party at a nearby community centre. He added: "Gareth was a very hard-working lad, a good mechanic who was very dedicated." Mr Roberts, from Llangollen, had recently married his wife, Nia. He was a former pupil at Dinas Bran School and has a twin brother and a sister. South Shropshire Sergeant Tony Mantle, of Ludlow Police, said the man killed at Tenbury Wells was 56. Police were not yet releasing his name as they were still contacting relatives. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating both deaths.
Man dies in mill accident M. Partington-Richer Lakeside Leader At least one New Brunswick family’s Christmas will be a somber one this year after a 43-year-old logging truck driver from that province was killed as he unloaded his load at a Mitsue Industrial Park mill just east of Slave Lake. RCMP in this town say Allain Joseph Audit died as a result of massive injuries he sustained about 5:45 a.m. Thursday when he was run over by a trailer in the Vanderwell Contractors yard. Cpl. Don Ray says Audit was removing the chains from his load of logs when he was run over by the trailer of an empty logging truck that was leaving the scene. At the time he was hauling logs for Zell Oilfield Services, contractors at the mill. A release from the RCMP says the investigation is on goin. But it added that on Friday police weren’t contemplating any charges. Occupational Health and Safety was also called in as part of the investigation following the fatal accident, Ray added. That report is not expected for several weeks.
Kaiser plant worker burned HEATH -- A Kaiser Aluminum employee was burned while refueling a forklift Tuesday night and was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital. Robert Faught, 51, of Newark, suffered burns to his hands, arms, face and head when propane fuel ignited at about 11:25 p.m. Tuesday, Heath Fire Department Capt. Terry Hughes said. Faught was treated and released from the hospital, according to a Licking Memorial Hospital spokeswoman. The fire caused some damage to the company's propane fueling station, as well as the forklift. The Hebron Fire Department transported Hughes to the hospital, and the Newark Fire Department responded with an engine.
Canadian man killed at IMC By Dawn Bowen CARLSBAD - A Canadian man was reportedly crushed to death Monday at IMC Potash. eddy County Sheriff Kent Waller said the man's name is being withheld pending notification of family members. IMC Human Resources Manager Cindy Mudge declined to release the man's age or place of residence, saying she preferred to wait until his family has been notified. Waller said preliminary findings by sheriff's investigator Jim Estrada indicate the injuries were the result of an accident. He said the man, an independent truck driver for a Canada-based company, had delivered equipment - including large rolls of conveyor belts weighing about 1.5 tons - to the plant Monday morning, just before the accident. The man was standing beside a flatbed trailer as a forklift unloaded one of the belt rolls from the opposite side of the trailer, Waller said. He said one of the belt rolls fell off the trailer, striking the man. Severe internal injuries and trauma to the man's lower extremities were reported as the cause of death. The body was sent to Albuquerque for an autopsy at the request of the state medical examiner. In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Waller said deputies were dispatched to the main plant at 9:27 a.m. when a call came in asking emergency workers to intercept the IMC ambulance on its way to Carlsbad with the victim. Deputy Kelly Calicoat met the ambulance on the Hobbs highway near mile marker 46 and proceeded to the emergency room at Carlsbad Medical Center, where the victim was pronounced dead at 9:38 a.m., the release states.
Paver kills man By SCOTT PESZNECKER For the second time in a week, a foothills resident has died after being crushed by a paver while working on a driveway. Daniel Marion Stahn, 57, died Friday afternoon en route to San Joaquin General Hospital after he was run over by a paving machine at 451 Pennsylvania Gulch Road in Murphys. The accident occurred about 12:30 p.m. According to a Calaveras County Sheriff's Department report and witnesses, Stahn was alone on the machine as it went down a steep grade. He was unable to stop the paver and was suddenly "catapulted" over the front, the report said. Stahn, of Douglas Flat, owned the paving equipment and was working with a crew of about four people to pave a driveway at the address. After he was thrown over the front, a nearby coworker was able to stop the paver with Stahn underneath it, saving him from the asphalt mixers toward the rear of the machine. Stahn was pinned under the machine for nearly an hour. After an unsuccessful attempt to inflate airbags under the paver to free him, emergency workers pulled him out when a tow truck lifted the machine. Friend and coworker Tom Vannucci said Stahn was still alive when the machine was lifted, mainly because it had been stopped before the back end reached him. Witnesses said Stahn was awake and talking, conscious as he was loaded into an ambulance. "He's a tough bird. He's about as tough as they come," Vannucci said after Stahn had been taken from the scene. "When we got there, a worker was laying on his tummy and talking to him under the paver," Murphys Fire Protection District Chief Phil Phillips said Friday afternoon. "When they brought him out from under, they moved him so quickly to put him on the backboard and get him out of there — I don't know if he said anything to the ambulance paramedics or not." He was rushed to a field at the Bret Harte Center, then flown by helicopter to San Joaquin General Hospital, but did not make it. "It was a bad situation," Phillips said. "You run into those occasionally, but fortunately not too often."
Farm accident claims man's life FAIRBURY - A farm accident Monday afternoon claimed the life of a 73-year-old Jefferson County man. George E. Wurm of rural Fairbury was on a tractor clearing brush from a ditch on County Road 718, five miles north and three-fourths of a mile east of Fairbury, when the tractor rolled and pinned him underneath. Jefferson County and Fairbury rescue units and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office responded and pronounced Wurm dead at the scene. The tractor did not have a cab or roll-over protection.
Former boxer dies of injuries from farming accident Star-Bulletin staff John Yoshikawa, a Nanakuli pig farmer and part-owner of a food recycling company, died Nov. 29 in Queen's Medical Center from head injuries sustained in an apparent accident at his business, his sister said. Yoshikawa, 39, was also state Golden Gloves boxing champion in 1984, said Elisa Repolio. While boxing, Yoshikawa worked at a feed store and then went on to start his own feed store business, Repolio said. He started raising pigs and helped start Eco-Feed Inc., a company that recycles commercial food waste from hotels and restaurants and turns it into pig food. "He was just really good friends with everyone and all the farmers," Repolio said. "He used to write to newspapers about how Hawaii residents should buy local produce and support the farmers," she said. Workers found Yoshikawa unconscious on Nov. 24. Repolio said it appears a bin fell from a forklift and hit his head. He never regained consciousness. Repolio said her brother loved holidays and would cook turkeys or a pig in an imu every Thanksgiving and give the food away to friends and relatives. Services are scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church in Makakilo. Friends may call after 6 p.m. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Mililani Memorial Park. In addition to Repolio, Yoshikawa is survived by wife Gina; sons John P., Damon and Cyrus Yoshikawa, and Alvin Collelo; daughters Angelina Yoshikawa and Shanalle Collelo; parents Clarence and Elizabeth; and brothers Matthew and Patrick.
Lake Michigan Dockworker killed when struck by forklift PORTAGE, Ind.- A veteran dockworker of Indiana's International Port/Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan was killed when the driver of a loaded forklift ran into him. Ira Hayes Sr., 69, of Gary was going into a warehouse about 4 p.m. Thursday for a load of steel coil when he was struck and killed. "It was no one's fault. It is a danger of the job," said Andrew Joseph, a business agent for International Longshoreman's Association 1969 and president of the ILA Local 2038. "Neither one saw each other." The forklift driver who struck Hayes did not know the accident occurred until he finished his delivery, left the ship, and came to see why others were gathered on the roadway, Joseph said. The Portage Police Department said a 28-year-old Westville resident was operating the forklift. The ILA supplies longshoremen to load and unload ships for about five businesses. Hayes was working for Federal Marine Terminal unloading the ship.
Lights out at cereal factory after accident PRODUCTION was halted in part of a Kelloggs factory after a forklift truck knocked a light fitting into machinery being used to make Rice Krispies. A forklift truck operator smashed a plastic light cover in the factory at Trafford Park on Saturday. It fell into rice being made into Rice Krispies and Ricicles. The food production was halted and most of the plastic has been now recovered. None of the products affected has left the factory and supplies have not been interrupted, said a spokesman. "At no time has there been a risk to the consumer. "That part of the factory was shut down immediately and the food that was half way through manufacture will be held until an investigation has been completed," he added'
Overhead wires electrocute worker YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- A man laying sewer pipe in a new home development was electrocuted when a backhoe, operated by his father, hit a powerline overhead, the Yakima County sheriff's office said. William Anderson, 26, was pronounced dead Monday at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. Chuck Anderson, 63, the owner of Central Concrete and Utilities, was operating the backhoe while his son stabilized a section of pipe that was tethered by cable to the backhoe bucket, the sheriff's office said. The boom on the backhoe hit a powerline above it and the electrical current was transmitted to the younger Anderson. The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating.
Man dies in Chino forklift accident CHINO — A 49-year-old Montclair resident died Friday morning when the forklift he was operating toppled over and fell on him, said coroner's and police officials. Felix Luis Garzon Zambrano was operating the forklift at fertilizer manufacturer Hyponex in the 15900 block of El Prado Road in Chino when the accident occurred, said Randy Emon, supervising deputy coroner for San Bernardino County. While driving the forklift, Zambrano had the arms of the forklift were raised to the upper level, said Chino Police Sgt. John Vega. According to witnesses, the forklift began to fall over and Zambrano jumped off, Vega said. Witnesses said it fell onto Zambrano and he died nearly instantly, Vega said. Zambrano was pronounced dead at the scene, coroner's officials said. The Chino Police Department is investigating the accident. Cal-OSHA is expected to investigate the accident, as well.
Man Killed in Grisly Grinder Accident A supervisor at a mushroom compost facility died after he was scooped up by a front-end loader and dropped into a compost grinding machine, police said. Workers at Ontelaunee Mushroom Farms Inc. discovered the remains of Richard D. Kielbasa, 51, at about 10 a.m. Thursday inside the 25-foot-tall grinder, a machine with rotating blades that refines compost, Muhlenberg Police Sgt. Erik P. Grunzig said. A co-worker saw Kielbasa collecting a sample of compost at around 8 a.m. in a bunker that holds 40-foot-tall rows of the mushroom-growing material, Grunzig said. Some time between then and 9:30 a.m., when he was discovered missing, another front-end loader must have picked up Kielbasa along with a pile of compost, officials said. "Nobody saw what happened," Grunzig said. The Berks County coroner's office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating. Kielbasa, who worked at the plant for 24 years and had a doctorate in entomology from Penn State University, served as the assistant general manager and quality-control supervisor, said general manager Albert Gaspari. The plant is owned by Muhlenberg-based Giorgio Foods Inc. and processes about 4,000 tons of compost per week, Gaspari said.
Fires and spill injures three By PETER SMITH, CALGARY SUN One man was badly burned in a flash fire in the yard of a southwest home while another was drenched in toxic chemicals in the southeast yesterday. Both victims, together with a man suffering smoke inhalation from an apartment fire, were recovering last night in city hospitals. Firefighters and paramedics were called to 139 Evergreen Heights S.W. at 2:30 p.m. after neighbours saw smoke pouring from the rear of a home. "I saw smoke pouring out of the yard next door and called 911," said neighbour Katija Lindgren. Paramedics found a badly burned 47-year-old workman, while firefighters quickly extinguished a fire which blackened a rear deck and garden furniture. ADHESIVE IGNITED The workman was using a flammable adhesive to glue an exterior-decking material to the deck, and the adhesive was placed too close to a heater, said Fire Capt. John Conley. In the flash fire, the worker was splashed with blazing adhesive, and was taken to the Foothills burn unit by paramedics. "He received second degree burns to his face and chest in addition to third degree burns to both of his hands," said Mike Plato of Emergency Medical Services. An hour earlier, firefighters and paramedics were called to 6040 46 St. S.E. where a man operating a forklift truck had a drum of xylene burst on him. "A drum containing xylene spilled its contents, drenching the man in chemicals," said Plato. "He was quick to undress and shower but became short of breath by the time paramedics arrived." Paramedics took the 26-year-old victim to the Peter Lougheed Centre in serious but stable condition with respiratory distress and shortness of breath. Firefighters discovered the forklift had punctured the drum, spilling 210 litres of xylene -- which is a flammable and toxic chemical used in lacquers and rubber cements -- said Conley.
Backhoe driver injured after underground tank caves in Wednesday, November 27, 2002 SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF BELLEVUE -- A 44-year-old backhoe driver suffered multiple broken ribs yesterday morning when the roof of an unmarked storm-water holding tank collapsed in the back yard of a north Bellevue residence. Workers operating the backhoe did not know they were on top of the tank, a concrete structure about 40 by 50 feet and about 20 feet deep. There was no water in the tank. Police spokesman Tory Mangione said the driver, a Redmond resident, escaped further injury because he was thrown away from the backhoe as it dropped into the tank. He was lying on his side but conscious when rescuers arrived and was taken to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, where he was listed in stable condition. The home is in the Cherry Crest neighborhood just south of Bridle Trails State Park.
Forklift operator killed in industrial accident By MIKE D'AMOUR, CALGARY SUN A Calgary man died yesterday after being crushed by a forklift. The 35-year-old man was operating the machine at Select Energy Systems, 4215 54 Ave. S.E., when it apparently flipped on its side. The worker was trapped between the ground and the roll cage on the forklift, suffering head and chest injuries. Co-workers called 911, then used a second forklift to free the unconscious man. "In a crisis like that it was good, quick thinking," said Calgary EMS spokesman Mike Plato. Paramedics were quickly on scene and two of them immediately went to work on the victim, whose name has not been released. "The paramedics did everything and anything that was reasonable and justifiable to save the patient," Plato said. Despite their efforts, the man's injuries proved to be too severe and he died at the scene. Select Energy Systems officials declined to be interviewed yesterday. The incident is not a police matter and officers from Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety department have taken over the investigation. "We have two officers at the business now," said OHS spokesman Chris Chodan. "They will be looking at the physical evidence and getting statements from witnesses." Investigators said it's too early to say exactly what happened to the worker. "It could be several things ... we just don't know at this stage," Chodan said.
Carroll County - TDOT conducts investigation of accident that injured worker By CHUCK ROSS A Tennessee Department of Transportation employee was in critical condition Monday after being injured in a construction accident early Friday afternoon in McKenzie. A TDOT crew was using a track hoe, a large bulldozer version of a backhoe, to repair a drainage area, when Denese Guillory, age unknown, was critically injured. Winston Gaffron, regional director for TDOT, said the equipment operator was moving his track hoe to another position on the site and accidentally injured Guillory. She was a member of the work crew who was authorized to be at the location, he said. Gaffron said the track hoe ran over one of Guillory's legs, crushing it and resulting in partial amputation of the limb. Guillory was taken to Methodist Healthcare Ð McKenzie Hospital for treatment. She was later airlifted to The Regional Medical Center in Memphis. Guillory remains in critical condition as of late Monday afternoon, said Jacqueline Collins, guest services department employee at The Med. Family members could not be reached for comment. Gaffron, who supervises all TDOT activities in West Tennessee, said working on crews such as the one on which Guillory was injured is very dangerous. "This just shows how hazardous it is to work around heavy equipment. It is an inherent part of the job," Gaffron said. "Regrettably, an employee was severely injured." Gaffron said TDOT is conducting a thorough investigation of the accident, but no information is yet available. He did say this appears to be a terrible accident, and no action is expected against the operator of the equipment.
Man injured in forklift accident A 39-year-old man was in critical condition last night at The Queen's Medical Center after being injured in a forklift accident yesterday at a piggery in Nanakuli. Fire Capt. Kenison Tejada said the man was using a forklift to unload bins filled with 200 to 300 pounds of slop at a piggery near Pa'akea and Hakimo roads. He somehow fell from the lift and was lying on the ground between the slop bin and the pigpen shortly before 1:30 p.m., when firefighters were called to the scene. The man had head injuries, Tejada said. Emergency Medical Services workers took him to Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. He was later flown by military helicopter to Queen's.
Forklift accident kills store worker The Gazette Sunday, November 24, 2002 A 34-year-old employee of a construction-supply store in Épiphanie was killed yesterday morning when he was caught between his forklift and the truck he was loading. The accident occurred at the Centre de Renovation Gervais on Payette St. in the town, about 30 kilometres northeast of Montreal. Taken to a hospital, the man was dead on arrival. His name was not made public. The provincial workplace health and safety board is investigating.
UPDATE, Family of man who died in rail-yard wreck sues By Crystal Harden, Post staff reporter The family of a CSX railroad worker who died last week in an accident at the Queensgate rail yards in Cincinnati has filed a lawsuit charging the company with negligence. The family is seeking to have a jury award damages in the death of Gary D. Oak. The suit does ask for a specific amount of money, leaving that determination to the jury. The 51-year-old Carrollton man died Nov. 15 when a train hit the truck he was driving. Initial reports indicated Oak, a 29-year employee, was hit after he had backed his truck onto a crossing as a locomotive was moving 69 cars to another part of the yards. The truck was crushed under the last rail car, caught fire and was pushed down the track. Phil Taliaferro, an attorney who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Covington, said he did so to preserve evidence in the case. "At this point we do not know all of the details," Taliaferro said. "But we do know that Gary "Chuckie" Oak, a lead carman, was in a CSX vehicle, and a hump engine pushed his vehicle with him in it three football fields, approximately 900 or more feet. It is then inconceivable that a train could go down a track for almost 900 feet and not know it was pushing a vehicle." Taliaferro is trying to determine whether the train was automated. The use of automation was introduced about three months ago at the rail yard, Taliaferro said. "The CSX employees vehemently object to it on safety grounds," he said. Dan Murphy, a spokesman for CSX, said Friday the train had a crew and wasn't powered by remote control. He couldn't comment on the lawsuit, but said the death "was a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers and best wishes go out to the family." Taliaferro said CSX Senior Claim Agent Rick Shippley assured him that the event recorder, which registers the speed, transmission, braking and other information about a train, would be preserved. Taliaferro also wants whatever communications might have been recorded between the train and Oak. Taliaferro contends CSX was negligent in work, safety and radio practices and equipment, resulting in Oak's death. Taliaferro said the Federal Railroad Administration also is investigating the death, but the family was concerned that process would take too long. "The family wants answers now," he said. "This has been devastating to them."
UPDATE, A frustrating recovery By DEBORAH M. MARKO Staff Writer WOODSTOWN -- Four weeks have passed since a rusted steel I-beam pinned construction worker Jim Collins inside his excavator at a Main Road/Chestnut Avenue work site. While Collins doesn't recall much about the freak accident that nearly cost him five fingers, he'll never forget the yellow-jacketed firefighters who scrambled to his aid. The weeks have sped by in a swirl of surgeries, rehabilitation and doctor consultations since a makeshift platoon of 60 rescuers pried Collins free from the cab. The active 27-year-old isn't taking convalescence well. His mindset vacillates between thankfulness at retaining his hand to frustration at not being able to use it fully. "I'm pretty bull-headed," he said, grinning when his girlfriend, Caryl Doble, doesn't disagree. "I want to regain full use of it." At his Woodstown home, Collins showed off his medical miracle -- pieced together with surgical pins, stitches and scar tissue. "I can't feel my fingers," he said, gently tapping the fingertips extending beyond a Velcro cat. Collins can move his index finger and thumb despite frayed nerves and severed tendons, but he can't force them into a pinch. Each day, Collins chalks up another achievement, like wrestling a sock onto his foot. A lefty, Collins now writes using his right hand, estimating his penmanship could pass for a fourth-grader's. He hasn't mastered the dual controls of his PlayStation 2, but he's great on the television remote control. "It's a guy thing," Doble jokes. Collins puts up a brave front despite his physical wounds. He also carries emotional scars that make it difficult to sleep. He doesn't see the accident in his dreams -- he hears it. "I'm know I'm lucky," Collins said. "But I would have rather won the lottery." Collins tried to reach his cell phone when he realized he was trapped -- but couldn't. There was nothing to do but wave and yell to the steady stream of rush hour traffic on Main Road, including a school bus full of youngsters "They hollered and waved back," he said. But one woman noticed Collins' distress. "She made a U-turn and pulled in," Collins said, also remembering an off-duty police officer who called 911. The female Samaritan asked what Collins needed and ran across the street to get him a drink. Rescuers who hooked Collins up to a morphine drip promptly confiscated the bottled water, anticipating pending surgery. Collins didn't realize his dire straits until a rescue front-end loader arrived with a police escort. "I thought, 'This isn't good,'" he said. Collins wanted someone to call his girlfriend. He thought she might suspect he was AWOL with the guys. He wanted her to know he had a very good reason for being late. Doble wouldn't learn his fate until Collins was on a helicopter headed to Cooper Hospital University Medical Center in Camden. She raced there, but Collins was in surgery when she arrived. Though doctors warned her Collins could lose his hand, the prognosis brightened after four-surgeries. The Samaritan visited the hospital to check his condition, but Collins said he was too medicated to thank her and hopes she gets the message. Now it's up to Doble to keep track of Collins' appointments. Appointment cards cram his wallet like a set of medical trading cards. "I don't know what I would do without her," he said. He may never have to know. The couple had been planning a quiet holiday wedding. In fact, Doble was looking at wedding bands the day before the accident. A ring isn't going to fit on Collins' finger at the moment, so they're going to wait. "I'm just glad he's alive," Doble said. Collins teases his commitment is just as strong. He jokes that his near-severed fingers were a romantic gesture, in the same vein as the artist who gave his ear for love. "She didn't like my Van Gogh," said Collins with a shrug.
A Jobsite Accident Killed a Nicholasville Man Jamie Vaughan 36 On Your Side Nov 22, 2002 One man is dead after a construction accident involving three workers. It all unfolded Friday afternoon at the R-J Corman Airfield off U-S 27 near Jessamine Station Road. Jessamine County Detective John Bourne told me that three men were building a retaining wall when it collapsed on them. Two men got loose but during the attempt to save the third worker... one of the rescuers was struck in the head by a loader bucket. The 21-year-old man was pronounced dead at 5-30 this evening at U-K Medical Center. The third trapped worker was eventually saved. Detective Bourne would not release the name of the man who died in the accident pending notification of relatives. He was an employee of R-J Corman Railroad Construction.
Truck driver dies in construction accident EAST GLACIER PARK -- A truck driver working on the Blackfeet Community Water Project in East Glacier Park was killed in a construction accident Monday. The accident happened around noon as a forklift operator was unloading 1,700-pound pipes from the truck, Glacier County Sheriff Gary Racine said. As Daniel Schimke, 53, of Hamilton, walked around the opposite side of the vehicle, a number of pipes slid off. He was crushed by roughly 7,000 pounds of material and pronounced dead at the scene.
LaRue man, 47, dies after fall at plant GHENT, Ky. -- A LaRue County maintenance worker was fatally injured yesterday after he fell 30 feet from a lift at a steel company in Northern Kentucky. Charles Hinton, 47, fell from a manlift while working outside Gallatin Steel Co.'s melt shop department. Hinton, of Hodgenville, had been a maintenance worker for eight years at the plant in Ghent, according to a statement from the company. Hinton was taken by helicopter to University of Cincinnati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Pat Samson said. Samson said Hinton suffered massive head injuries. The company was investigating.
UPDATE, Channelview fire under investigation By: Danielle Lynch-Masterson November 20, 2002 A forklift ignited Sunday morning catching a storage unit on fire near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Bayou Drive. Although there were no injuries, the cause of the blaze is still under investigation by the Harris County Emergency Services Department and the Fire Marshal. According to Sheldon Fire Chief, Sidney Webb, at approximately 11:40 a.m., the forklift ignited. "It radiated heat onto the storage unit, causing it to ignite as well," he said. The first unit to respond was the Highlands Volunteer Fire Department, Engine 17 at 11:45 a.m. Fire Departments from Channelview, Highlands, Sheldon, Baytown, Crosby and Jacinto City responded with the South Lake Houston EMS service assisting. The Channelview fire department was unavailable for comment at press time.
Accident claims life of former police officer By Tim Mangan and Charity Cline A retired Kannapolis police officer died Wednesday as a result of injuries sustained earlier that morning in a heavy-equipment accident at a residence off Rogers Lake Road. Police say Joseph Alexander Ballard, 47, of 2740 Lamplighter Drive, Kannapolis, was operating a Caterpillar 953 bulldozer that got mired in soft ground. To try to alleviate the problem, police said a second piece of heavy equipment was brought in by Ballard's co-worker. During the maneuvering and positioning of the second vehicle, Ballard became pinned between the two machines. “The front-end loader got him in the abdominal area,” said Doug Bickerstaff, chief of the Cabarrus Rescue Squad. “... He was alive when we arrived, but he suffered pretty severe injuries.” The accident occurred at 10:40 a.m. Bickerstaff said Ballard was at the residence helping a friend build what appeared to be some type of work shed behind the main house. Ballard was the only one injured in the incident, Bickerstaff said. He was transported by ambulance to NorthEast Medical Center, where Kannapolis officials said he died a short time later. Aside from the Cabarrus Rescue Squad, responders included Cabarrus County EMS, Kannapolis Fire Department and the Kannapolis Police Department. The police department is investigating the incident. “Our hearts go out to Joe's family,” Kannapolis Police Chief Paul Brown said. “This tragic accident is a poignant reminder that life is a gift, not a promise.” Ballard worked as a city police officer for 16 years before retiring in April 2000. During his career, he worked in the department's traffic and patrol divisions. Beginning in February 1995, he was the crime scene investigator for the criminal investigation division. He held an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, having completed more than 2,100 hours of professional training. Ballard, who was a member of Kimball Memorial Lutheran Church, is survived by his wife, Robin, and two sons. Funeral arrangements are pending. “Joe had an engaging personality and a great sense of humor,” Brown said. “He was kind-hearted and always ready to lend a helping hand. It was our privilege to have known him as a friend and fellow officer. He will truly be missed.”
Darke man dies in farm accident, Trapped inside tractor submerged in manure pit By Derek Ali VERSAILLES, Darke County | A man apparently drowned Monday when his tractor slid into a manure lagoon at a dairy farm, the Darke County sheriff’s office said. Scott A. Winner, 36, of 12620 Willowdell Road, Versailles, was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Deputies, Osgood Fire and Rescue, and Fort Loramie Rescue units were called to the farm at 14171 Willowdell Road in northern Darke County about 10:10 a.m. on a report of a person trapped in a tractor. “It is believed that the victim was repositioning the tractor and aerator equipment when the tractor and aerator accidently slid into the lagoon” according to the sheriff’s office. Relatives and farm workers tried to rescue Winner before emergency workers arrived, but they could not get him out because of the force applied to the outside of the tractor cab by the liquid, according to the sheriff’s office. The tractor sank until only the roof of the cab was visible, deputies said. Deputies said fire and rescue personnel were able to remove Winner from the tractor 29 minutes after their arrival on the scene. Steve Foster, an agricultural extension agent with the Ohio State University Extension office in Darke County, said Winner owned and operated a family dairy farm with his brothers. “I think it’s designed for 600 head of dairy cattle. I’m not sure how many they’re milking,” Foster said.
UPDATE, San Mateo County contractor sentenced in worker's death The Associated Press REDWOOD CITY-- A San Mateo County contractor has been sentenced to a year in jail in the death of an employee in a forklift accident. Frank Conway pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Nicholas Viles, 21. He also was ordered to pay 75-hundred dollars to the victim's family and pay a five thousand dollar fine. Prosecutors say Conway needed help moving a metal-bending machine called a "brake." He rented a truck and a forklift and hired Viles to help him. Conway drove the truck and told Viles to follow him on city streets in the forklift. Viles was legally disabled, did not have a driver license and was not certified to operate the forklift. It tipped over on a hill in Pacifica and Viles was crushed. (San Francisco Chronicle)
UPDATE, Unique surgery puts man back on his feet By Mark-Alexander Pieper Pacific Daily News All Tom Greene remembers is excruciating pain. He doesn't remember how he was knocked to the ground or what people around him said. All he knows is that it really hurt when a 4,000-pound forklift rolled over his right foot in July. "I was on duty and it backed right over the center of the foot. It was pain like I couldn't describe, just white flashes," said the 61-year-old Machanao resident. On that most memorable July day, the forklift fractured his ankle, shattered five bones and pushed the tips of his metatarsal bones through the skin on the bottom of his foot. The amazing thing is that Greene, with the help of a brace and a crutch, is walking and back at work again. His recovery is thanks to a medical procedure described by the doctor who performed it as the first of its kind on Guam. "By far this was the worst case that I've seen and the most complicated surgery I've had to do," said Dr. Noel Silan of the Guam Foot Clinic. "When I saw him in the ER, I looked at that foot and said 'Whoa -- I'm not going to wait.' So I performed the first surgery then and there." Silan said it took three procedures totaling a little more than seven hours to piece Greene's foot back together. Silan inserted several plates and screws and performed two bone grafts to hold Greene's foot together. First, Silan scooped bone from Greene's heel and grafted it to the injured area at the front of Greene's foot, so there was less of a chance of Greene's body rejecting the transplanted bone. Then, he grafted synthetic bone -- flown here from California -- to Greene's heel to replace the bone used earlier. The surgeries would have cost Greene somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 were it not for his workman's compensation coverage, Silan said. Neither Greene nor Silan would reveal the circumstances surrounding the accident because litigation is pending. Greene said after the July 25 incident, he had to wait about 15 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and another 10 minutes before he was given painkillers in the emergency room. "When I got to the ER, my first thought was whether or not I'm going to lose the foot and fortunately the doctor was very honest, he was straight up, he told me it was the worst he'd seen but he'd do the best he can," Greene said. After the first surgery, which did not include the bone grafts, Greene said he noticed some discoloration on his foot. "A lot of times when you do surgery sometimes you have unforeseen complications and he had one. He ended up getting a (post-operative) infection," Silan said. Greene was under the knife again three days later to have the plates and screws removed from his foot, and was then scheduled for another surgery in four weeks. It's at that point Silan had to take some time to decide what he would have to do to make Greene able to walk again. As most surgeons do when evaluating a complicated case, Silan sought the input of some of his peers to see if they had any ideas about the next step. Many on island had such differing opinions that he decided to contact fellow podiatrists in the States. "Finally, I called two of my colleagues in California and they both gave me differing opinions on how to do it, but they both basically said to go do the surgery," he said. "I can guarantee you 100 percent that if I didn't do the surgery I did, this guy would not have been able to walk for the rest of his life." Greene endured five weeks of extensive rehabilitation, during which he had to use a device called a bone stimulator that sent electromagnetic shocks through his foot to stimulate healing, and he worked for hours on his range of motion. After that, he was able to walk again with the aid of a crutch. Greene is now back at work and, after a special orthopedic walking brace arrives on island, he will be able to stand on his own two feet. "It was a traumatic experience. The boredom was almost as bad as the pain because you can't do anything -- you can't work, you've got to keep your foot above your heart at all times," Greene said. "There's a lot of things you take for granted with an injury like that -- showering, putting your pants on -- my wife had to do everything. I was offered to go to Hawaii to have the surgery done but I declined because right from the beginning I knew I had the right guy, and now I can walk again.
UPDATE, OSHA looking into Carver Boat death By Andy Nelesen The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating Wednesday’s death of a 41-year-old Carver Boat Corp. employee. Investigators will look into the death of Randall Pedersen of Cecil, who was crushed between two boats at the company’s shipyard. Pedersen, an employee of Carver for eight years, worked in the company’s testing facility and on quality control, according to Larry Volz, Carver’s executive vice president. Melvin Lischefski, OSHA’s area director, based in Appleton, said investigators would examine how the boats collided and whether any OSHA regulations or safety rules were violated. Pulaski Police Chief Randall Dunford said the initial investigation found “no great negligence.” “As far as what happened out there, it appears to be an industrial accident,” Dunford said. Dunford said the 46-foot, 40,000-pound vessel continued to shift even after the tractor moving it had stopped. The vessel was on casters and crushed Pedersen against another boat already parked. Efforts to reach Pedersen’s family were unsuccessful Thursday. The last major incident at Carver Boat Corp.’s Markham Drive facility was in May 1997, when an explosion rocked one of the company’s eight production lines. Employee Jim Buck was severely burned in the explosion, but survived. Officials believe flammable carpet adhesive caught fire and sparked the explosion. Damages were estimated at $800,000. That incident resulted in an OSHA inquest, two safety citations and a $1,300 penalty. The infraction included one serious violation for hazardous electrical conditions and another citation for improper wiring methods. The penalty was later reduced to $700. The average violation penalty out of the Appleton OSHA office is $800, Lischefski said. Carver was inspected once after the 1997 explosion, an examination based on the company’s high injury/illness rates, Lischefski said. A company’s injury/illness rate is calculated as the number of lost work days because of illness or injury or days on restricted activity per 100 employees. While he would not reveal Carver’s injury/illness rate, citing confidentiality requirements, Lischefski said companies are targeted after their injury/illness rate exceeds 14. The national average is 3. However, the national average injury/illness rate for boat building and repair facilities has ranged from 19 to 27 since 1995, according to OSHA statistics. Thus, many boat builders would fall into the targeted group. The OSHA database indicates that the 1999 inspection generated 11 violations, seven considered serious. Penalties amounted to $16,850 at first, but were later reduced to $7,025. Lischefski said penalties are often reduced — as much as 60 percent — for smaller companies. Larger companies pay in full, he said. Violations in the 1999 inspection included air-contamination issues; problems with lock-out/tag-out procedures, which prevent workers from turning on machines while others perform maintenance or adjustments; and problems around woodworking machines. Volz said the company has focused a lot of attention on safety in recent years, but also pointed out that manufacturing can be a hazardous business. “Our safety record is very good considering the type of processes we use and the products we use to manufacture our product,” Volz said. “There are a lot of irregular parts and angles and edges, and our employees find themselves in spaces with those hazards in the construction process.” Volz said Carver has made strides at identifying dangers and improving safety in recent years. “This is an area we have focused on,” he said. “We are very proud of our safety record.”
Withee Area Man Killed in Farm Mishap Wisconsin Ag Connection Editors - 11/15/2002 Clark County authorities are investigating the death of a town of Longwood farmer who was killed this week while stacking hay. According to sheriff officials, 30-year-old Brent Hubbard died when a large bale rolled off of a tractor lift and fell on top of him. The accident happened on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities said Hubbard died a short time after the accident.
Man crushed in death in farm accident BY JULIETTE MAXAM A MAN has been crushed to death between a forklift truck and a lorry in a horrific accident at an East Anglian farm. The 48-year-old man, who worked for Anglia Grain Services was delivering grain to Mulley's Farm in Little Bromley, Essex, when the accident happened at 12.40pm yesterday . A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive said: "He became trapped between a forklift truck and a seed cleaning and dressing vehicle, which was a medium-sized lorry, and instantly died at the scene. "The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the accident and an inspector has been on site". Farmer Mary Cooper, of Mulley's Farm, said: "It was a terribly, terribly tragic accident. We are all very upset and very sad for his family and everybody concerned." She added: "I didn't know him personally. He just came round delivering grain with two colleagues." No-one from Anglia Grain Services, which is based in Nayland, wanted to comment. Officers from Stanway Road policing unit were sent to the farm as they deal with industrial accidents. A spokesman from the unit said last night that the next of kin were still being informed of the tragedy. Police will assist the HSE with the investigation. Ken Hatch of Little Bromley Parish Council said he was shocked to hear about the tragedy. Mr Hatch lives just 200 yards away from the farm in Bentley Road. He said: "This is very sad news and everyone in the village will be shocked to think something like this has happened." The dead man is not being named at this stage.
CITY GARBAGE TRUCK CRUSHES MAN'S LEGS By: KENNETH DEAN, Staff Writer November 12, 2002 Doctors at East Texas Medical Center worked for hours to save the life of a 46-year-old man who was crushed by a city garbage truck while on the job. Officials at ETMC told the Tyler Morning Telegraph the man was still in surgery and in serious condition late Tuesday night. Dan Brotton, director of the Tyler solid waste department, said Lorenza Lockhart was crushed when he slipped and fell under the truck's tires Tuesday afternoon during the accident in the 1600 block of Warwick Drive. "We are still investigating the incident, but it appears Lorenza and another employee were spotting for the driver so he could back up and make a turn down this alley. He (Lockhart) tried to jump on the back as the truck was still rolling backwards and fell and the truck crushed his legs. The truck had to roll forward to get off of him. That is about all we know at this time," he said. Lockhart's co-workers on the truck stood by looking at the scene as each was taken aside and questioned by authorities and city officials. Mary Edwards, city of Tyler communication coordinator, said Lockhart had worked for the city as an employee of Manpower, a temporary agency, and she did not know if the man had family in Tyler. Ms. Edwards said the Solid Waste Department had 15 minor injuries in 2001 and only six in 2000. Those injuries were minor muscle strains and eye injuries from debris. "They really stress safety over at the waste department. They have a safety meeting every Wednesday morning. This is just an unfortunate accident and I'm sure his fellow co-workers will rally around him," she said. Michelle Cassel, Stewart Blood Center public relations and marketing coordinator, said even before Lockhart's accident the blood supply was critically short in all blood types. The Tuesday accident was eerily reminiscent of the accident Guadalupe Garcia suffered at Tyler Pipe two weeks ago. "We are short on blood. As soon as Mr. Garcia was out of the headlines, people stopped giving blood. We again need the help of citizens and not only during these emergencies but every day," Ms. Cassel said. She said the center needs a minimum of 200 units of blood product on the shelves daily. "Problem is most people don't think of blood shortage as a problem until it affects them personally," she said. Tyler police public information Officer Chris Moore said the incident appeared accidental.
UPDATE, Republic man killed in job accident Robert Chew, 44, died after being hit by a loader at Babcock Disposal, police say. By Susan Atteberry Smith News-Leader A 44-year-old Republic man was killed Monday morning when he walked into the path of a front-end loader at a Springfield waste disposal transfer station. An employee of Babcock Disposal, Robert Chew Jr. was hit by a front-end loader as it backed into the barn at American Disposal, 2115 W. Bennett St., only moments after the loader's driver saw Chew direct a truck into a bay, then walk away, the Springfield Police Department said. Chew died instantly from blunt-force trauma to the head and chest, said David Brown, investigator for the Greene County Medical Examiner's office. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also investigate the accident, Brown said. Because of the Veterans Day holiday, inspectors at OSHA's regional office in Kansas City could not be reached for comment. Those who knew Chew remembered him as a hard-working man with a deep love for his family, friends and life. "There's no man that loved his family like he loved us," said Teresa Chew, his wife of 20 years. After the accident, Babcock co-worker Sam Davis wondered whether a disconnected backup alarm on the loader that hit Chew may have been a factor in the accident. The alarm had been disconnected since the machine's transmission was fixed several weeks ago, he said. Doug Babcock, co-owner of the Kansas City-based company, wouldn't comment about the backup alarm, saying he was upset about the accident. "My concerns right now are with the family," he said. Randy Jensen, general manager of American Disposal in Springfield, also said he would not comment about the accident out of respect for Chew's family. Chew came to the Springfield area earlier this year from Cuba, Mo., with his wife and three children so he could work as a stone mason. "He had a personality out of this world," Teresa Chew said. "He loved life, he liked to laugh, and when he liked you, he liked you completely -- there were no ifs, ands or buts about it -- but if he didn't, he had no qualms letting you know." The stonemason work proved too strenuous for Chew, who had struggled with health problems, so he took the job at Babcock. Davis, 23, became quick friends with Chew, even though he had worked with Chew only since June. "He's a good family man, a hard worker," said Davis, who had dinner with Chew's family several times. "I thought he was genuinely a real nice fellow, a good guy." Though she grieved the loss of the love of her life, she was thankful for the days of laughter and joy they had shared together -- especially since he had been battling heart problems for a decade. "We were very blessed to have the extra time with him," she said.
Worker Killed at Trash Transfer Site A contract employee working at a Springfield refuse transfer station was killed early Monday morning, after being run-over by a front loader. Springfield police say the job accident happened 2100 block of West Bennett shortly before 7:00 a.m. Robert Chew, 44, of Cuba, Missouri was killed in the mishap. Police say Chew was an employee of Babcock Disposal, a subcontract company for BFI Industries. Police reports say Chew was working on the floor of the transfer station, looking for hazardous materials from loads of trash brought to the site. Witnesses told police Chew was struck when he walked into the path of the loader as it backed up.
OSHA probes worker's death at south Alabama worksite (Bay Minette-AP) November 7 - A worker died Tuesday night when he was pinned beneath equipment used to move concrete utility poles. Baldwin County Coroner Huey Mack Senior identified the employee as 29-year-old Randolph Norman McCall of White House Fork. Mack said the accident occurred around 7 p.m. at Newmark Industries in Bay Minette. Authorities said McCall was towing a pole when a 4,000 counterweight on the rear of the vehicle flipped over and trapped him. The sheriff's department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. OSHA is charged with investigating industrial accidents when a person is killed. Company officials were unavailable for comment.
Gas leak behind Russell school forces evacuation By Hugo Jimenez Students and staff at Thomas Russell Middle School were evacuated Tuesday when a gas main ruptured near Milpitas Unified School Districts central kitchen and maintenance, operations and transportation center behind the school. The school was evacuated at approximately 2:20 p.m., 40 minutes before the end of the school day. According to Karl Black, the districts assistant superintendent of operations, the school was evacuated because it was determined the gas would not be shut off before classes ended. Black said students were allowed to either walk home or telephone their parents from nearby Marshall Pomeroy Elementary School. Milpitas Fire Chief Bill Weisgerber said two alarms were called, but no one was injured. Residents on Curtner Drive were also evacuated. Besides fire crews, Milpitas police were at the scene preventing anyone from entering Russell and redirecting traffic from the area. Pacific Gas & Electric crews were working at the scene trying to bring the leak under control by clamping down the gas pipe. Weisgerber said the leak was crimped at 3:25 p.m. Although Weisgerber does not know how much gas was released, he said the 4-inch pipe leaked for 70 minutes. Black said the rupture occurred when a school district employee backed up against the gas main with a forklift.
