Slips, Trips and Falls Accidents #3
This page was last updated on 05/06/2010
Canaan iron worker falls to death on job site
by ALAN CROWELL Staff Writer, Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc
CANAAN – Family members remember a 41-year-old Canaan man who fell to his death at a Massachusetts construction site as a devoted family man and a hard worker. Clinton L. Lord died Wednesday after falling more than 25 feet from the steel skeleton of a middle school being built in Dorchester, according to a report from the Thursday edition of The Boston Globe. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death. Lord was working for Zichelle Steel Erectors of Leominister, Mass., a subcontractor for Peabody Construction of Braintree, the site manager. Zichelle was fined $13,000 and cited for 11 violations at a Taunton job site last year. One of the citations came after an inspector reportedly saw an employee walking on a steel beam 36 feet above the ground without a safety harness. Other violations include workers failing to wear hard hats and problems with electrical wiring at the site. A family member said Friday that Lord was an iron worker whose profession took him all over the nation and even out of the country. Despite often working far away, Lord was home almost every weekend, according to his brother-in-law, Chad Corson, of Topsham. “He worked real hard for his family. Even at home, he was always outside working on something. He loved being home with his family,” said Corson. Lord had two grown children and two teen-age daughters. Originally from Alabama, Lord liked living in Canaan at his home on the Battle Ridge Road and had many friends in the area. “He befriended everybody he met,” said Corson. He said his brother was a “weekend farmer” who raised pigs and other animals and enjoyed hunting. The funeral is scheduled Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Skowhegan Federated Church on Island Avenue.
Workers hurt while building stage in rain
By EMILY HEFFTER, Staff Writer
After last year’s Nashville River Stages event, patrons complained that the crowds made the experience miserable. This year, organizers vowed to do better. But the changes they made – mostly organizational – were not enough to keep several problems from cropping up. Two construction workers were injured Friday evening while building the Clear Channel Stage near the Metro Courthouse in the rain, said Susan Elmore, a spokeswoman for Clear Channel Communications, which organized the event. Elmore, who works for a public relations firm in Houston, did not have details of the accidents last night. Local organizers would not comment on the accidents and initially said construction on the stage was called off because of rain. One worker fell and had to go to a hospital, Elmore said, and another was treated at the site.
Worker Critical After Fall From Fuller Warren
A construction worker is in critical condition after falling from the Fuller Warren Bridge to the ground Thursday morning. About 10:30 a.m. , Michael Paugh, 48, fell an estimated 50 feet to the ground and landed face down near the Riverside end of the bridge. He was taken by ambulance to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center , but his condition is not yet known. Officials said Paugh was wearing a harness, but he’d unhooked it to use the bathroom. “He came out of the bathroom … don’t know what happened after that,” construction manager Ray Davis said. “He obviously wasn’t tied off when he went into the bathroom.” Work on the bridge was suspended for the day as safety measures are assessed and the accident is investigated. Paugh worked for Balfour Beatty, the main contractor building the new Interstate 95 span over the St. Johns River . Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Goldman said the project is 95-percent complete, and this is the first serious mishap. Balfour Beatty was cited five times by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for violations with the Fuller Warren project — all in 1999 — and fined more than $12,000. One of those citations was for non-compliance with fall protection and scaffolding guidelines. According to OSHA’s online database, the company has more than 100 citations nationwide since 1996, and 70 fines.
Indians among five workers killed in UAE building collapse
Mon Apr 22, 3:29 AM ET
DUBAI (Reuters) – At least five expatriate workers were killed in the United Arab Emirates when the roof of a building they were constructing caved in on them, newspapers reported on Monday. They said at least eight other workers were injured in the accident on Sunday in Sharjah, one of the emirates that make up the UAE federation. The newspapers said the roof’s scaffolding collapsed when the workers were pouring cement onto it. Rescuers battled through the night to remove the bodies from underneath the rubble and hardening cement. The dead workers were identified as Egyptians, Pakistanis and Indians. Expatriates, mainly from poor Asian and Arab countries, form the bulk of the workforce in the oil-rich UAE.
