Slip, Trips, and Falls #10
updated 05/06/2010
ACCIDENT AT ST. PETER’S: CONSTRUCTION WORKER DIES
(AGI) – Rome, Italy, Sept. 1 – Workers were setting up a stage at St. Peter’s square, when they lost their balance and fell five meters. A 50-year-old worker died while a 38-year-old worker was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition. The stage was being prepared for an upcoming ceremony to be held by the pope. (AGI)
Bridge worker drowns
By David Conti and Jim Ritchie TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, August 30, 2003
A worker on the Fort Pitt Bridge construction project drowned in the Monongahela River Friday afternoon after falling out of a boat used to transport workers from a pier work site. The Allegheny County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as James Warren, 29, of Conneaut, Ohio, an employee of Cleveland-based L.M. Lignos Enterprises. Trumbull Corp., of West Mifflin, the contractor on the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel rehabilitation, hired Lignos to handle the painting. “It’s a real tragedy, and our real concern is with the employee and his family,” Trumbull President George Mezey said. Mezey and PennDOT project manager Jim Foringer said this was the first major work-related accident on the decade-long project to rehabilitate the bridge, tunnel and nearby roads. It occurred as Trumbull is wrapping up work on its $84.2 million contract with PennDOT to overhaul the bridge and tunnel.
N.S. man killed in fall from roof
JOSEPH B. NADEAU , Staff Writer 08/29/2003
BELLINGHAM — A North Smithfield man suffered fatal injuries after falling from a roof at 710 Pulaski Boulevard Thursday. David R. Marchand, 45, of 10 Mill St., had been working on the roof of the three-story home at Pulaski and Brisson Street with other workers from Cote Remodeling Co., when the 2:19 p.m. accident occurred. “He appeared to trip on an air hose on the roof being used in the repairs, lost his balance and slid off the roof,” said Bellingham Police Sgt. Peter Lemon. The two-family home was reported to be undergoing a renovation involving the addition of third-floor living space, according to local officials. Marchand suffered severe neck and back trauma in the fall and was initially assisted by local rescue personnel, according to Lemon. A LifeFlight helicopter was called to the scene and a landing zone set up at the South Elementary School, Lemon said. But after the helicopter arrived, the victim’s worsening condition prompted the aircraft’s flight surgeon to recommend ground transport to Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, he said. Marchand was pronounced dead at Landmark after an examination in the hospital’s emergency room, he said. The owner of Cote Remodeling was at the scene at the time of the accident, as was the owner of the home, Lemon said. Family members were notified of the accident and responded to the emergency room, he said. The Police Department secured the job site and began an investigation. Participating in the review are the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State Police Crime Scene Services, Worcester CPAC, and the town building inspector’s office, he said. Lemon said he could not say if any charges would result and noted that OSHA was leading the investigation. “OSHA is there, as we speak, taking measurements,” he said. The federal agency could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Construction Worker Survives 60-Foot Fall Down Cliff
MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Marion County construction worker is recovering after he fell down a 60-foot cliff. It happened around 10 o’clock Thursday morning at Alliance Construction Materials northwest of Ocala. The man wasn’t seriously hurt. The 60-foot drop was steep and covered with cinderblocks. Charles McCrone was supposed to be dumping the blocks. Instead, he and his front-end loader went in. His boss says he never should have been using equipment this heavy. The drop didn’t crush the passenger cabin. So, McCrone pried himself from the mangled mess and made it half way up the 80-degree incline. Then he ran out of gas. That’s when the technical rescue team arrived. “My initial reaction was how lucky the patient appeared to be, that he was awake and alert and oriented,” says rescuer Derek Bracewell. Three rescuers used an elaborate system of ropes to repel down to McCrone. They say he was happy to see them. “He was in good spirits. He just wanted to get out of there, get out of that situation,” says rescuer Scott Ramage. The rescuers used something called a Stokes basket. They strapped him in tightly so he couldn’t move much, in case he broke his back or neck, while the firefighters gingerly moved McCrone into the basket on the steep cliff. The cinder block footing couldn’t have been less stationary. Rescuers say many of their steps sent the blocks tumbling to the bottom. “If you’re not 100 percent on your game, you’re going to the bottom, just like the front-end loader,” says Bracewell. Once McCrone was strapped in, it was up to another team on level ground. They were able to get McCrone safely to the top and on to a hospital. The Marion County firefighters involved go through hundreds of hours of training for rescues like these.