Man dies in forklift accident November 02, 2002 CHINO -- A 49-year-old Montclair resident died Friday morning when the forklift he was driving toppled on him, said coroner's and police officials. Felix Luis Garzon Zambrano was operating the forklift at fertilizer manufacturer Hyponex in the 15900 block of El Prado Road in Chino when the accident occurred, said Randy Emon, supervising deputy coroner for San Bernardino County. While driving the forklift, Zambrano had the arms of the forklift raised to the upper level, said Chino Police Sgt. John Vega. According to witnesses, the forklift began to fall over and Zambrano jumped off, Vega said. Witnesses said it fell onto Zambrano and he died nearly instantly, Vega said. Zambrano was pronounced dead at the scene, coroner's officials said. The Chino Police Department is investigating the accident. Cal-OSHA is also expected to investigate. Joe Florkowski
Worker impaled on rod, Man's co-workers sawed through bar before rescuers arrived By Amy Yarbrough STAFF WRITER BELMONT -- A heavy-equipment operator was severely injured Wednesday after his tractor rolled over, impaling him on a 4-foot metal rod. Nedward James Patchett, 28, of El Granada was trying to maneuver the Bobcat on a hillside construction site at 2933 Alhambra Drive, when the accident occurred. Patchett landed on a half-inch diameter bar sticking up from the foundation of a house workers were building on the site, and was lanced through his stomach, police officials said. Patchett's fellow construction workers freed their trapped colleague by using a hacksaw to cut through the bar. They had already removed him from the cab of the tractor by the time emergency crews arrived. Firefighters, police and paramedics responding to the 3:05 p.m. call found Patchett conscious, next to the tractor with 21/2 feet of the rod sticking from his body, said South County Fire Chief Herb Jewell. Ten South County Fire Authority and Woodside Fire Protection District firefighters and firefighter/paramedics from four fire units responded to the call. The rod was secured so it wouldn't cause more damage to his body. Patchett was carried down the hillside to an ambulance, Jewell said. Although Belmont police had been working to establish a helicopter landing zone at nearby Cipriani Elementary School, there were no helicopters available. Patchett was transported to Stanford Medical Center by ambulance, where he underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition Wednesday night, according to hospital spokeswoman M.A. Malone. While such injuries are unusual, paramedics receive training in how to deal with impaled patients, Jewell said.
Welder critically injured in tractor accident By SHEILA RIESER Advocate Reporter ETNA TOWNSHIP -- A 48-year-old welder was critically injured Thursday when a 1950s-era tractor he was using to tow a forklift out of gravel overturned, pinning him underneath. James Ramsey of Zanesville suffered multiple head and chest injuries and was transported via emergency helicopter to Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, where he was listed in critical condition today. Surgery might be scheduled for a possible ruptured spleen and a pierced lung, co-workers said. A co-worker in his 20s, whose name was not immediately available, is being credited with rescuing Ramsey. The co-worker immediately got a small backhoe and used it to lift the tractor a few inches, pulled the injured man out and then went to get help, Humphries said. Since August, Ramsey has built metal fences as a subcontractor for The Fence Factory Inc. in Etna Township, according to Rick Humphries, who owns the business in western Licking County. Ramsey was using a forklift to move materials into a new building at the Etna site when the forklift got stuck in some newly poured gravel on a service road, Humphries said. Ramsey apparently tried to tow the forklift out of the gravel with a cable attached to an old 50-horsepower tractor normally used to mow the lawn at the business, Humphries said. The tractor flipped over during the operation. When medics from the West Licking Joint Fire District arrived, Ramsey was breathing on his own, but was not responsive to questions, Capt. Harold Williams said.
UPDATE, ACCIDENT LED TO WELDER'S FATAL INJURY 01 November 2002 By Sara Howlett A MINOR accident resulted in a fatal injury for a welder when a fork lift truck ran over his foot at his Horam workplace, an inquest heard. Kevin Turner, 43, died from a rare condition which caused his blood to clot and block vital glands in his body after his left foot was crushed by the vehicle at Newton Frost and Fencing. Coroner Alan Craze, heard how Mr Turner left the vehicle in gear with the hand brake on and tried to use it to jump start a lorry in the courtyard of the Marle Green business. When he applied the throttle to the fork lift truck to speed up the charge to the battery the heavy machinery lurched backwards and landed on his foot. He was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital for x-rays which found he had severe bruising but no broken bones, and he took a week off work to recover. In a written statement, Mr Turner's father, Eric, said his son was hardly ever ill. He added: "Kevin came back from work at about 6.30pm on April 4. He came hobbling in the door and said he had just been to the hospital after his foot was run over by a fork lift. But he was his normal self for the rest of the week. "On the day he died, a week after the accident, we went up to take him a cup of tea and he said he did not feel too right." Mr Turner said when his son came downstairs he complained he felt terrible and became breathless, and in a short while was unconscious. Despite efforts from his family to resuscitate him, he died at his Hailsham home before paramedics could reach him. Pathologist Dr Jane Mercer, of Eastbourne District General Hospital, said blood clots had blocked Mr Turner's adrenal glands and prevented hormones, which are vital for stabilising blood flow pressure, from entering his system. She said the condition was extremely unusual and normally only associated with the illnesses meningitis or septicemia. The pathologist added: "But I can conclude that it was down to the injury that Mr Turner died." The incident was reported to the Health and Safety executive. It found the accident was due to Mr Turner's personal error. Mr Craze said: "Clearly without the injury the death would not have usually occurred." The jury at Eastbourne Magistrates Court returned a verdict of accidental death.
Man seriously hurt in construction accident From staff Police are investigating an accident at a Jacksonville construction site yesterday that left an 18-year-old man in serious condition. Authorities received a call about 4:30 p.m. that an accident had occurred at the Toyota processing facility being built in the 9900 block of Pritchard Road. Because Wendell Holmes had life-threatening injuries, detectives from the homicide unit were called to the scene. Homicide Sgt. Shannon Douberly said Holmes works for a contractor that was installing fences at the site. He said Holmes was riding on the back of a flatbed trailer when he fell off the truck as it was backing up. Douberly said the truck then rolled over Holmes. Holmes was taken to Shands Jacksonville where he was initially listed in critical condition. His status was upgraded last night to serious.
Worker injured by fallen machine Quick-thinking coworkers keep the man's head above water and get the backhoe loader off him. By RICHARD DANIELSON, Times Staff Writer St. Petersburg Times PALM HARBOR -- A construction worker was seriously injured late Tuesday morning when a backhoe loader slipped down an embankment on top of him, but he was pulled from under the machine by quick-thinking coworkers. The worker, whose name was not available, was a 22- or 23-year-old man from Lakeland, authorities said. He was part of a construction crew that was shoring up a drainage ditch behind the Crossroads Chapel near Tampa Road and Alt. U.S. 19 N, when the backhoe loader lost its footing at the edge of the ditch and slid down the bank, said Palm Harbor firefighter/paramedic Kevin Ratzmann. The worker was standing in the bottom of the ditch, which was about 8 to 10 feet deep but held only a few feet of water. "It happened too quick," foreman James Walton said. "It just backed off the hill and it got him." Walton said the man ended up under the rear wheels of the 7-ton backhoe loader. Walton jumped from the seat of the machine and held the man's head above water until two coworkers came over to take his place. Then he used the backhoe's hydraulic stabilizers to lift the machine off the worker. By the time Palm Harbor Fire Rescue paramedics arrived, colleagues had taken the man out of the ditch and put him on a wooden platform. Equipment operator Fred Allen said the man's left leg was obviously broken, but otherwise he was awake and talking. He was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg with what authorities said were nonlife-threatening injuries. Palm Harbor rescue officials said getting the backhoe's weight off the worker was a good thing. "By putting the outriggers out to lift the machinery off of him . . . he was on the right track," firefighter/paramedic Doug Zimmerman said.
Man crushed to death between two buses October 30 2002 By Lee Rondganger Employees of the Durban Transport Department watched in horror on Tuesday as a 28-year-old man was crushed between two municipal buses. Wiseman Mchunu, who worked for Impressive Cleaners, and was contracted to wash buses at the department, was preparing to wash a municipal bus when a second bus rammed into him. Mchunu, who was directing a bus, was crushed to death after the driver of another bus allegedly failed to stop. He was pinned between the two buses for several minutes before emergency personnel from the Afrox medical service and the Durban Metro Fire Department arrived. Mchunu died at the scene. The driver of the bus that hit Mchunu was attended to by paramedics and taken to hospital where he was treated for shock. Eyewitnesses said as Mchunu was directing a bus into the cleaning depot another bus sped towards him, crushing him against the bus he was about to wash. "The driver of the bus hooted several times before hitting him," said a Durban Transport worker, who did not want to be named. Police have opened a culpable homicide docket. Brett Coetzee, of Impressive Cleaners, refused to comment on the incident and referred all questions about it to Durban Transport. eThekwini municipal manager Dr Mike Suttcliffe said the municipality will work with the police to investigate the incident. "We will have a health and safety consultant who will be undertaking an independent investigation into the matter and I am hoping to get a report within the next few days. "I would also like to send my condolences to the family of the man," he said.
UPDATE, Max fines in death of worker By MELISSA RIDGEN, CALGARY SUN A Medicine Hat construction company was hit with a $150,000 fine yesterday in connection with the death of one of its employees -- the maximum fine allowable for a first offence under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. But the family of Christopher Koch, who was 21 when he died Oct. 14, 2000, said the fine isn't enough. The young Medicine Hat worker died when he was run over by a paver on Hwy. 549 near Millarville, 45 km southwest of Calgary. His family was in Medicine Hat court yesterday where South Rock Ltd. pleaded guilty to one charge under the Act and received the highest fine possible. Ten other charges were dropped. "It doesn't seem like much value was placed on our son's life," said Christopher's mother, Sheila Koch. "As far as I'm concerned, if a company is deemed at fault in an employee's death Worker's Compensation should step aside and say 'You're on your own -- we're not protecting you.' "We want regulations changed." The family wants higher fines for companies found at-fault in workplace fatalities. "The only place you can hurt these companies is their bottom line," the still-grieving mother said. "This is an example of the cost resulting from an unsafe worksite," said Alberta Human Resources and Employment Minister Clint Dunford.
Worker killed on city project He was pinned against a forklift by an 8 1/2-ton generator at the site of a water-treatment plant expansion. By Ralph Montaño -- Bee Staff Writer October 29, 2002 A construction worker was killed Monday morning when he was pinned against a forklift by an 8 1/2-ton generator at a city water-treatment plant expansion project, officials said. The victim, an employee of Kiewit Pacific Co., was identified Monday afternoon as Donald Harrop, 51, of Circle City, Ariz. Authorities said Harrop was guiding the forklift being used to place the 17,000-pound diesel generator on the back of a flatbed trailer when the accident occurred about 8 a.m. at E.A. Fairbairn Treatment Plant on the California State University, Sacramento, campus. The incident is being investigated by Sacramento police and the state Division of Occupation Safety and Health. "We will remain at the site looking at the procedures being used, as well as whether or not the employees were trained in the procedures and if they were being followed," said Cal-OSHA spokeswoman Susan Gard. Kiewit Pacific Co. of Concord is a branch of Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc. construction company. A company spokesman declined to comment about the accident and referred inquiries to the city of Sacramento. Rita Pasillas, a spokeswoman with the city's department of water utilities, said the construction was part of a $10 million expansion of the city's water system. The facility where the death occurred draws water from the American River and sends it to a water treatment plant where it is converted into drinking water, Pasillas said. The city has a similar plant on the Sacramento River, and together the two plants produce 75 percent of Sacramento's drinking water. The rest comes from groundwater. In June 2001, the city began expansion of the intake facility on the American River that would increase the amount of water handled daily from 60 million gallons to 120 million. The project's completion is scheduled for December, Pasillas said. About 50 construction workers are at the site every day, officials estimated. Monday's accident occurred not in the intake facility itself, but in a nearby dirt lot. Cal-OSHA's Gard said a cable harness attached under the arms of the forklift was being used to lift the generator, which measured 6 feet by 10 feet by 6 feet. "The forklift was having trouble lifting the load high enough to get on the truck," Gard said. Harrop, a spotter for the forklift driver, was moving between the vehicle and the generator when the harness slipped down the raised arms of the forklift. Police said a corner of the generator swung toward the forklift, pinning Harrop's torso against the left front tire of the forklift. According to records with the U.S. Department of Labor, Kiewit Pacific Co., has been the subject of 79 Cal-OSHA investigations since 1990, and 33 have resulted in citations being issued. Gard said the only previous problem reported at the Sacramento site was a complaint filed in July that there were not enough bathrooms.
Worker suffers head injuries in forklift fall at Denair firm By PATRICK GIBLIN BEE STAFF WRITER DENAIR -- A plaster company worker suffered severe head injuries Friday afternoon in a fall off a forklift in an alley off Main Street, authorities said. A helicopter ambulance landed in a church parking lot four blocks away and took Bill Samuels, 33, to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. He was listed in critical condition Friday evening. The accident was reported just before 2 p.m. at McClure Plastering. Gary Womack, another employee, said he found Samuels on the ground near the forklift, unconscious. No one saw the accident. Samuels had been in the process of dumping plaster and other debris into a Dumpster. First he used the forklift to hoist two 55-gallon drums that held the debris, and then he apparently climbed atop the forklift to finish the job. He came to prior to going to the hospital, and told emergency crews that he had fallen.
Cook County highway worker dies in accident NEWS TRIBUNE A Cook County Highway Department worker is dead following a bulldozer accident Thursday morning. The man was thrown from the CAT-D5H Dozer about 10:15 a.m. on a work site along the Caribou Trail, or County Road 4, in Lutsen, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Department. The bulldozer then struck him. He died at the scene. Authorities were trying to notify the man's family Thursday, so his identity was not released. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Workers escape after forklift hits building - Firefighters combat electrocution threat, save car rental staff 2002-10-25 Journal Staff KIRKLAND -- A forklift smashed into a support column at a Hertz Rental warehouse here Thursday morning, but firefighters safely evacuated workers minutes before part of the roof collapsed. The collision broke a post that supported a roof beam, which in turn severed electrical wires and a sprinkler system pipe, said Battalion Chief Mike Haschak, who was among those responding to the 9:35 a.m. alarm. When he arrived at the warehouse at 11801 N.E. 116th St., Haschak said, electricity was arcing at the ceiling and a several-thousand-gallon lake was forming in the warehouse. ``We were concerned about the electrocution hazard,'' as well as the chance of collapse, Haschak said. Fire officials evacuated five people from the most affected area, and four others from another part of the building, and had all utilities shut off. Ten minutes after the building was evacuated, 20 minutes after firefighters arrived, firefighters heard a roar and a 4,000-square-foot section of the roof collapsed, said Robin Paster, public information officer for the Kirkland Fire Department. Kirkland building inspectors have red-tagged the building. It will remain closed until repairs are made and a structural engineer has determined it safe, Haschak said.
Excavator overturns, injures Waterville man By AMY CALDER, Staff Writer Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. WINSLOW — A Waterville man clearing brush was injured Thursday when an excavator driven by another man flipped on its side near the Sebasticook River and the bucket struck him. Nick Mansfield, 19, was taken by ambulance to Thayer Unit, MaineGeneral Medical Center, and was later transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, according to a MaineGeneral spokeswoman, who said she could not disclose the nature of his injuries. Mansfield was still being evaluated at the Portland hospital Thursday evening, a spokeswoman there said. Rescue workers were called to the scene off Route 100 at 2:05 p.m. where they drove down a long driveway past a house and onto a grassy field. From there, they carried a backboard and other equipment over an embankment near the river where the accident occurred. The excavator, an Ingersoll Rand Bobcat owned by Service Rental Inc. of College Avenue in Waterville, was on its side on a very steep embankment where workers were cutting trees and clearing and burning brush. Mansfield was lying on the ground, conscious, visibly in pain, and bleeding from the forehead. Rescue personnel worked quickly to place him on the board and start an intravenous line before carrying him up the bank to a waiting stretcher. He was taken by Delta Ambulance to the Waterville hospital. A rescue worker said Mansfield was lying under the bucket of the excavator. Fred Smiley, who owns the property where the accident occurred, said by telephone early Thursday evening that he had been driving the excavator just before the incident, and was able to get out of the cab as the excavator slowly turned on its side. "The excavator was pulling a stump out and it got turned around and from the pressure from the stump the excavator flipped, and on the way down, it happened to hit the kid," Smiley said. A worker at the scene called 911, he said. Smiley said Mansfield was working for Smiley's father, Richard, at the time of the accident. Fred Smiley is owner of S&M Construction, of Winslow. He said the accident was not related to his business. Besides Delta Ambulance personnel, those working at the scene included firefighters and police Officer Andrew Hill. A Winslow rescue truck had to be towed from the scene, as it had blown a head gasket, according to a tow truck driver. The driveway leading to where the accident occurred is about 7/10 of a mile from the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Route 100.
Workman crushed to death by machinery By The Journal Oct 24 2002 Safety experts began a probe yesterday after a workman was crushed to death between heavy plant machinery. The 49-year-old man from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, who has not been named, was crushed between a tractor and a gritter at the Dunlop Tyres plant on the Wear Industrial Estate at Washington, where he worked. The accident happened at around 9am yesterday, and today a mechanical engineering inspector from the Health and Safety Executive is due to visit the plant to carry out an investigation. HSE inspectors were also on the site yesterday. Northumbria Police confirmed they had been notified about the death at around 9.05am, and had attended the scene. They said the case was not being treated as suspicious, and the HSE was responsible for the investigation. A Dunlop spokesman said: "An incident occurred within the grounds of Dunlop Tyres plant at Washington, which resulted in the death of an employee. "We have begun an internal inquiry into the cause of this incident and we are supporting investigations conducted by the police and the coroner's office. "Our immediate concern and support is for the family of the employee and no further comment can be made until the findings of the investigation are known." An HSE spokesman said: "It is our understanding that the man was crushed between a tractor and a gritter unit."
Man died after being crushed by own lorry By Hywel Trewyn Daily Post Staff Oct 24 2002 THE family of a fruit and veg wholesaler who died after he was crushed between two lorries were yesterday grieving for a loving grandfather David Colin Newell, 56, of Bala, was called out nine days ago after one of his two lorries had broken down on the A5 outside Corwen. His grieving widow, Linda, yesterday said that her husband had been trapped and had received serious head injuries after one of the lorries, which were back to back, had moved without him noticing. Mr Newell was airlifted to Wrexham Maelor Hospital but died the next day. Mrs Newell said that she had attended a thanksgiving service that day and had gone to collect her daughter Helen's children, Cai, 10 and Cadi 7, from school when the police told her that her husband was very ill. She said: "It's still difficult to believe." They were school sweethearts and had been married 36 years. One of five brothers, Bala-born David or Dei as he was perhaps better known, trained and worked as a carpenter before deciding on a change of career 10 years ago, becoming a fruit and veg wholesaler. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he would get up at 2am to go to the market in Liverpool and would then deliver the fruit and veg around Bala and Llanuwchllyn. Mrs Newell said her husband worked six days a week collecting orders and delivering. Then, three years ago he trained up as a projectionist and joined his wife working at the cinema in Bala, Neuadd Buddug, where she was selling confectionary. They lived above the cinema, now owned by Gwynedd County Council, and worked there on three nights a week. Mrs Newell said: "He really enjoyed being with children." Although they only once went on holiday - and that was for a long weekend in Ireland - the Newell's loved going out for a meal and eating out in local restaurants. Mrs Newell said: "I'm missing him a lot and my daughter and grandchildren are as well." L David Colin Newell's funeral will be a public service at Eglwys Beuno Sant, Llanycil tomorrow at 12.30 followed by internent at Pentrebychan Crema torium, Wrexham at 2.30pm. Donations will be shared between Alcoholics Anonymous - Mr Newell was chairman of the local branch - and Ysgol O M Edwards, Llanuwchllyn.
£12,000 fine for breach of safety Oct 23, 2002 A Black Country cash-and-carry firm has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 for breaching health and safety regulations which led to a worker breaking his leg in a forklift truck accident. Hyperama, in Richmond Street, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to three charges at town's magistrates court today. These included a general charge under the Health and Safety Act, one count of failing to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace, and one of failing to ensure the safety of non-employees. Sandwell Council, prosecuting, said the worker driving the forklift truck had not been properly trained when the accident happened in July last year. They said the crash resulted in another male worker breaking his leg. Magistrates ordered the firm to pay £12,000 in fines and £3,582 costs. Chairman of the bench, Mr John Spittle said magistrates had taken into consideration the company's early guilty plea. The company said it had taken steps to improve the situation and would pay the full amount within 28 days.
Accidents A forklift driver accidentally punctured a 55-gallon drum of dichlomethane, causing a spill at Roadway Express, 6880 S. Howell Ave., at about 1:45 a.m. Oct. 8.
Front-end loader accident leaves man in very critical condition By Veronica Chapin An employee with Sunbelt Rentals was airlifted to Shands Jacksonville this morning after being pinned underneath heavy machinery, according to the fire department. Rescue workers were called to the business at 9315 Old Kings Road So. about 10 a.m. where they found a 58-year-old man in very critical condition with a crushed chest, several broken ribs and a spinal injury, said Tom Francis, fire department spokesman. Witnesses told rescue workers the man was pinned by a mini front-end loader with a bucket and another piece of machinery at the business, which rents out construction and land-clearing equipment. The victim was already moved when rescue workers got to the business, Francis said. Homicide detectives are investigating the incident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is expected to be called to the business to review the incident, Francis said.
Addison man killed in Rathbone gravel pit accident RATHBONE -- An Addison man was killed about 2:30 p.m. Monday in an accident at Wade's Concrete gravel pit on Saunder's Road. Steuben County Sheriff's Office deputies reported that David S. Watson, 48, of Hamilton Road, Addison, was operating a loader and loading gravel into a screening device when the loader slid sideways and then rolled over, traveling down a 15-foot embankment. Watson was pronounced dead at the scene by Steuben County Coroner Al Lewis. His body was sent to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office in Rochester for an autopsy. The Cameron Fire Department, Cameron Ambulance Service and the state Department of Environmental Conservation assisted at the scene. An investigation into the accident is ongoing, the sheriff's office reported.
Dump truck pins teen against tree By A Sun Staff Writer October 18, 2002 A 17-year-old Dundalk resident was seriously injured in Glen Burnie early Wednesday when a co-worker backed a dump truck into a large oak tree, pinning the teen-ager against it. Patrick Ross Allen, of the 2900 block of Liberty Parkway, was in serious condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center yesterday evening, a nurse said. Allen was taken there after the accident at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday near Central Avenue. Police said Allen was standing on the left rear step of the truck when driver Wayne Lawrence Schemm, 62, of the 3500 block of Horton Ave. in Baltimore backed the vehicle into the tree. Allen's legs, hands and chest were crushed, but he remained conscious at the scene, police said. Allen also suffered numerous internal injuries, police said. An investigator from the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health office has been assigned to the case, police said. Charges have not been filed, police said, but an investigation is under way. Allen and Schemm work for Gunther Refuse Service of Hanover.
Labour ministry probes mining accident (10/02) The Ministry of Labour has launched an investigation into an industrial accident at Foxpoint Resource's Ltd. underground operation in Kirkland Lake that resulted in one man being hospitalized with serious leg injuries. An employee with Alex MacIntyre and Associates was hospitalized Oct. 7 after being struck by a scoop tram. It is not known how long the investigation will take though; under the Occupational Health Safety Act such probes can take up to one year.
Farm accident kills man The Leader-Post A 29-year-old man died in a farm accident on Saturday near Krydor, Sask., RCMP said. The accident happened at about 6:30 p.m. Police said Ryan Woytiuk of Blaine Lake was working on a bale wagon when the hydraulic loading deck collapsed, killing him immediately. Krydor is located about 100 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
Cotton gin worker killed MARSTON - A man was killed when he became pinned between a truck and loading dock Sunday. Orlando J. Kershaw Sr., 39, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident at Richardson’s Gin at Marston. The accident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday. According to New Madrid County Coroner Tim Clayton, a driver of a cotton module hauler stated he backed the vehicle to the gin’s loading dock and did not see anyone. After returning from the office, the driver spotted Kershaw behind the truck. Clayton said Kershaw, who had been employed at the cotton gin for about a week, died from internal chest injuries. The body was taken to DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville where arrangements are incomplete at this time.
Construction Worker Gets Trapped Under Truck Man's Identity, Condition Not Released October 14, 2002 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A construction worker who was trapped underneath an overturned dump truck is recovering at UAB Hospital. Around 1:45 p.m. Monday, emergency services rushed to River Point Corporate Drive in Birmingham after getting a call that a construction worker was trapped under a dump truck. The accident happened near HealthSouth headquarters. Officials say the man works for Brasfield and Gorrie Construction, the company building HealthSouth's new hospital. Lifesaver flew the man to UAB Hospital. His name and condition have not been released.
Clay County Judge dies in farming accident The Associated Press Clay County Judge L. Thomas McAnnally, a county judge since 1986, was killed in a tractor accident on his farm. McAnnally, 63, was clearing land Saturday when his tractor became stuck. He was injured when a second tractor he brought in to free the first rolled over on him. He was taken to Shands Jacksonville hospital where he died Sunday of internal injuries, the Clay County Sheriff's Office said. McAnnally graduated from Clay County High School, then earned a business degree from Jacksonville University. He worked as a certified public accountant before going to law school at the University of Florida. He began practice in 1971 and was a judge for Green Cove Springs in 1972-73 before becoming a county judge. Circuit Judge William A. Wilkes said McAnnally was well-suited to his job. "He has a personality that fit a county judge," Wilkes said. "Everybody left the table believing they got a fair shake." Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Virginia; son Tim McAnnally of St. Augustine, daughter Phyllis Ferri of Jacksonville Beach and three grandchildren. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Green Cove Springs.
Foreman is sentenced to jail in construction worker’s death The foreman for a construction company who pleaded guilty to causing a Toledo worker’s death was sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay fines and court costs totaling $1,160. James Morrin, Jr., of Temperance, foreman for J.A. Concrete Construction Co. of Toledo, appeared before Monroe County Circuit Judge Joseph Costello Thursday. He began serving 359 days of the sentence - he received one day of credit, and the judge did not order the remaining five days, said Vanessa Longsworth, court spokeswoman. The judge also ordered J.A. Concrete to pay $145,593 to the victim’s family in restitution and $8,745 in fines and court costs. The company will be on probation for five years and perform 180 days of community service, Ms. Longsworth said. Morrin pleaded guilty in July to one count of willful criminal violation of Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration work site safety rules. The company entered a no-contest plea to the same charge as well as to one count of involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement. The charges resulted from the August 2000, death of Robert Sorge, 24. He was backing his raised dump truck through the interior of a strip mall being built in Dundee, guided from behind by Morrin, when the top of the box touched a power line. When Mr. Sorge opened his cab door to escape the ensuing fire, he was killed by electric shock, police said.
Worker killed when run over by tree planter A Houston man working at this resort community has died after being run over by a tree planter, Charleston County officials say. Daniel Garcia, 21, was pronounced dead Wednesday at the entrance to the construction site of a new luxury hotel at Kiawah Island Resorts, Coroner Susan Chewning said. Garcia worked for tree-planting company Environmental Designs of Houston. It was unknown how he got into the vehicles path. "No one saw what happened," Chewning said. "There were no witnesses." Garcia was discovered in the roadway by co-workers. He was part of a work crew that was digging up and replanting trees, mostly live oaks. Information from: The Post And Courier
Worker injured at construction site By DAVE SHELTON SPRING HILL - A workman at the new vocational-technical school apparently escaped serious injury Friday after he was pinned against a door frame by a construction machine. The man, whose name couldn't be learned, was an employee of Suncoast Acoustics according to D.J. McGlothern, vice president of operations at Centex Rooney. Suncoast Acoustics is a subcontractor for Centex Rooney. The victim was leading a large machine used to hoist workmen up to work on ceilings, said a spokesman for Centex Rooney. He said he was directing the machine's driver through a doorway into one of the new school's pods when he was pinned against the doorway. "This could have been a serious accident," said McGlothern. First reports said the victim was "crushed" by a machine and "pinned." McGlothern said in actuality, the machine was easily backed away from the workman. County Fire Rescue responded and the workman was taken to Oak Hill Hospital where he was treated for bruises and released. McGlothern said there have been no serious mishaps at the construction site since work began. "We're very safety conscious," he said, explaining that safety officers were at the scene within hours studying how the mishap occurred and going over safety procedures with workers.
Worker is killed by A5 lorry A construction worker died today after he was hit by an HGV lorry as he worked on Shropshire's notorious A5. The tragedy happened near the site of work on the Nesscliffe bypass at the Wolf's Head crossroads, near Knockin, at 11.20am. Ambulance crews were scrambled to the accident but the man, from Merseyside, died at the scene. The A5 was closed at Mile End, near Oswestry, the Shottaton crossroads, and Bicton Heath and diversions put in place. The death comes as police today named a 31-year-old woman who died after being struck by a car as she walked along the A5 in Shrewsbury. Deborah Smallman, from Shrewsbury, died after she was hit by a white Ford van at Bayley's roundabout, near Bayston Hill, at around 9.20pm on Wednesday. Police said Miss Smallman had been travelling in a Vauxhall Vectra minutes before the accident. Today's fatal accident brings the total deaths on Shropshire's roads to 35.
Two hurt in airport accident out of hospital By DONALD WITTKOWSKI And DAN P. LEE Staff Writer, (609) 272-7258 Staff Writ EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - The incident occurred Tuesday night at Midlantic Jet Aviation, a charter operator that has a hangar on the airport grounds. The workers, employed by Midlantic, were towing the company's Learjet into the hangar - using a piece of equipment called a tug - when they were injured and the plane sustained minor wing damage. "We're looking into it and we're trying to determine exactly what happened," said Richard Hendrickson, Midlantic president. Police said William Parker, 51, of Egg Harbor Township, and Kevin Shaughnessy, 44, of Mays Landing, were injured around 9:15 p.m. when Parker, who was operating the tug, dismounted the vehicle and went to the jet's port side to chock the landing gear. According to police, the tug apparently continued traveling backward and struck him in the back and leg, knocking him to the ground. The tug then struck Shaughnessy, who attempted to stop the vehicle and was pushed into the portside wing and knocked over. The tug came to rest after it struck the portside wing of the unoccupied jet, police said. Parker sustained injuries to his left leg and back and was transported to Atlantic City Medical Center, Mainland Division, in Galloway Township. Shaughnessy suffered injuries to his chest and back and was transported to Atlantic City Medical Center, City Division, in Atlantic City. Both men were treated and later released. "I certainly call it unfortunate. It's horrible when people working for you are injured," Hendrickson said. "Thankfully, they are both out of the hospital." The Federal Aviation Administration has filed a report, but its involvement in any investigation will be limited because the plane was not conducting flight operations at the time of the accident. "There really aren't any flight regulations that cover that," FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said. The engines were shut down and the aircraft was not running when it was being towed, according to Hendrickson. Although relatively minor, the mishap initially sparked intense media coverage because a helicopter from NBC Channel 10 in Philadelphia was given permission by air traffic control to film the scene while the accident was unfolding, an airport official said. "It appears the tower inappropriately gave them permission to fly over the scene," said Gary P. Israel, a spokesman for the South Jersey Transportation Authority, the airport's operating agency. The airport's operations office ordered the helicopter to leave the area because it had entered restricted airspace next to the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing base, Israel said. Two other news helicopters from Philadelphia television stations were later denied permission to fly over the scene. "There has been a lot of discussion over how the whole process evolved (Tuesday)," Israel said of the tower's handling of the helicopter traffic.
Blaisdell confidant killed in accident By Rod Ohira, Advertiser Staff Writer Angel Maehara, a prominent Hawai'i businessman and sportsman who was a trusted adviser to former Mayor Neal S. Blaisdell, was killed Tuesday in an industrial accident at Honolulu International Airport. Maehara, 83, was owner-president of Air-Flo Express and Hawaiian Papaya Co., which had offices at the airport. He was also the former owner of the Asahi baseball team, which he purchased from Mackay Yanagisawa in 1955. According to police, Maehara was walking on the 'Ewa Concourse Access Road near the Continental Airlines cargo area shortly before 4 p.m. when he was struck by a forklift carrying a large container. Police Lt. William Kato said the 21-year-old man operating the forklift was driving forward, rather than reverse, and his vision may have been blocked by the container. Maehara was taken to Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:53 p.m. Police are awaiting autopsy findings before turning the case over to a state agency, most likely the Occupational Safety & Health Division, for further investigation, said Kato. "He was very proud of the Asahi team and his close association with Mayor Blaisdell," attorney Eric Maehara said of his father. Maehara was an influential political insider during Blaisdell's tenure as Honolulu mayor from 1955 to1969 although he held no official administrative position. Maehara managed all of Blaisdell's grassroots mayoral campaigns. "Angel was such a good friend to my family and very loyal to my father," said Marilyn Ane, the youngest of Blaisdell's two children. "He coordinated all the campaign work but always stayed in the background after elections." A Pu'unene, Maui native, Maehara received the Chuck Leahey Memorial Award in 1990 for his contributions to local baseball as owner of the Asahi, Hawai'i's most storied senior league team. "He was never given enough credit for spreading international goodwill through baseball," said Aloha Stadium general manager Eddie Hayashi, a former Asahi player and coach. "He took the Asahi to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Okinawa and Japan." In 1974, Asahi recorded the biggest win in its franchise history by upsetting Cuba, 5-3, before 25,000 people in Tokyo. Angel was the brother of Maui baseball legend Ichiro "Iron" Maehara, the late Los Angeles Dodgers scout who signed Sid Fernandez and Onan Masaoka. In addition to his son Eric, Maehara is survived by his wife, Mary; other sons Marc and John; daughters Carol Takeuchi, Mona Maehara and Lois Tanaka; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Private services are planned.
Crushed to death by steel beams A TRAILER driver hopped out from behind the wheel to help his colleagues load some beams onto his vehicle, and was crushed to death by 13,500 kg of steel for his pains. Mr Mohamad Kasim Haji Alias, 38, need not have pitched in, said his brother-in-law, who declined to be named, 'but as always, he was such a friendly and helpful person that he did so anyway'. 'He's the best father, the best husband and the most hardworking and kind employee anyone could have,' he said. The accident happened at Keppel Distripark on Tuesday at about 8 am and killed the father of three on the spot. He and his friends had loaded eight of the beams onto the vehicle safely, but the ninth slipped suddenly and all the beams fell onto the helpful driver. His brother-in-law, who rushed to the accident scene, said that there was no sign of the two U-bars needed to balance the 12m-long, 1,500-kg beams even though these bars are required by law when large supports are being moved. He said Mr Mohamad Kasim and his colleagues had apparently used a small forklift to lift the beams and had steadied the two ends of these enormous rods manually. The dead man's wife, Madam Azizah Haji Bahrum, 36, said she was going to take their children, aged 11, eight and three, to meet their father for lunch at his workplace on the day of the accident as a treat for Children's Day. A spokesman for PSA Corporation, which manages the distripark, confirmed that a man was killed at the Keppel site, but declined to comment further as the police are investigating the death.
Area youth injured in farm accident A 17-year-old area youth was injured Tuesday afternoon and is in critical condition after a farming accident in rural Madison County. The accident occurred near Shawn Webster's property at 3781 S 1100 East. According to Deputy Rudy Lopez of the Madison County Sheriff's Office, the boy was caught between a tractor and a sorting table. The Sheriff's Office wouldn't release the name of the victim because his parents hadn't approve a release. Lopez says wet weather and snow was a factor in the accident. The tractor was backing up to remove debris and was driven by another unnamed 17-year-old. He says the tractor may have stopped in time if the ground had not been wet. The youth is in critical condition and is suffering from a pelvic fracture. He was taken to Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg and then to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls later that afternoon.
UPDATE, Truck assembly plant worker recovering from accident By Todd Seibt Flint -- A Flint Truck Assembly Plant worker who was seriously injured when he was run over by a pickup truck at the plant Sept. 20 remains hospitalized but is improving. Larry Stevenson, 49, of Grand Blanc said Tuesday he is doing better at McLaren Regional Medical Center after undergoing surgery Saturday for a broken pelvis. He said his pelvis was broken in three places. Stevenson works as a driver, taking crew-cab pickups off the end of the production line. The plant builds versions of the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, plus medium-duty commercial trucks on a separate line. Mark Hawkins, shop chairman of UAW Local 598, which represents hourly workers at the plant, said the accident was unusual in that it involved a crew-cab dually with no pickup box on the back. About 2 percent of the plant's production involves such trucks. Hawkins said Stevenson, who reached 30 years of seniority Sept. 1, apparently stepped back to let another worker pass by and was caught by the dual rear wheels as another driver took the truck off the line. Normally, Hawkins noted, the pickup box would have kept him from the direct path of the wheels. After the accident, Stevenson was treated at the scene, stabilized and taken to the plant medical department by an in-plant ambulance, plant officials said. Hawkins, who hired in with Stevenson, said the accident has been investigated by union and management personnel. Plant spokesman Bill Grotz and Hawkins said steps will be taken to prevent a similar situation in the future. "Although our employee was seriously injured, we are pleased to report that he is on the road to recovery," Grotz said.
MAN CRUSHED BY FARM TRAILER A man died after being crushed by a farm trailer that had broken free from its tractor, a jury at Bristol Crown Court heard. The 20-tonne agricultural trailer had careered down a hill before hitting a car, where Stephen Hayfield, aged 39, was sheltering from the rain. Mr Hayfield, of Hallen, near Avonmouth, died from multiple injuries on November 14, 2000, while on a fishing trip in the Mendip Hills. It is alleged that the trailer was sent on to the roads in a dangerous condition by its owners, agricultural contractors Dennis Clothier and Sons, based in Chewton Mendip, Somerset. But the company, director Julian Clothier, 33, of Chewton Mendip, and farm worker Simon Burrows, of Bath, all deny the manslaughter of Mr Hayfield. On the second day of the trial, a policeman who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident gave evidence. PC Malcolm Dykes, of Avon and Somerset Police, said he questioned Simon Burrows, who had been driving the tractor, at the scene. That interview was read out in court.Mr Burrows had told PC Dykes that he had loaded straw onto the trailer before starting to climb a steep country lane. Mr Burrows said to the policeman: "I was about half way up and the tractor wheels started to slip because of wet leaves on the ground. "I saw an elderly couple and asked them to stop the traffic so I could have another go. "This time, I got nearly to the top of the hill and the wheels started to slip again in the leaves. The next thing was I heard a big bang and saw the trailer going back down the hill. "A fisherman came running up saying somebody was under the load of straw. "I moved the vehicle to the side of the road. I was panicking as to what to do. I rang the ambulance and police." The court heard that the hitch mechanism connecting the tractor to the trailer failed under the strain and the trailer unit "popped out". Paul Garlick, prosecuting, claimed the defendants were guilty of "gross negligence" because they should have known that the hitch mechanism on the tractor and trailer was "badly worn" and that there was a "real risk" it could become detached. He said Mr Burrows was the regular driver of the unit and had attached the trailer himself on the morning of the crash. Mr Clothier carried out maintenance on the company's vehicles and should have noticed the defects which, he said, were "obvious to the naked eye". Mr Garlick also said that the trailer itself had no operational emergency braking system, because the failsafe system which could have slowed or even stopped the trailer, was not connected at the time of the crash. "There was no way at all it could be stopped from careering down the hill just like a train, " he said. The case continues.
UPDATE, Forklift truck crushed worker By Marie Foy A CORONER has warned of the dangers of forklift trucks after a father of three was crushed as he walked along a quarry workyard. Comber man John Mullin (45) was struck by the forklift at the Readymix NI quarry at Skelton Road in Banbridge in March last year. Mr Mullin, who was working as a fitter for a sub-contractor on the site, died from multiple injuries. A jury found that the forklift driver's vision was impaired by the booms at the front of the vehicle. They also found a lack of caution signs on the site contributed to the accident. The jury said Mr Mullin obviously had not heard the forklift, which was behind him, until too late. The vehicle driver, Andrew Thompson, from Banbridge, said he had been moving blocks in the yard. He noticed a mini digger begin to reverse and he put his foot on the brake in case it came out. "The next thing I remember was I thought blocks had fallen out from the grab as I saw a digger driver sprint towards me." He added: "At no time as I travelled down the yard did I see Mr Mullin." Dr Brian Monson, from the Health and Safety Executive, told the inquest that 50% of the view of the driver would have been obscured by the booms. He said Mr Mullin could have been hidden from the driver at all times prior to the accident. The expert said forklift trucks were a well-known risk in the industry. Yard foreman Adrian Thompson gave evidence that it had been agreed with the sub-contractors, Drilling and Pumping Supplies Limited, that no work would be carried out in the area where the forklift was operating until the machine had finished for the day. However, Mr Mullin's workmate, Paul McCullough, said they had not been told they were not allowed to go across that section of the yard. Expressing sympathy with family and friends, coroner David Hunter said the inquest highlighted the problem with forklift trucks.