Man Blown Off Roof By Wind Gust
A man died after a wind gust blew him off the roof of a building Wednesday. Police said that Bernard Taylor, 52, his son, Dean Taylor, and a co-worker were installing metal sheeting on the roof of a one-story commercial building at 161st Street and Foster when a gust of wind picked up the sheeting and blew Bernard Taylor off the roof. The man’s son and co-worker were also hurt, but not seriously, according to emergency crews. The pair were taken to a hospital for treatment. The workers were employed by Midwest Associate Builders. The owner told KMBC 9 News’ Brenda Washington that the company has a very good safety record, and he fully supports an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for Wednesday. Winds are expected to gust between 45 and 50 mph.
Roofing worker plunges 15 metres through fragile panel
A roofing contractor’s employee has sustained serious injuries when he fell through a roof panel, possibly a rooflight, on the premises of Lynx Express Deliveries of Bothwell, Lanarkshire. It is reported that his fall on to concrete below left him with head and spinal injuries. According to Lynx Express the man, aged 34, was employed by Larkhall based contractors Taymore.
Two construction workers die in 18-storey plunge
Wet concrete sweeps pair down condo’s elevator shaft
Jonathan Bjerg Moller, Michelle Warren and Peter Edwards, Staff reporters
Two construction workers died yesterday after falling 18 storeys when a concrete wall collapsed on top of them. The two men, aged 24 and 40, were working inside the elevator shaft on the 16th floor of a luxury condominium on Lake Shore Blvd. W. near Park Lawn Rd. just before 3 p.m. when a concrete form collapsed on the floor above, pouring wet concrete on top of the workers and sending them plunging into the basement two storeys underground, police said. Police released the name of one of the victims, 24-year-old Mark Daponte of Mississauga. The name of the other victim, who police said is not from the GTA, was being withheld pending notification of family. “There was concrete being poured into a form,” said coroner Dr. Trevor Gillmore. “It would appear that concrete had leaked from the form to the area below, where they were working, causing them to fall.” A worker at the scene, who declined to give his name, said it was the last piece of concrete to be poured on the site. Many of the workers had been working together for months, building the Nevis Luxury Waterfront Living complex, a Shiu Pong Group development. “It’s a miracle nobody else was injured,” said Detective Michael Duchak. “They’re just absolutely shocked. To view the devastation in there is horrible.” The accident is a sobering prelude to tomorrow’s annual Day of Mourning, started by the labour movement in 1984, which honours workers killed or injured, or who have become sick due to work-related events. Police said the 24-year-old victim’s father and brother also worked at the site. There are conflicting reports about where they were when the accident happened. Duchak said both men were off-site and returned shortly after the tragedy, but Victor Ferreira, of Local 183 of the Labourers International Union and a friend of the two deceased, said the father, a construction foreman, was nearby and heard the accident. “His father was on the roof. All they heard was a loud bang,” Ferreira said. Like the many red-eyed construction workers who gathered beneath the unfinished skeleton of the condominium yesterday afternoon, Ferreira knew the two men and was devastated by the tragedy. “Words can’t describe it, I feel like I lost my own brothers,” said Ferreira, “They were two great, great, great guys.” A couple of other men had to cling to scaffolding to keep from falling down the shaft, Ferreira added. Last night, investigators were still interviewing witnesses as worried spouses began to arrive at the scene looking for their partners. One worker said the father was still on site but was in shock. “He’s feeling it, he’s not feeling it,” the worker said. “I really don’t think he knows what’s going on.” “We’re speechless, it’s just too much,” another worker said. Ferreira called it the worst accident he has seen in 18 years of construction work. He said he would welcome a coroner’s inquest into the deaths and couldn’t understand how the men fell so far when there is scaffolding installed every four or five floors to keep workers from falling down the shaft. Duchak said some workers were complaining that, because of the Ontario public service strike, proper inspections had not taken place in recent weeks. “Some people have expressed concern because inspectors usually come on site once or twice a month,” he said. Investigators and structural engineers from the Ontario labour ministry were quickly brought to inspect the site. Police said there were fears for the structural integrity of the condominium due to the damage. Meanwhile, rescue workers were bringing in spotlights and equipment to remove the bodies. “They’re encased in concrete down at the bottom and it’s hardening,” he said.