UPDATE Company cited in water tower death
By HEATHER CHAPIN , Norwalk Bureau Chief 08/19/2003
NORWALK — The company that employed a Michigan man who fell to his death inside a Willard water tower earlier this year has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to Richard Tracy, an investigator at OSHA’s Toledo office. Dixon Engineering Inc. of Lake Odessa, Mich., was issued a ”serious” citation by OSHA on Aug. 1 that carries a fine of up to $7,000, Tracy said. The specific charge and investigative report have not been released by OSHA because the agency has not received notification that Dixon has received it, Tracy said. Ken Benson, 51, of Hastings, Mich., was wearing a safety harness that was not buckled properly when he fell to his death while inspecting a city water tower on May 13, Willard City Manager Brian Humphress had said. Yesterday, Bill Dixon, president of Dixon Engineering, confirmed the company received the citation. In response to questions about Benson’s harness, Dixon said: ”Nobody really knows what happened in that water tank.” Dixon also responded in writing to the citation, stating: ”Dixon Engineering is considering an appeal of the citation and will not comment on the OSHA citation nor the accident. We do wish to thank the brave personnel of both the Norwalk and Willard Fire Departments who participated in the recovery.” Benson fell while climbing down a ladder leading from a manhole inside the tower located at SR 99 and SR 103, Willard Fire Chief Rich Myers said at the time. The tank was drained of water for a regular inspection contracted to Dixon Engineering when Benson fell. There were no witnesses to describe what happened, Myers also had said.
Mason dies after falling 10 feet at construction site
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Daily News staff
A construction worker died after falling about 10 feet Monday afternoon in East Naples, officials with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said. The worker was identified as 40-year-old Gumaro Rodriguez of 478 Mississippi Ave., Fort Myers. Sheriff’s officials said Rodriguez fell at 12:37 p.m. Monday at 3919 Forest Glen Blvd. and was pronounced dead by paramedics. Rodriguez worked as a mason for a construction company. Investigators said Rodriguez was moving concrete blocks on the second story of a home under construction when he fell through an opening in the floor and struck his head. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the government agency that oversees workplace safety, was notified Monday. An OSHA representative was expected to arrive in Collier County sometime Monday to investigate, officials said. Officials said they did not know the name of the company for which Rodriguez worked.
Worker dies after fall in Talcher
ANGUL, Aug. 17. — In yet another fatal accident, a 35-year-old contractual worker Srikanta Kumar Lenka died after falling down from a height of 40 m at a bunker located at Unit-4 of Talcher-Kaniha Power Project. He was working as a welder in Endfab Company, engaged in construction of Talcher Super Thermal Power Project. He had no safety belt despite repeated warning to the agencies, police said. The incident occurred on Saturday. Injuries on his head, he succumbed on way to hospital. — SNS
Worker Injured In Scaffolding Collapse Dies; Officials Investigate Cause Of Scaffolding Collapse
POSTED: 1:39 p.m. EDT August 15, 2003
MADISON, N.C. — A worker critically injured when scaffolding on a Rockingham County water tower collapsed has died, authorities said Friday. The man who fell was identified as Pedro Hernandez Encarnacion, 34. He was flown to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where he died, according to a hospital spokeswoman, who wouldn’t say when the death occurred. Two other men dangling from ropes when the scaffolding fell Thursday later were rescued by emergency workers at the tower, located at the intersection of U.S. 220 and N.C. 704 just east of Madison, according to authorities. One of the workers who dangled from the scaffolding, identified as Victor Estrada, 35, was taken to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro. A hospital spokesman said Estrada was in good condition Friday with minor injuries. The second worker didn’t require treatment. The cause of the scaffolding collapse was unclear Thursday.
UPDATE DEATH PLUNGE WARNING Aug 16 2003
A WORKER fell from a ladder to his death just weeks after a plea for better site safety, a probe heard yesterday. Welding supervisor Grant Shields, 35, from Paisley, died at the BP refinery in Grangemouth on November 15, 2001. Joseph Burns, of contractor Babcocks, told a fatal accident inquiry at Falkirk Sheriff Court that BP had ignored his call to fit safety straps two months earlier. The inquiry continues.