Firms evacuated after chemicals spill BRUSSELS — Fire crews and chemical experts in Flemish Brabant expect to take another day to clear up following a chemical spill that led to the evacuation of a dozen nearby companies. On Thursday a forklift truck in Haasrode, near Leuven, crashed into containers containing poisonous chemicals at a factory in an industrial zone. The containers started to leak and the chemicals mixed. Nobody was injured in the incident, but as a precaution a dozen nearby buildings were evacuated. A specialised team from Germany arrived Thursday evening to tackle the spill using absorbent granules to soak up the chemicals. Meanwhile, fire officers from Leuven were called to clear up a railway carriage that was leaking argon gas near the city station. The gas, which was leaking due to a defective valve cap, was not dangerous, but people were kept at a distance as a precaution. Passenger traffic was not interrupted due to the incident.
UPDATE, OSHA fines construction companies for death of Meadville worker The Associated Press MEADVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Two Mississippi companies face fines for what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says was a failure to keep construction equipment in proper working order. The violations on April 10 caused the death of a highway construction worker, said Clyde Payne, OSHA’s Jackson area director. OSHA did not release the name of the employee. Mount Olive-based Blain Companies was fined $49,000 for failing to have a proper braking system on a backhoe and $2,100 for not equipping the backhoe with a seat belt, horn and reverse signal alarm. Subcontractor Laurel-based MAGCO Inc. was fined $3,675 by OSHA. The companies were engaged in a project to widen and repave Mississippi 84 and Mississippi 98 when a MAGCO employee hitched a ride on the side of a one-seat broom sweeper. The defective backhoe hit the sweeper, causing the MAGCO employee to fall off and under the backhoe. OSHA said. “Company officials knew this backhoe had no braking system,” Payne said. “They ignored their own safety proceures and OSHA regulations because they were in a hurry to make up lost time.” MAGCO was fined for permitting unauthorized employees to ride equipment and permitting employees to work in highway zones without reflective vests. Each company has 15 days to contest the penalties before the OSHA Review Commission.
UPDATE, Ontario dealer fined C$175,000 for health and safety violation Burlington, Ontario - September 26 - United Lumber and Building Supplies, a three-unit Home Hardware dealer, has been fined 175,000 Canadian dollars (US$111,076) for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act here that resulted in the death of an employee, according to Dow Jones report. In June 2001, an employee was crushed between a forklift and tractor-trailer. The employee had been operating the forklift and dismounted it in order to catch up to a wayward sono tube that had rolled off the fork. However, the forklift continued to roll toward the employee, ultimately pinning him. An investigation by the Ministry of Labour found that the employee had not been properly trained to operate a forklift. Also, an inspection of the forklift showed that it was in poor mechanical condition with a broken emergency cable, a missing emergency brake lever and the emergency brake was not working.
Pike worker hurt in truck accident STONY RIDGE - An S.E. Johnson Cos. construction worker was hurt yesterday when he was hit by a dump truck on the Ohio Turnpike near the Stony Ridge interchange, the Ohio Highway Patrol said. Stacy Overmier, 57, of Liberty Center, Ohio, was taken to Medical College of Ohio Hospitals by a medical helicopter and was admitted in fair condition. His arm was wedged under a rear tire of a truck driven by Michael Falor, 59, of Delta, Ohio, troopers said. Mr. Overmier was hit in the westbound lane as crews were installing a third lane near the interchange, troopers said. The accident remains under investigation.
Bulldozer crushes Gary man By Richard Grey, Post-Tribune staff writer JOLIET, Ill. — The death of a longtime power plant employee who was killed there when a bulldozer crushed the car he was in appears to be an accident, a Will County sheriff’s official said Wednesday. But Chief Deputy John Moss said: “We’ll investigate it until we know there’s no foul play or criminal activity involved.” John Fordham, 52, of Gary, was alone in a company car about noon Tuesday at the Midwest Generation plant near Joliet when the bulldozer working at a nearby coal pile backed over the vehicle. Fordham was pronounced dead within an hour by the county coroner’s office. Moss said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation. Midwest Generation is also investigating the incident, said company spokesman Doug McFarlan. He said it was unclear why Fordham, whose job for more than 30 years involved moving coal from the yard to the plant furnaces, was parked near the coal pile where the bulldozer was working. Fordham’s death sent shock waves through his south Aetna block of trimmed lawns and well-kept houses. One of his neighbors, Edward Jones, is said to have called him a “perfect neighbor.” His wife, Ruthye, 52, said Fordham was in perfect health. “He once had a mild heart attack, but since then he worked out religiously and he had just taken a physical and came away with a perfect bill of health,” Ruthye Fordham said. Her husband had earned an early retirement from working with Commonwealth Edison and a number of its subsidiaries, but he wouldn’t earn a medical insurance package until he reached age 55. “That’s why he was still working, but he planned to retire for good in three years,” she said. “And never work for money again,” according to Robert Watson, one of Fordham’s oldest and dearest friends. Watson lives in Washington D.C., but has been close to Fordham ever since they played side-by-side on the first varsity football team at Gary West Side High School in the fall of 1968. Ruthye Fordham said her husband often talked about doing volunteer work in the community after he retired. Survivors include one daughter, Antoinette Geddes, 32, of Valparaiso. Funeral arrangements are pending at Guy and Allen Funeral Directors in Gary. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mower kills golf course worker The groundskeeper was pinned at the bottom of a pond by the 700-pound riding lawn mower. His wife, also a groundskeeper and a former nurse, tried to save him. By CHRIS TISCH, Times Staff Writer, St. Petersburg Times LARGO -- A golf course groundskeeper was killed Wednesday morning after the riding lawn mower he was driving flipped into a creek and pinned him under about 3 feet of water. Mike Joiner, 31, was mowing the tees at Pinecrest Golf Course when his mower apparently slipped on wet grass at the 14th tee and slid down a short hill. The mower flipped on its back and landed in a creek at the bottom of a steep drop, pinning Joiner underneath. Nobody saw the mower go in the water. A threesome of golfers saw the partially submerged mower as they played the 14th hole. Not realizing a man was pinned underneath, they played a couple more holes before telling other groundskeepers about the mower. One of those groundskeepers was Joiner's wife of eight years, Joni. She and two others sprinted the 75 yards from the maintenance shop to the creek. They couldn't see Mike Joiner. They weren't sure whether he was under the machine or was up walking around. Golf course superintendent Jesse Emerson jumped in the creek and felt under the mower. He didn't feel anything and thought to himself: "Thank God." Then Emerson lifted the mower and flipped it over. He reached down and felt bluejeans. Joiner's body floated to the surface. Joni Joiner, who for many years was a nurse, performed CPR while Emerson ran to call 911. But they never got a pulse. Paramedics took Joiner to Largo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:06 a.m. Police said Joiner may have been knocked unconscious when the 700-pound industrial mower landed on him, pinning him face down on the bottom. He was believed to have drowned. There was no evidence of trauma to his upper body, said Pat McGinley, district chief of the Largo Fire Department. "He probably wasn't able to push it off of him," Emerson said later. "When I got there, I just had the adrenaline going and just threw if off of him." Joni Joiner was distraught, but said she enjoyed her time working with her husband. She said he taught her a lot about the outdoors. "All my years of nursing couldn't save him," she said. Joni Joiner said her husband was born in Alabama and had a rough life as a child. He was separated from his mother at age 11 and spent time in foster homes. He was a diabetic who spent his late teens living on the street. "He was a survivor," she said. Having a profound love of the outdoors, Mike Joiner later found work as a lumberjack in Tennessee, which he did for years. He had worked in the golf course industry in Florida for several years. "He loved working outside," Joni Joiner said. "That was his life." He and Joni married about eight years ago. Mike grew very close to her daughter, now 14. "He was a loving husband and a good stepfather to my daughter," Joni Joiner said. He and his wife worked in the golf course industry about two years. They started working at Pinecrest just over a month ago, Emerson said. Joni Joiner said she will continue to work there. "He would have wanted that," she said. Emerson said he plans to plant a tree on the course in Joiner's memory, complete with a plaque. "I have a hard time finding decent workers in this area, but he just outshined everybody," Emerson said. "He was so happy to be here. He loved being on the equipment. He was an excellent operator of the equipment and was a really good worker. He showed up to work on time every day and just loved his job. He was an outstanding worker, one of the best I've ever had. "Such a good guy, too," Emerson said. "It was a pleasure to come in here everyday and see him with a smile on his face."
Construction Worker Dies in Stillwater Accident by The Associated Press One man was killed and another injured in a construction accident in Stillwater. Police were called around 1:30 yesterday afternoon on a report of a construction worker trapped. Authorities found two men trapped under a Bobcat loader. A 27-year-old Marine-on-St.-Croix man was trapped between the bucket and the lift frame, and was dead at the scene. The other man, a 34-year-old from Stillwater, was trapped at the rear of the machine by the lift arms. He was extricated and taken to the hospital. Police say a preliminary investigation indicates the cause of death was apparently accidental.
Forklift slips, seriously injures Tarboro man By Tom Mayer, Editor TARBORO - An accident at a farm equipment manufacturing business Tuesday involving a forklift operator, resulted in injuries and emergency surgery to a Tarboro man. Allen Pierce, 60, a long-term employee with Long Agribusiness, an importer and manufacturer of large farm equipment in Tarboro, was airlifted to Pitt County Memorial Hospital following an accident at the business. Pierce was in fair condition late Wednesday, said Jennifer Rosenberg, a spokesperson for Pitt County Memorial. A separate spokesperson confirmed that Pierce was in an intensive surgical care unit Wednesday following surgery. Pierce's wife, Hilda Pierce, said Wednesday that she had requested Allen remain in intensive care. Her husband, Hilda Pierce said, has a broken leg, broken arm and internal injuries. A skin graft, she said, may be needed to save his arm which was cut to the bone in the accident, but she said she expects her husband to fully recover. "The Lord has been with us," Hilda Pierce said. According to Andy Bodane, chief financial officer for Long Agribusiness, there were no witnesses to the accident, and an internal investigation is ongoing. Hilda Pierce also doesn't know exactly what caused the accident, but she said that a forklift had been on blocks, and as her husband, an experienced mechanic who has been with Long Agribusiness for 42 years, was performing repair work, the machine slipped. "Another few inches and they say it would have crushed his head," Hilda Pierce said. "There was an accident in one of our shops," Bodane confirmed Tuesday. "One of our employees (Pierce) was working on repairing one of our forklifts when it tipped over." An emergency call to rescue workers at around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday reported that Pierce was pinned under the forklift. Bodane could not confirm the report, but did say that Pierce was transported to Heritage Hospital, and then taken to Pitt County Memorial. Bodane said he did not know of a current Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation resulting from the accident, and OSHA officials did not have a report on the incident Wednesday. Companies are only required to report workplace accidents to OSHA if they involve a fatality; OSHA otherwise initiates investigations as a result of inspections or complaints. An OSHA report closed Aug. 6, 2001 resulted in the finding of two serious violations against Long Agribusiness for unspecified breaches. The company was fined a total of $3,297 for the violations. "This was an unfortunate accident," Bodane said. "We're still investigating it. We all hope he can come back soon." Hilda Pierce says she is praying for a quick recovery for her husband, but it will be a "long, long, long time before he can go back to work."
UPDATE, Accident verdict on crush victim; The jury heard the forklift was not faulty A verdict of accidental death has been returned on a teenager crushed by a tonne of frozen chickens. Paul Langfield, 17, was working for Lincolnshire company QK Cold Stores when a pallet being moved with a forklift truck fell and crushed him. Paramedics battled to save the teenager but he died from his injuries on the way to hospital. The inquest, in Grantham, was told there were no faults with the forklift and the driver was fully trained. After the verdict, jurors added a recommendation to be passed to the Health and Safety Executive regarding the way pallets are stored and moved. Paul's parents made a brief statement thanking West Lincolnshire District Coroner Roger Atkinson, adding they now hoped to move on with their lives. QK Cold Stores has since been bought by businessman Phil Hanley. A spokesman for the company said: "This was a tragic accident. It has been a traumatic ordeal for everyone concerned over the last two days. "Phil Hanley would like to offer his sympathy and condolences to Mr Langfield's family."
Toxic spill inside warehouse fells 3 by Jennifer Morrill Journal staff writer A 275-gallon container of toxic hydrogen peroxide spilled inside a Duncan Avenue warehouse and trucking facility in Jersey City yesterday morning, sending three workers to the hospital complaining of respiratory burns, fire officials said. The workers, whose names were not released, were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center for observation, said Fire Department Deputy Director Jose Cruz. According to Cruz, the 7:30 a.m. spill at Plymouth Rock Trucking - a company that transports everything from refrigerators to chemicals - happened as the container was being hoisted onto a truck using a forklift. The hydrogen peroxide was diluted to 52 percent, much higher than the normal 3 percent solution used for medical purposes, Cruz said. At that level, the chemical can seriously burn skin and cause severe injury to the respiratory tract, he said. Cruz noted the seriousness of the situation, saying that had the chemical - which acts as a fire accelerant - come in contact with oil, garbage or a flammable liquid, a serious fire could have started. "They were very lucky," Cruz said. "If this had ignited, we would have had a lot of injuries." The building was evacuated and the Fire Department's Haz-Mat unit, dressed in protective suits, entered the building to determine what the chemical was and the best way to clean up the spill, Cruz said. The Hudson County and the state Departments of Environmental Protection responded to the scene, near Stockton Avenue, to assist firefighters in the clean-up, which was classified as a one-alarm incident, Cruz said. No firefighters were injured, he said, and every precaution was taken to make sure no one was unnecessarily exposed to the hydrogen peroxide. Fire Prevention Specialist Matt Barrett was also called to the scene, and cited the company for numerous fire prevention violations, such as improper storage of materials, and unlit exit signs. Firefighters on the scene compared the incident to a five-alarm fire at the Jay Dee Trucking company, located nearby on Duncan Avenue, because of the similarities in the structure. That fire, in early March, closed area roadways for several hours and caused serious damage to the structure. Last Friday morning in Freeport, Texas - about 50 miles from Houston - a similar spill was reported when a tanker car filled with ammonia set off a large explosion. According to reports, no one was reported injured in that incident, although thick black clouds of smoke could be seen for miles.
UPDATE, Golf course worker dies 2 months after mishap By Michael A. Fuoco, Post-Gazette Staff Writer An Allegheny County employee who was injured in July when he had an apparent seizure and crashed a golf cart on the South Park golf course died yesterday. Bruce Collins, 36, of McCandless, died at 11:10 a.m. in Allegheny General Hospital. The cause of death is pending further tests, the Allegheny County Coroner's office said. Collins, a full-time employee of the Allegheny County Parks Department, was taken to AGH in critical condition after the incident July 11. He had been driving a cart back to the clubhouse when he lost control of the vehicle and careened across the fairway of the 15th hole, which has a deep valley. Several witnesses said Collins was unconscious when the cart smashed into a dirt and gravel embankment on the course.
Wayne youth dies in bulldozer accident By DAN CHANZIT Kane County Chronicle WAYNE — Friends and families are mourning the death of a 10-year-old Wayne boy who died after being crushed by a bulldozer. Kevin Kenneth Schoen died Saturday morning at Sherman Hospital in Elgin. He was riding the bulldozer with his father, John, who is a contractor. "Dad operated heavy machinery, and he loved to be with his dad," said the Rev. Thomas Niermann of St. John's Lutheran Church in Elgin. "He wanted to do what his dad did. A best friend told me he was talking about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wanted to be just like his dad." "It was a really tragic accident. People are still in a state of shock," he said. Kevin attended the church's 192-student school with his brother, Eric, and sister, Kellie. "Kevin was a real vibrant 10-year-old," Niermann said. "He was fun to be around." Most church friends found out about Kevin's death Saturday at an ice cream social. The school conducted an all-student assembly Monday. Students and teachers are putting together a memorial. Niermann urged parents to talk about the accident with their children. "Be honest and open with your children," he said. "Give them as much information as possible. And let everyone grieve in their own way." Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. today at Laird funeral Home, 310 S. State St., Elgin. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Lutheran Church, 101 N. Spring St., Elgin.
Highway worker dies CHILDRESS - A Childress man died Friday in a road construction accident in Childress County. Pablo Gutierrez Solis, 59, died shortly after 4 p.m. Friday at the intersection of U.S. Highway 82 and Farm-to-Market Road 2042, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety report. Solis, a heavy-equipment operator, died at the scene after a Danapac Pneumatic Roller he had been operating ran over him, the DPS report said. Solis apparently left the vehicle in reverse and stepped off the vehicle. He was walking behind it when the accident occurred, according to DPS.
Worker dies in accident at Nemacolin resort Pittsburgh Post-Gazette An employee of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa died yesterday when he was struck by a utility cart that rolled over and threw him onto a ski slope. Timothy Umbel, 20, of Friendsville, Md., was killed in the accident. He and Reed Chambers were working on weed removal behind the resort's Adventure Center, in Farmington, Fayette County. They were driving downhill when the cart overturned. Umbel died at the scene shortly before 1 p.m. Chambers was treated at Uniontown Hospital. Umbel had worked at the resort for almost two years while studying electrical engineering at Fairmont State College.
Ammonia Leak From Meatpacking Plant Spurs Evacuations The IBP meatpacking plant at Columbus Junction was evacuated and roads in the area were blocked off after anhydrous ammonia leaked from the plant Sunday (9/8/2002) evening. A maintenance crew using a forklift struck an anhydrous ammonia line just before 8 p.m. About 200 gallons of ammonia was released into the building, the Louisa County Sheriff's Office said. IBP spokesman Gary Mickelson said the accident involved an ammonia valve in the plant's engine room. The plant does not operate on Sunday's, but Mickelson said there were about 25 employees, most working on a maintenance team, in the plant at the time of the accident. Workers not involved in containing the leak and fixing the valve were also evacuated. Some of the chemical leaked into the air outside the plant creating a visible cloud. The sheriff's office said about 100 area residents were evacuated. All were allowed to return home by 10 p.m. The IBP Hazardous Mater-ials Team was able to stop the leak and contain most of the ammonia within the building, the sheriff's office said. Law enforcement officials also checked cabins along the Iowa and Cedar rivers for occupants. The rivers converge near Columbus Junction and the meatpacking plant is located on the banks of the Iowa River, about 20 miles southwest of Muscatine. Mickelson said the plant would operate as scheduled today.
Two men injured during explosion GREEN BAY — Two men were seriously hurt Tuesday after propane exploded while they were filling lift truck tanks at Georgia Pacific’s West Mill, 1919 S. Broadway. The tanks were stored outside and were separate from the trucks they fuel. The tanks were being filled by a propane delivery truck. One of the men, an employee of Ferrellgas, suffered partial-thickness burns and the other suffered blunt trauma injuries to his legs. Green Bay Fire Battalion Chief Mark Mandich said the leg injuries were thought to be caused by one of the tanks sent flying into a nearby building during the blast. Officials declined to identify the men hurt in the incident, citing pending notification of relatives A nursing supervisor at St. Vincent Hospital said the burn patient was flown to St. Mary’s Burn Center in Milwaukee. The other man was listed in serious condition late Tuesday. The Brown County Arson Task Force was called in to probe what sparked the blast. Their findings were not available late Tuesday. The blast was the second major incident at the mill in a week. A fire damaged between 50 and 60 large paper rolls — about 300 tons of paper — at the mill Sept. 4. There was little damage to the building, as sprinklers kept the fire under control. The fire was blamed on electrical/mechanical malfunction. Tuesday’s blast was in an outside yard area of the mill and there was no structural damage. “There was no smoke or fire when we got there,” Mandich said.
City worker injured in demolition accident From staff reports A city worker escaped serious injury when the tractor he was operating crashed through the first floor and into the basement of an East Ninth Street house that was being demolished. Mike Brewer, 50 of Twyman Square, was temporarily trapped in the debris following the mishap at about 1 p.m. Thursday. According to a city police report, the tractor fell into the basement and then turned over on its left side. Brewer was wearing a lap belt, police said. He was taken to Jennie Stuart Medical Center in a city–county ambulance. He was released following treatment in the emergency room. According to witnesses, workers did not know there was a basement in the house.
Truck driver killed by Teri Vance, Appeal Staff Writer A 60-year-old California truck driver was killed Wednesday when he was accidentally pinned between his tractor-trailer rig and the loading dock at Lowe's home improvement store in Carson City. The name of the driver was not being released pending notification of family members. Sheriff's Lt. Ray Saylo said the driver left his truck running to build up air pressure for the brakes and walked to the back of the trailer to tell loaders he was finished. The driver did not set the emergency brake and the truck rolled backward shortly before 9:48 a.m., Saylo said. The driver, who worked for McKelvey Trucking Co., tried to escape, but was pinned. Jaime Jasso, a driver for Border's trucking company, had just arrived with his delivery of plants when he heard a Lowe's employee yelling for help. "I heard somebody crying, 'Come, hurry up. There's somebody trapped behind the truck,'" Jasso said. "I ran around and the motor was on and I pulled up the truck." Hoping to save the man's life, Jasso carefully maneuvered the big rig. "I was very nervous because I knew if I moved it even a little bit back, it would kill him," he said. But it was too late. "That's really bad," Jasso said. "What a terrible way to die -- in an accident like that." The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy is scheduled for this morning.
Man hurt when skidder overturns By RICHELLE BAILEY, Staff Writer A Marion man was injured Tuesday when a skidder overturned on him during a logging operation. Jack Wilson, 56, of Lake Tahoma Road was transported by ambulance to Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville. A condition report was not available at presstime. McDowell County Emergency Services Director Carroll Hemphill said Wilson sustained head injuries but they were not life-threatening. Shortly after noon on Tuesday, a skidder overturned on Wilson during a logging operation on Catawba River Road in Old Fort, according to Hemphill. Jerry Wilson, the owner of the Catawba River Road property, was at his house when the accident occurred. "He works for a timber company. I sold him some timber, and he came to cut it," Jerry Wilson stated. Jack Wilson's employees told Jerry that the skidder flipped about six times. "One of the guys that works for him just came running up to the porch and told me to call 911," said Jerry.
Man dies in farm accident By JEFFERSON WEAVER, Staff Writer A Lisbon man died Monday after being crushed in a farming accident. John Albert Monroe, of McKoy Road, Council, fell from a tobacco harvester around 1:30 p.m. and was crushed by a box off the machine. The box is a large metal container used to hold tobacco after it has been picked. The accident happened at the J.B. Priest Farm off Lisbon Road. Kenneth Clark of the Lisbon Fire Dept. First Responders unit said he was one of the first emergency personnel on the scene. "I knew it was bad as soon as we got there," he said. Monroe was initially pinned under the box, Clark said, but another employee of the farm managed to get the box off Monroe before emergency officials arrived. Clark said he requested a helicopter from New Hanover Regional Medical Center to transport Monroe directly to Wilmington, but bad weather had grounded the aircraft. Monroe was transported to Bladen County Hospital, stabilized, and transferred to New Hanover Regional Hospital. Monroe died a short time later from internal injuries, according to a NHRMC spokesperson.
Man Killed By Forklift Identified Overland Park, Kan., police have released the identy of a man killed in a construction accident last week. Pedro Cordoba, 25, died when a forklift tipped over on him at 141st Street and Garnett. Authorities did not release the man's identity until late because they said that Cordoba was from Mexico, and it took some time to notify his relatives.
Yates farmer dies in accident By: GINA MUSCATO, Times Staff Writer MILO - A lifelong crop farmer was killed Wednesday morning while working on land along Route 14A. Richard H. Henderson Sr., 63, of 930 Leach Road, Penn Yan, apparently got off the backhoe he had been operating, and it continued moving forward over him, killing him instantly. Yates County Coroner Dr. John Tusch pronounced him dead at the scene. Yates County sheriff's Inv. Mike Christensen said deputies were flagged down by a co-worker, who found Henderson at 7:50 a.m. at a field site near 2822 Route 14A. Henderson was apparently about to use a backhoe to move a large trailer and do some clean-up work around the site - which is about 11/2 miles south of Penn Yan, Christensen said. He also noted that it's possible Henderson left the brake in gear when he got off the backhoe, and it moved forward; or he might have exited the backhoe with a chain to hook onto the trailer, which knocked it into gear. Henderson, who was born in Torrey, was a graduate of Penn Yan Academy. He was a member of the Milo Center United Methodist Church, the Yates County Farm Bureau and ProFac Agrilink Corp. He was a partner with his sons in Richard H. Henderson and Sons Farms.
City worker dies in sand sweeper accident 09/04/2002 Michael Fielding, Staff Writer September 04, 2002 A 19-year employee of the city died Tuesday in an accident at the public works storage yard on Levee Road. Duane Domagala, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Jason Cloud. At about 12:30 p.m., Red Wing police and fire departments responded to the site. Domagala was dumping sand from the rear of a city street sweeper at the former city brush dump site. Unlike traditional sweepers, this one uses a vacuum mechanism to contain debris. It is the only one of its kind in the city, said Roger Seymour, director of employee services. Seymour said that Domagala, who was operating it alone, was caught between the hopper and the vacuum unit. No one witnessed the accident, and Domagala was found by a co-worker. Domagala's death was the first of a city employee during work hours since two police officers were killed in the line of duty Jan. 15, 1907. Domagala also was a volunteer firefighter for 20 years. He joined the Public Works Department in 1983, one year after becoming a volunteer firefighter. The Minnesota Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating the accident. Domagala is survived by his wife, Susan, and his 3-year-old son, Ben.
Construction worker injured By M.K. Guetersloh, Pontiac bureau chief PONTIAC -- A road construction worker is in serious condition at a Peoria hospital after being injured Tuesday in a work-related accident. State police said Bobbi J. Craver, 31, of Forrest was working in the northbound lanes of a construction zone about two miles south of Pontiac on Interstate 55 when she was hit by a motorized concrete saw. Fellow worker Elizabeth A. Anderson apparently lost control of the equipment. Craver was taken to OSF Saint James Hospital in Pontiac and was later transferred to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. After injuring Craver, the saw traveled through the median and into the southbound lanes of the interstate, where it hit two semitrailer-trucks. Anderson, 42, of Moline, and the truck drivers, Samuel L. Brown, 59, of Mangum, Okla., and Scott D. Clapp, 40 of Cabery, were not injured in the accident. Because of the accident, state police rerouted interstate traffic through Pontiac on Old Route 66 to Chenoa for about an hour. The accident remains under investigation by state police.
DRIVER SERIOUSLY HURT IN FORKLIFT-BUS CRASH A FORKLIFT vehicle driver suffered serious multiple injuries yesterday when he was trapped in his overturned cab following a road accident near roadside services at Turfhills, Kinross. The road was closed yesterday afternoon to allow accident investigators to examine the scene. The construction-style vehicle was leaving a field when the collision with a service bus occurred. The driver of the bus, a Firstbus service heading across Fife to St Andrews, sustained a hand injury but his three passengers were unhurt. The police, firefighters and two ambulances all attended the accident, which happened on the A977 Kincardine Bridge road just outside the town at around 12.15pm. The forklift driver was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital at Dunfermline, where his condition was said to be giving cause for concern. His injuries included abdominal, leg and possibly spinal injuries. A local doctor was called to assist paramedics as they moved the forklift driver on to a stretcher designed to protect his spine. Firefighters assisted at the scene by clearing the road and ensuring the vehicles were safe.
County worker injured after falling from truck By Ron Strickland, Staff writer A Jones County road worker is in South Central Regional Medical Center after falling off a Beat 1 truck Wednesday afternoon. According to Beat 1 road foreman Ransom Holloway, Robert L. Wade was thrown from a county owned truck after the vehicle made a left turn onto Highway 15 north off of Sherwood Lane. "The work crew was weed eating around mail boxes and sign post," Holloway said. "The crewman ride in the back of the truck going from site to site. When the truck made the turn, (Wade) lost his balance and fell off of the truck." Holloway added the accident would be a learning experience for his department. "We will make them ride in the cab (of the truck) if we have to prevent this (type of accident)." Shady Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and Jones County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene during the busy noon hour. No citations were issued in the accident.
Forklift Overturns, Kills Man A man was killed Thursday when a forklift overturned and crushed him, KMBC reported. It happened at a house under construction in Overland Park, Kan., near 141st Street and Quivira Road around 1:30 p.m. Investigators are looking into how the accident happened. The victim's name has not been released.
Cameraman dies in forklift accident CARMEL, Calif. (AP) -- A television cameraman died Tuesday in a forklift accident while taping the Shell's Wonderful World of Golf exhibition between Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia. Brian Blodgett, a cameraman for all 42 of the Shell's matches since they were revived in 1994, died while being taken to Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula. The cause of death was pending an autopsy. Blodgett, of Jacksonville, Fla., was 37. He is survived by his wife, Kelly. "Brian was a well-respected member of the golf community, and that extended family also shares deeply in this most tragic loss," Gaylord Event Television president Frank Chirkinian said. Couples and Calcavecchia were playing the second hole at Santa Lucia Preserve when the forklift toppled, Gaylord spokeswoman Ann Victor said. She said the nature of his injuries was not immediately clear. The Shell's Wonderful World of Golf series are 18-hole exhibitions played at exotic golf courses around the world. Taping of the Couples-Calcavecchia match was rescheduled. "Today, we have lost such a good friend and our hearts are too heavy for us to possibly go on," said Jack Whitaker, host of the Shell's matches.
UPDATE, Injured worker listed as 'serious' EAST HAVEN — A warehouse worker who was injured in a forklift accident Wednesday remained in serious condition Friday at Yale-New Haven Hospital, according to hospital officials. Police identified the patient Friday as Michael Driscoll, 45, of 500 Main St., Apt. 125. Driscoll had been on foot at the Town Fair Tire Center warehouse at 460 Coe Ave. when the accident happened, according to Sgt. Robert Flodquist. A forklift operator who didn't see him backed into him, crushing him into a second forklift, police said. The accident remains under investigation by both East Haven police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Backhoe driver crushed to death The Ottawa Citizen A 64-year-old Gatineau man was crushed to death when he fell out of the backhoe he was driving and was crushed to death. MRC des Collines police said they were called to a garbage dump in Val-des-Monts at 6 p.m. yesterday. The man, whose name has not been released, was later pronounced dead at hospital. The Commission de la santé et de la securité du travail, the Quebec agency responsible for workplace safety, is investigating the incident.
Warehouse worker crushed by forklift EAST HAVEN — A warehouse worker at Town Fair Tire Center on Coe Avenue was seriously injured Wednesday after being crushed by a forklift, police said. Sgt. Robert Flodquist said the victim was on foot in the 460 Coe Ave. warehouse when a forklift operator who didn't see him backed into him, crushing him into a second forklift. Police did not release the name of the victim, who was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital. His condition was not immediately available Wednesday. The accident remains under investigation by both East Haven police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Construction worker killed on job at airport The Associated Press CLEVELAND -- A construction worker died this afternoon at Cleveland Hopkins Airport when the vehicle he was operating flipped over. Airport officials say the 33-year-old male was working on a runway construction project when he was partially ejected from the vehicle, which rolled over the man. The victim was working on rerouting Abrams Creek to make room for the new runway. The construction vehicle he was operating, commonly known as a "moxie," was used for hauling earth. The victim was an employee of Independence Excavating and was alone in the vehicle.
Dump Truck Crushes Worker A construction worker was killed Monday when a fully-loaded dump truck ran over him, police said. The accident happened at the site of a road-widening project on Powerline Road in Deerfield Beach. The Broward County sheriff's office information officer said that the man was killed instantly. The name of the man has not been released because authorities need to notify family members.
Man dies in tractor accident; Vehicle runs over him in Jefferson Dayton Daily News JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County | A Jefferson Twp. man died Sunday after a tractor he was driving pulling a Bush Hog mower ran over him. Wayne Nalls, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 9 a.m. accident. Montgomery County Coroner's Investigator Wade Lawson said Nalls was mowing a ditch at his mother's house at 6180 Derby Road when the accident happened. Nalls was going westbound in the ditch line. The tractor continued driverless across the road and over a ditch on the other side, through a hole in a fence and ended up against the fence line on the north side of the road.
Man hurt in afternoon tractor accident taken to hospital By Democrat staff A man was flown by helicopter to UC Davis Medical Centern after being involved in an industrial acident Thursday afternoon. According to Yolo County Sheriff's Lt. Louie Pires, at about 12:26 p.m. officers were called out to the Rominger Farm at County roads 29 and 89 near Winters for a reported industrial acident. Pires added, the man, whose identity is not being released pending notification of relatives, was working on a large tractor when he somehow became pinned between a hydraulic arm and a tire. The man was reportedly alive when taken by helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center.
Man Injured in Fork Lift Accident Rockingham, Vermont A Springfield man was severely injured Tuesday when he was run over by a fork lift. Vermont State Police say Michael Montgomery, 54, was standing near his tractor trailer at Riverside Reload in Rockingham when he was struck by the fork lift and pinned underneath. Montgomery is listed in critical condition at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
Landscape worker struck by car, killed MEDFORD - A landscape company employee was killed last after being struck by a vehicle on Stokes Road shortly after 5 p.m., police said. Police said the employee was working on the side of Stokes Road near the Medford branch of the U.S. Post Office when the vehicle left the roadway and struck the victim. The name of the victim and information on whether the person in the vehicle was injured was not available late last night. A state police medical helicopter touched down near the crash site but it was not clear last night how many victims, if any, were flown from the accident scene. Police shut down a portion of Stokes Road during an investigation of the crash. Traffic was detoured around the crash scene for more than two hours last night.
Worker killed by cement truck By: KEITH PHUCAS, Times Herald Staff UPPER MERION - A man was struck and killed by a cement truck in a Route 202 construction zone near the King of Prussia mall Thursday morning, according to township police. The 34-year-old man, an employee of Structural Preservations Systems in Hawthorne, N.J., was hit by a truck owned by HYK Construction Company in Rahns, Pa., shortly before noon at the intersection of Route 202 and North Gulph Road. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office. The victim's name has not been released pending notification of next of kin. "The preliminary investigation points to it being an unfortunate accident," said Upper Merion Police Lt. John Hellebush. The incident is under investigation by township police. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is working to widen the King of Prussia intersection where the incident occurred. The construction is part of a five-year $280 million project to improve five miles of Route 202 in Upper Merion and Tredyffrin townships. Gene Blaum, spokesman for PennDOT, said Structural Preservation Systems had been working to fill sinkholes at the accident site Thursday as it has done over the past two years along the Route 202 improvement zone. "The company was drilling holes to pump grout to fill the sinkholes," Blaum said. Grout is a cement-like material. Since 2000, the company has done extensive work finding and filling sinkholes in the limestone bedrock where Route 202, Interstate 76 and U.S. Route 422 converge. The opening of six improved ramps in December 2001 was delayed four months because of the sinkhole operation. PennDOT has spent $17 million filling the crevices, some as deep as 70 feet, over the past two years. Currently, Blaum estimates that the agency has spent an additional $2 million on sinkholes at the site of Thursday's fatality. In July 2001, laborer R. "Bobby" Boyle of Philadelphia was crushed under the wheels of a truck that he was directing through a partitioned section of the Route 202 zone near Route 252 in Tredyffrin.
Migrant worker killed in chicken farm accident MONTICELLO — A 19-year-old migrant worker died on a chicken farm in Lawrence County early Wednesday morning when a tractor accidentally ran over him. Juan Josea Becerra Becerra, an Alabama resident, died of massive head trauma around 5:15 a.m., according to Lawrence County deputy coroner Sidney Fortenberry. “(Becerra) was trying to catch chickens, and when he was down, the driver didn’t see him on the ground,” Fortenberry said. Hudson Farm, three miles west of Monticello, was a supplier to Sanderson Farms poultry company. Fortenberry said Becerra worked for a Sanderson Farms subcontractor that picks up chickens from farms and delivers them to Sanderson. “We were extremely saddened by it. He was a young man,” said Sanderson Farms chief financial officer Mike Cockrell. Becerra reportedly lived with a brother-in-law in Oxford, Ala.
Lambert woman dies in farming accident Susie L. Vaira, a long-time Lambert resident, died Monday, Aug. 12 in a farm accident seven miles west of Lambert. She was 64. Vaira was married to Eddy Vaira and had nine children and 12 grandchildren. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, Susie Vaira was driving a Massey Ferguson tractor with a hay rake when it became stuck going up a hill. When she attempted to go back down, the hay rake jack-knifed, ejecting her and causing the tractor to roll to one side. As the tractor rolled back down, Vaira was trapped underneath. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities who responded to the scene included Montana Highway Patrol, Lambert Ambulance, Lambert Fire Department and Rescue, and the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Vaira's funeral was held Friday at Pella Lutheran Church.
UPDATE, Injured worker upgraded MONROE The forklift operator severely injured when a 2,200-pound concrete drain component landed on him was reported in serious condition Friday at Bridgeport Hospital. The Connecticut Pre-Cast Corp. employee's legs were crushed Thursday morning when the casting of a double catch basin slipped out of its mold in the Fan Hill Road work yard. Thomas Erickson, 25, of Oxford suffered multiple fractures in both legs. His condition had worsened to critical Thursday night, but a hospital employee said it was upgraded to serious on Friday. Meanwhile, a state Occupation Safety and Health Administration official said its investigation of the accident is still in its early stages.
Miami construction worker dies when struck by road grater Associated Press MIAMI — A construction worker died Wednesday morning when he was run over by a road grater, Miami-Dade police said. The 36-year-old man, whose identity was not immediately released, was marking the road when the accident occurred on West Flagler St. around 8:30 a.m. The grater was backing up, striking and killing the man instantly, police said. The investigation was continuing, police said.
Work mishaps leave one dead, one burned BY DAVID OVALLE One man was killed and another severely burned Wednesday in two separate construction accidents in Miami-Dade County, fire and police spokesmen said. A construction worker was killed when a construction vehicle backed into him around 8:30 a.m. near the Mall of the Americas, Miami-Dade police said. Hours later, at 6809 Biscayne Blvd., another man burned more than half of his body after touching power lines and falling 10 feet, a Miami Fire-Rescue official said. He was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where officials said he was in critical condition and undergoing surgery. The first victim, a 39-year-old whose name was not released, was marking a road and did not notice the approaching road grader, a vehicle used to scrape away pavement, detective Lupo Jimenez said. The second victim was doing roof work on a two-story flower shop when he touched some power lines. As firefighters arrived and hunted for a way to scale the walls, the man fell 10 feet to a first-story roof landing. Firefighter Christian Guzmán was on the other side of the building when he heard gasps from a crowd of onlookers. He raced around, climbed a nearby fence and pulled the man away from the edge. Rescuers used one of the man's company lift trucks to lower him. ''The top of his body was pretty badly burned, second-degree burns,'' Guzmán said. ``He was semiconscious, in and out.''
FIRE CREWS DEAL WITH DEPOT CHEMICAL SPILL Fire crews were called to a Devon town to deal with a spill of hydrochloric acid. Twenty-five litres of the chemical spilled into the road at Saunders Way, Cullompton, shortly before 11.50pm yesterday, said Devon Fire and Rescue Service. The accident happened as a drum was pierced as it was being loaded onto a lorry by a fork lift truck at the depot of Gregory Distribution Ltd. Firefighters washed down the are with water to make it safe.
Crews keep loader fire from spreading to logs YREKA -- A log loader at Timber Products in Yreka caught on fire Monday morning and threatened a log deck. The log loader was completely involved in flames when firefighters arrived. They were able to quickly douse the flames and prevent the adjacent log deck from burning. Mechanic Steve Nowdesha with Timber Products said the log loader operator had left the machine and was on a lunch break when the fire started. During the break, another employee noticed that the loader was on fire. Employees attached a hose to the company's water tender and started fighting the fire. When the Yreka Fire Department and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection engines arrived on scene, the radio report indicated that the log loader was fully involved in flames. Timber Products general manager Pete Himmel said the company was assisted by the road construction crew working on Phillipe Lane. "We had a good response from our neighbors," Himmel said. In the official report of the incident, Himmel said the preliminary investigation of the fire points to a failed link between the muffler and turbo as the origin of the fire. He said the mechanical failure apparently allowed hot gasses to blow into the engine compartment starting the fire. Plant superintendent Mike Williamson said the investigation is not complete and there are several possible causes of the fire. He said it is very possible the fire could have been put out by the operator if he had been on the equipment when the fire started. Himmel said the representatives from Caterpillar will be evaluating the damage to the machine to determine if it is restorable. Nowdesha said the log loader is a 1988 model. It was purchased by Timber Products used and had been in operation in Yreka for the last four years. He estimated the value of the used machine at $100,000. The cost of a new one is about $500,000.
UPDATE, Caledonian Brewery fined for workplace fatal accident Caledonian Brewery of Edinburgh has been fined £10,000 for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act in the circumstances of a forklift truck fatal accident recorded on CCTV footage. The company pleaded guilty before Sheriff Douglas Allan. Robert Baxter, 52, was unloading empty beer kegs from a lorry. The forklift truck he was operating overturned as he unloaded the empty beer kegs, trapping him. Mr Baxter later died from crush injuries after being trapped for 30 minutes. Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Caledonian Brewery had not implemented a safe system of work for the activity of loading and unloading beer kegs from lorries. The operators did not have the benefit of a formal risk assessment. Several factors contributed to the accident - the forklift became unstable when the lorry moved, at the request of another driver, while the forklift's clamps were engaged in the lorry's load. Liz Paton, Fiscal, for the HSE, said the steep slope of the unloading area (between 5°and 9°) was a key factor, this being well in excess of the recommended slope for truck operations. Ms Paton said: "Drivers were encouraged to stop with both rear wheels on a small flat section in the middle of the slope." The matter of slope as a hazard to operators was an issue raised previously with management. She also noted that Mr Baxter had not been wearing a seatbelt provided with the forklift truck. In the opinion of Sheriff Allan the system of work at the brewery was unsatisfactory and concluded that slope was not the major cause of the accident.