Construction worker dies in Panhandle accident
Tuesday, April 23, 2002, Associated Press
GULF BREEZE — A construction worker died when he apparently fell off scaffolding and was impaled on a steel rod used to reinforce concrete, Santa Rosa County sheriff’s deputies say. Thomas Vega, 32, who resided in Mexico , was found dead Saturday at the site of a Walgreen’s drug store he was helping build. Vega was employed by the Chadwick T. Wallace Co. of Canton, Ga. Other employees had completed work for the day and were gathering tools when Vega fell, although no one witnessed the accident, deputies said.
Chelmsford : Workman falls from scaffolding
by Charlotte Potter, Brought to you by the Evening Gazette
A workman had a lucky escape after falling 13 feet from scaffolding at a school. Steve Wade was working on the new sports hall at Boswells School , Burnham Road , Springfield , Chelmsford , when he fell from a large area of scaffolding onto a part below him at about 11.30am yesterday. It took rescuers an hour to lower him to the ground using ropes and a fork lift truck because the aerial ladder could not find a hard enough area to steady itself on. Mr Wade, 39, of Colchester , was taken to Broomfield Hospital by Essex Air Ambulance, But today it was confirmed he suffered minor injuries – no broken bones – and was later discharged. He was being sub-contracted through Hutton Construction, Birch. A spokeswoman for the company said: “The accident is being investigated and has been reported to the Health and Safety Executive.” Headteacher Kevin Arkell said: “All our thoughts are with Mr Wade and we wish him a speedy recovery.” Published Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Scaffolding collapse claims five
Sharjah |By Eman Abdullah
Rescuers fought a battle against time to free workers trapped under a mound of rapidly-hardening cement after a construction site accident that killed five men and injured eight others. The workers were buried when an intricate scaffolding collapsed as 40 cubic metres of cement was tipped on to it on the building site at Al Liyyah. They plunged 15 metres to the ground and the wet cement and steel bars cascaded on top of them. Until late in the evening, rescue teams toiled in vain to reach three workers trapped under the debris. During the afternoon they were able to see and talk to two of the three entombed men – but sadly by late evening it was announced by police that they had died. It was feared that the third man had also perished. Rescue work was continuing into the early hours of this morning, as teams were unable to pinpoint the location of the third man under the debris. During the day rescue workers had to remove all the intact scaffolding and steel supports from the huge room to get to the cement, which was hardening, and to remove the tangled web of steel bars which had collapsed. The workers who had been on the scaffolding were trapped under mounds of cement and twisted steel, said Col Saleh Ali Al Mutawa, Commander in Chief of Sharjah Police. Col Al Mutawa was at the accident site, where a Planning and Survey Department building was being constructed near the new Water and Electricity Department building. He attributed the cause of the accident to poor support from the steel framework prepared for pouring the cement. He said all those responsible – engineers, consultants, contractors – who approved the plans “will be put in custody and investigated to determine each one’s area of responsibility with regard to the accident”. He said Sharjah Police was notified of the accident at 12.35pm and police teams were in place within 10 minutes. Al Buhairah Police Station was asked to begin an immediate investigation, he said. “Some of the workers had half their bodies stuck in the cement and between the steel bars. Others were buried under the debris,” he said. Sharjah Police sought the help of Dubai Police and the Civil Defence Department in Sharjah to help rescue as many workers as possible before the cement hardened. At around 2.30 p.m. nine workers were removed. Two were taken to Al Qasimi hospital, and the other seven to Al Kuwaiti hospital. Doctors from Al Qasimi hospital were rushed to the site to give some of the trapped workers anaesthetic while they were being cut out of the mangled wreckage. About 50 rescue and medical staff from different departments joined the efforts. Lt Younes Mohammed Sharif Abdul Rahman from the Crisis Department of Dubai Police Operations General Administration, claimed the accident was brought about by negligence. “We received notification at 1.45 p.m. and a specialised team was rushed to the site,” he said, pointing up the need for inter-emirate cooperation in crises such as this. “We are working to soften and break the cement and cut the steel bars.” Two of the dead were removed in the afternoon. One was sent to Al Kuwaiti Hospital and the other to Al Qasimi Hospital.