Man plunges to his death in bizarre accident
ABC13 Eyewitness News
A bizarre accident that kills a maintenance worker gets the attention of the secret service. A man died in a fall overnight while installing phone lines in the office building where former President George Bush works in west Houston. Police say the maintenance worker slipped and fell straight through a layer of sheet rock into a small air tube. He tumbled down almost ten stories to the ground. A security guard making his rounds heard the man moaning at about 11pm and figured out that the sound was coming from inside the air tube. He called for help, but the man was dead by the time help arrived. Because the man was working on the ninth floor, where the former President’s offices are, the Secret Service is also looking into the case.
UPDATE Judge: Contractor liable in pedestrian bridge collapse
August 13, 2003, 3:43 PM EDT
UTICA, N.Y. — The general contractor working on a pedestrian bridge that collapsed last October, killing one construction worker, is liable for injuries suffered by another worker, according to a court ruling. A decision last week by State Supreme Court Justice Robert Julian found that Department of Transportation employee Theodore Fox Jr. fell 30 feet from an elevated work site that did not have required safety devices. The bridge wasn’t properly shored and braced to prevent its collapse, Julian said. That makes Tioga Construction Co. of Herkimer liable for Fox’s injuries under New York State Labor Law, Julian ruled in a decision released Tuesday. Fox and seven others were injured when the 170-foot bridge twisted, buckled and collapsed 20 feet to the ground on Oct. 10. Fox is suing Tioga for $70 million. According to his lawsuit, Fox broke his pelvis, dislocated his right shoulder and broke a bone in his left arm. Another worker, Scott Couchman, died in the collapse. Terence Hannigan, the lawyer for Tioga, said the company disagreed with Julian. “This isn’t a situation where these people weren’t given proper safety equipment,” Hannigan said. “This is a case in which the structure they were hired to build failed through no fault of Tioga or the men and woman standing on it.” Hannigan said he expected to appeal. Seven other lawsuits by those injured in the collapse have been filed in the Court of Claims in Albany. They range from $25 million to $50 million. In New York, workers’ compensation law prevents a worker from directly suing his employer in cases such as the bridge collapse. That means Fox couldn’t sue the state since he worked for DOT. The plans for the pedestrian bridge have been scrapped. It was part of a highway project about 45 miles east of Syracuse. The bridge was being built over a new section of a four-lane highway, a project that started in the late 1970s and is expected to be completed next year.
Construction Worker Survives 60-Foot Fall From Scaffolding
COCOA, Fla. — Cocoa firefighters claim a construction worker is lucky to be alive after he fell more than 60 feet this morning. Not strange enough? Read more strange news from WFTV.com. He was working on some scaffolding at the Whitley Bay Condominium project in Cocoa. Firefighters were amazed that the man may have only a severely broken leg. Apparently he hit one of the balconies on the way down. That may have broken his fall before he hit the sand. There’s no word on what led to the accident.
Construction worker injured in fall
By OREN DORELL, STAFF WRITER
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Labor is investigating a construction worker’s fall early today while working on the Glenwood Avenue bridge over Wade Avenue. Orlando Leon Sattlerwhite, 48, of Warrenton was admitted to WakeMed with a back injury, according to a police report. The incident occurred at about 1:13 a.m. on the 1400 block of Glenwood Avenue. Sattlerwhite was working for C.C. Mangum Contractors LLC of Raleigh, according to the report.
UPDATE Worker died from head trauma, autopsy finds
By JENNIE TUNKIEICZ Last Updated: Aug. 9, 2003
Racine – A fall from a great height and severe head trauma will most likely be listed as the the cause of death of a Milwaukee man who was involved in a construction site accident in Racine last week, Racine County Medical Examiner Thomas Terry said Thursday. Terry said an autopsy by the Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office revealed no heart problems or other natural causes that would have caused Zebedke Richardson to fall 30 to 40 feet from a scaffolding Monday. Terry said he had not received a final report from Milwaukee County, but it is not believed that any other findings will be released. Robinson fell from scaffolding and was impaled on a 5-inch bolt at a construction site near Batten Airport at Mount Pleasant St. and South St. He was 55. Richardson was a 12-year employee of C.D. Smith Construction of Fond du Lac. The company is building a basin for the city’s Water and Wastewater Utilities. The accident happened Monday afternoon, and Richardson died at 8:50 p.m. after neurosurgery at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Terry said. Terry said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the incident. A review by the Racine Police Department concluded that the incident was an industrial site accident and not a criminal incident, Sgt. William Macemon said.