Three Firefighters Hurt in Calif. as Engine Rolls Down Embankment SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) -- A fire engine plummeted 60 feet down a freeway embankment, injuring three firefighters taking on one of the blazes that have charred more than 180,000 acres across the state. The accident Sunday occurred when the fire engine's drive train malfunctioned, said Highway Patrol Officer Karen Faciane. With its siren blaring and lights flashing, it veered across three southbound lanes of Interstate 15 and rolled down an embankment, officials said. The driver was in critical condition with a broken pelvis and the two other firefighters had moderate injuries, Faciane said. The firefighters were traveling to a blaze in Calimesa, Calif., about 30 miles west of Palm Springs, that had torn across 500 acres by early Monday morning. The blaze, which was 10 percent contained, damaged a garage but had not destroyed any homes, said Michelle McClelland, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Forestry. In Oregon, hot, dry and windy weather was moving into southwest Oregon, where firefighters battled the state's largest wildfire in more than a century. The fire, which had burned nearly 376,500 acres by Monday morning, was threatening power lines that supply several northern California towns including Crescent City. Full containment for the section of the fire south of the California state line was expected by Thursday. The rest of the fire was only about 25 percent contained. During the weekend, crews created three or four fire lines in front of the flames west of O'Brien, Ore., but said they would have to ask Pacific Power to shut down the power lines if the wildfire got too close. Heavy smoke can create short circuits, producing electrical arcs that could endanger firefighters. In southern California's eastern San Diego County, a 62,000-acre wildfire that started two weeks ago and had destroyed dozens of homes was 85 percent contained. Full containment was expected Monday evening instead of Sunday as previously predicted, said Forestry Department spokeswoman Audrey Hagen.
2 hurt working on T rail tracks By Corey Dade, Globe Staff, 8/12/2002 Two construction workers replacing rail tracks yesterday in Brighton were injured, one seriously, after being hit by heavy equipment. One worker suffered a serious leg injury after being caught under a track sander on the Commonwealth Avenue spur of the MBTA about 11:30 a.m., according to witnesses and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials. The other suffered minor facial injuries. MBTA spokeswoman Lydia Rivera identified the workers as Charles Andrews and Willie Davis Jr., both of whom were taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Traffic was diverted from the area for hours as police and T personnel examined the scene, where the huge sander, which rolls along the railway, was left tilted to one side off the track. Across the street, merchants and passersby stood on the sidewalk exchanging stories about what happened. Lee Goldman, who was browsing for antiques at the American Family Thrift & Donation Center, heard the screams first. ''We heard all this commotion. All the workers were running. It was bedlam,'' Goldman said. ''You knew there was somebody under there because you could tell by the reactions of the workers.'' officials had no immediate comment on the cause of the accident. Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Elberton man dies from injuries By Nicholas Charalambous, Anderson Independent-Mail AUGUSTA — Otis Childs, who rose from a stone cutter to become the owner of one of Elberton’s largest granite companies, died Sunday night. He was 67. The retired owner of Childs and Childs Granite Co. died about 7:20 p.m. at the Medical College of Georgia Health System in Augusta, hospital spokeswoman Danielle Wong said. Mr. Childs had been hospitalized in critical condition since a Friday morning accident at The Granite Source, his son Robin’s business. Mr. Childs had been helping to move crates containing granite slabs from a tractor-trailer container into a warehouse with a forklift truck when a stack fell on him. He was pinned him between the trailer and the crates and suffered serious head and body injuries. Tributes poured in Sunday night from fellow granite company executives who said he was a well-respected member of the community and an excellent businessman. He was a former Elbert County Commissioner and a past president of the Elberton Granite Association. Bill Kelly, a 77-year-old former executive vice president of the association who knew Mr. Childs for 25 years, said Mr. Childs was one of the leaders in the industry locally. “The whole community had been expecting some news, but we were hoping it would be for the best,” he said. “He was a fine fellow and he will be missed.” Henry Drennan, who witnessed the accident, was one of several employees of the Granite Source who had traveled to Augusta to visit with Mr. Childs Saturday as he clung to life in the intensive care unit. He said all his family members, including his two sons, Tim and Robin, held vigil at his bedside. “I’m shocked,” he said. “ I worked with him for 12 years. He was a great man.” Elliot Paul, 59, owner of Eagle Granite Co., said Mr. Child’s death will be felt by the whole community. “He was a real popular guy. In a little town like Elberton everybody knows everybody,” he said. “It was a terrible tragedy.” Mr. Kelly said Mr. Childs was a classic entrepreneur. He started out in the granite business as a stone cutter and went on to found his company, Childs and Childs. The company included a plant and some granite quarries and was one of the larger ones in Elbert County, employing as many as 50 to 60 people. Mr. Childs ended up merging Childs and Childs with one of the largest granite companies in the nation, Vermont-based Rock of Ages, only to take it back again after the deal didn’t work out. He sold the company a second time before retiring, Mr. Kelly said. Mr. Childs remained involved with his son’s business and was physically strong and active, despite having a pacemaker fitted for a heart condition, he said. “He was a person who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps,” Mr. Kelly said. Funeral arrangements were unavailable Sunday.
Forklift fire Clinton District volunteer firefighter Nathan Summers hoses down a 300,000-pound capacity forklift that overheated and caught fire while traveling up a hill on Goshen Road Thursday afternoon. The driver of the forklift, Morgantown Machine and Hydraulic employee Jim Bays said he was able to get off the vehicle without getting hurt. The forklift weighs about 10 tons, he said. Triune-Halleck Volunteer Fire Department also responded.
Forklift fire spurs evacuation of plant MILFORD — Connecticut Stone Supply was evacuated Tuesday morning after a forklift with an attached propane tank caught fire. Fire Capt. Richard Mohr said the fire began at 10:23 a.m. at the 138 Woodmont Road industrial plant. The fire was contained quickly and no one was injured.
Deputy wrecks patrol car, OK Lake City Reporter, From staff reports A Columbia County Sheriff's Office deputy received minor injuries Sunday night when he wrecked his patrol car on County Road 25-A while responding to a call, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Reports say Deputy John Jewett IV was on his way to back up another deputy responding to a burglary in progress call at 10:37 p.m. As Jewett approached a curve on County Road 25-A, just east of U.S. 41, glare from an oncoming vehicle in fog caused him to drive off the east shoulder and into a railroad crossing sign. The patrol car then spun and flipped 11Ž2 times, landing on its roof, reports say. Jewett was taken to Shands at Lake Shore Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released. The patrol car had $6,000 in damage.
UPDATE, Brewer fined after forklift death The Caledonian Brewing Company has been fined £10,000 after an accident which resulted in the death of a forklift truck driver. The company admitted breaching health and safety regulations at its Slateford Road headquarters between September 1998 and February 2001. The charge stated that it failed to ensure the system where forklift trucks load beer kegs onto vehicles was safe. Driver Robert Baxter, from Edinburgh, died after his vehicle toppled over at the brewery in February last year.
Taupo man dies in workplace tractor accident An investigation has been launched after the death of a Taupo man in a workplace accident yesterday. Matthew James Phillip Cooper, 22, died after a tractor accident in a Miro St business, Senior Sergeant Andy Warne of Taupo police said in a statement today. Mr Warne said that about 2.20pm yesterday Mr Cooper was discovered trapped under a tractor he had been using to shift machinery. He was taken to Taupo Hospital but died shortly afterwards. Occupational Safety and Health staff were today investigating the accident and the coroner had been notified, Mr Warne said.
Orange County jail inmate killed in construction accident News-Journal wire services ORLANDO -- An Orange County jail inmate in a work-release program died Tuesday when a dump truck backed over him at a construction site. Westley Shawn Vanderlay, 39, of Oakland, was pronounced dead at the scene after the truck's right rear tires rolled over his torso, Orlando Police Sgt. Gary Hayes said. DeWitt Excavating Inc. is working on the site, which is near Millennium Plaza. A message left at DeWitt after business hours Tuesday was not immediately returned. Hayes said the death was being treated as an industrial accident. The Medical Examiner's Office, OSHA and Orlando police are investigating. Police also did not identify the truck's driver. Vanderlay had been convicted for driving under the influence and driving with a permanently revoked license. He was scheduled to be released on Dec. 14, jail officials said.
Dump truck falls into ravine; driver suffers injuries The Baltimore Sun A Taneytown man was in serious but stable condition yesterday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center after the dump truck he was driving plunged into a ravine near Anne Arundel Medical Center's Sajak Pavilion in Annapolis. The man, 41, suffered head, neck and back injuries when the truck he was driving during work on Medical Parkway suddenly went up a dirt construction road and down about 50 feet into the excavation site about 1 p.m., said Anne Arundel Fire Department Division Chief John M. Scholz. It took about a dozen rescue workers a half-hour to move the man, who works for Kibler Construction Co. of Finksburg, Scholz said. He was taken by helicopter to the hospital. The driver's name was not released pending notification of his family. The cause of the accident, which occurred as the truck was being loaded with dirt, was unknown. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health was notified of the accident.
Dump Truck Hits, Kills Worker In Orlando A dump truck has hit and killed a worker Tuesday at an Orlando construction site, according to Local 6 News. Orlando Police said that the apparent accident happened at the Target construction site located on Conroy Road just south of Millenia Blvd. Police are investigating.
Flatbed truck kills eight electrical workers on roadside project TAIPEI, Taiwan - A flatbed truck loaded with window frames and doors lost control on a mountain road and slammed into two utility company repair trucks Tuesday, killing eight workers. The truck was unable to stop on the winding road before it crashed into the Taiwan Power Co. trucks, which crushed the workers repairing a roadside electrical pole in northern Taipei County, police said. TVBS cable news showed rescue workers digging through piles of doors and window frames to reach the workers trapped beneath the trucks. Only one of the nine workers survived. The wife of victim Chen Chi-chuang was still in shock. Her husband had gone to check on the workers in the middle of the night and died in the early morning accident. "When he didn't call I thought it was strange, but then the call came," she told TVBS. "The driver of the truck should've been the one who died," she said.
Man killed in warehouse forklift mishap By NICOLE GAUDIANO, Staff Writer CARLSTADT - A man so new to the United States that he still had a Dominican $20 bill in his wallet was killed when a forklift crashed on top of him at an Empire Boulevard warehouse, police said Wednesday. Jamaica Garcia, 24, who had been living in West New York for about a week, was killed instantly in the Monday night accident, said Carlstadt Lt. Mike Barbire. A native of the Dominican Republic who had been working for a temporary employment agency, Garcia was forbidden to operate a forklift because he had not been trained, Barbire said. His job at the Transit Point warehouse was supposed to entail picking and packing merchandise. Two company employees were supervising Garcia, Barbire said. But during a break period, while the supervisors weren't there, Garcia climbed aboard a forklift and started driving, other temporary workers told police. They said he rode the forklift off the loading dock bay and tried to jump from it as it was tilting. He landed on the ground and the forklift toppled on him, a truck driver who witnessed the accident told police. Moonachie and Carlstadt rescue squads used air bags to right the forklift. Police ruled the death an accident. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials will be investigating, Barbire said. Garcia worked for EZ Labor Service of West New York.
2 tree service workers killed Police say Waterville, Cornville men struck by pickup in By DAN McGILLVRAY, Staff Writer, Blethen Maine Newspapers WINDSOR — Two employees of a tree-trimming company were killed Wednesday morning when a teenage driver, apparently blinded by the early-morning sun, hit the men as they were setting up roadside safety equipment. The workers for Lucas Tree Expert Co., identified as Albert Eddie Flood, 57, of Waterville and James Moshier, 38, of Cornville, had just left the company truck on Tyler Road and were placing cones along the roadside when the accident occurred. A Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck driven by Sean Dixon, 17, of Whitefield struck the men about 6:30 a.m. as they were next to the Lucas truck and an attached trailer that held two all-terrain vehicles, Trooper Mark Nickerson of the state police said. "(Dixon) was going east, in the same direction as the truck. He was blinded by the sun," Nickerson said. Dixon, who was on his way to work, was wearing a safety belt and was not injured, Nickerson said. The accident occurred on a relatively flat stretch of dry road near the China town line. Homes are scattered along the road, which is flanked by tall grass, bushes and trees. Lucas, with headquarters in Portland, specializes in de-limbing branches and felling trees along edges of roads and under electrical transmission lines owned by Central Maine Power Co. A Lucas crew of six employees was to begin its day's work under a cleared CMP line that cuts through the woods off Tyler Road when the accident occurred, said Nickerson. None of the four other employees were injured, he said. Flood had worked for the company for 30 years, and Moshier had been with the firm for eight or nine years. They were based at Lucas' division in Norridgewock, where about 25 other employees work. All employees at that location will be offered counseling today, said Richard Haskell, the company's vice president and treasurer. "Both of these men (Flood and Moshier) were hard-working, longtime employees who were active with the company," he said. Haskell said Wednesday that he's awaiting a review of the fatal accident by the firm's director of safety. Nickerson said no skid marks were visible on Tyler Road from Dixon's pickup truck. After hitting the men, the vehicle continued heading east before spinning around to face the opposite direction while coming to a stop in the road's opposite shoulder with a blown right front tire, he said. No other vehicles were traveling in either direction at the time. Sunrise on Wednesday was at 5:25 a.m., approximately one hour before the mishap occurred. "The road drives into the sun at this time of year," said Nickerson. The investigation into the accident continues, and state police will try to determine the estimated speed of Dixon's truck before impact. The speed limit there is 45 mph. At least one investigator with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on the scene Wednesday. Nickerson said the revolving yellow light atop the Lucas truck was turned on. Sue Dumas, who lives near the accident scene, said the road is relatively accident-free. Millie Gleason, who also lives nearby, said she heard the accident while she was letting her dog outside. Haskell, the Lucas vice president, said the 76-year-old company has had an excellent safety record. "There has never been a traffic accident or any lives lost by the company," he said. Most workers are longtime employees who are trained thoroughly in safety measures, including placing traffic cones and warning signs at and near job sites, said Haskell. Lucas' outdoor workers are a close group of employees —many with more than 10 and 20 years of service — who will not easily cope with the deaths of Flood and Moshier, he said. If anyone requires counseling after today, the company will make a professional counselor available, Haskell said. Roadside de-limbing crews typically consist of two workers, while six workers are required for transmission line jobs such as the one in Windsor, he said. The ATVs the workers use carry equipment that includes saws and spraying apparatus, said Haskell.
Rail worker killed beside tracks A RAILWAY worker has died in north-west Queensland after he was crushed by a bobcat which rolled on to him. The accident occurred beside a section of railway line about 75km south-west of Cloncurry, near Mount Isa, yesterday morning. Police say the man was steering the bobcat when it became caught in tree branches. He turned off the motor and tried to free it from the branches, but it rolled over and crushed him. Police and Queensland Rail Workplace Health and Safety officers are investigating the accident.
Forklift accident kills man By Lauren Keene/Enterprise staff writer Employees of California Cascade, a Woodland lumber treatment facility, are mourning the loss of an employee who was accidentally struck and killed by a forklift Monday afternoon. Compounding the tragedy was the fact that the forklift's driver was the victim's nephew, according to Yolo County coroner's officials. The victim, 58-year-old Jimmy Carinio of Woodland, was struck by the forklift at about 1:20 p.m. Monday as he walked in a lumber storage area in the south area of the business at 1492 Churchill Downs Ave., according to Woodland police investigators. "It looks as though he was walking between a parked semi trailer and a parked semi," Woodland police Corporal Derrek Kaff said today. "He walked out from between the two and was hit by the forklift." The nephew, who was using the forklift to transfer lumber from one area of the plant to another, was not hurt. "He's devastated," Yolo County Supervising Deputy Coroner Mary Koompin-Williams said of the 33-year-old man, whose name was not released. "It's a really close-knit family, and there are several of them that have worked at the plant for a number of years." California Cascade's general manager was unavailable for comment about the accident this morning. Carinio reportedly had worked there about three years. Both the coroner's office and the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident. Neither foul play nor drug or alcohol use were believed to be factors. This was the second industrial accident to occur at a Churchill Downs Avenue business in the past year. In November, a 22-year-old San Jose man died at Georgia Pacific Corp., a warehouse and distribution center, from injuries he suffered while helping a fellow truck driver back a trailer up to a loading dock.
UPDATE, Park Paving charged in worker's death; Safety act breached, rules Alberta Justice Journal Staff, Edmonton Journal Alberta Justice has laid charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act against Park Paving Ltd. in connection with the death of one of its workers. Nick Oelker, 26, of Edmonton, was run over by a concrete spreader in Sherwood Park's Ridge subdivision on June 13, 2001. He died of his injuries in hospital. After several months of talking to witnesses, examining the machinery involved and reviewing the company's safety policies and procedures, Occupational Health and Safety investigators found Park Paving Ltd. had allegedly breached the act leading up to Oelker's death, a spokesman for Alberta Human Resources and Employment said Monday. A Park Paving Ltd. representative is scheduled to appear July 31 in Sherwood Park provincial court. The maximum penalty if found guilty for a first offence is a fine of $150,000 and/or six months in jail on each charge.
NYPD captain pleads guilty NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A New York police captain resigned his job and pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter in the October 1999 death of a construction worker on the Throgs Neck Bridge, the Queens County district attorney announced Monday. James O'Connor, 47, was intoxicated when he drove into a closed construction lane on the bridge after midnight that Oct. 20 and struck and killed Afif Hazim, 52, who was removing asphalt from the roadway for resurfacing, according to Queens district attorney Richard Brown. "The defendant, a career police commander with a promising future, has admitted his guilt to a terrible and tragic crime. He has resigned from the police department and will serve a state prison sentence," Brown said in a statement. During the plea proceedings, the prosecution recommended a sentence of three to nine years in prison be imposed. Tests revealed that O'Connor, who was driving a police vehicle, had a blood alcohol level of .12, above the legal limit of .10 for operating a vehicle.
Three firefighters killed after vehicle plunges into ravine; thousands evacuated in Oregon By JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press Writer HAPPY CAMP, California - A flag over the fire camp was lowered to half-staff and U.S. Forest Service members wore black bands in tribute to three firefighters killed when their truck plunged down a mountainside. In the latest tragic turn of a fire season that has become one of the deadliest in recent memory, three people were killed Sunday when the Forest Service fire truck drove off a narrow, smoke-shrouded road in the dark of night and plunged 800 feet (240 meters). Two firefighters were injured. Officials suspect the conditions around the 1,500-acre (600-hectare) fire in the Klamath National Forest some 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Oregon state line played a major role. "The Forest Service is a family. When there is a tragedy, we all cry together," said Dave Poucher, a regional Forest Service safety officer. "You may not know them, but all of a sudden you feel it in the back of the throat, like they are your brother or sister." The deaths brought to 14 the number of firefighters killed this summer as wildfires rage across the drought-stricken West. The National Interagency Fire Center reported that 32 major fires that were active Monday had burned 559,000 acres (223,600 hectares). In southern Oregon, firefighters ordered the evacuation of 4,000 to 5,000 people in the Black Butte Ranch Resort after stiff wind fanned a blaze that had burned about 3,700 acres (1,480 hectares). The crew that went off the road near Happy Camp was helping to watch over a 500-acre (200-hectare) backfire set during the night, said Forest Service Incident Commander Howard Carlson. Their green crew-cab pickup — equipped with a 500-gallon (1,900-liters) water tank — was driving straight down the road at about 1:30 a.m., when two members of a fire crew saw one wheel go off the road. The truck rolled 800 feet (240 meters) down the steep slope and landed upside down. The fire they were fighting had forced the closure of a campground but threatened no homes. It was 20 percent contained, with full containment expected Sunday.
Driver dies under runaway lorry HSE and the police are investigating an accident in west London's Southampton Street in which a lorry driver died under his runaway vehicle as he attempted to stop it. It is reported he was unloading scaffolding from the vehicle when it unexpectedly moved downhill towards the Savoy Hotel in the Strand. Unfortunately, although he succeeded in warning pedestrians the vehicle continued on its way striking and injuring a woman. Tragically, the vehicle then jack-knifed and he fell underneath the wheels. The injured woman is not believed to have life threatening injuries.
Man arrested after woman's forklift death A HUNGARIAN student has been killed after an accident on a farm near Bassingbourn. Eszter Nagy, 20, died after being trapped beneath a forklift truck at Wireless Station Farm in Chestnut Lane. Ambulance crews were called and summoned police. The woman was pronounced dead on the scene. A 20-year-old man from the Ukraine has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. He has been released on police bail to reappear at Parkside police station on August 8. An inquest was opened and adjourned and will be re-opened once a report from the Health and Safety Executive is completed. Cambridgeshire coroner's office said it was likely to be heard in November or December. Bosses at the farm's head office in Steeple Morden refused to comment on the incident.
Santa Paula Man, 39, Fatally Hit by Forklift at Naval Base Accident: He had been driving the equipment shortly before another employee took over. The Navy and OSHA have opened investigations. By JESSICA BLANCHARD, TIMES STAFF WRITER A 39-year-old longshoreman from Santa Paula died Tuesday morning after being struck by a forklift at Naval Base Ventura County. According to base officials, Richard Lopez Jr., a contract worker for Stevedoring Services of America, had been using a forklift to load and unload military cargo on Wharf 3 from the motor vessel Greenpoint. Shortly before the accident, he got off the forklift and someone else began driving it, base officials said. Lopez was struck by the forklift about 8:45 a.m. Base emergency response teams arrived shortly after the incident, but Lopez was declared dead at the scene. The Ventura County coroner's office said Lopez died of multiple crushing injuries. Naval Criminal Investigative Services and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating. Base spokeswoman Sarah Burford said it was unclear how long Lopez had worked at the base. Such industrial accidents are uncommon, but not unheard of, in Ventura County. In April 2001, a 79-year-old farm labor contractor was killed after being run over by a forklift driven by another employee. And in December 2000, an Oxnard man was killed when a tractor he was riding flipped on a horse trail in Santa Rosa Valley. "It's not real common, but we do see this on occasion, especially in ports and construction sites where there's a lot of activity and a lot of noise," said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for Cal / OSHA. "Sometimes a person operating a piece of equipment doesn't see a person." Burford said the naval base was providing grief counseling for Lopez's family.
MAN'S FOOT CRUSHED BY DUST CART Hull: An investigation was today launched after a council workman had his foot crushed by an 18-ton dust cart at a city tip. The 24-year-old was on duty at Wilmington Waste Disposal site, off Stoneferry Road, when a disposal lorry accidentally ran over his foot. It is believed the man, who has not been named, fell from the vehicle moments earlier. He was immediately rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary by ambulance, where he was being treated today for "severe" injuries to his foot. The accident is thought to be the most serious to have happened at the council-run waste disposal site. Details have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive. A Kingston upon Hull City Council spokeswoman said: "We can confirm a city council operative had an accident while performing his duties at Wilmington Waste Disposal site. "Severe injuries were caused to the man's foot when it was caught under the wheel of a refuse disposal lorry. "An ambulance was called and the man is in hospital undergoing treatment. The incident is being investigated by the city council and health and safety officers." Officials believe it was an isolated incident and the site poses no danger to the public. "We have an excellent safety record for staff and members of the public," the spokesman added. "We are confident this was an unfortunate accident which will be fully investigated." An ambulance spokeswoman confirmed they received a 999 call shortly after 11am on Tuesday after reports a man had fallen from a dust cart and trapped his leg.
Two seriously injured in workplace accidents A teenager who started a new job as a refuse collector just four days ago, was last night in a critical condition in hospital after being crushed under the wheels of his truck. The 17-year-old from Siggiewi was standing on the platform at the rear of the rubbish lorry when he lost his balance. Police said he fell to the ground and tumbled into the path of the truck’s tyres as it turned a corner in Fgura. The accident happened shortly after midday during a rubbish collection round in Censu Busuttil Street. He was rushed to the casualty department at St Luke’s Hospital and was given life-saving treatment. Police said the teenager was then transferred to the Intensive Therapy Unit where he was under close observation by medical staff. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, another Siggiewi man was seriously hurt after falling down a shaft in St Julian’s. The construction worker was carrying out maintenance work between the Hilton Hotel and the Portomaso Tower at 1.10pm yesterday. It is understood he lost his balance and fell from a height of around two storeys. He was rushed to St Luke’s Hospital by ambulance. Duty magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima appointed a number of court experts to assist in on-site inquiries.
20 Workers Become Sick At Irving Business Investigators say carbon monoxide is to blame for at least 22 people getting sick today at an Irving business. Nobody was seriously hurt. The incident happened at The Blind Maker, which is a window blind manufacturer in an industrial area of Irving. Battalion Chief Kyle Rohr says firefighters discovered high levels of carbon monoxide in the building and cordoned it off. Rohr later said the high levels of carbon monoxide were caused by a forklift. Forklifts can put off carbon monoxide and the propane-powered machine may not have been not tuned up or was putting out more carbon monoxide than normal. Company president Ray Hicks says The Blind Maker's office will reopen tomorrow.
Boeing worker injures foot in forklift accident by Chris Genna, Journal Reporter RENTON -- A Boeing engineer may have lost his right foot as a result of being struck by a forklift outside the 737/757 main assembly building yesterday morning. Enumclaw resident Matthew Weigel was in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center Wednesday evening, a nursing supervisor said, with injuries to his right leg. She could give no other details. Details about the accident, too, were sketchy. Boeing would say only the employee was struck about 8 a.m. outside Building 4-81, the western of two single-aisle jetliner assembly buildings. Boeing spokesman Tom Ryan said the company could release no other information -- he didn't name the injured employee -- pending an internal investigation. Several Renton plant employees said they had been told not to give details for the same reason. But sources familiar with the details said Weigel, a manufacturing research and development engineer, was crossing a main thoroughfare outside the plant when he was struck. Plant employees said Weigel's foot was severed but he was conscious and talking to emergency medical technicians before he was taken to Harborview.
Seven Injured When Fire Truck Hits Restaurant In Ohio A fire truck responding to an alarm in Columbus, Ohio rolled over as it went around a corner and slammed into a restaurant, injuring at least seven people, authorities said.The ladder truck slid into Patrick J's Bar and Grille about 5:30 p.m. yesterday as it responded to a fire at Ohio State University, fire department spokeswoman Kelly McGuire said.The cab of the 70-ton truck went through the north end of the bar, sending tables, chairs, cinder blocks and liquor bottles flying."All this glass and concrete came flying at me," said 52-year-old John Logue who was eating a salad when the truck hit the restaurant. "I had no idea what it was. Then I got knocked down. There was a lot of hysteria."One restaurant patron, 42-year-old Dorothy Toki, was in serious condition today at Ohio State University Medical Center. Two firefighters and a restaurant patron were in fair condition at Riverside and Ohio State University Medical Center. Two firefighters and the restaurant bartender were treated and released from the hospitals.Battalion Chief Mark Devine said preliminary reports indicated the truck may have been cut off by another vehicle. "We're hearing conflicting reports. ... We don't know exactly what happened," Devine said.Larry Chaney was driving behind the fire truck when it rolled over. "The ladder (truck) was driving at excessive speed like it didn't have any brakes," Chaney said. "The next thing I know, it ... tilted on its side."
Worker killed by truck at construction site Ashley Branch, Pensacola News Journal A Pace man acting as a flagman at a Pensacola Beach hotel construction site died Tuesday morning after being run over by a tractor-trailer. According to Florida Highway Patrol reports, a little before 7 a.m., George David Crocker, 52, of Pace was directing the rig's driver - Doyle Alan Sparr, 43, of Milton - who was hauling a construction crane. Crocker, a site supervisor with Greenhut Construction, was walking along with the tractor- trailer as it was backing up in the eastbound lanes of Via de Luna in front of the Hilton hotel site. He somehow got tangled up in the rear wheels. Crocker was taken by Baptist LifeFlight helicopter to Baptist Hospital, but he died from his injuries, troopers said. Sparr was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. Larry Northup, vice president of Greenhut Construction, said Crocker was the company's highest-ranking employee on the site and had worked for the company about 10 years. Exactly how the accident occurred was unclear. "What I think baffled everyone is that he was on the right side of the crane," Northup said. "He was beside it, and not behind it, but then turned and walked behind the crane for just a second. "We shut the job site down for the day, because we knew people wouldn't have their heads or hearts in the job, and we didn't want to have another accident."
St. Cloud mail carrier dies after being hit by truck Associated Press ST. CLOUD -- A rural mail carrier was killed Tuesday after a semitrailer truck hit her car while she stopped to deliver mail. Sharon Annis Routon, 63, who worked for the Postal Service in St. Cloud, is the second rural mail carrier in two months to die while delivering mail in the region . Last month, a mail carrier from Paynesville was killed. Routon was heading west on Stearns County Rd. 47, just off Hwy. 15, when the accident happened, according to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. The semi also was also heading west on the county road and hit Routon's car from behind. The truck driver was not hurt. Postal workers recovered the mail from the accident, said Corwin Snyder, St. Cloud postmaster. Mail was not delivered Tuesday to the rest of that route and another route affected by Routon's death, he said. "They are out there every day," Snyder said. "This should not be the kind of job where people should feel like they are putting their lives at risk everyday."
Pharr Yarns employee killed in workplace accident GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) -- Dozens of friends and family members gathered Monday for an all-night wake in honor of a Pharr Yarns employee killed in a forklift accident. Juan Landero, of Veracruz, Mexico, was killed early Saturday morning while working at the plant in McAdenville. No one witnessed the incident, but Department of Labor officials say it appears Landero was crushed between the mast of the forklift and its frame. The extended wake service at Parkwood Baptist Church gave those who worked the third shift with Landero a final chance to pay their respects. "People would always go to him if they had a question or a doubt," said his son-in-law, Roger Hernandez. "He was known by a lot of people." Hispanics lost 22 lives while working in 2000, or about 9 percent of the state's 234 workplace fatalities. The year before, 12 Hispanic workers were killed on the job, or about 5 percent of the state's 222 workplace fatalities, according to state labor officials. The Department of Labor's final report on the Pharr Yarns death should be completed in about six weeks, said Juan Santos, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Labor.
Dump truck crushes worker BY HANNAH SAMPSON A 19-year-old worker died Monday after he suffered severe injuries when a dump truck backed over him in Hollywood, police said. The man, whose name was not released Monday night, was pouring gasoline into the tank of a ventilation fan over a manhole on North Eighth Avenue near Tyler Street when 54-year-old Orlando Flores of Miami drove the dump truck in reverse and hit him, witnesses told police. The two were working on separate paving and sewer projects in the neighborhood off the Intracoastal Waterway. Rescue workers got the call about 2:50 p.m. They arrived minutes later to find the victim on his back next to the manhole with injuries to his torso and chest and a severe cut on his right leg near the groin, according to Hollywood Fire Rescue spokesman Matt Phillips. At first, the worker was conscious and talking. He complained to rescuers that the asphalt he was lying on was hot. Then he complained that he was having trouble breathing, Phillips said. Fire-rescue workers got the man to Memorial Regional Hospital by 3:05 p.m. He died there. ''They did everything they could,'' Phillips said. ``Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.'' Flores is an independent subcontractor for a company that was under contract to repave streets as part of a city project. The victim was working for Wellington-based Chaz Equipment on a sanitary sewer rehabilitation project, according to Tom Vitale, a project superintendent with Chaz Equipment. Vitale said the victim was from Loxahatchee, Fla., and had worked for the company for 3 ½ months. His father is also an employee of the company, and was working Monday in Lake Worth, Vitale said. Vitale called the victim a ``great, conscientious worker.'' ''Always on time, does a good job. Gets along with everybody,'' he said. At the scene Monday, Flores, shaken and upset, said in Spanish that he did not want to talk to reporters. No charges were filed, Hollywood police Lt. Tony Rode said. The investigation was continuing. Law enforcement officers with the Florida Department of Transportation were called to inspect the truck but had no comment Monday. Vitale said cones were set around the manhole and the portable ventilator was about 1 ½ feet tall. ''I still don't understand how the guy didn't see,'' he said.
UPDATE, Forklift may have created leak - Investigators say Cherry Growers' blast may have been caused when truck hit a pipe carrying ammonia By STACEY SMITH, Record-Eagle staff writer GREILICKVILLE - An explosion and fire at the Cherry Growers Inc. plant here may have been caused when a forklift driver accidentally hit a pipe causing an ammonia leak, investigators said Monday. The fire took firefighters about 10 hours to extinguish. It gutted a loading dock and mechanical room to a plant building, collapsing the roofs as well. No one was seriously injured. Elmwood Township Fire Marshal Capt. Marc Williams said Monday that preliminary investigations point to a forklift driver hitting an ammonia pipe inside the building. The company compresses liquid ammonia into a gas to use as a coolant for its refrigeration system. Williams said it has not been determined what caused the ammonia to ignite. He said he and the state fire marshal are still investigating. Compressed ammonia is flammable at a very short range, he said. Cherry Growers president Tom Rochford said it's possible the gas ignited after coming into contact with too much air. "Mixed with the right amount of air, ammonia can be combustible," Rochford said. The explosion occurred about 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The building was evacuated shortly beforehand when employees noticed the ammonia leak. Rochford said it was fortunate only 11 employees were at the plant at the time. This season's record-low cherry crop kept staff levels below the typical 30 or 50 who are usually there during the harvesting season. One employee received first- and second-degree burns but was treated at the scene, Rochford said. Because of the possibility that ammonia is still in the air, it will be the end of the week before investigators can get inside the building to further determine the cause and complete a damage estimate, Williams said. Rochford said the company, a cooperative made up of 130 cherry farmers, plans to repair the Greilickville plant and reopen it next year. For the rest of this year, cherries that would have been processed there will be processed at a Grawn plant, he said. Williams said the nearest home to the Greilickville plant is more than a quarter of a mile away, so the neighbors were not in danger from the ammonia leak and fire.
Worker hurt when forklift falls off dock By Richard Wronski,Tribune staff reporter A warehouse worker was in critical condition Monday after the forklift he was operating at a Schaumburg importing company toppled off a loading dock and pinned him, authorities said. Dong Kim, 49, of Mundelein, was hospitalized at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to a spokesman, who would not reveal the extent of Kim's injuries. Kim was operating the forklift at CNA International, 455 E. State Pkwy., around 1:30 p.m. when the machine toppled over the edge of a 4-foot-high loading dock, Schaumburg Fire Capt. Jerry Leska said. Fire Department personnel freed Kim by using an inflatable bag to lift the forklift, which weighs about 2 tons, Leska said. A helicopter flew Kim to Loyola. Glenn Wolf, manager of CNA International, said Kim was in charge of the company's warehouse and had been employed for about one year. Wolf said Kim was working on the dock by himself. "We don't really know what happened," Wolf said. The forklift apparently got too close to the edge of the loading dock and toppled over, Wolf said. It appeared that Kim tried to jump off the forklift to avoid being pinned by part of the equipment, he said.
Man who lost legs to get $18.6 million
By JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer
Wednesday July 10, 2002, 11:14:42 PM
A city parks worker who lost his legs two years ago when he was trapped between two trucks after a collision has received a $18.6 million settlement, according to his attorney. Frank Elliott lost both his legs on April 20, 2000, when a driver veered out of traffic on Reliance Drive and smashed into one of two trucks Elliott was standing between. According to police, the driver who caused the accident, Tommy Svare was adjusting his radio and didn't know he was on a collision course. Rescue crews spent 20 minutes freeing Elliott, a city of Bakersfield parks supervisor, from the interlocked bumpers of the two pickup trucks. Elliott's lawyer, Milt Younger of Chain, Younger, Cohn & Stiles, filed a negligence lawsuit against Svare in May 2000. Younger announced the $18.6 million settlement, to be distributed over the course of Elliott's life, on Wednesday. Svare, contacted at work Wednesday, would not comment on the settlement. Elliott said he has not been concentrating on the lawsuit. "We let Mr. Younger handle that end of it," he said. His focus, Elliott said, is still on regaining his ability to walk under his own power. "Rehabilitation is going pretty well," he said. "We're getting close to where I can walk with a single cane." Elliott continues to drive to Northridge Hospital twice a week for therapy. He also works three days a week in the city of Bakersfield's anti-graffiti division. He said his stamina is improving and he is able to walk more on his artificial limbs and for longer than he was able to before -- though he still needs someone nearby to prevent a fall. Elliott and his wife, Doris Elliott, are taking life as it comes to them. "Just about every day brings new issues," he said. The couple will be present at a news conference Younger has called to announce the settlement and give details about it. The briefing will be at the law firm's offices at 1430 Truxtun Ave. at 10:30 a.m. today. "Mr. Younger set this up to get all the information out," Elliott said. Maureen Buscher-Dang, representing Younger, said Elliott's story contains a lesson for everyone. "Frank is an example of what happens when people don't pay attention when they're driving," she said.
Worker Injured In Golf Cart Accident
A man's foot was apparently severed at his ankle Thursday on the North Park golf course, WTAE's Shiba Russell reported. Bruce Collins, a 36-year-old Allegheny County Parks employee, reportedly suffered a seizure and lost control of his golf cart while on his way to the clubhouse. It happened around 1 p.m., near the 15th hole. The cart went down a dirt-and-gravel embankment and crashed next to a fence that runs along a gully. Witnesses said Collins appeared to be unconscious just before the crash. Collins was taken to Passavant Hospital, then transferred to Allegheny General Hospital for surgery. He was still in the operating room as of 5 p.m. It is unclear what brought on the seizure. County police are investigating.
Worker injured at Mosquito Control complex
A Savannah man was injured in a workplace accident Tuesday at Chatham County Mosquito Control. Clark Bockray, 36, was in serious condition at Memorial Health University Medical Center. He was injured about 9:30 a.m. after being struck by a front-end loader that was backing up at the facility where he worked on Dean Forest Road, Chatham County police said. The loader lacked a backup alert, police said. Bockray suffered a broken jaw and other injuries.
Acetone spill catches fire at AMT
A business on Otterson Drive was evacuated early Tuesday morning after an acetone spill caught fire. Twelve workers were evacuated from Alternative Materials Technology at 311 Otterson Drive. The fire started when a forklift ignited a 3- to 5- gallon acetone spill. According to Marie Fickert, information officer for the Chico Fire Department, the spill was spotted by a batch mixer as he was filling a 500-gallon vat. Acetone, the ingredient that gives nail polish remover its distinctive odor, is highly flammable. "Some of the acetone spilled under the forklift," said Fickert. "A second employee attempted to move the forklift away from the spill. When he pressed the accelerator, it started a flash fire at the rear of the lift." The employees hit the fire alarm, Fickert added. Sprinklers did go off inside the building, keeping flames from spreading. Hazardous materials personnel from Chico, Paradise and Butte County FIre/CDF were called to the fire. Seven firefighters who entered the building went through decontamination protocols, including removing possibly contaminated clothing and an al fresco soap-and-water shower. Fickert said none of the fumes left the building. Otterson Drive was closed for three hours from Hegan Lane to Aztec Drive, forcing employees of other businesses in the area to park on Hegan Lane and walk into work. According to company president Bill Maligie, AMT. specializes in the manufacture of "environmentally sound, low volatile, organic wood coating compounds."
WORK ACCIDENT KILLS HARD-HAT
By MARIA MALAVE
A construction worker was killed in Brooklyn yesterday when a truck hit him at his work site, police said. Sidney Douglas, 57, of Brooklyn was pinned against a wall by the truck, which was backing into the site on Classon Avenue in Prospect Heights at 12:15 p.m. He died about three hours later at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital. The driver of the truck was not charged.
Highway worker hit, killed
By LEN WELLS Courier & Press correspondent (618) 842-2159 or
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ill. - An Illinois Department of Transportation worker was killed Monday when a semi slammed into an endloader he was operating in rural Lawrence County. William E. Kasinger, 56, died shortly before 1 p.m. Monday at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville - several hours after the accident. A spokesman for the Illinois DOT office in Effingham, Ill., said Kasinger was on his way to remove a dead deer from Illinois 250 about two miles east of Sumner, Ill., when his endloader was hit. The driver of the semi was identified by Illinois State Police as Paul T. Sabine, 34, of Union Bridge, Md. Investigators say Sabine attempted to pass the DOT vehicle as it was making a turn off of the roadway, striking Kasinger's vehicle in the side. The accident happened in a no-passing zone, where other DOT workers were on the job. Kasinger is survived by a wife and three children. Sabine was cited by state police for improper passing and failure to yield the right of way to a highway maintenance vehicle.
Driver injured when forklift overturns From staff reports A 21-year-old construction worker was injured this morning at Shawnee Park when the forklift he was operating tipped over with him inside it. Lucas Schoolcraft, a worker from Mandaren Construction, suffered injuries to his leg and was taken by ambulance to Thomas Memorial Hospital about 8 a.m., officials at the scene said. Schoolcraft was backing down an embankment at the park when the lift tipped, officials said. He jumped from the cab and was caught in the door. Four co- workers pulled him from the lift and called 911. Firefighters from the Institute Volunteer Fire Department responded within 1 minute. Mandaren Construction owner Amanda Morris said Schoolcraft had the bucket on the forklift too high in the air, which caused the machinery to tip. The construction crew was hired four weeks ago to replace the roof on the Shawnee Park clubhouse and was expected to finish the job within a week. Morris said Schoolcraft's injuries were not critical.
14-year-old boy dies at warehouse
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | A 14-year-old boy died Sunday after he was thrown from a forklift and crushed beneath it, apparently during a break-in at a Dayton warehouse. Authorities did not identify him Sunday. According to Dayton Police Lt. David A. Sherrer Sr., three boys entered Peerless Warehouse, 14 S. Marion St., and began driving forklifts around the property in a "wild manner." The victim’s forklift went off the loading dock and he was tossed from the vehicle and crushed, Sherrer said. The other two boys ran to a residence and summoned help. Fire crews were dispatched about 6:40 a.m. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Police did not specify how long the boys were on the property. Sherrer said the other boys were taken into custody, interviewed and released.