Construction worker dies from fall from Hillsboro Beach condo
Friday, April 19, 2002 , Associated Press
HILLSBORO BEACH — A construction worker died Thursday when he fell down a ventilation shaft of a nine-story condominium under construction. Workers at the site of the Ocean Grande discovered the body at the base of the ventilation shaft shortly before noon , the Broward County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Leljedal said. The 48-year-old man, whose name wasn’t immediately released, died upon impact, possibly falling from the top floor where he was working, Leljedal said. No foul play was suspected, but Hillsboro Beach police, Broward sheriff’s investigators and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were investigating.
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.”
Man Killed In Ventilation Shaft Fall
Miami Herald and WPLG Click10.com
A man was killed Thursday when he fell down a ventilation shaft. According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the 48-year-old man, whose name is not being released, was working on construction at the nine-story Ocean Grande condominium in Hillsboro Beach . He had been working on the top floor of the building. No one saw him fall, but co-workers found his body at the bottom of the shaft. Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Leljedal said the man died on impact and no foul play is suspected. Hillsboro Beach police, Broward Sheriff’s investigators and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (news – web sites) are investigating.
Differing accounts of worker’s death spark Blair County inquest
Friday, April 19, 2002 , By Tom Gibb, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. — Maybe it happened just the way a handful of Richard Simmers’ co-workers said: He was intoxicated at work, fell from a one-story roof near the company headquarters and landed on his head. Or maybe there was more truth in a story that authorities heard later — that the 38-year-old father of one was hurt in a scuffle with at least one co-worker. And there was at least one other version to choose from: that fellow workers at Wohler Construction Co. in nearby Duncansville carried Simmers by the arms and legs for some reason, then somehow dumped him on his head. At an inquest next month, Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross and District Attorney David Gorman expect to start untangling the story of what killed Simmers. Ross said the inquest may determine whether Simmers’ death Nov. 6 was accidental or a case of manslaughter that witnesses are trying to cover up. “It could well be an accident,” Ross said. “But this is the perfect case for an inquest. The stories don’t necessarily match the injuries found.” A six-person jury would hear the case, then render a decision that is advisory as Gorman ponders whether to charge anyone. What the jurors will hear are differing accounts of the injury as well as experts’ opinions on whether the accounts jibe with the injuries Simmers suffered. The jury will hear that Simmers’ wife arrived Oct. 21 to pick him up from work and found him unconscious. Sixteen days later, in Altoona Hospital , Simmers, who also went as Resch-Simmers, died from effects of bleeding in his brain. In those two weeks, Simmers was on and off a ventilator. But at his most lucid, he never rose beyond a mental twilight and could not fill in the missing information. “He was never fully aware,” Ross said. As Simmers’ family heard rumblings that the death was not accidental, Ross wrestled with inconsistencies — like why, if Simmers tumbled from a roof, he suffered fatal internal injuries but few external wounds. “It’s like being told there was a car crash, finding the car with no damage to the outside but finding the person inside beaten up and dead,” Ross said. “It seems something’s not right.” Simmers’ family, which pushed for the inquest, could find it a messy affair. Information is likely to surface about his own criminal record, Ross said. That record includes a 2000 drunken driving case where police found him piloting a truck while his blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. And in another case five years ago, he told police he “flipped out” and battered a 4-year-old boy for whom he was supposed to be caring. That case got him 60 days in jail.