Construction worker listed critical after fall
By RICHARD LIEBSON THE JOURNAL NEWS August 9, 2003
WHITE PLAINS — A construction worker was in critical condition yesterday after falling headfirst three stories down a duct shaft at the $325 million City Center project in White Plains. Louis Ackerman and another worker were in the shaft, located next to a stairwell, about 11:30 p.m. Thursday when police said Ackerman accidentally fell about 50 feet to the bottom of the shaft. He was rushed to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he underwent emergency surgery for a skull fracture, spleen injury and blood on his brain. Ackerman, who police believe is in his 40s, was listed in critical condition yesterday. Police did not have his address, but were told by fellow workers that he lives in Brewster. City building inspectors and officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were called to the site immediately and returned yesterday to try to determine the cause of the accident. White Plains Building Commissioner Michael Gismondi said that work on the site has not been halted, but that developer Louis Cappelli “will be issued a minimum of three or four summonses for safety violations by us, plus whatever OSHA decides to do.” He would not elaborate, but police said the men were apparently working without safety rails on the scaffold and were not wearing safety harnesses. “I can’t tell you the specific violations right now, other than to say they are for safety issues,” Gismondi said. “It’s an ongoing investigation.” Brian Connolly, assistant director for OSHA’s regional office in Tarrytown, said he knew little about the accident late yesterday afternoon. “Our inspectors are out there right now, and I’m waiting to hear from them,” he said. “The investigation has just begun.” Cappelli did not return a call seeking comment yesterday. Police said Ackerman works for Precision Carpentry. Officials from the White Plains-based company could not be reached for comment yesterday. Police Lt. Nick Kralik said witnesses told investigators that Ackerman and another man were finishing up their work when Ackerman asked the other man for a measurement. The man told police he heard a noise, turned around, and saw Ackerman fall down the shaft. “We’ve determined that there was no crime committed, and we’ve turned over all of the witness statements to OSHA,” Kralik said. The accident marked the second time this year that a worker has fallen down a shaft at the City Center site, at Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue. In March, Alvin Burgos of Yonkers was injured when he fell from the 16th to the 13th floor of a 35-story apartment tower under construction at 222 Main St. after removing wooden support beams from an elevator shaft. Burgos’ fall was broken by plywood on the 13th floor. Earlier, a worker was injured when he stepped into a hole and hurt his leg; in another incident, a worker was hit by a pipe. On June 17, 2002, Richard Ellis of Thornwood, a 40-year-old worker, was killed after a bundle of concrete reinforcing bars fell more than 50 feet and crushed him at a hotel-apartment construction site Bank and Main streets in White Plains. Another worker was hurt. Scheduled to open in October, the City Center will contain 15 movie screens, a community theater and thousands of square feet of restaurant and retail space. The project also includes two 35-story apartment towers. A $40 million garage is being constructed by Cappelli and the city.
Rabat worker still on danger list but in stable condition
by Charlot Zahra, di-ve news ([email protected])
GWARDAMANGIA, Malta (di-ve news) — 09 August 2003 1215 CET — Clint Borg, the 18-year-old man of Rabat who fell off around one storey from a scaffolding while doing works on the façade of a building at Bahrija on Wednesday afternoon, was still reported to be on the danger list but was in a stable condition, Police told di-ve.com on Saturday morning. The accident took place at around 1830 CET at Raddet ir-Roti Street in Bahrija, when for some reason or another the worker lost his balance and fell off. A fellow worker of Bahrija called for an ambulance to be sent on site. Borg was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was certified with grievous head injuries and in danger of dying. Duty Magistrate Giovanni Grixti is conducting the inquiry on the case and has appointed various experts to assist him. Police Inspector Marthese Micallef from the Rabat District is leading the investigations on this case.
Worker dies after fall at former power plant
The Associated Press
APPLETON — A 29-year-old man died after falling about 20 feet from the roof of an old power plant. The man was a member of a five-person crew from A&A Environmental, of Poynette. The group was removing asbestos from the roof of the former Vulcan Power Plant Thursday morning, Appleton Police Lt. Rudy Nyman said. The man fell through the roof to a lower-level floor and later died at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton. His name had not been released early Friday. An autopsy was scheduled, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the accident. The 94-year-old electric generating plant is in the early stages of being converted into a restaurant.