Lorry overturns, one killed
MARANG: An estate worker was killed and 12 others injured when the lorry they were travelling in overturned at an oil palm plantation in Felda Rantau Abang II. Endon Awang, 47, from Kampung Jambu Bongkok, Merchang, died on the spot in the incident. Marang OCPD Deputy Supt Syed Wahab A. Majid said the 12 injured estate workers included six Indonesians. They were treated at Kuala Terengganu Hospital. He said the incident occurred at 7am yesterday when the workers were on their way to work at the plantation. “According to the estate manager, the lorry, laden with fertiliser, skidded and overturned when going downhill as the road was slippery,” he said. - Bernama
Cement truck rollover kills driver - Busy Juanita Drive closed as work crews struggle with heavy truck
Journal Staff
KENMORE -- A truck driver was killed yesterday when his half-loaded cement truck rolled over on Juanita Drive Northeast, trapping him underneath. He died at the scene shortly before 4 p.m., before rescuers could extricate him. The north-south arterial remained closed in the vicinity of Inglewood Country Club at mid-evening as work crews tried to right the massive, red truck and get it off the roadway. A medical examiner also was at the scene. The dead man was not identified. Lt. Jim Torpin of the Northshore Fire Department said the cement truck was turning north onto Juanita Drive from Northeast 155th Place when it rolled over and hit a guardrail. Torpin said witnesses reported the driver honking as he made the turn. It wasn't immediately known where the truck was coming from or where it was going. Fuel spilled from the Issaquah-based Rinker Cement truck, but didn't appear to be a major problem.
WORKER IS INJURED IN COLLISION
A man escaped serious injury in a fork-lift truck accident at a Cheltenham metal firm. The man suffered injuries to his right foot in the accident at TW Bayston Ltd, in Tewkesbury Road, at 12.43pm yesterday, police said. The 28-year-old was taken by ambulance to Cheltenham General Hospital with an open wound to his foot, which is believed to have been broken. A spokeswoman for the Gloucestershire Ambulance Service said one crew was sent to the scene following a report that a man had been in collision with a fork-lift truck. TW Bayston is a metal finishing company which employs around 70 employees. Nobody was available for comment at the company. A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "The incident has not been reported to us at this stage. "We are not taking any action at this point."
Millen man dies in tractor mishap
By ANGELA LEE, Reporter for the Statesboro (Ga.) Herald An autopsy will be performed to determine if a 41-year-old Millen man drowned Monday or died from injuries received when the tractor he was operating overturned on a pond bank on a Screven County dairy farm. Screven County Coroner James Strickland said he "isn't sure" exactly how the unidentified man died, so he's "sending the body to Atlanta to the crime lab" for more comprehensive testing. The victim's name was not released but authorities said the 41-year-old was employed at the Krulic Dairy Farm near Rocky Ford, where the accident occurred Monday morning. Identification listed a Millen home address. A Screven County Sheriff's Department spokesman said the victim was operating the tractor on the bank of a pond dam when the vehicle "slipped and landed on him."
Man Injured In Tractor Rollover Accident
An Edmond man is recovering after being pinned under a tractor Monday.
Rescue crews said the man was mowing the law in front of the Crest grocery store when he got too close to the curb. The tractor flipped and the man was pinned underneath. The man suffered abdominal injuries, but is expected to recover.
Construction Worker Run Over by Bulldozer
A construction worker is dead after a horrific accident in which he was run over by a bulldozer. It happened around 10:25 a.m. Wednesday morning at a construction site at Ox Road and Full View Drive, in the Burke area. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue says the 65-year-old man was dead at the scene. The man was standing on the tracks of the bulldozer, trying to jump-start it with a screwdriver, when it lunged forward, running him over. ABC 7 has a news crew on the way and we will bring you the latest details as they become available.
OSHA Investigates Accident At Summerfest Grounds
A 30-year-old man was injured Thursday afternoon when two lift trucks collided on the Summerfest Grounds at Meier Festival Park. The industrial accident happened at about 1:30 p.m. near the Miller tents. Milwaukee police said that the man fell from one of the trucks and was taken to an area hospital. Summerfest had no comment other than to confirm there was an accident. OSHA is investigating the accident.
FORKLIFT TRAGEDY TRIAL COLLAPSES MARK NAYLOR
HEALTH and safety bosses today insisted they had no regrets after the collapse of a trial involving the death of a man at the giant Conoco plant in South Killingholme. Forklift truck driver Steven Lambert was accused of failing to take proper safety precautions shortly before knocking down a man who later died. He allegedly never saw the 59-year-old victim because the truck's forks and jib were raised up high as he transported a large coiled hose, Grimsby Crown Court heard. The accident happened at the Humber Oil Refinery as project manager David Gregory was walking towards an office on the site. He was crushed to death after being knocked over from behind, the court was told. He suffered chest, abdominal and pelvic injuries and died soon afterwards. Mr Lambert (21), of Hollingsworth Avenue, Immingham, denied failing to take reasonable care for the safety of others on November 6, 2000. The trial was halted and the charge dismissed after the prosecution offered no further evidence. Health and Safety Executive spokesman Bob Woodward, of the hazardous installations directorate, later told the Grimsby Telegraph: "We were disappointed at the outcome of this case but we hope that the airing of the issues, even though it was reasonably limited, will highlight the dangers of workplace transport and will help to reduce the high accident rate nationally. "We have a duty to put together evidence and bring the issues in front of the courts. Any kind of publicity is good publicity." David Tremberg, prosecuting, said Mr Lambert was working as a forklift truck driver for Rigblast Energy Services Ltd at the site. He was carrying a coiled hose suspended from the forks and, to stop it trailing along the ground, had the forks and jib raised up high. Father-of-two Mr Gregory, of Totley, Sheffield, was working for an engineering construction company. He was walking up a site road to make a telephone call when the forklift driven by Mr Lambert hit him from behind. "With his view unobstructed, the defendant should have had the opportunity to see Mr Gregory and have him within his field of vision," claimed Mr Tremberg. The court heard Mr Lambert told the police he thought he had hit a pothole or object and was distraught when he realised it was a man. "He said he could see all around and could also see clearly forward through the hoses," added Mr Tremberg.
Firm fined after worker’s death A WELLINGBOROUGH firm has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 after an accident which led to a worker’s death. Tingdene Homes, on the Finedon Road Industrial estate, admitted failing to ensure the safety at work of Craig Heath, who died in November, 2000. Mr Heath, 29, of Burton Latimer, fell from a truck he had been driving and was crushed by the vehicle in the accident on October 12, 2000. Acid then leaked from a battery, causing severe burns. Mr Heath, who was married with a three-year-old son, had to have a leg amputated but died of a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot on the lungs – a month later. At a hearing on Friday, Towcester magistrates fined Tingdene, which makes mobile homes, £12,000 and ordered it to pay £3,126 costs. The case had been brought by the Health and Safety Executive. At an inquest in December last year the accident was blamed on an uneven surface in the firm’s yard and faulty steering on the truck. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. A statement released after Friday’s hearing by Tingdene’s solicitors said: “Craig Heath was a popular and valued member of the Tingdene Homes staff. He was involved in a serious accident while at work. “He had been treated and discharged home to recover and we were looking forward to talking to Craig about getting him back to work as he got better. “Tragically and suddenly, some weeks later Craig developed complications, from which he did not recover. “The company co-operated in a detailed investigation by the authorities and accepted responsibility for making improvements to already extensive health and safety procedures. We continue to extend our deepest sympathy to Craig’s family.” Health and Safety Executive inspector Darren Allport said: “We are pleased the magistrates took into account the severity of the charge.”
Worker’s hand crushed in forklift accident
A WORKER lost part of his hand after it was crushed when a heavy load swung out of control at a Lothian engineering firm. A man in his late 50s suffered the injury at Halmond Engineering Products on the Mosshall Industrial Estate, Blackburn, West Lothian. He was hurt when a load carried by a forklift truck swung out of control and trapped his hand against the side of the truck. The Lothian and Borders Ambulance Service took the man, who has not been named, to St John’s Hospital in Livingston. Police also informed the Health and Safety Executive, which has launched an investigation into the incident. An HSE spokesman said investigators were waiting to hear from the company, which has ten days to respond. Nobody from Halmond Engineering Products was available to comment when contacted. The accident at Halmond Engineering is the third involving forklift trucks in the region in recent months. In April, Watco Design and Display of Dalkeith, which allowed a worker to drive a forklift without proper training, was fined £7000 after the vehicle ran over a man’s foot and caused multiple fractures. Last year, a forklift driver was crushed and later died after a horrific accident at Edinburgh’s Caledonian Brewery. He lay trapped for half an hour under the truck after it toppled while taking beer kegs from a lorry at the brewery.
Canadian Firefighter Dies After Rollover
HEATHER CASP, Firehouse.com News
Canadian firefighter Gary Giffin passed away Tuesday, June 11 after suffering serious injuries in a pumper rollover. Giffin, 31, had served the Fort Nelson Fire Department in British Columbia as a full time firefighter for one year, said Acting Assistant Chief Al Bone. On June 4 at 2:43 a.m. Giffin was responding alone in a pumper to a double-wide trailer fire. He was involved in an accident and the vehicle rolled, Bone said. Giffin was ejected from the vehicle and sustained serious head injuries. His coworkers responded, and he was flown to Edmonton University Hospital. He never regained consciousness and passed away June 11 at 9:50 a.m. This is the first line of duty death in the department, and the first time members had to respond to one of their own. "There's a first time for everything," Bone said sadly. Giffin is survived by his parents and his fiancee. He was a Tae Kwon Do instructor with his own club, and enjoyed softball. He was also an ardent fund raiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada. "He was happy-go-lucky and loved the outdoors," Bone said. The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19 at 2 p.m. at the Fort Nelson Community Recreation Center. The Fort Nelson Fire Department is a combination department with about six full time firefighters and 20 part time paid-on-call firefighters. They serve a population of 6000 in a fire district of approximately 45 square miles, with a large industrial area and both rural and urban residential areas. Fort Nelson is located in north eastern British Columbia at Mile 300 of the Alaska Highway, about 1,000 miles northeast of Vancouver.
Car boss crushed by engine
By The Evening Chronicle
A father-of-five was crushed to death when a car engine fell on him in a tragic work accident. John Pringle died minutes after the engine he was working on toppled over at his Tyneside scrap yard. An inquest at Newcastle Coroner's Court heard Mr Pringle suffered massive wounds to his chest and suffocated to death after several ribs were broken and his lungs filled with blood. Mr Pringle, of Drove Road, Throckley, was working at his business J Pringle Auto Salvage, in Swalwell, Gateshead, on May 5, 2001 when the accident happened. At 6ft 5in and weighing 24 stones, Mr Pringle, was well known and loved in the Tyneside motor trade. The engine which crushed Mr Pringle had been hoisted up on a forklift truck which the inquest heard was over 25 years old and in poor mechanical condition. There were no witnesses to the accident but DC Paul Harris from Whickham CID, said police believed Mr Pringle had been standing beneath the lifted engine when the forklift mast slipped and he was struck in the chest. Graham Norton from the HSE said investigations had shown the forklift was in poor condition and tests showed the extending mast sometimes became stuck and then released without warning. Long-standing friend Russell Stonehouse was working at the other end of the yard when the fatal accident happened. He found Mr Pringle, a father of four and step dad of one, unconscious beneath the forklift lying next to the blood-stained engine. Mr Stonehouse told the inquest how he moved the forklift away from Mr Pringle's body and desperately tried to save his life using mouth to mouth until an ambulance arrived. He said: "Johnny was a gentle giant. He was so kind and generous to everyone he met. He was like a brother to me." Mr Pringle's wife Pam was in the court along with his father Jack, but did not speak. More than 300 people crammed into Newburn church for his funeral last May. He was taken to Lemington Cemetery in a Victorian horse-drawn glass hearse. A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
Construction worker dies; Driver hit excavation job, police say
By Cathy Logg, Herald Writer
EVERETT -- A Bothell company was devastated Monday by the death of one man and serious injury to another when a motorist drove into a construction zone and struck the men, then crashed into a parked dump truck. Some of the workers restrained the driver, who tried to leave the scene, police said. They held him until officers arrived. A 49-year-old Stanwood man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he underwent surgery before he died. A company foreman, he had been standing in a trench about 3 feet deep when a compact pickup drove through some orange cones and struck him, dragging him out of the trench. He suffered head, chest and abdominal injuries. The pickup also struck another worker, knocking the 32-year-old flagger from Marysville "quite some distance by the impact," said Roger Thompson, a Puget Sound Energy spokesman. "Luckily for him, he was out of the hole," Detective Pete Grassi said. The foreman and the other worker were employed by Pilchuck Contractors, Inc., a Bothell company installing a natural gas pipeline for Puget Sound Energy. The flagger was taken to Providence Everett Medical Center's Colby Campus, where he was in serious condition with a head injury and facial fractures, hospital spokeswoman Cheri Russum said. He may be released today, company spokeswoman Julie Golich said. The pickup's driver, reportedly is 48 and from the Everett area. He was not arrested. The crash occurred about 11 a.m. at 37th Street and Rucker Avenue, where the company had blocked off the outside northbound lane, where an excavator was digging a narrow trench. Prior to the work site, three large orange signs warned motorists of "road construction," "lane closed ahead" and "flagger ahead." An Everett Fire Department medical crew saw the worker who had been standing in the closed lane go "flying through the air," Battalion Chief Ed Oas said. "At this time, the names of the employees involved are being withheld at the request of their families," said Golich, the company's human relations manager. "Our total attention and thoughts are with our employees and their families. Because the police and our own safety personnel are still investigating this accident, we do not have any other details at this time. We will be taking care of the employees." Police closed the northbound lanes during the investigation and detoured traffic around the scene. Everett police and the state Department of Labor and Industries are investigating. The case will be forwarded to prosecutors when the investigation is complete.
Construction worker dies in accident at Olympic village
The Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A construction worker at the 2004 Olympic village died after being run over by a van at the site Monday. The death of the 53-year-old Albanian man was the third death at the village within the last year, prompting builders to call a strike at the site Tuesday, the state-run Athens News Agency said. Labor ministry officials are carrying out an investigation into the accident, according Olympic Village 2004 AE, the company overseeing construction work. Representatives of the 1,500 workers at the venue have repeatedly complained of poor conditions. Four Greek construction groups are building the residential zone of the village, which will accommodate 17,300 athletes and officials at Menidi, about 15 miles north of Athens.
UPDATE, Railroad workers not warned of runaway car
By Brian D. Crecente, News Staff Writer
A rail worker killed by a runaway rail car Wednesday had no warning before it crushed him, officials said Thursday. Workers in the area had been told there was no need for a spotter because the rail was closed to all traffic, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokeswoman said. Douglas County Sheriff's deputies notified the railroad about the runaway car moments before it bore down on the two workers. Railroad police and the Federal Railroad Administration continued to investigate Thursday how the car broke loose from six others and sped down more than 30 miles of track from Castle Rock to Denver before stopping in downtown.
Man injured after truck rolls down embankment
From staff reports A contract employee working on the new U.S. 29 bypass was airlifted to University of Virginia Hospital on Monday evening after his truck flipped and rolled down a hill at the work site. According to Brian Tilton, first lieutenant with the Monelison Rescue Squad, the man was driving a truck with a water tank on top down a left-banking downhill turn when he lost control and went down an embankment between 30 and 40 feet long. The truck, which is about 15 feet tall, weighs about 66,000 pounds and is used to wet down dust on the road at the construction site, ended its roll down the hill with its crushed cab on the bottom and the wheels up in the air, trapping the driver in the cab. The Monelison Rescue Squad, which was assisted by the Lynchburg Lifesaving Crew, Monelison Fire Department and the Lynchburg Fire Department's technical rescue unit, responded at around 4:15 p.m., said Tilton. The water had dumped out of the tank - which was now on the ground - and all the weight was at the top of the flipped truck. The squads grabbed any construction equipment they could find to secure the truck and keep it from tipping. With the truck secured, the rescue workers cut the door in half and got the man out at about 5:30 p.m. Tilton would not say what the driver's name or injuries were, but did say the driver was conscious and talking when the Virginia State Police Medflight helicopter picked him up.
UPDATE, Milkman's legs were crushed in accident
THE case of a milkman who was crushed between his float and a forklift truck has prompted health and safety bosses in Warrington to urge businesses to take proper precautions. In October last year, the milkman - who runs a franchise - was unloading his float at Express Dairies Direct Service in Howley when a forklift truck reversed out of a milk stock fridge and crushed him between the two vehicles. The victim suffered crush injuries to his legs and has been off work ever since. Express Dairies pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of persons other than employees at Warrington Magistrates' Court earlier this month and was fined #4,000 and ordered to pay #1,171 costs. The case is an example of the sort of incident which health and safety officers at Warrington Borough Council are trying to highlight with the town's businesses. They are currently targeting workplace transport issues in a bid to reduce accidents - and are reminding businesses that they are responsible for the safety of franchised and temporary staff. The borough council's health and safety department is responsible for the protection of more than 3,000 business premises and 70,000 employees. Each year, nationally, around 70 people are killed and 1,600 seriously injured as a result of being hit by a vehicle at work.
Man dies in farming accident
A farmer in Lewiston township was killed Thursday afternoon after the skid loader he was using rolled over on top of him. Gary W. Seiler, 46, of N. 9620 County Highway XX died in the accident, which occurred shortly before noon on the family farm. According to a release from the Columbia County Sheriff's Department, Seiler appeared to have struck a large field stone while using a skid loader to perform farm duties on uneven ground. The loader, a large agricultural implement similar to a forklift, rolled over, pinning Seiler underneath. He was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of his injuries.
Garbage Truck Backs Over, Kills Worker
A sanitation worker died Friday morning when a garbage truck he was working with ran over him. What police call a tragic accident occurred at 9:30 a.m. on Rain Forest Drive in Arlington, when a Southland Waste Systems truck attempted to turn around in a cul-de-sac. "The driver thought that he was on the back of the truck," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Sgt. Gus Carlson said. "He was not, he was on the ground, picking up garbage. (The driver) accidentally backed into the victim, who died at the scene." Police and the Florida Department of Transportation are both investigating to see if a mechanical problem might have been involved, because the truck also backed over a cable television box and mailboxes.
Boy injured by forklift goes home in style
PORTLAND - The 11-year old boy who was critically injured after being caught under a forklift on Mother's Day got a stylish lift home Wednesday. OHSU doctors say that Tony Bennett made a miraculous recovery after undergoing weeks of intensive re-constructive surgery. Since the accident, fire fighter paramedics from Clackamas County Fire District No. 1 have developed a strong friendship with Tony. Today, "Turbo-Tony" as the fire fighters call him, was given a ride home on a fire engine. Tony has told the firefighters he has a strong desire to be a fire fighter when he gets older. Tony's older brother, Christopher, is expected to join him on the fire engine for the ride home.
Island man, 19, killed by forklift
Worker from Great Kills is crushed to death at Columbus Circle construction site
By MICHAEL SCHOLL, ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
A young Great Kills man was killed last night when he was crushed by a forklift while working at a Manhattan construction site. Thomas Gray Jr., 19, of Keats Street, was fatally injured around 7 p.m. at the former site of the New York Coliseum at 10 Columbus Circle. An office and condominium complex is now being built there. Police said Gray was driving a forklift at the construction site when he made a sharp turn which caused the machine to tip to the side. Gray got out of the machine after it tipped over and tried to get it back up on all four wheels. But the forklift fell on top of him and crushed him to death. Gray was pronounced dead at the scene, and his family was notified of the accident a short time later. A distraught woman reached at Gray's home refused to comment on the incident last night. The circumstances behind the accident were still under investigation last night, police said. The New York Coliseum opened in 1956 an exhibition and convention center, but it was later torn down after it was supplanted by the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the West Side. The complex being built at the Coliseum site will house the corporate headquarters for AOL-Time Warner, along with condominiums, stores, a luxury hotel and a theater for Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Quadriplegic appeals workers' comp pay
By George Strawley, The Associated Press
HARRISBURG -- A man rendered a quadriplegic as a result of a workplace accident after three months on the job full time is fighting in the state Supreme Court to have his workers' compensation restored to a higher level. Charles Snyder Jr., whose case was heard by the state's highest court Tuesday, saw his benefits reduced because of part-time work he performed while still in high school. Snyder, of Quakertown, was 19 years old when he was pinned beneath a forklift in a 1996 accident. Snyder, who lost the use of both his legs and the partial use of one arm in the accident, had been on the job full time for about three months. Snyder's workers' compensation was calculated based on his average weekly wage for months he worked full time for Hanaberry Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. The figure came to $474, which would have translated into a weekly compensation rate of $316. A Commonwealth Court panel ruled, however, that his wages from when he worked for the same company on a part-time basis, while he was still in high school, should be included in the equation. Those salaries, which dipped as low as $57.25 a week, reduced Snyder's average salary and brought his compensation rate down to $207 a week. "If allowed to stand, the court's decision will add the insult of a lifetime of part-time compensation to Charles' injury of permanent, irreparable quadriplegia," Snyder's attorney, Kurt E. Clawson, argued in a brief filed in the case. Snyder filed his appeal against Hanaberry and its insurer, Donegal Mutual Insurance Cos. The state Legislature amended the state workers' compensation law in the same month that Snyder graduated from high school. The revised law was meant to make it tougher for a worker whose wages varied -- such as one who earned large amounts of overtime -- to collect workers' compensation at a peak wage by subjecting such a worker to an averaging of wages over three quarters, Clawson said. Clawson told the justices Tuesday that Snyder's circumstances were vastly different. "The simple truth is the Legislature did not consider this situation," Clawson said. But an attorney for the company and its insurer said reversing the lower court's decision would lead to higher payments to other workers who don't deserve them.
Road Grader Rips Pipeline In Oklahoma; School Evacuated A road grader ripped open a 14-inch natural gas pipeline in Mutual, Oklahoma , spewing gas into the air and prompting firefighters to evacuate a high school almost two miles away. The man driving the grader was treated and released at Woodward Regional Hospital after he was sprayed by the gas yesterday afternoon. There was no fire, but the spewing gas blew a hole about 10 feet deep and 10 to 15 feet in diameter in the dirt. The gas was less than 550 pounds of pressure when the grader broke the pipeline, authorities said. Gas line owner Duke Energy Co. shut off gas to the line about an hour and 20 minutes after the grader ruptured the pipe, firefighters said. Sharon-Mutual High School students were evacuated because a strong wind was blowing natural gas toward the school. A baccalaureate was held later Wednesday at the school.The gas line rupture happened a day after area firefighters attended an emergency response meeting by The Pipeline Group.
One Dead in TexasTruck Accident UVALDE, Texas (AP) - An 18-wheel truck slammed into a front-loader construction rig Thursday and then careened into a moving freight train, killing one person. The truck struck an empty box car of the 112-car about 70 miles west of San Antonio, Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said, citing witness reports. The train then dragged the truck to a nearby bridge, where eight to nine cars derailed. At least one car and the bridge erupted in flames, but the blaze was quickly extinguished, Bromley said. No hazardous material was spilled, he said. The name of the victim was not released. Bromley said no one on the train was injured. The train was headed to San Antonio from Southern California .
Pair of truck mishaps claim 2
BUCKS COUNTY -- Two truck drivers were killed in two separate accidents in Bucks County yesterday, including one mishap in Falls Township where a load of 1,600-pound steel pipes fell on top of a victim as he stood near his flatbed at NovoLog deepwater port. In both incidents, the victim was crushed instantly and never had a chance to avoid their fate, witnesses said. During the first incident, which occurred about 7:45 a.m. in Warwick Township ,dump truck driver Mark Haflo, 41, was delivering a load of crushed stone to a construction site along Old York Road near the Hartsville section of town when he noticed the lift bucket on his rig got stuck halfway up, officials said. Police said Haflo, of East Greenville , Pa. , had climbed under the not-yet-dumped bucket of stone and was pouring hydraulic fluid in a small reservoir tank when a brace gave way, causing the entire bucket stone to slam back into place. With Haflo trapped under the fully-loaded bucket, panicked construction workers used a bulldozer and backhoe to lift the load off the victim, but found the rig too heavy to budge. The crushed stone had to be unloaded before workers could free the victim, police said. Haflo, who worked for JD Contractors, of Furlong, Pa. was rushed to Warminster General Hospital but was already deceased, officials said. In the second accident, which occurred about 2:45 p.m. in Falls Township , a 31-year old truck driver was crushed to death when a load of 1,600 pound steel pipes fell ontop of him as he stood near his flatbed rig at the NovoLog port near the USX Industrial site. Officials said the man, from Keedysville , Maryland , was apparently waiting for his flatbed truck to be loaded by a forklift when a band broke holding a half-dozen steel pipes together broke. The pipes rolled off the forklift and landed ontop of the driver, who apparently did not see what had occurred. "He never even had a clue of what was about to happen," said one NovoLog co-worker who tried to help the man but found the injuries too severe. Authorities last night said they could not release the man's name until his family has been notified of his death. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed today, authorities said. NovoLog president David Reid last night characterized the death as a terrible tragedy, and said OSHA and Falls police have been advised of the accident and were already investigating.
Tractor rolls onto, kills golf course worker
By M. Scot Skinner , ARIZONA DAILY STAR
The 26-year-old groundskeeper crushed to death Wednesday morning at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort was a proud, easygoing Nicaraguan who was well on his way to building a new life in Tucson . Wilbert Torrez was pinned under a small, three-wheel tractor when it toppled into a shallow lake directly in front of the resort's main entrance. A co-worker who was mowing the 18th green rushed to his aid, but Torrez was unresponsive, authorities said. Torrez, who coached a local soccer team and enjoyed playing golf as well, was taken to Tucson Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at about 10 a.m. Devastated relatives said Torrez and his extended family moved here in 1995 after surviving the civil war in Nicaragua. He lived in an apartment on North First Avenue with his father, Armando Torrez, and his twin 17-year-old brothers. Armando Torrez, who also works as a groundskeeper at a golf course, said his son was full of dreams for the future. A legal permanent resident, the younger Torrez planned to become a U.S. citizen and build a family with Lorena Dibello, his fiancee. "We are so brokenhearted you can hardly imagine,'' said his father. The tractor he was operating Wednesday morning went over an embankment and ended up on top of him, said District Chief George Good of the Rural/Metro Fire Department. "Our hearts go out to the family of our employee," said George White, Ventana Canyon Lodge general manager. "We're all in shock.'' It was the first fatal accident in the 15 years the resort has been open, he said. In addition to his father and three brothers, Torrez is survived by his mother, Ana Ortiz, and his 22-year-old sister.
Highway worker run over, trapped, by road grader
By:Jennifer Wilmes
A 22-year-old county employee who was run over and trapped by the back tire of a road grader Monday was listed in critical condition this morning at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne . Sean Kunkle, Portland , a summer employee for the Jay County Highway Department, was trapped under the 8,500-pound grader for several minutes before being freed by co-workers. He was first taken by Jay Emergency Medical Service to Jay County Hospital and then flown by Samaritan Helicopter to Parkview. Kunkle was working with county and LICA Construction Corporation employees berming on county road 800 South just west of county road 700 West in southwest Jefferson Township, when the incident occurred about 11:30 a.m. County highway department superintendent Robert Sours visited Kunkle Monday night in the intensive care unit at Parkview."He knew who I was. He couldn't talk because of the tube in his throat but he winked at me. I left there with a good feeling," Sours said this morning. The incident happend when Kunkle attempt to jump on and stop the grader, which began rolling while the driver took a break.The grader wheel was lifted off of Kunkle's chest thanks to the efforts of four county and LICA employees, who quickly hooked a chain to the rear of the grader and to a lift on the front of a county dump truck. The dump truck was driven by county employee Jim McEwen. LICA employee Todd Striker led the operation that removed Kunkle, Sours said this morning. "(Striker) got the job done. He kept a level head," Sours said. The grader, owned by LICA, Berne , was driving behind Kunkle's truck ,working to level stone being dumped on the shoulder of the road. The driver of the grader, LICA employee Todd Gullett, stopped the grader, turned its engine off and exited the grader. After Gullett got off of the grader it began to roll. Kunkle, who was still driving the sweeper, noticed the grader rolling. He exited the sweeper and went to the grader. As Kunkle attempted to get on the grader to stop it he fell beneath the left rear wheel. Monday was Kunkle's first day working for the county department this summer, Sours said. Kunkle is the son of Shirley Brinkerhoff and Dick Kunkle, both of rural Portland . He attends Ball State University in Muncie . Employees of Rescue 19, Redkey First Responders and Jay County Sheriff's Department were also at the scene Monday.
Update: Boy Hit With Forklift In Fair Condition
MILWAUKIE , Ore. -- An 11-year-old boy crushed in a forklift accident has been upgraded to fair condition. Anthony Bennett from Seaside was at the Oak Grove Fred Meyer store on Sunday when he was accidentally struck by a forklift and dragged about 10 feet. On Wednesday, Anthony's father, David Bennett (pictured right), thanked the community for its support. "I just ask that you keep Tony in your prayers, but even more than that, there's another person involved in this accident. That was the driver of the forklift. I ask that you keep him in your prayers because he also has a family." David says anyone interested in helping Anthony can do so by donating blood at the American Red Cross on his behalf.
Bridgeport loses suit after worker crushed by truck By DANIEL TEPFER BRIDGEPORT - A jury has ordered the city to pay more than $1 million to a former trash collector who was crushed while riding on a municipal garbage truck five years ago. A six-member Superior Court jury deliberated about 3 days before finding the city negligent Friday for injuries suffered by Amadeu Souto, 68, of Shelton . It awarded $1,054,804 to Souto. However, a prior agreement between the plaintiff and city limits the amount the city will actually pay to $700,000, with Souto receiving an additional $135,000 in worker's compensation payments. "I am saddened that Mr. Souto had to relive the tragedy in the courtroom and although he will never have his health again it was important for him to tell what happened to him and have the jury understand what was lost, said his lawyer, John Naizby of Branford. According to Naizby, on Jan. 7, 1997 , Souto was riding on the outside rear of a garbage truck traveling on Canaan Road , when the truck swerved toward the side of the road. Souto was pinned between the garbage truck and a parked truck, the lawyer said, causing him to suffer eight broken ribs, two collapsed lungs and permanent nerve damage. Because of those injuries, Naizby said his client, who is married and has three adult daughters and three grandchildren, has not been able to work again. "He has permanent disability to his back and right arm and cannot raise his right arm above his waist without difficulty, he said. During the weeklong trial, the city argued that Souto's own negligence caused his injuries. "The city recognizes that the plaintiff, Mr. Souto, suffered an unfortunate accident and we wish him and his family well in dealing with the injuries he sustained, said city spokesman Joseph Gresko. "We do not agree, however, with the jury's verdict which attributed the cause of Mr. Souto's accident to the negligence of a fellow city public facilities employee, Gresko added. Gresko said the city attorney's office has begun a review of employee compliance with the city's trash collection work rules and that employees would be retrained if necessary to ensure that similar accidents don't happen in the future. Daniel Tepfer, who covers state courts and law enforcement issues, can be reached at 330-6308.
Highway Department Employee Injured By Track Hoe
by Sherri Osteen
County Highway Department employee Edward "Boxy" Wilson was seriously injured on April 16th when a county track hoe crushed his feet and legs. Public Works Superintendent Jim Smith has refused to release the name of the track hoe operator. Wilson, a truck driver and the unidentified track hoe operator were loading dirt at the county landfill in Somerville when the accident occurred. According to Smith, Wilson was standing beside his dump truck when the small track hoe/excavator went into reverse and ran over his feet and legs. Smith said the operator did not see Wilson . "It was an unfortunate accident," Smith said. No charges were filed against the operator, who is still working for the county. Wilson was transported by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital , where he underwent surgery for his crushed foot and a broken leg. "It is my understanding that he crushed all of the bones in the top of his left foot and his toes," Smith explained. "He also had a second surgical procedure to apply a special cast to his right leg." Smith said Wilson will have to undergo physical rehabilitation, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Machinery Operator Dies In Accident
A Spring Branch man died Wednesday afternoon after a piece of heavy machinery he was operating tipped over while he was working on the Northeast Side, authorities said. Douglas Charles Grieve, 22, was killed at a rock quarry at Vulcan Materials at Loop 1604 and Judson Road. Grieve was airlifted to University Hospital where he died shortly after arrival. It was still not clear how the accident happened.
Fire crews clean up Opa-lockaAirport spill
Miami-Dade hazardous materials and fire rescue units were called to Opa-locka Airport this morning to deal with a reported bacteria spill. A forklift driver working at the airport called police and said he'd been exposed to some hazardous materials after running over a crate. Hazmat crews say a very small amount of bacteria that is used for medical testing was released. They cleaned up the spill. The forklift driver was not injured.
UPDATE, Firm fined over accident with forklift
A north Shropshire factory was ordered to pay more than £4,500 by magistrates at Market Drayton today after a worker's legs were injured in an accident involving a forklift truck. Matthew Wellburn, of Whitchurch, was standing on the forks of the vehicle when its load flipped over on top of him, the court heard. BCM Contracts, of Whitchurch, was fined £4,000 with £578 costs after admitting failing to provide a system of work to ensure the safety of employees involved in transporting products. Dr Janice Dale, prosecuting for the Health & Safety Executive, said Mr Wellburn was injured while working at the plant last June 10. He was standing on the forks of a forklift truck as he helped to transport some fibreglass and cement panels. Mr Wellburn had been copying the method other employees used which Dr Dale described as "an accident waiting to happen". While reversing the truck the panels flipped and fell on to Mr Wellburn trapping one of his legs, Dr Dale said. He was quickly released but suffered a ligament injury to his left knee and would have to have an operation, she added. Mr Barry Holland, for BCM, said the company did not condone the practice and had issued a notice warning that forklifts should not take passengers. All drivers had been re-trained since the incident at great cost to the company, he added, and there was little chance of another accident occurring. The panels were transported very rarely, about twice a year at most.
Construction Worker Falls 40 Feet from Forklift
WJLA
A construction worker in Rockville has been takento an area hospital after falling about 40 feet from a forklift. The accident happend around 7:20 a.m. according to Montgomery County Fire Department spokesman Pete Piringer. Emergeny crews and a helicopter rushed to the scene to take the victim to the hospital. The unidentifiedman was working with a constructioncrewin the 800 block of Grand Champion Drive in the King Farm development. Piringer says the construction worker has suffered "traumatic injuries."
City Fined For Maintenance Worker's Death
The federal government has fined the city of Greensboro $6,300 for the death of Stephen Allen. Allen, a maintenance worker, was crushed by a garbage truck while collecting leaves in October. Occupational health administrators said the city should not have allowed Allen to stand on the rear of a garbage truck while it backed up.
Roadworks fatality It is reported that a roads maintenance worker has died from extensive injuries after he became trapped in road maintenance equipment. The accident occurred at the ICI plant in Stevenston, Ayrshire, where contractors had been engaged on maintenance.
Cement truck tips; driver unhurt St. Joseph News-Press
St. Joseph police and fire officials responded to Heartland Regional Medical Center Wednesday afternoon when a cement truck tipped over in a construction area. Officer Henry Pena said Timothy A. Stone, 21, was driving the cement truck for Herzog Contracting Corp. The accident happened as Mr. Stone inched the truck forward through the construction zone near Heartland Medical Plaza . Mr. Stone noticed the truck leaning to the right and tried to back up, and that’s when it tipped over, Mr. Pena said. Mr. Stone wasn’t injured, and no tickets were issued, Mr. Pena said.
Workers struck, killed by truck
BETHLEHEM (AP) - Two employees of the city's recycling center were killed Tuesday after they were struck by an elderly woman driving a pickup truck, authorities said. Officials said Edwin R. Theis Jr., 80, and Lewis Cornfeld, 71, both of Bethlehem , were killed. The two were part-time employees at Bethlehem 's recycling center. Mayor Don Cunningham told The Express-Times of Easton that an elderly woman driving a pickup truck backed into the men just before 4 p.m. "The lady had apparently backed over them and then went forward," Cunningham said. "They were run over twice." City officials said the two were pinned against the compactor. Cunningham said the woman told police she wasn't aware she had hit anything. Theis was pronounced dead on arrival at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Salisbury, said Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim. Cornfeld died Tuesday night at St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill, a nursing supervisor said. The woman's name wasn't released, and police are investigating. Deputy Director of Community Development Dana Grubb said Theis and Cornfeld were "long-term, dedicated employees, held in high esteem by their co-workers. They were both quiet. Both had a dry sense of humor."
Two die in freak accidents
By MARY FRANCES DONALSON, News Writer
A prominent Seminole County man and a Brinson woman were killed this week in two separate work-related accidents. Phillip Hornsby, an Iron City businessman and farmer, died instantly Thursday afternoon in a bulldozer accident in Early County . According to reports, Hornsby had purchased a bulldozer from an Early County resident who lives south of Highway 94 near the Chattahoochee River . In trying to load the bulldozer onto a trailer, the machine somehow became overbalanced and fell to the ground, pinning Hornsby beneath it. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Early County Coroner Billy Joe Jordan. Hornsby was a veteran Seminole County commissioner and had extensive farming and business interests. He was a Democratic candidate for state representative in the 2000 election, the post presently held by Hugh Broome of Donalsonville. He was the brother of Murry “Buddy” Hornsby of Bainbridge. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Evans-Skipper Funeral Home of Donalsonville.
UPDATE, Heavy fine for company with untrained forklift operator
Watco Design and Display of Dalkeith have been fined #7000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for permitting an untrained employee to operate a forklift truck, injuring another employee who sustained multiple fractures. The operator was engaged in an activity for which no risk assessment had been conducted, and without the benefit of adequate supervision, when he ran over a colleague's foot in November, 2000. The company received a prohibition notice over the matter. An HSE spokeswoman commented: "The level of the fine reflects the seriousness with which the court viewed the incident. The prohibition notice issued is effectively ongoing and could lead to prosecution if he is involved in another incident. There are an increasing number of accidents involving people being struck by moving vehicles in the workplace. HSE are very concerned about this and it is a key priority this year to focus on reducing these."
Outage leaves more than 100 without power
Staff report
DAYTONA BEACH -- The raised bed of a dump truck snagged some power lines Tuesday on Keech Street , leaving more than 100 customers temporarily without electricity, police said. Freddie Watson, 48, of Daytona Beach , a driver for Halifax Paving, had just dumped the 10-wheeler's load and was northbound on Keech Street at noon when the raised bed caught the wires at Loomis Avenue . "I was going on a lunch break. I changed gears and then I heard the whining. I looked back and it was up," Watson said. "I raised it by mistake." The bed snapped the top of a utility pole near Campbell Middle School , snapping power lines that carried electricity to 101 customers, said Vickie Henson, spokeswoman for Florida Power & Light Co. Electricity was restored at 2:41 p.m. after an FPL crew replaced the pole and wires, Henson said. Police said no one was injured in the accident, but estimated it caused $4,000 in damages to the power equipment. Charges are pending further investigation, police said.
Digger plunges into 10-foot hole
BY SAM THOMSON, April 6, 2002 05:07
A CONSTRUCTION worker was lucky to escape unharmed when the 20-tonne excavator he was driving toppled into a ten-foot deep hole. The man was part of a demolition team clearing buildings off Rose Lane in Ipswich at around 5pm yesterday when the ground beneath him collapsed. He was left badly shaken but unhurt in the incident. James Wilson, senior contracts manager at RG Carter Ipswich, the construction company at the site, said his employee did not wish to be named and the incident was just a very rare accident. "There was no hole that could be seen and the machine just fell right through the concrete into the basement below," he said. "It's not a very common thing to happen." A safety officer will investigate the accident and Mr Wilson added the main concern for the company was that no one was injured. He said: "That is the first thing we were worried about. It has been a bit of a shock for the driver but everyone is all right. Machines can be replaced but people cannot." Last night Mr Wilson was hopeful the machine would be lifted out of the hole just a few hours after the incident. RG Carter Ipswich is in its third week of demolition and the work should be finished in a fortnight before construction work begins. The finished site should be complete by November and will eventually consist of a complex of shops with flats above.
Sympathy after man is killed
By Hayley Cuthbertson
Bosses have offered sympathy after a worker died in an industrial accident at a Coventry firm on Tuesday. Sofedit UK - formerly Coventry Presswork - said Neil Morris, a line feeder and forklift truck driver at the company in Burnsall Road, Canley, was working in an aisle at the firm when heavy steel boxes fell on top of him. Firefighters and paramedics gave first aid but 36-year-old Mr Morris died later during emergency surgery at Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. A post-mortem examination into his death was expected to be held today. A statement issued on behalf of the company, which supplies car components to Vauxhall, Peugeot and Jaguar, said: "The company wishes to extend its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mr Morris. "The accident was reported immediately to the Health and Safety Executive, who have visited the premises and will undertake an investigation into the incident. "While that is ongoing, the company would not wish to add anything further at this time." Officers from Little Park Street police station will be working with the Health and Safety Executive in Birmingham as part of a joint investigation into the accident.
Man fatally hurt after machine falls
Published April 6, 2002
VERNON HILLS -- A 36-year-old Crystal Lake man was killed Thursday when a 1,000-pound machine fell on him during a routine cleaning operation at a Vernon Hills business. Scott Zuchristian was walking in front of a forklift, carrying cables attached to a rock-grinding machine that was being carried outdoors for cleaning at STS Consultants, 750 Corporate Woods Drive, a soil, rock and mineral testing company, said Jim Wipper, Lake County chief deputy coroner. A preliminary investigation has led police to believe the machine fell off the forklift when the lift drove over a doorstep, Wipper said. The machine hit Zuchristian in the head. He was pronounced dead at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville at 1:54 p.m. Thursday. Vernon Hills police are investigating.