Scaffold collapse injures 3 workers
By KRISTEN A. TURICK, The Bristol Press April 17, 2002
BRISTOL — Three men were taken to the hospital with injuries after the scaffolding on which they were working in Forestville collapsed Tuesday morning. According to police, 51-year-old Andrew Aubin and 52-year-old Camille Albert, both of Terryville, and 42-year-old Mark Stevens of Bristol were installing siding on a Kenney Street residence when the scaffolding they were standing on broke around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Police estimated the men fell approximately 20 feet to the ground. According to police, the center of the three supports that held the scaffolding broke at approximately 16 feet off the ground, causing the two pieces of scaffolding and the three men to fall. According to police, Aubin sustained injuries to both hands and wrists and lost feeling from his chest down. He was transported to Hartford Hospital by Life Star helicopter, where he was listed in stable condition. Albert sustained lacerations to his arm and head and may have received internal injuries in the fall, police said. Stevens reportedly received a laceration to his head. Both men were transported to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford by Bristol EMS, where they were admitted in stable condition. Police said the incident was not a criminal matter and closed their investigation.
OSHA investigating 2 workers’ deadly mishaps
By BILL HANNA and DEANNA BOYD, Star-Telegram Staff Writers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating two incidents in which workers fell to their deaths in the past week. On Friday, a 41-year-old Irving man was killed when he fell headfirst about 20 feet from a boom while working in the parking lot at a southwest Fort Worth shopping center. Jorge Delcampo was pronounced dead at 10:16 a.m. at Harris Methodist Fort Worth. He worked at BJ Waldrum Services of Grand Prairie, according to OSHA officials. Lt. Kent Worley, a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman, said the accident occurred in the 4600 block of Bryant Irvin Road shortly before 10 a.m. “It appears he was changing lights in the light standards in the parking lot with the boom truck when somehow he fell out,” Worley said. On April 5, a systems technician working on a television signal problem in Burleson fell from a basket attached to a truck, striking his head against an awning before hitting the ground in the 100 block of Ellison Street , said Capt. Doug Sandifer of the Burleson Police Department. Officers said the basket was 18 feet above the ground and the basket door was open when they arrived, Sandifer said. The worker, Jurica Miskovic, 45, of Fort Worth , died Sunday at Harris Methodist Fort Worth. Miskovic, who was described as very popular with his coworkers, fled wartime conditions in Bosnia about five years ago, said his wife, Jasna Miskovic. After a brief stay in Germany , the couple immigrated to Fort Worth , and he had been working for Charter Communications about four years. “They took my high school sweetheart; we had been together 30 years,” Jasna Miskovic said. During his time in Fort Worth , Miskovic developed a love for country music and even made a trip to Branson , Mo. , his wife said. Terry Kennedy, Charter’s group vice president of operations, said the company is cooperating with OSHA officials. “We honestly do not know what occurred,” he said. OSHA will complete its investigation in both deaths in about 45 days, said Dean Wingo, OSHA’s area director. “Our interest is to investigate the accident, to find out what happened and to determine if there were things not in compliance with OSHA regulations,” Wingo said. “Falls from heights are one of the leading causes of deaths in the workplace. Falls from roofs are probably the leading cause, followed by falls from scaffolding and then falls from some type of equipment.”
UPDATE, Fitter, 63, fortunate to survive six-metre fall
Norman Heaton, 63, was working at the former Huddersfield mill premises at the Minerva Works for his employers Woolcombers (Scourers) Ltd of Bradford when he sustained serious injuries in a fall while dismantling a wool blending bin in February 2001. The six-metre fall left him with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Woolcombers pleaded guilty to failing to meet the requirements of health and safety legislation in the circumstances of Mr Heaton’s accident and was fined £14,000 at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court with £1,305.75 costs. Mr Heaton received compensation of £5,000. HSE’s Howard Whittaker, prosecuting, explained why the accident was preventable with proper risk assessment and forward planning and said: “It is only fortune that has prevented a fatality.”
