Mobile Equipment Accidents #2
This page was last updated on 05/06/2010
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: Margaret Radford, Service Manager, OSH , Canterbury – West Coast Region Tel: 03 365 2600 Mobile 025 278 1834 Madeleine Setchell, 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.
UPDATE, 10th Mountain Division soldier recounts terrifying forklift accident in Afghanistan
By Sean E. Cobb
European edition, Saturday, February 9, 2002
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 [email protected]
Investigators probe fatal Verona industrial accident
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.