UPDATE, Company faces death charges 01.04.2002
A Hamilton company will face charges over the death of a roading contractor crushed by a seven-tonne road roller last year. Occupational Safety and Health service manager Kevin Webby said Gremara Holdings would face two charges relating to the death of Chris O'Reilly, 26, of Morrinsville. OSH alleges that the employer failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that the roller was fitted with a roll-cage and a seatbelt. It is also alleged that the employer failed to ensure that there were effective methods for systematically identifying existing hazards to employees at work. The charges carry a maximum fine of $50,000. Mr O'Reilly was killed by crushing injuries on September 8 last year while workers were preparing to build a roundabout on Cobham Drive at the entrance to Hamilton Gardens . The roundabout has not been built. The company will appear in the Hamilton District Court on April 19.
City worker dies in garbage truck accident
San Antonio Express-News, Web Posted : 03/29/2002 2:39 PM
A 28-year-old city employee was killed Friday morning after the garbage truck he was driving rolled over in the city's Southeast Side. A witness told police the man was driving a San Antonio garage truck and traveling north on Loop 410 near Houston Street when the truck veered off the road, went through a guardrail and rolled over. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and was crushed when the truck landed on him, police said. Officials did not release the man's name, pending notification of family. Sgt. Ken Davis said the accident is under investigation. He said speed did not appear to be a factor. Normally, three workers are assigned to a garbage truck, city officials said. It was unclear Friday why there was only one man in the vehicle. The accident closed down traffic on a stretch of Loop 410 for more than two hours while crews cleared the debris.
OSHA investigates man's death
By Kevin Schuster, Papillion Times LA VISTA – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an accidental death at a La Vista frozen-foods distribution center March 21.John Handcock, 45, of Fremont , died in a forklift accident at Pinnacle Foods Corp., 10711 Olive St. "We are looking for conditions applicable for safety and health conditions," said Ben Bare, OSHA’s area director. Handcock was working unsupervised in a cold storage unit using a standup forklift. He backed into a chain, pinning his neck against the forklift. A co-worker found Handcock. The Papillion Volunteer Fire Department transported Handcock to St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha , where he was pronounced dead. Bare said the investigation will take several weeks to complete. "I have no determination at this time," Bare said. "We will do a physical inspection of the worksite. We will look at the conditions, the forklift, the area surrounding where the accident occurred." OSHA will visit with management representatives and employees about Handcock’s forklift duties. Then, OSHA will determine whether a violation of standards was committed or make a recommendation on how to improve standards. Bare said Pinnacle Foods is cooperating with the investigation. Forklifts are used at the facility owned by United States Cold Storage Inc. to move Swanson-based frozen foods that are produced at Pinnacle Foods’ downtown Omaha plant before they are shipped. Pinnacle employs about 30 employees at a plant previously owned by Vlasic Foods International and Campbell Soup Co. Handcock was with the company for 19 years. He worked for Campbell Soup in Fremont . Handcock transferred to La Vista about 11 years ago when Fremont ’s plant closed.Handcock is survived by his wife, Sharon, and four children – twin 19-year-old daughters Beth and Becky, 14-year-old daughter Bonnie and Jonathan, a 5-year-old son. This is the second time OSHA’s had to investigate a fatal Nebraska worksite accident this year. A man died in North Platte after he fell off a roof in January.
Forklift accident kills Grand Prairie man Star-Telegram
GRAND PRAIRIE - A forklift operator was crushed to death by a forklift Thursday at the Quaker Oats Co. distribution plant in Grand Prairie, police said. Robert Henderson, 51, of Grand Prairie was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident happened shortly after noon on the north side of the building at the plant's loading docks near Belt Line Road on Trinity Boulevard. Henderson apparently was trying to move a pallet of canned drink product onto the bed of a semitrailer truck, Sgt. Alan Patton said. "As the forklift operator was pulling into the trailer, the driver of the truck was pulling away," Patton said. Henderson was thrown from the 1,100 pound forklift, Patton said. "As the truck pulled farther away, the forklift fell on top of the man," Patton said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate, officials said.
Family sue over death of Oasis roadie
BRUCE McKAIN
THE family of a lorry driver who was crushed to death on the eve of an Oasis concert on the banks of Loch Lomond is suing for #500,000 over his death. James Hunter, 28, was one of more than 1000 workmen and technicians involved in setting up the park for the concert in August 1996 when he met his death. Four men were later cleared of health and safety charges at Dumbarton Sheriff Court, but Mr Hunter's parents, Margaret and James, and his partner, Margaret Jamieson, all from Hamilton, have now raised a damages action at the court of session. Mr Hunter, a trucking contractor, had driven his HGV vehicle to the site to deliver beer and was killed when a forklift truck reversed and pinned him against his lorry. The family claims that the site traffic manager instructed William Murray to use the forklift in an attempt to free the lorry even though Mr Murray wasn't qualified to operate it and did not even have a driving licence. Mr Hunter was treated by paramedics on the site but was confirmed dead on arrival at Vale of Leven Hospital, Alexandria. In their case against the forklift truck driver, the family is also arguing that Mr Murray should have checked no-one was behind him before he reversed. Mr Murray, of Sunnylaw Street, Possilpark, Glasgow, claims that, as he drove slowly forward, an attached tow rope tightened and the forklift slipped backwards. Mr and Mrs Hunter are each claiming #50,000 and Miss Jamieson, of Yetholm Terrace, Hamilton, is asking for #400,000 for herself and the couple's daughter, Nicole. They are also suing a number of individuals and companies responsible for organising the concert and at a legal debate in the case yesterday, Mr Murray and all the parties to the action denied liability. No date has yet been fixed for a full hearing of evidence in the case.
Confusion led to forklift plunge
Macfarlane Packaging Ltd, of Newton Place, Glasgow has pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety legislation and been fined #3,000 at Paisley Sheriff Court. Thomas Munro, the forklift truck driver, and his machine plunged into a loading bay at the City's Braehead shopping centre, resulting in his injury. The company had failed to ensure a safe system of work at its Braehead depot in April last year, when a lorry driver moved to another bay and Mr Taylor, who was aboard, drove out and fell from the rear of the vehicle. The error was said to have arisen through a supervisory misunderstanding.
UPDATE, COMPANY'S FINE IS CUT BY JUDGE COURT REPORTER, 10:30 - 14 March 2002
A NORTH Warwickshire company which was prosecuted after an employee was hit by a forklift truck has had the huge fines it was ordered to pay slashed by a judge at Warwick Crown Court . Sertec Birmingham, based in Gorsey Lane , Coleshill, with a workforce of 320, had been fined a total of £25,000 and ordered to pay £1,458 costs by Nuneaton magistrates. But at Warwick Crown Court the company successfully appealed against the level of the fines, which were the maximum the magistrates could have imposed, and they were cut to a total of £7,500. In a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive, Sertec had pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety and welfare of employees and failing to ensure that traffic activity in its logistics park was organised to allow the safe circulation of vehicles and pedestrians. Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting at the crown court, said the investigation began after 45-year-old Robert Bode was hit by a forklift truck last May. Mr Bode, an experienced employee, was getting parts from a pallet in the logistics park, and did not notice that a forklift truck which had been reversing had begun to turn and move forwards. He was hit by it and saw three pallets 'looming over him', although fortunately they did not fall, and suffered cuts to his nose and head and bruising to his back. The driver of the diesel forklift truck had not seen him because there was no mirror on the vehicle and there was a blind spot because of the height of the pallets. In addition, the flashing warning light on the truck was not working, there was no siren to indicate when it was reversing, no governor to restrict its speed, and the firm, which makes metal mouldings for the automotive industry, had no written system for reporting defects. At the time there were no designated walkways for pedestrians in the logistics park and no barriers to protect employees on foot from vehicles moving around the area. Mr Thorogood, who pointed out that there were about 70 deaths a year from transport accidents in the workplace, added that since the incident Sertec has issued high-visibility clothing and introduced other measures including separate walkways for pedestrians in the logistics park. And Judge Richard Cole commented: "There has been a genuine effort to make sure it does not happen again." Jane Sarginson, for Sertec, said the firm had spent £300,000 on health and safety before the accident, and as soon as it had happened risk assessment experts were brought in and their recommendations acted upon. Asking for the fines to be reduced, she said the truck's light and siren had been repaired the previous month, and argued that the magistrates had not taken into account the speed with which the company had acted to put things right. Miss Sarginson pointed out that although the company had a turnover of £22.5m, the fines represented ten per cent of its annual profit of £224,000. Allowing the appeal, Judge Cole, who was sitting with two magistrates, said: "We have come to the conclusion that the fines were excessive, in all the circumstances." But he ordered that Sertec should still pay the costs of the hearing in the magistrates court plus £1,000 towards the costs of the appeal hearing.
Flooring gives way beneath forklift
TIM GRACE, Special to The Call
LINCOLN -- A structural failure in the former Lonsdale Bleachery building sent a forklift, complete with driver, crashing through the second-story floor boards down to the ground level yesterday afternoon. Firefighters at the scene said the forklift operator, a 20-year-old male whose name was not released, suffered minor neck and back injuries in the fall. He managed to pull himself from the lift's cab and climb out of the rubble on his own before rescue crews arrived, firefighters said. Lincoln rescue transported the victim to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment. Another man on the second floor at the time of the accident was not injured. Firefighters said the building's ground level was vacant. Lonsdale Fire Chief Timothy Griffin said a 50-by-50-foot section of wooden flooring gave way under the forklift and a mass of metal shelving, filing cabinets and other objects fell with the lift through to the ground level. He estimated the drop from floor to floor to be about 15 feet. "We couldn't even see the lift, it was so covered with debris," Griffin said. "We're very, very lucky that no one was seriously hurt." Griffin said he couldn't estimate the cost to repair damage to the building. Town Engineer John Faile and Building Inspector Joe Botehlo were also called to the site. Faile said he didn't know what had caused the accident, but that the damage to the building was significant. "There's just a bunch of stuff hanging in there right now," he said. After touring the 101-year-old, red brick and timber structure, Griffin said it appeared overloading of the second floor may have caused the accident. The Procaccianti Group of Cranston owns the building and the second floor is leased to Business Surplus, an office equipment and furniture supplier. Calls to both Procaccianti and Business Surplus were not answered late yesterday afternoon. The first floor is home to Enterprise Plastic Recycling. Griffin said Enterprise typically operates only at night and that it was not unusual for it to be vacant during the day. Griffin said the electricity and gas lines connected to the building had been shut off and that the building, for the moment, appears to be mostly stable. Engineers will have to devise a plan to unload the remaining stock on the second floor before repairs to the building can begin. Harmony Windows, a company operating out of the front of the building, is also without power. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified of the accident and Griffin confirmed an OSHA representative was at the scene yesterday. Messages left at OSHA's Providence office were not immediately returned yesterday afternoon.
Teen Killed in Forklift Accident March 4, 2002, 08:15 AM By AP Staff A 15-year-old was killed when he was crushed between a moving forklift and the rear end of a tractor-trailer at an auto-parts salvage yard. The boy, who was not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday. A yard worker was using the forklift to put damaged cars on the back of the truck, Lane County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Weir said. The boy somehow became pinned and could not escape in time. The death was ruled accidental, Weir said.
Untrained forklift driver killed labourer HSE has successfully prosecuted a Berkshire construction company and one of its directors for their part in the accidental death of a labourer, Kevin Moyle, on 7th August 2000 on a site in Basingstoke. Southampton Crown Court heard how director Julian Austin of Austin Brickwork had instructed an untrained and untested employee to drive the truck. Austin Brickwork Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for which it was fined £40,000 with £8,799 costs, Director Julian Austin was fined £20,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the same Act, because he instructed an untrained employee to drive the truck. HSE investigating inspector, Mike Sarson, said: "Mr Moyle's death highlights the need for employers to use only trained and licensed forklift truck drivers. Any employer, director or manager that allows a person who is untrained to drive workplace machinery increases the risk of an accident, which could result in injury or death."
Forklift driver stuck in freezer for two hours
February 25, 2002
City of Pewaukee - A forklift operator was left pinned in a freezer area for two hours after he accidentally backed into a shelving unit at Waukesha All-Temp Storage Feb. 19. According to the police report, Richard Green, 54, of Mequon was backing up a forklift in a freezer unit at the business at W229 N1492 Westwood Drive when he became stuck at about 10:10 a.m. A co-worker discovered Green shortly after noon "crunched over the control of the fork lift," the report said. The Pewaukee Fire Department was able to extricate Green, who was transported to a hospital. Police said Green was conscious and alert at the time. In another police report, a two-vehicle accident occurred Feb. 21 at Highway JJ and Morris Street . According to the report, Sarah Ullenberg, 21, of Brookfield was driving north on Highway JJ at about 7 a.m. when she began to turn left at Morris Street to continue on Highway JJ. As Ullenberg turned, her car collided with a southbound van on Morris Street driven by William Schlesner Jr., 82, of 258 Morris St. , village of Pewaukee . Schlesner was in the process of turning right onto Highway JJ, the report said. No injuries or citations were listed.
Company fined $5,000 after worker poisoned by carbon monoxide
Pacifica Seafoods Limited has been fined $5,000 after being prosecuted by the Occupational Safety & Health Service (OSH). The company were sentenced yesterday at the Christchurch District Court. “Workers had been cleaning in a chiller, when one collapsed and was taken to hospital,” said Margaret Radford, Service Manager of OSH Canterbury - West Coast Region.“Later that day another worker complained to his supervisor of a bad headache. He was also taken to hospital, and a blood test revealed that he had carbon monoxide poisoning. “A forklift powered by LPG had been transporting large bags of mussels in the chiller, during the earlier part of the evening. “The chiller was a large enclosed space, and had no means of ventilation with fresh air, other than natural ventilation through the doors. With no means of clearing the exhaust fumes from the LPG forklift, carbon monoxide levels built up. “Usually an electric forklift was used in the chiller, but the machine could not be used this particular evening because it required repairs. An alternative safe means of lifting and transporting bags of mussels within the chiller was not used. “This prosecution should serve to warn employers of the dangers of operating combustion engine forklifts in poorly ventilated areas,” said Ms Radford. “Fortunately, the victim did not suffer any lasting ill effect from this incident.”“There have been a number of incidents in recent years where workers have been taken to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning. “The hazards of operating combustion engine forklifts in poorly ventilated areas, such as chillers and holds of ships, should be well known to industry. The best solution is to eliminate the hazard completely, and use only electric forklifts in such areas.” For further information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Service Manager, OSH , Canterbury - West Coast Region Tel: 03 365 2600 Mobile 025 278 1834This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Business Adviser-Public Relations, OSH , Wellington . Tel: 04 915 4390 Mobile : 025 463 538
Driver falls off roller, dies
CONSTRUCTION worker Seah Quee Hoy, 52, was supposed to complete his work on a 50-m stretch of road along Jurong Port Road on Friday. But while driving a steam-roller that day, he fell off after losing control of it and died. Police said the accident happened at 9.20 pm. The steam roller swerved and mounted a kerb after Mr Seah lost control, and he was thrown off his seat and onto the pavement. The unconscious man was taken to National University Hospital, where he died shortly before 10.30 pm. The police are appealing for witnesses. Anyone with information should call them on 1800- 547-1818.
Indy Worker Dies After Being Run Over By Semi
Thursday February 14 08:39 PM EST
A trucking company employee died Thursday after he was run over by a semi, the Indianapolis Police Department said. The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. at Knight Transportation, 3702 W. Minnesota St., police said. The company is located on the city's southwest side. Lt. Paul Ciesielski said mechanics had just finished working on the truck when the driver was told he could back out of a service bay. Ciesielski said investigators believe the worker was hit when he tried to grab a grease gun in the truck's path. The worker was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he died. His name was not immediately released.
Forklift operator ill after punching drum
From Times staff reports
A forklift operator remained hospitalized Monday evening with respiratory problems after he accidentally punctured a hole in a 55-gallon drum that contained a highly toxic acid. Gabriel Guillen, 29, was working at the Fritz Company, 8309 Killam Industrial Park, when he accidentally punctured a barrel containing cresylic acid as he was unloading a trailer, officials said. He was transported to Doctors Hospital complaining of respiratory problems. A Laredo Fire Department Hazardous Materials team was called to provide assistance while police cordoned off several blocks to prevent additional injuries. An area in the Killam Industrial Park from Sara to Mines Road on Killam remained closed for about eight hours to through traffic as fire department technicians with the Haz-Mat team cleaned the spill. As an added precaution, surrounding warehouses were also evacuated. The spilled acid was in a liquid form and is considered highly toxic in an enclosed area, according to fire department officials. The fumes dissipate in the open air and are rendered harmless once it is exposed to an open, ventilated environment. As of Monday evening, firefighters were containing the spill and neutralizing the acid inside the trailer and yard with soda ash.
Worker paralysed in forklift accident gets #2.4 million compensation
Greg Arde, 28, sustained serious spinal injuries in an accident in which a fork lift truck he was operating fell on top of him while he worked at the premises of Duel Ltd, Cwmbran in 1995. He is now paraplegic and requires a number of care workers to support him through 24 hours. In an out-of-court settlement, Mr Arde has received #2.4m in damages, his legal representative Mick Antoniw commented: "As far as I am aware this is one of the largest ever settlements for an adult in south Wales. Greg is a remarkable individual who has learned to cope with catastrophic injuries. The compensation will help him put the accident behind him and reconstruct his life." Before the settlement was reached, 90% liability had already been established before a hearing scheduled for March.
LANDSTUHL, Germany - As his body scraped across the surface of the airfield and his life flashed before his eyes, the Army soldier knew he was going to die. "Then I got mad," Spc. Justin Lingle said as his broken body lay in a Landstuhl Regional Medical Center recovery room. "I wanted to live ."With that thought, the 10th Mountain Division soldier passed out on the airfield. Lingle and four other soldiers were injured the night of Jan. 27 when a forklift ran over them as they made their way to an aircraft at an Afghan airfield. Lingle and his platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Sultzbach, who suffered a broken arm, arrived at the hospital in Germany on Jan. 29. Medical personnel near the scene treated and released the other three soldiers, Pentagon officials said. After being hit from behind, Lingle said he was dragged "along with the pallet for quite while" before some soldiers got the forklift to stop. With a pack on his back, and another rucksack strapped in front of him, all he could do was curl into a fetal position, he said. Lingle could not confirm if he had parachute jump gear on or talk about the mission aboard the aircraft due to security considerations. The Pentagon would not release details of the accident. After the forklift stopped, Lingle, a radio operator, found his leg tangled up in Sultzbach's waist. Untangling himself, Sultzbach ran back to the staging tent they had just left, yelled for a phone and passed out, Lingle would later learn. When Lingle came to, other soldiers were crowded around him trying to cut off his gear. He recalled trying to raise a hand and give the OK sign to let them know he was alive. "I don't know if I was able to," he said. Lingle suffered a compound fracture to his leg, a fractured skull and a fractured lower vertebrae. In addition, the pressure on his upper body was so great it caused his eyes, ears, nose and mouth to bleed. "Those eyes would scare anyone," said Lingle's mother, Marsha, referring to her son's red eyes as she stood by his bedside. "I was just so glad he was breathing." Army officials contacted the Lingle family in Lancaster, S.C., shortly after the accident. The Army then flew Marsha Lingle to Germany. "The Army has been wonderful about everything," she said. Marsha Lingle has been a nurse for 30 years, so she's accustomed to taking care of others. Now she is on the other side of the hospital chart. "I've never been needy before," she said, "but now I can appreciate what it feels like." Justin's father, Jim, calls several times a day. Jim Lingle stayed home to handle the home front and all the telephone calls, his wife said. "He said, 'When you're hurt, you want your mama,'" Marsha Lingle said. "And that's true." The first thing Justin Lingle wanted her to do was wash the clothes he had on when he was injured, Marsha said. The torn clothes show where all his injuries were. Justin wants to keep the clothes so he can some day show his grandchildren. "I was surprised he looked so good," said Michelle Scott, Justin's fiancie, who also flew to Germany. Scott originally thought the worse. She imagined him being torn up, bruised and inundated with tubes and needles. Instead, she found that after surgery he was looking and feeling better. Justin Lingle left Landstuhl on Wednesday for further treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. From there, he will go to the Eisenhower Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Ga., which is closer to his home and unit, said Marie Shaw, a hospital spokeswoman. "Besides getting married, I don't have any plans for the future right now," the soldier said. "Oh, we are going to watch 'Black Hawk Down' together," he said, looking at Michelle. "I asked her to wait until we could watch it together." His recovery should take about three months, but Lingle and Scott are not waiting that long to be married. The couple canceled their first wedding date when Lingle deployed to Afghanistan. The nuptials are now scheduled for April 27. Scott said they will be held, and it doesn't matter if her husband-to-be is still in a wheelchair or not. "I'm very proud of him," Marsha Lingle said of her son. Going to Afghanistan put her son where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do, she said. As she recalled a conversation she had with her son prior to his deployment, Marsha Lingle began to cry. "He told me, 'Mom, I got my Bible, and I got my cross.'"
Fatal accident
A worker has died of his injuries when he fell from a vehicle he was standing on. Alexander Craig, 38, a scaffolder, is reported to have been blown off balance by strong, gusting winds in Rothesay at the weekend.
UPDATE, Rescuers had no chance of saving worker
Construction worker's death would have been quick, coroner says
KITCHENER - The life of construction worker Eric Bowers could not have been saved even if his co-workers had acted quickly to free him from beneath a piece of earth-moving machinery, a coroner said yesterday at the inquest into the man's death. Bowers, 39, was killed Oct. 26, 1999, after he was pinned beneath the bucket of the machine he was attempting to clean. The two-day inquest concluded yesterday in Kitchener. "This would have been a massive blow,'' said Dr. John Neenen, after reviewing the autopsy results. "He would have died a very quick strangulation death. ... He would have been rendered unconscious.'' The official cause of death was asphyxiation, caused by a "massive compression injury,'' said Neenen. Bowers also suffered broken ribs and a broken leg from the impact. Bowers, a Kitchener resident and father of a year-old son, was working for the Elora-based Dave Martin Excavating Co. laying sewer pipe in a field just east of New Hamburg. Near the end of the shift, Bowers and another employee were cleaning the mud from the machine when its hydraulic system apparently failed and the large bucket collapsed. Earlier in the inquest, job-site supervisor Ed McGuire said that after the accident he rejected lifting the bucket from Bowers with a backhoe because he did not know the man's condition and that he was afraid of causing further injury. McGuire, the machine's operator who was later charged and fined in connection with the fatal accident, testified that he had warned Bowers not to work under the bucket. The five-member jury hearing evidence at the inquest recommended that, upon hire, all construction workers get a mandatory and interactive safety training session of between two to four hours, and that it include videos, training manuals, and CD-ROM presentations detailing the risks of the construction site. As well, the jury recommended that the Construction Safety Association of Ontario consider implementing an industry-wide safety training certification program for employees and supervisors, and that all those in a supervisory role receive certification in safety training - a certification that would have to be renewed from time to time. The jury also suggested that the Ministry
of Labour issue an alert requiring that all safety equipment associated with any machine be kept with the machine at all times in proper working order, and that all employees interacting with any machine be familiar with the location of the safety equipment and its proper use. Bowers' sisters-in-law - Denise Thomas and Kitty Stanciu - said following the inquest that they agreed with the jury's recommendations. "We hope that no one else will have to go through this,'' said Thomas. But, they rejected testimony that Bowers had been warned against working beneath the bucket. "If Eric had been told not to go under the bucket he wouldn't have done it, and I'm not going to be convinced otherwise,'' said Stanciu. "He wouldn't have put himself in danger. He had a young son.''
Farm Worker Is Killed in Somis Accident
Tragedy: Woman is knocked from ladder by passing forklift. She is third field laborer to die on the job in past year.
By TIMOTHY HUGHES, TIMES STAFF WRITER
A 28-year-old farm worker picking lemons in a Somis grove was killed Thursday when she sustained massive head injuries after being knocked off a ladder by a passing forklift. Olivia Hernandez of Santa Paula was pronounced dead at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard about an hour after the 11:40 a.m. accident, said Craig Stevens, a senior deputy medical examiner for Ventura County. Hernandez became the third farm worker killed during an on-the-job accident in Ventura County in the past year and the eighth in 1 1/2 years. She was among 26 farm workers at an 85-acre grove on Aggen Road, about half a mile north of California 118 when the accident occurred. Stevens said Hernandez was three to four feet above the ground when a forklift jarred her ladder and she fell and struck her head on a section of hard dirt. She had few visible signs of head trauma, but most likely suffered massive internal head injuries, Stevens said. An autopsy is set for today. Investigators from Cal/OSHA spent much of the afternoon interviewing employees and retracing the events leading up to the accident. Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the state safety agency, said many questions remain. Investigators, for instance, were unsure whether Hernandez's head first
struck the forklift. Stevens said there was nothing on the straddle forklift--designed to pick up large boxes or containers--to indicate Hernandez had struck the vehicle before the ground. Several employees pulled Hernandez from under the trees and attempted to revive her until paramedics arrived, said Carlos Quintino, a foreman at the farm. Fryer said Hernandez was an employee of farm labor contractor Da-Vir Industries Ltd. of Ventura. He said the company's safety record was unblemished except for minor health violations involving worker cleanliness. The farm is operated by the D.F.K. Corp. in Somis, Quintino said. No one answered the phone Thursday at the company's office. Since last spring, two other farm employees have been killed on the job. In November, a 65-year-old tractor driver was killed when he attempted to cross an unguarded section of railroad track near Camarillo and was struck by an Amtrak train. In April, a 79-year-old labor contractor from Fillmore died when he was run over by a forklift driven by one of his employees at Calleguas Ranch in Camarillo. Fryer said an investigation into
Thursday's accident could take up to three months and bring a penalty of between a "a few hundred and $25,000." Since the agency began a statewide program in 1999 to increase awareness of farm hazards for workers, the number of fatal accidents has declined. There were 39 farm worker deaths in 1999 and 16 reported in 2000. Numbers for 2001 were not available, Fryer said. The program includes safety classes for farm workers and owners as well as periodic inspections of equipment and working conditions. "You are out there in the weather and the elements and it's dangerous work," Fryer said. "It's very difficult and strenuous work especially when you have equipment moving around."
Live wire contained at school construction site
By BRIAN DENEAL
ELDORADO - Eldorado firefighters responded to call of an electrical fire at the new high school building at about 10 a.m. Wednesday. On arrival they found a live wire had broken from the overhead line by a construction worker who was operating a forklift used during the brickwork on the building. The forklift was extended as the worker backed up and he did not see the line before snapping it."It was arcing. It was getting with the program," Fire Chief Mike McKinnies said. Firefighters remained on the scene until an Illinois Power worker could shut off the electricity. But while power was still in the line, it was apparently a sight to behold."You could hardly look at it, it was arcing so bad," McKinnies said. The line dangled about a foot above the ground, and though the situation was a dangerous one, no one was injured. McKinnies said power was off in parts of the city from about 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. requiring some Eldorado students and pupils to eat their lunch in the dark. The power outage resulted in another call, this one at 10:23 a.m. to the 1508 5th St. residence of Charles Jacobs. McKinnies said the power outage caused Jacobs furnace to smoke. There was no damage. A third call came from Roundy's on U.S. Route 45 south of Eldorado. McKinnies said workers were checking the alarm system and had failed to notify the fire department.
Bath man, 33, dies in accident; Construction miscue in Meridian Twp. crushes man's chest
By Katie Matvias, Lansing State Journal
EAST LANSING - A 33-year-old Bath man died Monday after his chest was crushed in a construction accident. Mark Cooper was using a lift to work on a pillar of a building at 2655 E. Grand River Ave. about 1:30 p.m., Meridian Township Lt. Tom Couling said. "He was leaning over the railing screwing a board into a metal bracket, and he was very close to the ceiling,'' Couling said. "Somehow, he activated the toggle switch to go up and he didn't have time to get himself out between the railing and the ceiling.'' A co-worker at Integrity Interiors saw Cooper and hit the emergency release, Couling said. Cooper was pronounced dead at Sparrow Hospital. "He was the kind of guy who would do anything for anyone,'' Brenda Cooper said of her husband. "He didn't know how to say the word 'no.' '' Cooper leaves three children, ages 10, 8 and 7. Mark Cooper, who worked in construction for 15 years, was an avid hunter who loved the outdoors, his wife said. No one could be reached for comment at Integrity Interiors of Okemos. The incident is under investigation but Couling said they don't suspect foul play. The Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Bureau of Safety and Regulation responded to the scene. No one at the bureau returned phone calls seeking comment Monday evening. "Accidents happen,'' Brenda Cooper said. "But he's never been seriously injured. I never expected anything like this.'' Funeral arrangements were pending Monday night.
Two Plead Guilty In Worker's Death
By Graham Rayman, STAFF WRITER, January 29, 2002
Two officials with a Brooklyn demolition company pleaded guilty yesterday to federal workplace safety charges in connection with the death of an immigrant worker. Rogelio Villanueva, of Puebla, Mexico, was fatally crushed April 30 at a Williamsburg warehouse when a 5,000-pound steel beam fell on top of him. The beam and flooring gave way under the weight of a 24,000-pound forklift. Moshe Junger, the owner of Mordechai Rubbish Inc., pleaded guilty to "causing the death of a worker" by failing to do an engineering study to check the strength of the structure before using the forklift, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Faughnan. Ramon Acosta, Junger's foreman, pleaded guilty to "making false statements" to an investigator with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Prosecutors said Junger used the forklift at the 104 S. Eighth St. job site even though he had been told a month earlier that he had to check the strength of the floor. Acosta, prosecutors said, lied to OSHA investigators about whether he knew that an engineering study should have been done. Junger and Acosta each face up to 6 months in prison and a fine of $250,000. Junger has agreed to pay a $100,000 penalty to settle OSHA violations in connection with the site.
Worker found dead - Officials suspect accident
By:PENNY BANDY, Staff Writer, January 27, 2002
A longtime highway department employee died Thursday after an apparent accident at the quarry on County Garage Road.Detective Jeff McCarter of the Sevier County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene after receiving a call at 8:33 a.m. He found Jimmy Ray Tinker's body lying beside the road. Authorities believe Tinker, 63, of Sevierville was unintentionally struck by a piece of heavy equipment. They don't know what it was, but a large front-end loader and heavy trucks were operating at the time. Authorities think the incident occurred about 15 minutes before a fellow employee found Tinker's body. McCarter said he believes Tinker died of traumatic shock from the upper body, pelvic and back injuries. An autopsy will be performed. No one witnessed the death and the quarry was not operating at the time, said Road Superintendent Jonas Smelcer. There were two other employees at the quarry and two who were working underground. "(Tinker) was supposed to be working inside a building," said Smelcer, who added that Tinker worked for the highway department as a laborer for about 21 years. "He was going Monday to sign up for Social Security. He said he was going to retire this year." "This was purely an accident as far as we're concerned," said Sheriff Bruce Montgomery. "We've turned it over to the folks who reconstruct it." As required by law, the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Inspectors, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death. The sheriff said many locals knew Tinker. "He was very friendly," Montgomery said. "If you grew up in Sevier County, you knew him." Penny Bandy can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
January 25, 2002, Murray Bishoff, Managing Editor, Published January 24, 2002 4:00 PM CST
Failure to contact coroner until after body cremated leads to planned in-service at hospital. Reports are in the process of being filed on the industrial accident last Friday that claimed the life of an Aurora man at a Verona factory. Paul Gifford, 31, was declared dead at Aurora Community Hospital following an accident involving heavy equipment at the BCP Ingredients factory, formerly Ducoa, within the previous two hours. A police report, prepared Tuesday by Verona Police Chief Tim Sellars, indicated that Gifford was working at BCP Ingredients on a skid loader, a large four-wheel drive rolling vehicle with brakes in the middle. It had a bucket in the front, and a blade had been attached to the vehicle. Sellars indicated it is believed Gifford was using the skid loader to clean ice off the roadway by the entrance to the plant. At one point the skid loader apparently had its bucket down, and the front wheels were lifted off the ground. The vehicle slid off the road and into a ditch. Gifford jumped, possibly hindered by the skid loader's door, and the machine rolled on top of where he landed. He was pinned with a wheel on top of him just above the waist. Sellars indicated it is thought approximately 30 minutes passed before another company employee discovered Gifford and called for help. Three calls reached the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department close together. According to Sheriff's Lieutenant Kevin Davis, the caller on the "911" line was calm and clear, requesting an ambulance and a larger wrecker. Another caller was agitated and much less clear. At 9:31 p.m., First Responders from Verona were called out, as well as rescue equipment from the Aurora Rural Fire Department. By pushing a direct line to St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield, an ambulance was requested, and was subsequently dispatched from Aurora Community Hospital, arriving on the scene at 9:41 p.m. Firefighters called back to the Aurora Police Department at 9:46 p.m. requesting assistance from the city fire department. The first Lawrence County deputy arrived on the scene at 9:57 p.m., and the second deputy arrived at 9:59 p.m. Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Jones discovered the scene after leaving a nearby vehicular accident 12 minutes later. It was determined the accident occurred within the city limits of Verona, and so all the officers left, deferring the matter to the Verona police chief. Sellars, however, was in the midst of making an arrest. Everyone had left by 11:11 p.m. Sellars did not arrive at the scene until later, and wrote no report. He reconstructed his account with the help of Verona firefighters. Gifford remained conscious through the rescue effort. When he was freed, however, after about an hour in an effort that even involved blocking the railroad tracks with rescue equipment, Gifford's condition quickly deteriorated. He was declared dead from internal injuries and massive internal hemorrhaging at Aurora Community Hospital shortly after he was taken from the scene. A doctor at the emergency room at the hospital signed the death certificate. Organs were subsequently donated, and the body was taken to Peterson Funeral Home and cremated. Coroner Don Lakin was not contacted, and did not learn of the fatality until Tuesday. Aurora Community Hospital administrator Don Buchanan said hospital staff did not realize the coroner had to be present. He did not interpret state law that way, which calls for contacting the coroner in homicides, suicides, abortions, and when someone is not present. Blood was drawn, a standard procedure for accidental deaths, for subsequent tests, should they be deemed necessary. "We have people who come in and die in car wrecks all the time. I don't see this as any different. It's an accident," Buchanan said. He did not believe procedures were rushed due to organs being taken for donation, though he acknowledged there is a limited time during which some organs can be taken. "That's a call between the doctor involved and the family. I'm sure we tried to follow the wishes of the family," he said. Lakin was in touch with the hospital this week. He said state law says the coroner needs to be contacted in the case of "all unattended deaths and any traumatic deaths," whether they are accidental, such as a vehicle wreck, or matters that have potential legal ramifications. He provided Revised Missouri Statutes 58.451 which states the coroner must be contacted when a person dies as a result of "any unusual or suspicious manner." Even hospices, the coroner noted, contact him about impending deaths. "We are notified by law on deaths of all children up through age 18." he added. Lakin will be holding an in-service for hospital staff on procedures he wants followed, Buchanan said. An investigator for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was at the BCP plant on Tuesday developing a report on Gifford's death. OSHA spokesman Manuel Olmedo said one of the goals of the investigation would be to determine if it was appropriate to use a skid loader for removing ice. Olmedo said the investigator had up to 60 days to complete a report, which would then be filed with the OSHA regional office. That office in turn had up to 60 days to review the case. OSHA had up to six months to issue any citations of work place violations in the matter. Gifford is survived by one son, Paul, his wife, Rhonda Ragsdale, and two stepsons, Shon and Hayden Ragsdale. He is also survived by his mother and brother. Bob Miniger, vice president of human resources for BCP Ingredients, called Gifford's death "a loss and a tragedy. We're shocked and hurt by it." A number of safety meetings have been held at the plant this week. He commented, "We've got to learn from our process and be better. We've got to get our folks through this. We've got a widow out there and a couple children without a father. We're struggling with that." Miniger has offered condolences to the plant's workers, acknowledging the loss of a close co-worker who was well liked. "They have my sympathy and support." He hoped that helped as employees have been sharing their sentiments on the situation with each other. "Life will never be the same for them," Miniger said.
Novato man killed in accident at San Francisco demolition site
ASSOCIATED PRESS, January 16, 2002
SAN FRANCISCO - A Novato man was killed while operating heavy equipment at a demolition site in San Francisco. Clayton Bassett, 40, died Tuesday after the giant tractor he was operating tipped over, trapping him beneath, officials said. It took a crane several hours to pull the machinery off the man before firefighters could remove the body. The accident occurred during demolition work at a former public housing project. Police and Cal OSHA were called to the scene to investigate the cause of the accident.
Trash collector struck, killed
Associated Press
ANDERSON - A trash collector was struck and killed by a car Friday as he was working on his morning route, police said. Ronald J. Chapin, 60, of Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene of the 6 a.m. accident, said Coroner Marian Dunnichay. An autopsy was planned at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. Chapin and a co-worker at Manifold Refuse were northbound on a county road when Chapin pulled the garbage truck into the southbound lane to retrieve trash on his side of the truck. A southbound motorist saw the headlights in his lane and swerved to the west side of the roadway - where Chapin was collecting trash - and struck him, said Capt. Rick Garrett of the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
Man killed in La Porte industry accident
By: Patrick Reynolds, January 09, 2002
A Pasadena man was killed at his La Porte job site last week after being pinned between two large cargo containers, police said. On Dec. 31, the La Porte Police Department was called to the scene of an industrial accident at the Refrigeration Container Service on Highway 146. Responding officers found Saul Gomez, 21, dead at the scene, Chief of Police Richard E. Reff said. Gomez had been working between two containers when one was bumped by a forklift, police learned. The impact caused the container to slide, pinning Gomez between the two. La Porte Police detectives and the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an investigation of the scene and were continuing their investigation at last report. Gomez's family was notified through assistance of the Pasadena Police chaplain, Reff said. The refrigeration service is located near the Port of Houston's Barbour's Cut Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel.
Worker dies in accident on ranch north of city
Local News - Gillette, Wyoming Sunday, January 13, 2002
A worker died in an accident on a ranch north of Gillette on Saturday morning.
Douglas Lee Rockafellow, 62, of Clearmont was crushed between a front-end loader and a pickup when a Jim's Water Service loader rolled downhill into the pickup in a gravel pit at the Twenty Mile Land Co., according to Sheriff's deputies investigating the accident. Both the loader and pickup apparently weren't occupied. The Sheriff's report is not yet complete. Rockafellow was pronounced dead on arrival at Campbell County Memorial Hospital at 10:55 a.m., said County Coroner Tom Eekhoff. Firefighters and medics were sent to the gravel pit on the ranch, just west of Buckskin Mine on Highway 14-16 at 9:50 a.m., when Maxine Heigis, a secretary for Jim's Water Service, called 911 to report what had happened to Rockafellow. Two other men, who were not hurt, were working in the pit crushing scoria when Rockafellow was slammed between the two vehicles, she said. One of the men traveled three miles to the top of a hill before his cell phone would work to call for help, she said. Rockafellow apparently was standing with his back to the loader and probably didn't see it coming toward him, said Campbell County Emergency Manager David King. Sheriff's deputies still investigating have not yet determined what caused the loader to roll back. It probably happened because of brake failure or power loss, King said.
By The News-Record staff
Employee Run Over After Falling Off Trash Truck
Friday January 11 10:38 AM EST
A trash removal company employee has been seriously injured in an accident in Montgomery County. Police Department spokesperson Lucille Baur says the accident occurred at around 8:40 a.m. this morning in the area of Small Wood Drive and Ventnor Road in Glen Echo. Baur says an employee of Waste Management was hanging on to the outside of a collection truck when he somehow slipped and fell, and was run over by the truck. He was taken by ambulance to Suburban Hospital in very critical condition. Baur says one of the man's legs was almost completely amputated. The county's collision reconstruction team was on the scene of the accident, and patrol officers are continuing to investigate the circumstances. ABC 7 WJLA-TV
Baggage tug hits plane's propeller; worker hurt
By STEVE STONE, The Virginian-Pilot, January 10, 2002
NORFOLK -- A Norfolk International Airport worker was injured Wednesday night when the baggage cart tow tractor he was operating ran into the spinning propeller of a commuter plane. The man was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he was being treated for head injuries, said Jack Goldhorn, a fire department spokesman. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was conscious. His wounds appeared to have resulted from being hit by debris from the cab of the tractor, not direct contact with the propeller, said Wayne Shank, the airport manager. The accident happened about 9 p.m. Shank said the plane, a two-engine, US Airways Express DeHavilland Dash 8, was parked at Gate 9 of the main terminal when the accident happened. There were no passangers aboard the 37-seat aircraft. Two workers were at the controls, preparing to move it to a maintenance hangar. The tug, operated by Delta Global Services, approached the airplane from behind, Shank said, and struck the left-side propeller. The impact shredded the cab and shattered the propeller, causing some other damage to the plane. But no one else was hurt, Shank said. ``We were very fortunate,'' he said. The accident would have been visible to anyone in the terminal who happened to be looking toward Gate 9, but it was unclear if anyone else saw the collision. The incident, which did not affect airport operations, will be investigated by agencies of the Federal Aviation Administration.