UPDATE, Fatal Scaffolding Accident Brings $159,350 in Fines For Three New York Contractors
WASHINGTON, DC — Improperly erected scaffolding and failure to train workers on the hazards of working with scaffolding which resulted in the deaths of five workers and injuries to ten more on October 24, 2001, has resulted in citations against three New York contractors – Nesa, Inc, Tri-State Scaffolding & Equipment Supplies, Inc., and New Millennium Restoration & Contracting Corp., – and $159,350 in penalties, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “Aggressive action is necessary against employers who willfully disregard worker protections. This case resulted in the deaths of innocent workers,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “These penalties should serve as notice to Nesa, Inc., Tri-State Scaffolding, and New Millennium Restoration to take immediate corrective action to ensure that no such tragedy occurs again under their supervision.” The scaffolding accident took place at 210 Park Avenue South in Manhattan , at a building that was undergoing restoration. Nesa, Inc. was the general contractor on the project; Tri-State Scaffolding was hired by Nesa, Inc. to build the scaffolding; and New Millennium was hired by a DPA, a subcontractor of Nesa, Inc., to perform the demolition and restoration work. The scaffolding, approximately 160 feet high from bottom baseplate to the top, collapsed at approximately 4:00 p.m. on October 24, killing five employees and injuring ten more. Approximately 300 police and fire rescuers responded to the collapse. Killed in the accident were Manuel Barrariso, 40; Ivan Pillacela, 30; Efrain Gonzalez, 26; Donato Conde, 19; and Cesar F. Tenesaca, 25. “Employers should take this enforcement action as a clear indication that OSHA remains committed to vigorous enforcement of construction safety standards,” said Assistant Secretary of Occupational Safety and Health John L. Henshaw. “The tragic deaths of these workers show us that some workplaces still remain are dangerous and unsafe, including places where Hispanic and other immigrant workers are employed. We are committed to assuring that all workers are provided safety and health protections.” OSHA has proposed two alleged willful and four alleged serious citations for Tri-State Scaffolding, with a proposed penalty of $146,600, for erection of a scaffold that violated scaffold safety rules; for erecting a scaffold not designed by a professional engineer; and other violations of scaffolding and worker protection rules. Serious citations, with a proposed penalty of $9,750, have been proposed for New Millennium Restoration, including failure to train employees on various hazards, failure to require personal protective equipment, and other violations of safety and health protections. Serious citations with a proposed penalty of $3,000 have also been proposed against Nesa, Inc., for not providing falling object protection and failure to brace scaffold frames. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. A serious violation is one where there is a substantial probability that death or serious harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. The employers have 15 working days to contest OSHA’s citations and proposed penalties. U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc)from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call 202-693-7773 or TTY 202-693-7755.
UPDATE, Contractor fined over roof fall
A roofing contractor employed by Woolworths to undertake work on their premises in Brunstane, Edinburgh, has been fined £1,000 for failing to meet the requirements of health and safety legislation in the circumstances of a serious accident. An employee of Glasgow-based CPS 2000 Ltd fell over 6 metres through the building roof when it gave way beneath him in August 2000. His injuries were serious and the fall could easily have cost him his life. Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how the man was working without the benefit of a scaffolding structure or harness. An HSE spokesman commented on the prosecution: “The man is lucky to be alive. He was very badly hurt. This was an accident waiting to happen. Firms must test the roof to check it is capable of support. There was no system in place to make sure the worker’s weight was spread evenly. Falling from height is one of the leading causes of injury and fatalities in the construction industry. We are determined to stamp it out.”