Worker Impaled By Metal Pipe In Stable Condition
LINCOLN PARK, N.J. — A Morris county man is in stable condition Thursday night, after being impaled during a freak accident at a sewer pumping station. The incident happened in Lincoln Park, N.J. at about 4 p.m. Police say Leonardo Menna, 26, an employee of the Two Bridges Sewer Authority, fell down a flight of stairs and became impaled on a pipe inside the pump house. Menna was trapped for 90 minutes before workers were able to get him out. Rescuers were able to cut the pipe and free Menna. He was later airlifted to Morristown Memorial Hospital.
Carl Junction Worker Injured
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
A construction worker is injured while working on the Carl Junction Intermediate school. The worker fell through the roof, falling more than 20 feet. He was working on the damage from last May`s deadly tornadoes. The man was working through western fireproofing, a subcontractor through RES Construction. The man was taken to Freeman hospital for possible hip injuries. Construction has stopped until a cause of the accident can be explained.
2 labourers die after fatal fall
Express News Service
Pune, August 2: Two labourers had a fatal fall from the third floor of a building under construction near Chinchwadgaon old octroi post today. Police said the accident occurred while the labourers were removing the bamboo scaffolding. Police identified the duo as Suresh Suhan Verma (30) of Kunal Residency, Thergaon, and Sunil Pujari (25) of Pavana Nagar, Kalewadi. The incident occurred at Krunal Riverside, a building coming up near Moraya Mangal Karyalaya adjacent to octroi post. A case of accident has been registered.
Construction worker falls 60 feet
From staff reports 08/01/2003
A construction worker was critically injured in Fairview Friday afternoon when he fell nearly 60 feet into a sewer excavation pit, fire officials said. The worker, whose name was not immediately available, fell onto a piece of metal wire and was impaled in his chest. The man was transported via Careflite to Methodist Hospital in Dallas. His condition has not been made available. Chief investigating agency, Fairview Fire Department, called McKinney’s high-angle vertical rescue team to assist with the man’s rescue. Fire fighters removed the construction worker from the 30-foot excavation pit, which was located inside another 30-foot cement casement being set for the town’s sewer system. McKinney Asst. Fire Chief Frank Roma said this is the specialized vertical rescue team’s first year in McKinney.
2nd Skyway Construction Death Of Summer
Saturday Aug. 2, 2003, 3:10 p.m.
(Chicago) — A worker fell 50 feet to his death Friday after he stepped on an unsupported platform while working at a construction site on the Chicago Skyway, marking the second fatality from the area in less than a month. The victim, identified by the medical examiner’s office as David Stevens, 36, fell at about 1 p.m. from the Skyway at 75th Street and Greenwood Avenue, Gresham District Sgt. Robert Orlando said. Stevens was laying a platform to pour concrete from when he stepped on a 3-by-4-foot piece of plywood that had no support under it, according to a Calumet Area detective. The worker plunged 50 feet and struck his head on the ground, the detective said. He did not know the name of the construction company the victim worked for. Stevens, of 14256 Luna Av. in Midlothian, was pronounced dead at 1:47 p.m. at Stroger Hospital of Cook County, according to a Cook County medical examiner’s office spokesman. An autopsy was scheduled for Saturday, the spokesman said. This was the second time in less than a month that a construction worker was killed falling from the Skyway. Dennis McNamara, 63, 249 Lincoln Ct. in Wood Dale, was working on the Skyway near 77th Street when he plunged to the ground at about 11:10 p.m. July 9. He died from his injuries at 12:15 a.m. July 10, according to the police and a medical examiner’s office spokesman. The Skyway viaduct from 75th to 79th Street has been undergoing reconstruction since September 2001 as the first phase of a $250 million project to improve the safety and traffic flow, according to the city Department of Transportation’s Web site. Work to on the viaduct deck between 77th and 79th streets, which involves removing the superstructure and replacing it with a filled embankment, was scheduled for completion in November.
Construction Worker At New Resort Falls Three Stories
UPDATED: 7:13 a.m. EDT July 30, 2003
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A construction worker fell three stories while working on a new resort in Orange County. It happened at the Bonnet Creek Resort near Disney. This is what we know about the injured construction worker. He’s in his 20’s. He is coherent and is said to be in stable condition. This is what we know about the accident. It happened around 4 a.m. at the Bonnet Creek Resort located next to the Caribbean Beach Resort. The worker fell three stories and landed on dirt. It is unclear if he fell off a balcony or scaffolding. It apparently didn’t happen on Disney property, however, Reedy Creek Emergency Services responded and took the injured construction worker to an empty parking lot near Cirque de Soleil, which is on Disney property. He was then airlifted to the hospital and is in stable condition.