UPDATE, Firms Cleared over Quarry Death
By Jacqui Walls, PA News
Two quarry companies were today cleared of an alleged breach of health and safety regulations after a man was crushed to death by a dump truck. Andrew Johnson, 60, was killed when the truck reversed on to the Land Rover he was driving on a quarry site near Coalville, Leicestershire. Midland Quarry Products Ltd and Merriman Ltd were today found not guilty of breaching regulations under the Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1992 after a judge discharged a jury due to insufficient evidence to convict. Mr Johnson, of Llandovery, Wales, was a resident engineer at Cliffe Hill quarry in Ellistown where he died in May 1999. The accident happened on the access road to the site tip, when a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction to the dump truck signalled to the driver to reverse, Leicester Crown Court heard. It was alleged that the track was too narrow for the two vehicles to pass, so the dump truck driver manoeuvred backwards and in doing so, crushed the Land Rover behind. Ian Conway, unit manager of the quarry at the time of the accident, told the jury he did not believe there was a problem with the road leading up to the tip. I have never, in all my time at Cliffe Hill, been informed by anybody that there was a problem with that road, he said. Judge Hugh Mayor today accepted a defence application that there was insufficient evidence to answer and discharged the jury.
Wreck sends two people to hospital
By Bob Darden, Staff Writer, January 08, 2002
An early morning two-vehicle accident at the U.S. 82-49 intersection west of Greenwood sent two people to the hospital, said Greenwood Police Sgt. Lee Taylor said. They are Sharon Simpson of 230 S. Southwest Plaza of Indianola and Joe E. Willing of Route 2, Box 74C, Carrollton, he said. Both were drivers. There were no passengers. Simpson was treated at Greenwood Leflore Hospital and then released. Hospital officials had no report on Willing's condition this morning. The accident happened around 7:10 a.m. and delayed traffic a half hour to 45 minutes. According to police, Simpson, 32, was traveling east on U.S. 82 in her 1999 Isuzu sedan when she apparently lost control and left the roadway, Taylor said. Her car collided with a Malouf Construction Co. pickup that had been parked on the median. Willing, 52, an employee of Malouf Construction, was standing on the median beside the 1995 Ford pickup and was struck in the collision, Taylor said.
Millworker, 32, loses left leg in wake of accident
By Lisa Curdy - Daily World writer
1) Cergene Clark, 32, of Elma, was in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle today after his left leg was amputated just below the hip. The Mary's River Lumber Co. worker was hit by a forklift Wednesday. It was a tragic day at the mill. 2) Later in the day, benchman Carl Butterfield was killed when he fell 12 feet while changing a saw blade. An autopsy determined he died from a severed back due to a blunt impact to the torso, Coroner Ed Fleming said today. "Shell" Clark, who had worked at the mill since 1997, was struck by the forklift while walking along a road inside the mill compound. Millworkers have speculated that the forklift driver at first didn't even realize he had hit Clark. "A forklift is a very big and heavy machine," said Brad Kirkbride, the mill's chief operations officer. "It's very possible he may not have even known the forklift hit him." The manager declined to name the forklift driver, and said he hadn't talked to him personally. The mill uses forklifts to transport lumber around the yard, Kirkbride said. State Labor & Industries investigators were at the mill Wednesday and Thursday. "We have opened an inspection with Mary's River," L&I spokesman Bill Ripple said Thursday. "We're required to investigate all occupational fatalities. "We'll basically find out if the employer is doing what's required under the law." A longtime friend of Clark's, David Davis of Elma, said today he was at the hospital with him all day Wednesday. "I'm going up again in a few minutes. He's still in real bad shape." "Big" is how Davis described Clark. "He's 6 - 3, 375 pounds," Davis said. "He's very funny, very kind and very big hearted. He'd do anything for anybody." Clark and Davis both volunteer for the Twin Towers Search & Rescue unit, based out of Elma. The Search & Rescue unit was named before Sept. 11, and didn't help in New York, Davis explained. Clark's wife, Terri, has been devastated by her husband's accident, Davis said. An account for Clark's medical expenses has been set up at Simpson Credit Union in Elma and McCleary under the account name of Cergene Clark, Davis said.
N. Smithfield man, 38, dead after apparent accident in yard
NORTH SMITHFIELD -- A man appears to have been fatally injured yesterday operating a backhoe in the back yard of his house at 903 Rocky Hill Rd. The man, who the police said was 38, was taken by rescue to North Smithfield High School, where he was to be taken by helicopter to a hospital. Before he could be taken away, however, a doctor pronounced the man dead, according to Lt. Bradley Aubin of the North Smithfield Police Department. Aubin said the man's body was turned over to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy. He declined to release the man's identity or provide details of the incident until the autopsy determines the exact cause of death. The man was found injured shortly after 4 p.m. Aubin said a preliminary investigation indicates there was nothing suspicious about the incident, that circumstances indicate the death was accidental.
Truck driver killed in landfill accident
By Laurie Dennis
An accident at the Superior FCR Landfill in Monticello Township Thursday, Dec. 27, resulted in the death of a 35-year-old Sauk Rapids man. Dean Roy Hall, a truck driver for Onyx Environmental Ser-vices, was working alone to deliver industrial waste to the landfill when he was trapped in his vehicle's machinery. According to the Wright County Sheriff's Department, Hall was crushed shortly be-fore noon while lowering a dump box on his semi-trailer rig. Hall died at the scene. Monticello firefighters spent over an hour at the landfill, working to extricate Hall. The death has been ruled an accident and is under investigation by county and state officials. This was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of (Hall), who was a long-time employee of our company, said Paul McShane, branch general manager of Onyx, a sister company to Superior. Hall's wife, Karen, described her husband as someone who loved his work and was highly safety-conscious. Hall worked in engine repair during military service in the Army at Ft. Jackson, S.C., from 1985-89. He returned after his service to rural Sauk Rapids and began a career in trucking. Karen told the Times her husband enjoyed hunting and fishing and was also devoted to the couple's two boys, five-year-old Dylan and two-year-old Derick. These two boys thought he was God, she said. Funeral services were held Monday at Sacred Heart Catho-lic Church in Sauk Rapids. Besides his wife and children, Hall is also survived by his parents, David and Carol Hall; sister, Lori; brother, Mathew, all of Sauk Rapids; and grandmother, Valeria Hall of St. Joseph.
Worker dies when struck by backhoe; Accident occurs at Cal Poly Pomona construction site
By David Bradvica, Staff Writer
POMONA -- A construction worker was killed Thursday morning when he was struck by a backhoe on a project on the Cal Poly Pomona campus, authorities said. The accident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. at the University Union improvement project, where a backhoe operator digging a hole struck an employee of a concrete subcontractor with the claw bucket of his machine, said Susan Gard, spokeswoman for Cal-OSHA, which investigates industrial accidents and other worker safety issues. The worker, identified as 24-year-old Enrique Lopez of Colton, was in full cardiac arrest when Los Angeles County firefighters arrived. Lopez was taken to San Dimas Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:06 p.m., Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Scott Carrier said. Two other persons, including the co-owner of the concrete company, Fisher Construction, also suffered minor injuries but it wasn't clear whether they were struck by the bucket or were injured when Lopez was thrown into them, county Fire Capt. Larry Jordan said. Both men were taken to San Dimas Community Hospital for treatment and released, said Cal Poly Pomona spokesman Ron Fremont. The accident caused authorities to shut down work on the $22.4 million campus project for the day and to send investigators from Cal-OSHA and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to the site to begin an investigation into the accident. That investigation could take as long as four months, Cal-OSHA spokeswoman Gard said. All three people that were injured were standing near the corner of a building when, for some unknown reason, the backhoe operator struck Lopez - and possibly the two other men - with his bucket, Gard said. The backhoe operator is the owner/operator of American Backhoe, Gard said. Cal Poly Pomona spokesman Fremont expressed regret over the accident. "Our hearts and prayers go out the family and friends of Mr. Lopez," he said. The University Union project will more than double the size of a facility and includes a mall-style food court and 11,000-square-foot fitness center. It is funded entirely by a $135 fee that all Cal Poly Pomona students pay annually. It is scheduled to be completed next fall, Fremont said.
Fork lift fatality
It is reported that a man has died in a fork lift truck accident at United Fish Products in Aberdeen. He has been named as David Cobban, 59. One account given is that he fell from equipment while loading fish meal, sustaining head injuries.
Second day a health hazard
In two separate accidents, two Victorians have been seriously injured on their second day of work. One of the men, a factory hand, lost his right arm when it was caught in the dough machine he was operating. WorkSafe inspectors have since placed a prohibition notice on the dough machine. In the second accident, a new employee at Santini Constructions was hit by a bobcat bearing a one tonne load of crushed rock. WorkSafe Victoria says that a construction wheelbarrow the man was pushing at the time appears to have absorbed the majority of the weight, resulting in "an unbelievably fortunate escape for the worker involved". However, the man sustained pelvic injuries, broken ribs and suspected head injuries. In the same week, a fruitier was killed when he was hit by a vehicle at Footscray's Fruit & Veg market. The fatality takes the death toll involving forklifts and stock tug vehicles since 1985 to 47.
Trash truck mishap causes power outage
Published Sunday, December 23, 2001
A city garbage truck raked utility lines with an upraised lifting apparatus as it left a west Columbia grocery store yesterday morning, resulting in a loss of electric power and phone and cable television service for a portion of town. The power outage began about 8:45 a.m. in the neighborhood of Gerbes Supermarket, 1729 W. Broadway, and lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. A manager at the store said the business operated without hindrance after switching to an auxiliary power supply. Columbia police Sgt. Ken Smith said in a prepared statement that the garbage truck left the supermarket lot with its lifting apparatus in an extended position, damaging several overhead lines. The driver realized what had happened and halted the truck at the corner of Ash and Pershing streets. Police said several residences and businesses in the area reported power, telephone and cable television outages.
Man standing in truck hits overhang
posted 12/18/01, By ROBERT ECKHART, STAFF REPORT
SARASOTA -- A man standing in the back of a flatbed pickup was seriously injured when his head hit a concrete overhang at the Sarasota Kennel Club on Tuesday morning. Demetrius Lee, 22, was collecting trash cans at the race track, 5400 Old Bradenton Road. Co-worker Antonio Johnson, 21, was driving the truck. Johnson said he was going 5 to 10 mph when he passed under the overhang, which has a clearance of 8 feet, 3 inches. Johnson said Lee was unconscious when paramedics arrived at about 9 a.m. He was in intesive care at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
OSHA levies fines in death of worker
From staff reports, Lake City Reporter, December 1, 2001
Lake City paving company Anderson Columbia is facing a $77,000 penalty from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the Aug. 7 death of an employee in which the company is accused of failing to provide protection from fall hazards. The company was cited for one alleged willful violation with a $70,000 proposed penalty for failing to provide an adequate seat and seat belt for an employee working in the back of a truck. The additional $7,000 penalty would be for an alleged serious violation for failing to properly secure materials being transported in the same compartment as employees. Anderson Columbia officials did not return repeated phone calls Friday afternoon about the penalty. According to OSHA, the accident occurred when the employee was placing traffic warning signs along U.S. 41 near White Springs, where the company was installing pipelines. The employee reportedly would sit next to remaining signs in the bed of the truck as the driver slowly drove to the next location to place a sign. As the driver approached the final location, he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw his co-worker laying in the road. An OSHA investigation determined that the employee fell from the truck bed as he tried to reach for a sign that was caught by a gust of wind. He died from massive head injuries four days later. "To prevent this type of needless tragedy, OSHA standards require employers to provide employees with adequate seats and seat belts when they are transported in, or work from, vehicles," said James Borders, Jacksonville area director for OSHA. Borders said Anderson Columbia's written policy requires employees to ride on the seats provided and use seat belts, but company officials did not enforce the rules. A willful violation is defined as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of OSHA and regulations. A serious violation is defined as one where there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. Anderson Columbia has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Board.
Killed worker's firm has poor safety record
By Thomas R. Collins, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer, Sunday, December 9, 2001
At 12:30 in the afternoon three weeks ago, Heraclio Cardenas Gil was part of a crew from Ron Kendall Masonry helping to build a new school near Abacoa's Town Center in Jupiter. At the same time, another worker drove a heavy-duty forklift from the north side to the south side of the building. The forklift ran over Gil, 39, of Fort Pierce, killing him. Police said they were stumped about what could have happened but that it appeared to be an accident. Officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating, as they do in every instance of a fatality on a job site. What is established is that Ron Kendall Masonry has had trouble meeting safety standards for years, according to OSHA records. The company, based east of Wellington on Benoist Farms Road, has been written up for 46 violations since 1981 and slapped with $47,995 in fines. During the past three years -- the period that, based on court opinions, OSHA considers most relevant -- the company has been cited for 13 violations, amounting to $18,190 in fines, records show. Beers Construction, the contractor that hired Kendall, has had no violations in Florida during the past three years, records show. Violations are common in the masonry industry, OSHA officials say. That's because it's more prone to inspections since the work involves highly visible temporary structures, such as scaffolding. But even compared with other masonry companies, Kendall's record is poor. Out of the 20 Florida companies in the masonry industry that OSHA has inspected most recently, Kendall has the worst record during the past three years. One other company has had $17,300 in fines during that period, with $15,800 of that subject to change because they apply to cases that are still open. Another has racked up $13,687 in fines, including $10,650 involved in still-open cases. Most of the other 17 companies have amassed a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in fines, or none at all. Luis Santiago, the head of the southeast regional OSHA office in Fort Lauderdale, said Kendall's record isn't distressing because it appears to be "within the range of what happens in the masonry industry." "The record that we would like to see is a company that we inspect over and over and over and never find anything wrong," but that isn't realistic, he said. "I can't tell you that this is a breakdown in the system," OSHA compliance officer Mike Heath said. "It may be a breakdown in that we just don't have enough compliance officers to be everywhere at once. . . . It's not something where you can get to every construction site." Gil's sister-in-law, Esther Cardenas, said his death leaves three children fatherless and a wife without a husband. They are in Mexico, she said. Two messages about Kendall's safety record left for company managers last week were not returned. Gil isn't the first Kendall employee to die on the job, according to OSHA records. In 1984, a worker lost his balance on the 13th floor of a building. He grabbed for the top rail of a guardrail, made out of wire rope. But the rail's support separated from the concrete that was supposed to hold it in place and the man fell to his death. OSHA fined Kendall $240 after an inspection, records show. Most of Kendall's recent transgressions have involved scaffolding not being erected properly, not being installed under the supervision of a qualified person and not being inspected often enough. Other violations involve workers not wearing helmets in dangerous areas and not guarding protruding steel that poses the risk of impalement. Even though Kendall previously has been cited three times for violating the scaffolding standards, OSHA has never cited Kendall for a "willful" violation, the most serious and costly type of violation. A willful violation is hard to prove, compliance officer Heath said. Santiago, head of the OSHA office, said that although OSHA is aware that some companies might be willing to pay penalties rather than follow the rules, the incentives for complying are great: If a company has a violation, the fine can drop 10 percent for having a safe history and 25 percent for making honest efforts to correct past problems. Plus, he said, there are insurance considerations. Still, there are some companies that just try to "get the job done faster," Santiago said. "Until employers find that they can save money through safety, they are kind of reluctant to do it." Staff writer Nirvi Shah contributed to this story.
Man killed when co-worker backs into him with pickup
The Virginian-Pilot, December 4, 2001
NORFOLK -- A 58-year-old man died Monday morning after a co-worker at a welding company hit him with a truck, police said. The accident occurred at 6:50 a.m. at Colonial Welding and Fabrication Inc. in the 5800 block of Curlew Drive, said police spokesman Chris Amos. Clyde M. Ives was behind a pickup truck that was being backed up by another employee when he was hit. Ives was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he died at 11:30 a.m., Amos said. The accident is under investigation, but Amos said he did not expect any charges to be filed. The driver's name was not released.
Forklift Operator In Good Condition
times record staff
Tyson Foods employee Sherry Wofford, 48, was in good condition at Sparks Regional Medical Center Thursday after being injured in a forklift accident at Tyson's Fort Smith plant Wednesday. According to a Fort Smith Fire Department report, Wofford was attempting to adjust a load on a forklift she was operating when she accidentally bumped the controls and became pinned between the lifting mechanism and the cage of the forklift. Wofford was freed by co-workers. The Fire Department initially identified Wofford by a name that turned out to be incorrect, Fire Chief Jerry Tomlin said Thursday.
Macedonia miner being treated for pelvic, back injuries
By Brian DeNeal, American News Service
GALATIA - Tony Diefenbach, 47, Macedonia, continues to undergo treatment for pelvic and back injuries he incurred during a mine accident, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Department of Mines and Minerals spokesman has said. The accident occurred after 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27 at the north portal of American Coal Company's Galatia mine. "Apparently, Mr. Diefenbach was operating a personnel vehicle and another mine worker was operating a water truck," Tim Sweizer, IDNR spokesman said. "Both backed into an intersection at the same time. The truck struck the operator's side of the personnel vehicle." Diefenbach became pinned and sustained pelvis and lower back injuries, Sweizer said. He was treated at Harrisburg Medical Center and transferred to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis Tuesday evening where he remains in satisfactory condition, according to a hospital spokesman. "He is still undergoing treatment after surgery," Sweizer said.
Forklift operator injured at manufacturing plant
by Darlene J. Taylor, STAFF WRITER
CLARKSBURG -- An employee of Maxxim Medical, located at the Harrison County Industrial Park on Columbia Boulevard, was injured while unloading a forklift Wednesday afternoon. The man, listed in fair condition Wednesday evening at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, was initially trapped between a forklift and a truck, said Lt. Jim Green of the Clarksburg Fire Department. "He was standing when we arrived," said Green. HealthNet landed on the front lawn of the business property, known as West Virginia Life Science Center, to fly the patient to Morgantown. Marc Adams of Harrison County Emergency Medical Service said it was standard procedure to call HealthNet for an industrial accident that might include internal injuries. John Cordeau, Maxxim Medical safety officer, said the name of the patient was being withheld pending notification of family. Cordeau also said the man was an experienced forklift operator. "He was unloading a (fork) truck and apparently his sleeve caught the shifter. He never lost consciousness. We are still investigating the accident," said Cordeau. Also assisting at the scene were Gino Gallo of Clarksburg Fire Department Rescue 214, Brent Hicks of Harrison County EMS, and Mike Phillips and Mike Blake of Clarksburg Fire Department Engine 221.
East El Pasoan dies in apparent industrial accident
Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a 26-year-old El Paso man who was killed late Tuesday at his workplace on the East Side, officials said Wednesday. Albert Duran, an employee at Con-Way Southern Express, was crushed when a forklift fell on him, said Mariano Solano, El Paso's OSHA assistant area director. "We are investigating the circumstances of the death that occurred Tuesday night at the trucking company," he said. Javier Sambrano, spokesman for the El Paso Police Department, said the death was classified initially as an industrial accident. Sambrano said Duran was discovered by his fiancie, "who went to look for him when she became concerned that he had not come home at night. She found him in the mechanic's shop under a forklift." Duran lived in the 100 block of Nonap, in far East El Paso. Police officers from the Pebble Hills Regional Command were dispatched to the company in the 1400 block of Goodyear at 10:37 p.m. Tuesday. "Duran had been working on a forklift. Somehow, the forklift slipped off the hydraulic jack and it crushed him. He died at the scene," Sambrano said. The county medical examiner's office scheduled an autopsy Tuesday afternoon to determine the cause of death. Duran had worked as a lead mechanic with the company since August 1999, said Joe DeLuca, Con-Way's marketing director in Ann Arbor, Mich. He said the company could not comment further while the OSHA investigation was pending. "OSHA will issue an accident report, which will detail what happened," DeLuca said. Con-Way, which has its headquarters in Fort Worth, operates a motor freight trucking service. The regional motor carrier specializes in next- and second-day service in the El Paso and Juarez region.
Englewood man killed in construction accident at airport
Tuesday, November 27, 2001, Associated Press
SARASOTA - A man working on a construction project at a local airport died Monday when a tar truck backed over him. William Huff, 53, of Englewood, was dragged nearly 25 feet before the driver of the truck was able to stop. Huff, a construction worker for Ajax Paving Industries of Florida near Venice, was working on a runway expansion project at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Authorities said Huff may have been guiding the truck along a taxiway at the south end of the runway expansion. The takeoff or landing of an aircraft could have distracted him, said Sarasota County Sheriff Lt. Steve Burns. The killing was accidental and charges would not be filed against the driver, said Burns. The driver's name was not released. Ajax President Mike Horan did not return a telephone call Monday seeking comment. Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration records show that Ajax was fined $3,500 in 1994 after another employee was crushed to death by a piece of road-widening equipment. Neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the National Transportation Safety Board was expected to investigate the accident, but OSHA may look into it as a workplace safety issue, Fred Piccolo, the airport's executive director, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for Tuesday editions. Huff was the first person since the late 1980s to die at the airport in an accident not directly related to aviation, according to airport police.
Construction worker killed in bulldozer accident 11/23/01
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - A construction worker was killed when he became pinned between two bulldozers, police said. Ronnie Paul Nowlin, 26, of Columbia, was clearing some land for Lonnie Trucking and Excavating on Tuesday when a Caterpillar bulldozer became stuck in the mud, police Capt. Mike Martin said. Another Caterpillar unit hitched a cable to the rear of the stuck machine in an effort to free the equipment. Nowlin stepped between the two vehicles to make an adjustment, Martin said, just as the operator of the unstuck vehicle told him not to get between the machines. One of the vehicles rolled back against the other, pinning Nowlin.
Man dies after being pinned by tractor
By Nikki Sattler-The Reporter
HILLSDALE COUNTY - A North Adams man was killed Monday afternoon after being pinned beneath his tractor when it overturned. According to eyewitness accounts, Harold Junior Rapp, 67, of 8960 Hoxie Road was driving a tractor down an incline on his farm at about 3 p.m. Monday when the machine overturned, pinning him beneath it. Rapp's wife Leonarda was nearby and called 911 and hurried to attempt to free her husband. Neighbor and North Adams firefighter Kevin Grubbs arrived and also tried to assist Rapp. Hillsdale County Sheriff's Deputies arrived to assist, as did North Adams Fire and Rescue and the Reading Emergency Unit. Despite rescue efforts, Rapp was pronounced dead at the scene due to severe chest injuries sustained in the accident. Due to eyewitness testimony and medical reports, the incident was ruled an accident and the investigation was closed. Funeral arrangements for Rapp are being made through the VanHorn Eagle Funeral Home.
Mine accident claims worker
CADIZ - A Freeport man died Friday after a mining accident late Thursday at AEP Ohio Coal Co. at Cadiz. Albert William Wright III, 29, formerly of Cadiz, was declared dead while still in the mine from injuries he sustained when he was struck by a mine car, said Dr. Ajit S. Modi, Harrison County coroner. Modi said Wright was taken to Harrison Community Hospital at Cadiz. Tom Ayres, media relations spokesman with AEP at Columbus, said the accident happened about 11:37 p.m. Thursday. The mine, which formerly was owned by Harrison Mining Co., a subsidiary of Quaker Coal, was acquired by AEP during Quaker Coal bankruptcy proceedings, Ayres said. We've operated only since Nov. 1, Ayres said. Ayres said he thinks this is the first fatality in the mine, which opened in 1990. He said he did not have any specific information on the accident, which is under investigation by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration and Ohio Division of Mines. Wright had worked for the mine for 11 months, Ayres said. Our hearts go out to the family, he said.
Man killed in lumber accident
Oct 18 2001 12:00AM By THERESA HART -- Staff An accident involving two employees at a local lumber company left one man dead Friday. Ronald Owen Bearrington, 38, of Bland County died Oct. 12 after being run over by a forklift operated by Eric Wimmer of Bland County, according to Sheriff Melvin Cox. Wimmer saw Bearrington walking toward him, Cox said, and then he felt a bump. No one knows what happened, he said, "It was just a freak accident that's all it was," he said. The incident happened at approximately 7:03 a.m. at the Big Walker Lumber Co. on Virginia 606 in the Hollybrook section of the county, the sheriff said. Deputy Kermit DeHart worked the case, which is now being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Cox noted. No criminal charges were filed in the case, the sheriff said.
Fuel trucks collide at airport
Thursday, October 18, 2001
Up to 5,000 litres of jet fuel spills after vehicle hits parked tanker. A tanker truck carrying jet fuel collided with another tanker parked at the Ottawa airport last night, spilling thousands of litres onto the ground and into ditches. At about 7:30 p.m., the driver of a tanker at PLH Aviation Services depot accidentally struck a parked tanker. A nozzle on the moving vehicle was damaged, causing some of its contents to be spilled. "There was no way of shutting it off," said Ottawa Fire Platoon Chief Stuart Dunning. Airport spokesman Laurent Benont said that although the capacity of both vehicles added up to about 13,000 litres, officials have measured what remained in the fuel tankers and concluded that only between 2,000 and 5,000 litres were spilled. "There was still a lot of product left in the tanks," Mr. Benont said. Mr. Benont said the fuel has been contained well within the airport property and was being pumped into holding tanks late last night. Officials are investigating what caused the collision of the two tankers.
Although aviation fuel is considered volatile and potentially explosive, there was no fire at the scene. However, a full assessment of the environmental impact of the spill won't begin until today. "There shouldn't be any damage," said Mr. Benont, noting that emergency crews were on the scene quickly and were confident the leaked fuel would not reach any water sources. "They're still emptying the tanks," said Chief Dunning last night. "The fuel has been contained in the system, in the ditch." There was no risk of the fuel entering sewers or the water supply, he said. He added that the remaining fuel in the tanks would have to be emptied before the vehicles were pulled apart, in case of sparks. The PLH site is located on Leckie Street near the corner of Miller Street. The company is one of several private firms supplying jet fuel to commercial airlines at the airport.
Chemical leak spurs evacuation
BY JIM BISSETT, Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Post
Monongalia County's Hazardous Incident Response Team was called to Mylan Laboratories' research facility Friday morning to contain a spill from a leaking chemical drum. A Star City volunteer firefighter uses a hose to wash chemical residue off one of the response workers after the spill was contained. Mylan Laboratories' research and development division on Collins Ferry Road was temporarily evacuated Friday morning, as hazardous materials workers cleaned a spill from a leaking chemical drum in the loading dock area of the facility. Morgantown Fire Capt. David Bean, who also heads the county's Hazardous Incident Response Team, said a forklift pierced the bottom of a 55-gallon drum containing Trimethoxysaline, a bonding solution used in the finishing of stainless steel and surgical implants. In its raw form, the chemical is caustic and corrosive, Bean said, and gives off a pungent, ammonia-smelling odor. It's also highly flammable and could be explosive, said Dan Langdon, a Mylan environmental health and safety technician. "That's why we called the hazardous materials team," Langdon said. Workers were moving pallets of the chemical in the back of a truck to gain access to the shipment slated for the facility. "They had to move the stuff around to get what they needed to get," Bean said. "The bottom of the one barrel got clipped and the leak started." Workers weren't sure of the nature of the chemical, Bean said, so two of his team members were outfitted in "Level A" hazardous materials suits to clean the spill. The spilled chemical was hosed from the lot and contained in a barrel. The leaking drum was encased in a larger barrel to stop the leakage. It took the team a little more than an hour to do a full cleanup of the area, Bean said. A volunteer fire company from Star City also assisted. A light drizzle helped dilute the chemical, Bean said. The facility is situated on a bluff above the Monongahela River, but Bean said there no danger of the chemical leaking into the river because his team got there 10 minutes after the call was made. "As a worst-case scenario, it could have gone into the river," Bean said, "but it was a small leak."
Air Force sergeant first reported death in military operation
The Associated Press
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - An Air Force sergeant was killed in a heavy equipment accident in the Arabian Peninsula, becoming the first announced death in Operation Enduring Freedom, military officials said Thursday.
Master Sgt. Evander Earl Andrews, who died Wednesday, was assigned to the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. He was originally from Solon, Maine, the base said. Maj. Eldon Hardwick from the Air National Guard headquarters in Augusta, Maine, said the accident occurred in Aludeid, Qatar. Hardwick said the accident was considered non-hostile and involved a forklift. A woman who answered the telephone Thursday morning at the Andrews home in Mountain Home said Andrews' wife, Judy, was not saying anything but would be meeting with her minister and might have something to say later. The woman did not identify herself. In addition to Andrews, a soldier was seriously injured Wednesday in Turkey after being trapped between two trucks, military officials said. Officials did not disclose the soldier's name, the extent of his injuries or the exact location of the accident. He was airlifted to the military hospital in Germany. "U.S. medical personnel on the scene performed initial lifesaving care," after which the soldier was taken to a U.S. base in Incirlik, Turkey, said Maj. Brad Lowell, a U.S. Central Command spokesman at MacDill. The soldier was in serious but stable condition Thursday at the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, officials said.
Fuel tank overturns at airport
A fuel tank overturned on the tarmac of McCarran International Airport Sunday night, injuring one and causing the temporary closure of four aircraft boarding hubs. Given the climate of Sunday's U.S. military airstrikes in Afghanistan and the fear of terrorism across the nation, the accident may have caused some initial alarm amongst public safety officials. But in the end, the event proved to be the overturning of a fuel tank truck used to refuel ground vehicles. Clark County Fire Department spokesman Steve La-Sky said the driver, whose name was not immediately available, lost control of the Swiss Port vehicle at 5:41 p.m. near the airport's C Gate. A large amount of unleaded fuel from the vehicle's 2,000-gallon tank spilled, prompting the Fire Department's hazardous materials experts to respond to the scene. By 8:30 p.m., much of the mess had been remediated. La-Sky said aircraft hubs C12 through C16 were temporarily closed, and the Southwest Airlines flights that use that part of the airport were not delayed.
Man killed at gravel pit was owner's son
10/07/01, Jason Bergreen
Cache County Sheriff's investigators have determined that the 53-year-old Logan man killed at the Wellsville gravel pit Friday night was the pit owner's son. Michael John Leatham was accidentally crushed to death by a top loader when the driver failed to notice him near the vehicle. The accident occurred about 7 p.m. Friday. According to Sheriff's Lt. Kim Cheshire, Leatham and a friend, 20-year-old Renaldo Velasquez were at the pit getting sand. Leatham was building a place for horses (at his house) and he wanted some sand, so he went over to get it that night and thought he could just get it himself, Cheshire said. Neither of the men were experienced top loader operators and were nervous about using the vehicle, Cheshire said. Cheshire said both men jumped on the top loader and started the vehicle. Renaldo was so concerned about operating it that he said 'well you better jump down,' and so Mike jumped down, Cheshire said. Leatham moved and Velasquez didn't see that he moved and that's when he ran over him. The top loader that crushed Leatham reportedly weighed between 59,000 and 89,000 pounds and had 6-foot tall tires. Velasquez was take to Logan Regional Medical Hospital after the accident Friday and treated for shock. He was interviewed at the hospital by investigators. According to Cheshire, Velasquez had no trace of alcohol or drugs in his body. No criminal charges are being considered at this time, he said. Leatham's body was transported to the state medical examiner's office in Salt Lake, Cheshire said. An autopsy will be performed to determine the official cause of death.
Construction worker killed in interchange project
By Molly Villamana October 04, 2001
A construction worker with Shirley Contracting was killed early Wednesday, Oct. 3, when he was hit in the head by a bucket loader. His death was caused by massive head injuries. The accident occurred between 7 and 7:30 a.m., shortly after the man started his shift. "The team [of two] was working together in tandem, he went in front of the bucket loader, placing some sort of chain on it. Either the equipment lurched a little, or whatever happened, the bucket hit him in the head," said Steve Titunik, communications director for the interchange project. The man, whose name is being withheld until his next of kin is notified, was working on phase four of the project, on the west side of Interstate-95. He and his partner were installing piers to elevate the inner and outer loops of the Beltway to cross I-95. They were working in between the loops. Fire and rescue department officials, an ambulance and state police responded to the scene. A medical examiner also responded. OSHA is completing a full investigation. This is the first fatality of a construction worker since the interchange project began in March 1999.
Farm worker killed by tractor
By Angela Trinh, Record Staff Writer
A Stockton farm worker was killed Wednesday when his tractor flipped over, rolled down the bank of a ditch and landed on top of him, the California Highway Patrol reported. Jorge Robles, 19, was pronounced dead at the bottom of the dry, 7-foot-deep irrigation channel on Conrad Silva Farms near Holt and Jacobs roads, west of Rough & Ready Island. His uncle, Francisco Fonseca, said Robles and his brother came north from Jalisco, Mexico, in March to earn money to send home to their family. Robles' tractor slipped down the bank and rolled over while he was spraying herbicide on wild berry vines, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Nelida Stone. A crane was needed to lift the tractor off him, she said. Fonseca discovered the wreck when he went looking for his overdue nephew, CHP Officer Frank Martinez said. The ditch bisected an open field, and there apparently were no witnesses, Martinez said. "Everybody's really shocked," ranch manager Kurt Sharp said Wednesday. This was Robles' first farm job in the United States, Fonseca said, but Robles previously had operated a tractor on a farm in Mexico. Before moving to Stockton, Robles worked as a gardener in Brentwood, where his cousins live. He came to Stockton for the higher wages he could earn doing farm work and had planned to go back home to Jalisco in December with his uncle if he earned enough money, Fonseca said.
Construction vehicle smashes into downtown Foley's
By MIKE GLENN, Houston Chronicle
A large construction vehicle used to pour concrete toppled into the downtown Houston Foley's department store today. The accident occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Lamar and Main streets. There were no injuries, officials said. The vehicle, weighing about 150,000 pounds, was pumping concrete for the construction of a new office building at 1000 Main. Although the truck's outriggers had been extended to provide stability, it flipped over after the crane-like arm was extended to pour the concrete. "The huge arm apparently got overbalanced and fell into the street and lifted the pumping truck," said Houston Fire Department spokesman Jay Evans. The falling boom struck two vehicles, crushing one of them, as it collapsed onto Lamar. There were between 50 and 60 retail employees inside when the truck flipped on its side and slammed into the Foley's department store. Employees and customers were immediately evacuated said Ed Smith, a Foley's vice president who was watching the recovery effort. While there were no injuries, one Foley's employee needed oxygen because of the clouds of dust. "The EMS people were here really quickly. She was coughing and one of the EMS guys had an oxygen tank," Smith said, Employees were sent home after the accident and Foley's officials said the downtown store will be closed at least until today. Smith said their engineers would not be able to determine the full extent of the damage until after the wrecked truck is hauled away. "They can't do anything until all this is removed," Smith said. Houston police will investigate the accident, Evans said.
Local man dies in industrial accident
A 49-year old construction worker was crushed to death last Wednesday, when a piece of heavy equipment rolled down a slope on top of him. Scott Willard, of Willard, was working with a local excavation firm in the east bench area of North Salt Lake. According to Police Detective John Herndon, the weight of the road compactor he was operating caused the loose dirt to give way, resulting in the machine tipping over a steep embankment. Herndon said the man jumped downhill from the compactor, but was caught under the rolling machine as he landed. He was pronounced dead at the scene from internal injuries.
Asphalt grinder injures worker
Ohio man's foot caught under machine; he's in stable condition.
Wednesday, September 26, 2001, By AMALIE NASH, NEWS STAFF REPORTER
An 18-year-old Ohio resident was nearly crushed to death by a pavement grinder he was operating on a Pittsfield Township street Tuesday afternoon, police said. Kourtney B. Gleckler, who works for Ten Mile Excavating Co. in Adrian, suffered a broken ankle, pelvis and elbow when he got caught under the machine. He was listed in stable condition at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. The crew, contracted by the Washtenaw County Road Commission, was working on Oakdale Road near Central Boulevard when the accident occurred at 11:24 a.m. Tuesday. The road was sealed off for several hours. Lt. Donald O'Farrell said accident investigators are still trying to determine what caused Gleckler's foot to become caught under one of the tracks that move the machine. The machine is used to peel up asphalt and then crush it before it is taken out in dump trucks, O'Farrell said. Gleckler and another man were working on the sides of the 6,900-pound machine while another worker controlled it from inside, O'Farrell said. Officials from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act also are investigating.
Woman working in field killed by truck
Sep 26 2001 12:00AM By KATHRYN GILLICK
Register-Pajaronian staff writer A Watsonville woman was killed in a raspberry field when a truck ran over her Sunday morning. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. Jose Rusario Ruiz Suarez was driving the 2001 Isuzu flatbed, which was carrying crates of raspberries, when he allegedly hit the woman. CHP Public Information Officer Heath Scribner said the victim, 48-year-old Maria Nieves, of Watsonville, was working in the field, possibly loading the raspberry crates onto the truck. Nieves walked away from the truck and Suarez began backing it up. Suarez could not see out the back window because of the raspberry crates, but says he was going less than 10 miles an hour. Scribner assumes it was not the initial impact that killed Nieves but the weight of the truck. The accident occurred in a field owned by Braycovich Ranch and maintained by J.E. Farms. The field is located at 118 Holohan Road in Watsonville. Nieves was being loaded into an ambulance when CHP Officer Bruce Adair and two other officers arrived on the scene around 9:30 a.m. She was taken to Watsonville Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Santa Cruz County Coroner will autopsy Nieves' body today. Adair said it is too early in the investigation to say whether charges will be brought against 30-year-old Suarez. Scribner estimates it will take at least two weeks to fully inspect the truck and talk to witnesses.
UPDATE, Widow of worker killed on film set sues Columbia Pictures
ASSOCIATED PRESS, September 20, 2001
LOS ANGELES - The wife of a crew worker who was killed on the set of the upcoming "Spider Man" movie sued Columbia Pictures. The wrongful death suit filed Wednesday in Superior Court seeks unspecified damages. A call made to Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, wasn't immediately returned early Thursday. Tim Holcombe, 45, of Monrovia died March 6 while welding sets for the film when a forklift he had been operating toppled onto a construction basket in which he was riding, investigators said. Another worker in the basket was not seriously injured. Also named in the suit is equipment maker Ingersoll-Rand. Representatives from that company couldn't be reached for comment Thursday. The lawsuit is the second setback for Sony this week. Company executives decided to pull a "Spider Man" trailer from theaters and the Internet because of last Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the East Coast. The trailer contains a scene in which a helicopter carrying fleeing robbers gets trapped in a giant spider web strung between the World Trade Center towers. The giant structures collapsed when a pair of planes slammed into them last week. Columbia Pictures was previously fined nearly $59,000 for workplace violations stemming from Holcombe's death. "Spider-Man," based on the Marvel Comics hero, is scheduled to open in May and will star Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe and Kirsten Dunst
UPDATE, Firm fined for violating safety laws in Bellevue fatality: Labor Department report says workers did not warn victim of hazard
2001-09-16, by Nick Perry, Journal Reporter
BELLEVUE -- Authorities found a road improvement company committed ``serious violations'' after a worker was killed on a Bellevue street in March. Scott W. Fredericks was crushed between an asphalt grinder and a dump truck as he and other crew members from Lacey-based P.R. Systems prepared the 1100 block of 112th Avenue Northeast for repaving. An investigation by the Department of Labor and Industries has found nobody from P.R. Systems told Fredericks the vehicles were changing direction to avoid a water valve. Fredericks died when the grinding machine drove into the trailer of the truck, the investigation found. Revival attempts by a Kirkland doctor who passed the accident on his way to nearby Overlake Hospital Medical Center proved futile. Fredericks' job was to watch a guide at the rear of the asphalt machine to measure the depth of the grind. According to the department's report, he was walking between the two machines at the time of the March 21 accident. The department has fined P.R. Systems $900 for failing to tell Fredericks the equipment was changing direction, failing to address the hazards with changing direction and failing to address the hazards of having employees work between machines. P.R. Systems also failed to document pre-job safety meetings, the department said. The breaches were in violation of state industrial health and safety laws, the report found. Fredericks' upset wife declined to talk about the accident, and did not say if she is considering legal action. P.R. Systems President Steve Yates said this week that the accident has been ``very hard'' for the small company, which employs between 12 and 15 people. ``Scott is very much missed. He was a great employee and a good father,'' Yates said. But Yates was not prepared to talk about the company's safety procedures, the department's investigation or any contact between the company and Fredericks' wife. Internal operations are ``not something I feel comfortable commenting on,'' Yates said. Bellevue police earlier concluded no foul play was involved in the death.
Gulf Island worker dies in pipe mishap
By DEE DEE THURSTON, The Courier, September 14, 2001
A Dulac man was killed Thursday afternoon after he was crushed between two large metal pipes at the oilfield-construction company where he worked, officials said. Dewayne Mitch, 25, was one of several Gulf Island Fabrications employees moving a load of large metal oilfield pipes at the facility's Thompson Road yard at 2:30 p.m., according to police. A forklift operator was reportedly removing one of the 45-inch metal pipes from a rack when it appeared that a second pipe was beginning to slip. "The pipe was starting to roll and he was going to try to stop it with a wooden board, but it was rolling too fast and he was crushed," one official said. Mitch was rushed from the scene with what police said were severe head injuries, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center. A Thursday night autopsy conducted by the Terrebonne Parish Coroner's Office revealed that Mitch's cause of death was severe head trauma. Mitch went to work for the Terrebonne Parish company three weeks ago. Efforts to reach Kerry Chauvin, Gulf Island Fabrications' chairman and chief executive officer, were unsuccessful this morning. Mitch is survived by his wife, Sharale Parfait Mitch; a son, Darian Mitch; his parents, Billie Gilmore Mitch and Margaret Billiot Mitch; three brothers, Darrell, Steven and Darren Mitch; and a grandfather, Antoine Billiot.
WMass man killed in accident
Tuesday, September 11, 2001
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. - Police have identified the garbage collector killed Friday evening after being crushed between his truck and a telephone pole as a former Springfield, Mass., man. Ronnie L. Dixon, 47, who recently moved from Springfield to New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital shortly after the incident. His death does not appear to have been the result of foul play. "It appears to have been an accident. An honest accident," Brattleboro Police Officer Kurt Wagenbach said. Police believe Dixon was standing on the back, passenger side of the truck - his standard position to collect garbage cans, dump them and return them to the street - when he was caught between the truck and the telephone pole around 3:30 p.m. Friday, Wagenbach said. Meadow Brook Road, the street where the accident occurred, is narrow, Wagenbach said. "It's a typical old-time Vermont road," he said. Dixon is an employee of the Keene, N.H.,-based Waste Management of New Hampshire, which collects trash regularly in the Brattleboro area. Dixon had recently moved to the Swanzey, N.H., area from Massachusetts, police said. The Brattleboro Police Department Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating.
Truck Crushes Worker To Death
Police are investigating after a 21-year-old roofer was crushed to death between a dump truck and a Detroit house. The man was killed Wednesday night as some men were doing roof work to a home on Mansfield Street. Four men were reportedly on the roof while the 21-year-old man was in the driveway cleaning up. Police said that someone moved cement blocks that were supposed to keep the dump truck from moving. The truck rolled forward and instantly crushed the worker to death. Police said that so far it appears to be an accident, but they are questioning the other roofers. They said that they have many unanswered questions.
One Dies At Intel Plant
One man died from injuries suffered in a construction site accident late Wednesday at the Intel Corp. plant, police said. Matthew Dees, a 26-year-old construction worker from Phoenix, was the lone person on a forklift that was involved in an accident, Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety spokesman John Francis said. The incident was under investigation, he said. The construction site was closed until Tuesday, and grief counseling was scheduled to be made available for employees.
Greenwood mill worker's death under investigation
The Associated Press
GREENWOOD - Officials at a cottonseed oil mill are awaiting the results of an autopsy that could show what caused the death of a worker. David Pugh, 50, a 16-year employee, collapsed at PYCO oil mill Tuesday and died at Greenwood Leflore Hospital. Investigators are looking into the possible causes, including electrocution and a heart attack. Officials said Pugh collapsed while moving an empty hopper at the mill. "We really don't know much right now," Billy Breedlove, manager of PYCO, said Wednesday. "We haven't determined if it was an accident or if he died of a heart attack. We're waiting on some facts." Leflore County Coroner Debra Sanders said investigators are looking into the possibility that Pugh was electrocuted. Sanders said Pugh and an unidentified co-worker were moving the seed hopper with a forklift before Pugh's collapse. The co-worker reported receiving an electrical shock to Pugh, said Sanders. "When the other employee went to cut the electricity off, that's when he found (Pugh) unresponsive," said Sanders. Breedlove said company officials are looking into the possibility of an electrical accident. "We're going to make sure there are not any electrical issues. That site is pretty much off limits now until we get our investigation completed," Breedlove said.
Trucker killed at old Rachel Mine
RACHEL, By Bill Byrd
James Triplett run over after leaping from giant dump truck. A 51-year-old truck driver was killed Wednesday afternoon when he apparently tried to leap to safety from a giant runaway dump truck on a mine reclamation site. James Triplett, of Little Indian Creek Road, Morgantown, was declared dead by a county coroner. Triplett was working at the old Rachel Mine on Mod's Run Road. The 40-ton to 50-ton truck, whose tires stand at least 6 feet tall, rolled over Triplett shortly before 3 p.m., authorities said. He was going down a hill road when the truck apparently stalled, Marion Sheriff Junior Slaughter said. But the huge off-road machine didn't stop. Instead, it kept rolling, going over the hillside, he said. That's when Triplett jumped from the truck's cab, the sheriff said. He apparently jumped out of the truck and the truck ran over him. During its downhill slide, the large truck did not tip over. Instead, it came to an upright stop at the bottom of the hill, volunteer firefighters with the Farmington VFD said. The firefighters and a Marion County Rescue Squad ambulance were sent to the scene shortly after 3 p.m., according to the county's 911 emergency center. Federal and state mine safety experts were at the old mine site Wednesday night examining the truck and interviewing witnesses. Triplett was driving for Triplett Brothers Excavating of Morgantown. The company has been working at the site since 1993 and the opening of the 80-megawatt Grant Town Power Station. The state-of-the-art power plant burns waste coal. American Bituminous Power Partners, L.P., or Ambit, owns the plant. Rachel is one of three county sites where the limited partnership has federal and state surface mine permits to collect gob coal and to reclaim old mine sites. The other two old mines are in Grant Town and Barrackville. Herb Thompson, the power plant's manager, said late Wednesday, Our sympathy certainly goes out to the Triplett family. We'll be working to provide any and all assistance to the state and federal authorities so they can get a full investigation, Thompson said. Triplett Brothers was a subcontractor to Enersystems Inc., he said. Mike Jones, the general manager for Enersystems Inc., the firm which holds the services contract for the plant, said Triplett Brothers was moving and grading dirt at the Rachel site. They are doing reclamation, putting dirt on the site so it can be vegetated. They've been there ever since 1993 and the plant's startup, Jones said. We really don't know what happened yet. The investigation is ongoing by the federal and state experts and we'll have to wait to see what they report.
Industrial accident claims one BLUEFIELD, Va. - A Tazewell, Va., man died Wednesday as a result of injuries he received on the job at an area welding supply company. James Curtis Deskins, 26, died at 8:59 a.m., Wednesday morning after being transported to Bluefield Regional Medical Center by the Bluefield, Va., Rescue Squad. Deskins worked at Valley Natural Gases, Inc., in the Bluefield, Va., Industrial Park. He was injured at 7:54 a.m., when his head was pinned between a truck and boom he was operating. "The boom squeezed his head against the truck causing severe head trauma," Trooper D.R. Riley of the Virginia State Police said. Riley contacted officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and worked with them at the scene. "They're going to take the investigation over from here," he said. Another worker was in the vicinity of where Deskins was working, but did not report witnessing the beginning of the accident. Riley said the other worker heard a sound, and discovered the accident. Riley said Deskins had been working in Bluefield since February.
OSHA to probe construction death in Gardnerville
By Sandi Wright, Reno Gazette-Journal, Friday August 31st, 2001
An investigation into the death of a 39-year-old Redwood City man killed in a forklift accident at a Gardnerville construction site Tuesday has been turned over to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Raymond Eric Bauer was hired through Labor Ready in Sparks, a temporary employee agency, to work for M.C. Neuffer Co., according to Capt. Terry Taylor of the East Fork Fire and Paramedic District. Officials at M.C. Neuffer could not be reached and Labor Ready personnel declined to comment. Bauer listed no doctor, no permanent address in Nevada and no next of kin, Taylor said. The EFFPD responded to a call at the Job’s Peak Ranch Estates construction site in southwest Carson Valley shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday. Bystanders already were performing CPR on the victim, Taylor said. According to witnesses, Bauer was operating a forklift that was equipped with an aerial bucket at the end of a boom while negotiating an incline. “Riding the boom can put you in a bad place where your center of gravity is concerned,” Taylor said. “Those things are designed to hold two flats of Sheetrock, and they’re bouncy without the weight.” Witnesses said Bauer tried to jump when the forklift started to topple over but he was held in the bucket by a harness. The railing of the aerial bucket slammed into his head when he hit the ground. Bauer was pronounced dead at the scene by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department coroner. Cause of death was blunt force trauma. Because hydraulic fluid was leaking, the Ranchos Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the scene to do a hazardous materials cleanup, Taylor said.
Man killed in paving crash; Another man is in critical condition after the collision on K-96 nearSouth Hutchinson.
By Alex Branch, The Wichita Eagle
One man was killed and another was critically injured Tuesday in a collision between highway paving trucks just west of South Hutchinson. The man killed was identified as Ramon Mendoza, 37, of Wichita. Carl Phillips of Reno County was airlifted to Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus where he remained in critical condition. Both men are employed by Wichita-based Wittwer Paving and were working on the K-96 bypass two miles west of South Hutchinson. The bypass is not yet open to traffic. Reno County authorities said it appears Phillips was driving a boom truck southbound at about 10:15 a.m. when he struck a 65,000-pound piece of equipment parked on the shoulder. The impact caused him to sideswipe a northbound paving truck driven by Mendoza, said Sgt. Wayne Baughman of the Reno County Sheriff's Department. Mendoza was ejected from his truck. Phillips was pinned in the wreckage. Emergency workers used the Jaws of Life to free Phillips. A third worker who was near the accident suffered minor injuries. A company spokesman said employees are in deep shock. "We have a real sense of family among employees and this really wounds deep," said Ron Mahl, division manager for internal operations. The company declined to comment on the specifics of the accident while it is still being investigated. Authorities are trying to determine what caused the crash, Baughman said. The Kansas Highway Patrol is assisting in the investigation.
Co-owner of Byrd Lumber killed in accident
Published Tuesday, August 28, 2001 1:56 PM CDT
A 63-year-old man was crushed to death in an accident early this morning at Byrd Lumber Co. on Highway 51 North of Magnolia. James W. Byrd, 63, of McCall Creek, got pinned between two pieces of machinery, and workers were unable to turn the machinery off before his head and arm were crushed, according to Pike County Coroner Percy Pittman. Pittman said he was called at 7:30 this morning to the scene and pronounced Byrd dead at 7:45 a.m. Pittman sent the body to Jackson where a routine autopsy will be performed. Brookhaven Funeral Home will be in charge of arrangements. Mr. Byrd is one of the owners of the business.
Firefighter in critical condition
From AAP, 24aug01
A FIREFIGHTER was in a critical condition in hospital after being injured in a blaze at the Port of Brisbane, police said. A spokeswoman said the fire started around 8pm (AEST) last night when a forklift at Smith Brothers, a shipping container park at Fisherman Island, caught fire. A preliminary investigation has revealed that a hydraulic line might have separated, spraying fluid on the engine which then ignited. Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority officers were fighting the fire when a tyre exploded and shrapnel from the metal tyre rim hit the 41-year-old firefighter. He was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition with head and leg injuries. The forklift driver also received hip, leg and back injuries after jumping from the vehicle. Another fire officer was treated for smoke inhalation. The fire was extinguished around 10.30pm (AEST). Police, fire authority and workplace and health safety officers were investigating the cause of the fire.
Worker crushed to death Federal officials are investigating why a 5,000-pound sheet of metal fell on the plant manager at New York Depot Corp., killing him Aug.9. Police said that Jose Carlos Forte, 32, of Rosedale was on the ground directing the movement of a steel plate attached by chain to an excavator at the plant in Inwood that recycles soil. Witnesses said the chain either snapped or slipped off, causing the 8-by-20 foot roadway plate to drop on Forte's head at about 9:15 a.m. "As they were lifting it up, the chain wasn't secured properly, so it fell down and crushed him," said Det. Sgt. William Cocks of the Nassau County Homicide Squad. "It's a tragedy." The employee operating the machine was able to get the plate off Forte, and Mike Grottola, who was hired last week to complete on-site crushing of cement, ran up the dirt mound to perform CPR on Carlos, as Forte was known. "He had no vital signs. I didn't feel a pulse, so I gave him light CPR and he started breathing again," Grottola said. He said he poured ice on Forte's chest and wrapped a tourniquet around his head to stop the bleeding from the only visible wound. Grottola said Forte was still breathing when he carried him into the ambulance. No one else was injured, police said. Forte was rushed to St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, where he was pronounced dead at 9:55 a.m. A funeral was held on Monday morning at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. His family could not be reached for comment. "He was close to me like my brother," said New York Depot owner Joseph Aragona. "He's been a friend for 17 years. Carlos was a construction specialist second to no one. This accident is something I will be trying to figure out for a while." Aragona said Forte, who was born in Portugal, is survived by his wife. "I only met him last week, but he was so nice," Grottola said. "It was a freak accident for a guy who didn't deserve it." The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the cause of the accident. "Typically, these kinds of investigations could take up to six months," said OSHA area director Harvey Shapiro. "We try to go as slowly as possible, looking for if whatever happened were violations of OSHA." If there were violations, OSHA would issue citations against New York Depot, which would probably be accompanied by penalties, Shapiro said. "I hope that OSHA does a complete investigation into the entire operation of the facility because there are numerous occupational and health hazards on that site," said Inwood resident Elisa Hinken, a main opponent of the plant. The site on which New York Depot operates is owned by the state Department of Transportation.The plant has been beset by many problems during the past year. Last July, neighbors took the Depot to court over the environmental concerns about the mountain of dirt on the site at 2 Bay Blvd. They are concerned that dust blowing off the roughly 40 feet high pile of dirt may be noxious. That question has delayed the Town of Hempstead from granting Aragona a permit to operate on the Inwood site. On Aug. 3, the Department of Environmental Conservation made a surprise inspection, said DEC spokesman Bill Fonda. "The DEC issued them a warning regarding dust abatement operations for not using a sprinkler system to keep the dust wet," Fonda said. "If it happens again, the Depot could get a notice of violation and have to pay a fine." The piles of dirt are also not to exceed 30 feet, but Fonda said the DEC gave the Depot permission to remain at 40 feet while it makes room for a new crusher device that will grind up concrete. After that, the pile heights will have to be in compliance. Fonda added that if the facility is operating without a town building permit, then it is up to the Town of Hempstead to enforce compliance, not the DEC. Another public hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals about the dirt mountain has been scheduled for 3 p.m. Sept. 12, at the Town Hall Pavilion on Washington Street in Hempstead. The Department of Transportation required Aragona to post a $500,000 bond to guarantee that the mountain of dirt will be removed in the event that the recycling company vacates the property. "My facility has gotten shortchanged over the past seven months," Aragona said. "I can't understand why."
Worker killed in accident at Amtrak maintenance shop
By TERRI SANGINITI, Staff reporter, 08/16/2001
WILMINGTON - A worker was killed today in an accident at Amtrak's maintenance shop. Authorities said the man was trapped under equipment they described as similar to a forklift. The man's name was not released. Amtrak officials released no information in the hours immediately after the accident. New Castle County paramedic spokesman Mark Logemann said the man was in cardiac arrest when rescue workers arrived at 11 a.m. at the company's maintenance yards on Vandever Avenue. Co-workers had freed the man, who had been trapped for nearly 20 minutes, Logemann said. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him. He was flown to Christiana Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Logemann said.
OSHA Fines Lansdale Sports Store Over Worker Death (08/15/01)
by KYW's Michelle Pollino
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued four citations to a Montgomery County sporting goods store following the death of a store employee. OSHA has cited The Sports Authority in Lansdale and fined the retailer more than $25,000. Police say 18-year-old Raymond Campion Jr. died February 18th after he fell backward onto his head while reaching for an 87-pound weight bench on a top shelf. Tom Doherty is a response team leader with OSHA: "There are four citiations. One was for not having proper guarding on the floor, the other was for not having personal protective equipment. The next one was, the operator of the forklift was not properly trained." The final citation concerned leaving an industrial truck unattended. Frank Bubb, an attorney for The Sports Authority in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says the company will appeal OSHA's findings. He says Campion's death was the first in the company's history.
Front-end loader tumbles into Animas
August 14, 2001, By Tom Sluis, Herald Staff Writer
A construction worker trying to make some money on the side ended up on his side Saturday when the small front-end loader he was driving tipped over and landed in the Animas River. The cost to pull it out: about $1,000, according to Basin Towing and Repair, which was called to extract the Bobcat-style loader from the bottom of a steep hill between Riverview Drive and the east side of the Animas River. It took a tow truck about two hours to winch the front-end loader out, said Durango Fire & Rescue Authority Fire Officer Larry Vaughn. Fire & Rescue was called to the scene because the front-end loader was leaking diesel fuel into the river. "We were called in to control the fuel leak and stopped it within a few minutes after getting there," he said. The fuel spill was more of an environmental concern than a fire hazard, he said. The driver declined to comment Monday afternoon. "I’m just lucky to have my job right now," he said as he helped crews with the loader’s removal. Higher up, his boss was surveying the scene. He was not happy. "I got the call about 9:30 this morning," said Mike Donahue, a paving contractor from Cortez. Donahue said his employee was clearing ground next to the river for a homeowner on Riverview, but he didn’t know which one. "He took the tractor without my permission, and he was inexperienced," Donahue said. The tow truck ran a cable the thickness of a thumb between two houses and down the slope to the front-end loader. Neighbors watched the spectacle from back yards. Mike Clements, a tow-truck driver for Basin, said this particular task was not that out of the ordinary. "We’ve pulled out everything from semis, cars in lakes and cars with dead people inside," he said. Below him, about 200 feet down, the loader lay on its right side in the water just beyond a 4-foot-high embankment. Bark on trees was scraped off where the caged vehicle plummeted through. A small bluish oil slick swirled downstream. Russell Zimmerman, who regularly walks along the trail where the accident occurred, said the heavy equipment was upside down on the river bank Saturday morning before it rolled into the river. "It was ridiculous, it was spewing oil and gas all over the place," Zimmerman said. Tera Wood, who was walking her dog along the river Monday, said the accident was disgusting. "This is a place where a lot of kids swim and people take their dogs, and you can really smell the fumes," she said. A footpath runs from the river bridge behind the fairgrounds and up to the south end of Riverview. The Bobcat’s tracks have flattened waist-high bushes and small trees along half the path. Greg Hoch, Durango’s planning director, said the trail is on public land. "It’s not officially a public trail yet, but it is recommended as a city trail on the trails plan," he said. Hoch said the property lines on Riverview stop just short of the river and that the city owns a small swath of land along both sides of the river. To complete the trail, the city is negotiating for an easement from the property owner where the trail ends at Riverview. Hoch said that about six years ago a resident of Riverview cleared the hillside, which is not against the law. Hoch thought the same person may have hired the Bobcat to clear additional land next to the river. Just before the trail cuts up the hillside to Riverview, a patch of ground about 40 feet wide was scraped down to the dirt. "There is no prohibition preventing someone from clear-cutting their lot if they choose," Hoch said. "But this kind of thing is what will force someone to have a law passed against it."
Astaris Employee Killed In Accident Pocatello - AN ACCIDENT THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF AN ASTARIS EMPLOYEE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. ASTARIS TELLS US 50 YEAR OLD JERRY SMITH WAS DRIVING A WATER TRUCK AT THE PLANT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WHEN HE HIT A CONCRETE BARRIER AND ROLLED.SMITH WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO BANNOCK REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER WERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. IT IS AN ACCIDENT THAT HAS EMPLOYEES AT ASTARIS IN SHOCK TODAY. ASTARIS HAS COUNCILORS AT THE SITE TODAY FOR ANY EMPLOYEE WHO MAY NEED THEM.
Lift Death In Auckland
By Staff Reporter Leigh Catley at 5:10pm, 24th July 2001
A man was crushed to death by a lift in Auckland today. Occupational Safety and Health are investigating the death at a private house in St Mary's Bay. (c) NewsRoom 2001
UPDATE, Deerwood man victim of what sheriff Ross calls worst industrial accident
By MATT ERICKSON, Staff Writer
DEERWOOD -- Crow Wing County Sheriff Dick Ross called it the worst industrial accident of his tenure as sheriff. A 20-year-old Deerwood man is dead after a 2,500-pound pallet of wood fell on him at Trus Joint MacMillan's plant in Deerwood Monday. The victim, Andrew Sven Nelson, was a semi-truck driver hauling for Trus Joist MacMillan. Nelson was standing next to his truck while a forklift operator was loading pallets onto the semi-truck trailer. As the fork lift operator attempted to load a pallet, part of the already loaded product fell off the trailer and onto Nelson. Crow Wing County Sheriff Dick Ross said the investigation is almost closed, and there was no indication of foul play. "It was a terrible industrial accident," Ross said. Ross said Nelson was an independent contractor not directly employed by Trus Joist MacMillan. The forklift operator was an employee of Trus Joist MacMillan. Trus Joist MacMillan, a Weyerhaeuser firm, produces wood products. The accident was reported to the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department at 8:03 a.m.
Man dies in industrial accident
DEERWOOD -- An area man died today in what authorities are calling an industrial accident at Trus Joist MacMillan in Deerwood. The victim, whose name is being held pending notification of relatives, was a semi-truck driver. He was crushed to death when 2,500 pounds of wood fell off a forklift, Crow Wing County Sheriff Dick Ross said. The forklift operator didn't see the victim, who was strapping down a load on his truck, Ross added. The incident was reported to the sheriff's department about 8:30 a.m.
UPDATE, Man who lost foot in job accident given $5.6 million By Rafael A. Olmeda, Staff Writer, Posted July 20 2001 A Broward County jury awarded $5.6 million on Thursday to a North Miami man who sued a Hollywood company after losing his foot in a job-related accident eight years ago. Ruddy Smith, 49, was working at a Ramco Trading warehouse in 1993, moving products ready to be shipped to 99-cent stores across the region, said his attorney, Todd Falzone. Smith was about to climb onto a forklift when the machine jolted backward and crushed his left foot. "The forklift shouldn't have moved. If the brakes had been properly repaired, it wouldn't have moved," Falzone said. "Every bone in his left foot was broken. They tried to save it, but couldn't. A week later it was amputated." Smith sued Nationwide Lift Trucks, the company that worked on the forklift's brakes the day before the incident. Smith accused the company of faulty work. But the company never got to defend itself before a jury, Falzone said, because crucial physical evidence was lost and a judge held the company responsible. The jury that heard the case only decided the amount of compensatory damages, including medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Falzone said his client did not seek punitive damages. Smith is "feeling a little better now," Falzone said. "He feels like justice has been done." Lawyers for Nationwide Lift Trucks could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Junius man dies in paving accident
JUNIUS - A local man was killed in a construction accident yesterday while working in the parking lot of Countryside Custard and Yogurt Shop on Route 318. State police from the Waterloo barracks said Roy O. Meyers III, 35, of 1075 Donnelly Road, was operating a small front-end loader, called a skid steer, loading blacktop from a parked 1988 International dump truck around 4:50 p.m. As the dump truck bed was being raised, Meyers tried to stop the overflow by reaching outside the loader's safety cage to close the dump's flow gate. He accidentally hit the skid steer's controls, causing the machine to lunge forward. He was crushed between the skid steer and the dump truck. Seneca County Coroner Hugh Mecum pronounced Meyers dead at the scene. State police are continuing an investigation into the accident. Meyers graduated from Waterloo High School in 1983. "He was a good ol' boy," said Jim Lanphear, who worked with Meyers for seven years. "He was a hard worker and a lot of fun to work with." Peggi Ennis, Meyers' ex-wife, said he enjoyed riding three-wheelers and snowmobiles with their three daughters. "He was a good father and loved his daughters," said Ennis. Meyers' father, Roy Jr., is Junius town supervisor and owns Meyers Construction. Ennis said Meyers was very devoted to his father's business and was a hard worker. He was also a big fan of NASCAR, particularly driver Jeff Gordon. Another passion of Meyers' was restoring his 1955 Chevy, which he and Ennis bought in Tennessee almost 10 years ago.
2 tons of bricks kill forklift operator
July 6, 2001
ELGIN -- A forklift operator was killed Thursday when 2 tons of bricks fell on him as he worked near the forklift at Brady Brick and Supply, 1470 Abbott Drive, Elgin, police said. The victim, Douglas J. Schuring, 32, of Huntley was taken to Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin and pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m., authorities said. Four pallets of unsecured bricks apparently fell on Schuring as he approached or left the forklift about 9:45 a.m., Elgin Police Lt. Mike Turner said. Schuring had been with another employee, who did not see the accident, Turner said.
Teen killed in forklift incident is identified
By Christina Leonard, The Arizona Republic, July 03, 2001
Authorities identified a 17-year-old boy killed Monday afternoon in a forklift incident as Robert Castaneda. Castaneda was moving supplies in the Therm-All Insulation warehouse, 1901 W. Fillmore St., about 1:20 p.m. when a forklift fell on him, police said. Police said there were no witnesses to the accident, and the details about what caused the forklift to tip remain unclear. The state Occupational Safety & Health Administration is investigating.
UPDATE, State probes accident that took woman's leg
Thursday, June 21, 2001; By David Viviano, JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Flint - A state agency that regulates workplace safety has launched an investigation into an industrial accident that cost a woman her leg Monday. An inspector with the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reviewing the incident at Penske Logistics in which Kristine Lawler of Clio lost her leg. He also will check safety regulations and work conditions at the plant. Lawler's left leg was hit by a forklift and had to be amputated above the knee. She was listed in fair condition at Hurley Medical Center on Wednesday. "This is a serious work-related accident," said Maura Campbell, spokeswoman for the state Department of Consumer and Industry Services. "When we hear about something like this, we have to investigate." Since the plant has been in operation for only about a year, MIOSHA has never reviewed the site. Campbell said no previous injuries or complaints were reported at the plant. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, 479 workplace-related amputations occurred in Michigan in 1999, compared to 416 in 1998. Campbell said the statistics are misleading. "We've seen some pretty horrific accidents in the workplace, but safety awareness is increasing, not decreasing," she said. Campbell said the safety education and consultation division works with businesses throughout the state. The organization also enforces workplace standards through periodic inspections. Louise Moyer, Penske's corporate communications manager, said the company is looking into the accident. If the incident was caused by negligence, adjustments will be made, she said. "We'll do what we can to ensure something like this won't happen again," Moyer said. The facility, which employs about 300 workers, is on Maple Avenue east of Linden Road. It is an automotive parts service supplier for the General Motors Truck Plant on Van Slyke Road.
Woman's leg hurt by forklift
Wednesday, June 20, 2001, By David Viviano -JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Flint - A worker at Penske Logistic was rushed to Hurley Medical Center on Monday after her leg was injured in an accident with a forklift. Kristine Lawler of Clio was listed in serious condition Tuesday morning. A friend of the family said the forklift speared Lawler's left leg as she was walking down an aisle. He said her leg had to be amputated above the knee. The accident occurred about 3 p.m., according to Penske spokeswoman Louise Moyer, who would not specify what happened and said the accident is under investigation. "We are continually evaluating our safety program and are always looking for ways to improve and make our facility safer," Moyer said. "I'm certain that if an adjustment needs to be made, we'll make them." Moyer said a co-worker used a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. She said emergency personnel credit the employee with saving Lawler's life. The facility, an automotive parts service supplier for the General Motors Truck Plant, is located at 4405 Continental Drive.
$50,000 fine over death by crushing
Wednesday 20 June 2001
A pest-control company was fined $50,000 yesterday over the death of a truck driver crushed in a forklift accident. Exopest Australia pleaded guilty in Sunshine Magistrates Court to one count of breaching the Victorian Health and Safety Act. The charge followed the death of Rex Hyne, 53, of Altona, who was crushed by crates that fell from a forklift at the company's Footscray store on January 12, last year. Mr Hyne, who worked for Total Logistics, left a wife, three children and grandchildren. His daughter, Tanya Czelakowski, told reporters outside the court that the fine was not enough. "There's four directors of the company," she said. "I think that's just over $12,000 each. I think that's quite disgusting. "But it is $50,000, and it does send a strong message to the small companies out there that they have to have a safer work environment." Magistrate Greg Levine also ordered the company to pay $3548 in costs.
Man pinned between forklift, tractor-trailer dies
HAMILTON - A 19-year-old Georgetown man is dead after being pinned between the forklift he was operating and a tractor-trailer unloading at a Home Hardware store. The man was using the forklift to remove cardboard tubes from a trailer in the store's shipping and receiving area. When some of the tubes fell off the front of the forklift, the man got off to retrieve them and the forklift apparently moved, police said. ''He was crushed between the towmotor (forklift) and the trailer,'' said Halton police Sergeant Larry Brassard. The driver of the tractor trailer was slowly backing into a loading dock at the time, police said. The man was pinned to the side of the trailer. The accident yesterday happened shortly after the store, on Guelph Street near Armstrong Avenue in Georgetown, had opened. The Home Hardware Building Centre is in a commercial and industrial area with its own parking lots at the front and east side of the building, where the loading dock is located. Home Hardware staff called 911 and tried to help the man. He was taken to the Georgetown campus of the William Osler Health Centre, where he was pronounced dead. Police withheld the man's name until they could notify his immediate family. He was living in Georgetown with relatives. The outlet closed after the accident. A manager said the man was a full-time employee, but wouldn't say how long he had worked there. Police and the provincial Ministry of Labour are investigating the accident. They'll determine whether it was operator error or faulty equipment that caused the man's death. ''They may have to take the towmotor away to see if it was working properly,'' Brassard said. A Ministry of Labour study conducted in 1996 found that powered lift trucks including forklifts were involved in 136 critical accidents from 1990 to 1995 in Ontario workplaces, injuring 143 people. Of those, 18 workers died. Torstar News Service
Pensioner Killed By Forklift Truck
A 70-year-old woman has been killed by a forklift truck in a DIY store in Dorset. The woman was shopping at the B+Q DIY superstore in Poole when the accident happened. The truck, driven by a store employee said to be in his twenties, also collided with a shelving support in the building supplies area of the shop. The driver was sent home in shock after the accident. A B+Q spokeswoman said: "We are not sure whether it was something wrong with the forklift truck or driver error." The council will begin an investigation into the accident on Monday. The store was closed after the tragedy. The woman has not been named.
Virco employee in electrical incident
By SAMANTHA HUSEAS, Log Cabin Staff Writer
Thursday, June 14, 2001
A Virco Mfg. Corp. employee remained hospitalized Wednesday in fair condition after an electrical shock incident Tuesday night at the Virco Warehouse. David Johnson "received an electrical shock while attempting to charge a forklift battery" according to Glen Parish, Virco vice-president and Conway division general manager. Parish said he did not know a great deal about the incident but said "we're investigating it right now." He added everything possible will be done to prevent a similar accident in the future. Johnson was transported to Conway Regional Medical Center following the accident and remains there. According to Conway Fire Department incident reports, firefighters were dispatched to the warehouse at 10:07 a.m. Tuesday.
Man hurt when floor collapses
By Emily Kampschneider/Tribune Staff
A worker at Abe Krasne Home Furnishings had an unusual accident Tuesday. Howard Krasne, president of Abe Krasne Home Furnishings, said Fred Miles, warehouse supervisor, was driving a forklift on a warehouse floor before the floor caved in from under the machine. "The floor gave out and then next thing (Miles) knew he was in the basement," Krasne said. He said the truck fell about 10 feet, straight down and landed on all four wheels. rasne said Miles was then transported to the hospital and after X-rays and other tests, Miles soon was dismissed. He said Miles only suffered back injuries.
Worker dies as forklift falls down elevator shaft at Jackson Memorial
Staff report , Posted June 8 2001
An employee at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami was crushed to death Thursday night after falling down an elevator shaft, authorities said. The man, who was not identified, was operating a forklift-like device when he ran into the elevator door and fell down the shaft, according to Joe Fernandez of Miami Fire Rescue. The man did not have a long fall, but the machinery also fell down the shaft. Paramedics pronounced him dead on the scene shortly after 9:15 p.m. The Ryder Trauma Center is above the basement where the accident occurred, but patient care was not affected, officials said. WFOR-Ch. 4 contributed to this report.
Mushroom farm gets safety fine
Injured employee of Pictsweet Farms Forklift accident causes a worker to lose his hand.
MICHAEL ROSE, Statesman Journal, June 1
Pictsweet Mushroom Farms has been fined $7,475 by state regulators for safety violations, including a forklift accident that cost a worker one of his hands. The injured employee, Enrique Diaz Lupian, had to have his hand amputated a week after his arm was crushed. Investigators from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division say Lupian was caught between a door and a trash bin carried by the forklift. An untrained driver at the Salem plant mistakenly put the vehicle in forward instead of reverse. “I don't blame anyone,” said Lupian. “I simply ask that the supervisors pay more attention to who they ask to drive a forklift.” Union activists with the Woodburn-based Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United, better known by its Spanish acronym PCUN, held a press conference in Portland Thursday with Lupian and other mushroom farm workers to draw attention to the report from OR-OSHA, as the safety and health division is known. “It further substantiates what workers and we've been saying all along,” said Erik Nicholson, a PCUN representative. PCUN has been trying to organize Pictsweet workers into a union. Earlier this year, a small group of Pictsweet mushroom pickers approached PCUN, complaining mainly about pay. Pickers earn a piece rate for harvesting mushrooms. But PCUN officials say workers also had concerns about health and safety conditions, such as insufficient lighting and narrow, hard-to-climb stairs on mushroom beds. The recent accident highlights worries about forklift safety in the tight quarters of the mushroom farm. Don Dresser, a spokesman for Pictsweet's Tennessee headquarters, said he had not seen the OR-OSHA report and declined comment. State officials say the comprehensive safety inspection of Pictsweet was scheduled before PCUN showed up. OR-OSHA also was checking out an anonymous complaint about the mushroom farm, which PCUN says it had nothing to do with. The accident that cost Lupian his hand came one day after OR-OSHA started an inspection of the plant, state officials said. OR-OSHA investigators found 13 safety violations at the Salem plant, including nine items they categorized as “serious” violations. Steve Corson, spokesman for OR-OSHA, said the penalty levied on Pictsweet was substantial. The company has 20 days to appeal. “Forklifts are potentially dangerous and you really do need training,” Corson said. Over the past six years, forklift accidents have killed at least seven people in Oregon. Two more fatalities that may have been caused by forklifts are under investigation. Last year alone, more than 220 people in Oregon were hurt in accidents involving lift trucks. Among the items OR-OSHA noted in its report on Pictsweet: The company “did not fully assure that only trained workers” were operating lift trucks, and failed to “provide enough supervision over employees.” Corson said OSHA has opened a separate inspection of health conditions at the Pictsweet plant, which may involve a variety of issues such as air quality. Results of that inspection are pending.
Worker Killed in Forklift Accident
Labor: Phone cable installer dies when equipment supporting him overturns and falls down an embankment near Santa Paula.
By TIMOTHY HUGHES, Times Staff Writer
A 28-year-old phone cable installer died Friday when a forklift carrying him overturned and carried him down a steep embankment near Santa Paula. He was the seventh person in the county to die in a work-related accident in the past eight months. Wayne Thompson Hunzicker III of San Dimas was pronounced dead at Ventura County Medical Center shortly after the 10:46 a.m. accident, said James Baroni, a senior deputy coroner. Hunzicker, an employee of Victorville-based STC Wireless Resources, had just finished installing cable on a 45-foot cell phone tower when the accident occurred, said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for Cal/OSHA. Witnesses said Hunzicker was standing on a platform about 35 feet above the forklift. He was wearing a protective harness and was in a metal safety cage, Fryer said. The weight of the forklift was too much for a patch of soft dirt near a steep embankment and the machine tipped over, Fryer said. Hunzicker was still strapped into his harness when emergency crews arrived. An autopsy showed he died of chest and abdominal injuries, officials said. As is standard practice after any fatal work-related accident, Cal/OSHA has opened an investigation, Fryer said. STC Wireless Resources was contracted by tower owner Sprint PCS to make the repair, Sprint spokeswoman Stephanie Walsh said. Officials at STC Wireless declined comment. Hunzicker's death marks the latest in a string of local fatal work accidents. Prior to Friday, the most recent occurred April 11 when a 79-year-old farm labor contractor was killed after he was run over by a forklift driven by one of his employees at Calleguas Ranch in Camarillo.
Worker's legs crushed in accident
The Associated Press, 5/4/01 10:37 AM
FAIRPORT, N.Y. (AP) -- A 25-year-old man had both his legs crushed when he was trapped in a forklift at a food plant. Michael Covington of Rochester was in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital's intensive care unit. He suffered a "crushing injury" to his legs Wednesday night, said Fairport Fire Chief Tom Santillo. Covington was operating a "depalletizer" -- a sort of automated forklift -- to remove stacked pallets of glass bottles, said Fairport police Sgt. James Stefano. About 8:50 p.m. Wednesday, his legs got tangled in the bar that pulls the pallets and he was left dangling 10 feet off the ground, Stefano said. It took emergency crews 30 minutes using several different tools including the Jaws of Life to free Covington.
Worker Killed by Steel Beam
A construction worker was killed in Brooklyn on Monday night when a steel beam slipped off a forklift and crushed him, police said. Rogelio Villanueva-Daza, 43, of Sunset Park was working for Mordechai Rubbish Inc. at the time of the accident, police said. He and the other crew workers were demolishing an abandoned building at 104 S. Eighth St. in Williamsburg. Around 6:30 p.m., a worker on the second floor of the building was operating a boom lift when the floor gave out, police said. The front of the lift collapsed and the beam fell onto Villanueva-Daza, who was on the first floor, police said. Villanueva-Daza was taken to Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No summonses have been issued. Officials at Mordechai Rubbish, reached at their Brooklyn office yesterday, declined to comment.
Follow-up to Thursday's Forklift Accident news story
Many of you have asked for more details as to how this accident actually happened. From reading other news accounts of this accident, it became very clear to me that the man killed was NOT the driver as I had originally assumed, but rather was a co-worker standing nearby. It appears to have happened when the overloaded forklift began to tip forward, this man grabbed a hold of the back of the forklift trying to add weight to the back-end so that it would come back down. Well it did not work out like he thought. The forklift tipped too far forward and the load slipped off the forks and the man was left hanging on the back of the forklift when it came slamming back down on top of him.
Man killed in forklift accident
By Nina Wu Of The Examiner Staff
A man was killed Tuesday afternoon after falling under a forklift as it lifted a heavy bundle of plywood over the threshold of the construction gate around the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero. The man, Hilary St. John, 56, of South San Francisco, died at the scene paramedics weren't able to resuscitate him. Both the fire department and emergency response team arrived at 12:45 p.m. Police held a yellow tarp around St. John's body for more than two hours to shield it from the view of passers-by on their way to work and Gabbiano's restaurant until paramedics transported it to the Medical Examiner's office. As friends and co-workers watched in horror, they collected a plaid shirt, wallet, hammer, set of keys and change that had fallen on the concrete near a pool of blood. "As the forklift carrying the wood was rolling over the threshold, it tipped over and he jumped on it to counterbalance," officer Alan Honnball said. "It bounced back and ended up crushing him." The accident came during the Port's $70 million renovation, undertaken in part by the Plant Construction Company, whose sign adorns the 14-foot high enclosure. Port spokeswoman Renee Dunn did not return calls from the Examiner on Tuesday.
OSHA fines Sappi mill $70,500
By JOE RANKIN, Staff Writer, 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
SKOWHEGAN — Sappi Fine Paper's Somerset Mill was fined $70,500 by a federal regulatory agency Friday following an investigation into an accident last fall that killed a Norridgewock man. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration found nine workplace safety violations in the mill's finishing room. Five of them were labeled "serious" and one "willful." The agency levied a $55,000 penalty for the willful violation — failing to require drivers of powered trucks to slow down and sound a horn at cross aisles and spots where vision was obstructed. A willful violation is the most serious category. It means that company managers knew of a safety requirement but ignored it, said OSHA Area Director C. William Freeman III. Gary Kinney, 53, was killed Nov. 15 after being crushed between two propane-powered "clamp trucks" used to move huge rolls of paper around the mill's finishing area and shipping warehouse. Sappi spokesman Edward J. Powers said Friday the company is "reviewing the citations and will certainly contest the allegation of a willful violation." Powers said Sappi cooperated with OSHA in the investigation and initiated its own review to ensure the mill implements best practices. "We have in place a safety program for powered industrial trucks that meets or exceeds all applicable OSHA requirements," Powers said. The company has asked for an informal conference with OSHA to discuss the citations, said Freeman. Kinney, a clamp truck operator, had stopped his machine and was in the process of changing its propane fuel tank when another clamp truck operator backed his truck down an aisle, around a corner and into Kinney's machine, Skowhegan Deputy Police Chief Rick Bonneau said at the time. Kinney suffered massive injuries to his legs and pelvis, as well as internal injuries in the morning accident. He died later at Redington-Fairview General Hospital. One of the five serious violations directly stemmed from the fatal accident: Sappi was fined $7,000 because the driver of the propane-powered truck that struck Kinney failed to "look in the direction of travel and keep a clear view of the path of travel." Other serious violations were: Locating propane cylinders outside the propane changing station unprotected from industrial truck traffic and failing to properly align a propane cylinder pin on a truck with its positioning hole. Combined penalty: $2,500. Storing a 50-inch-diameter paper roll atop a 30-inch-diameter paper roll in the finishing and shipping warehouse. Penalty: $3,500. Transporting a propane fuel cylinder lengthwise across a powered truck's forks. Penalty: $2,500. OSHA also issued three other citations that did not carry monetary penalties, for failing to install a portable fire extinguisher on a fork truck, failing to post a load and weight rating chart on a fork truck for its paper-clamp attachment, and keeping a truck with a defective parking brake in service.
Supermarket fined $3000 for forklift accident
21.04.2001 4.16 pm
A Hawke's Bay supermarket has been fined nearly $3000 for an accident involving a forklift operator who dropped cartons of beer, knocking another employee unconscious. Tamatea Foods Ltd, trading as Pak `N' Save, was convicted in Napier District Court yesterday on a charge of breaching the Health and Safety in Employment Act. Storeman Ryan Ashton suffered short term loss of consciousness and amnesia and needed stitches to both hands and his right knee when the accident happened on October 18 last year. Aaron Woods, the operator of the forklift, had been moving two pallets containing 60 cartons of 24 packs of beer when they toppled on to Mr Ashton, knocking him off a ladder into cartons and to the floor. The court was told the load had been unsecured and was more than 200kg over the 1350kg maximum weight. Mr Woods had not operated a forklift before he began working at the supermarket six months before the accident. The company was charged by the Occupational Safety and Health Service for failing to adequately train the forklift operator. Company director Hanno Hasselman admitted he was aware of the need for forklift operators to be certified but had not followed up organising a training course. The company was convicted and fined $2500 and ordered to pay $200 lawyer fees and $130 court costs.