Construction worker falls off rooftop
Apr 5 2002 12:00AM By
By KATHRYN GILLICK REGISTER-PAJARONIAN STAFF WRITER
A construction worker who plummeted 15 feet to the ground while working on a new bookstore at Monte Vista Christian School was taken by air ambulance to San Jose Medical Center Wednesday afternoon. Howard Enns was working on the roof of the new building when he fell off around 1:20 p.m., according to California Department of Forestry firefighter of Pajaro Valley, Jim Galassi, who was one of the first emergency workers on the scene. Enns was having trouble breathing and was quickly bruising on his back and shoulders, Galassi said, which was a sign Enns should be flown to a trauma center by air ambulance. “Fortunately we had Corralitos [CDF Fire Department] come – they were they were right behind us – and they set up a landing zone,” Galassi said. The Calstar Bell 222 helicopter landed on the school’s football field. American Medical Response ground ambulance administered immediate aid and took Enns from the construction site to the helicopter. Calstar flight nurses Rose Gaither and Tim Castelli teamed up with AMR paramedics and fire personnel in the rescue operation. Paramedic Brad Cramer described Enns as “conscious and talking.” The campus was quiet other than the construction because the students are on spring break until Monday. The small, one story library is currently being sided and roofed.
UPDATE, Hurt worker sues district, contractor
By Joseph Spector, Democrat and Chronicle
(April 3, 2002) — A worker injured while climbing a ladder at Mount Morris Central Schools is suing the school district and its general contractor for $1 million, claiming they were negligent. Gordon DeCillis, 50, of Honeoye, claims he suffered multiple injuries on April 12, 2001, when he was working at a construction site at the Livingston County school, according to a lawsuit filed in the Livingston County Clerk’s Office. “The defendants failed or neglected to make reasonable inspections of the property to assure that safety procedures were followed,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit names the school district and Rochester companies LeChase Construction Corp. and LeChase Construction Services LLC — general contractors for the school’s building project. The school district is nearly finished with a $25 million school building project started in 2000. DeCillis was hired as a subcontractor on the project, said his attorney, Denis Bastible. DeCillis has lost wages, suffered a fractured left ankle and had surgery for a hernia because of the fall, Bastible said. Bastible said that according to state law, a property owner and a general contractor for a construction project are liable for injuries suffered at a work site. “What I’m seeking is my client’s protection under the labor law of the state of New York,” he said. The defendants “have to provide safety devices to ensure that nobody is falling from a ladder on their job sites,” Bastible said. James Maslyn, a lawyer representing the school district, said the lawsuit is meritless. “We have some serious issues as to both the liability and damages being claimed against the district,” he said. DeCillis filed a notice of claim against the district and LeChase in June. After a settlement could not be reached, the lawsuit was filed last month. The school district and LeChase are working on written arguments against the lawsuit, Maslyn said. Bastible said it appears the case will head to a civil trial. “There was no indication there would be a settlement on this at this point,” he said.
Tower worker falls, dies
PLAINVIEW – A 28-year-old man plunged to his death Thursday as he was working on 300-foot-tall cellular tower near Plainview. Justin Andrew Culbreth, hometown unknown, was pronounced dead about 3:30 p.m. near the Voicestream Wireless cellular tower just north of Plainview, Hale County Sheriff Chief Deputy Richard Sims said. Culbreth was installing equipment on the tower when he fell. “There was another guy working about 30 or 40 feet below him who tried to catch him, but there was no way he could,” Sims said. Culbreth was wearing a safety harness when emergency personnel found him, but Sims said it was unknown if the harness was connected to the tower by a safety line at the time of the accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident along with the sheriff’s department.
5 Killed in Taiwan Temblor
Cranes and scaffolding at a high-rise office building site crashed to the ground, killing five construction workers, after a powerful earthquake jolted Taiwan yesterday. More than 200 mostly minor injuries were reported across the island as the quake started fires, shattered windows and cracked walls. Taiwanese officials said it registered magnitude 6.8, but the U.S. Geological Survey estimated it higher, at 7.1. Two cranes fell from the 60th floor of a building under construction in downtown Taipei . Television news footage showed the cranes tumbling from the top of the structure, bringing steel beams and chunks of concrete down with it. Police identified the victims as two crane operators and three other workers. About 10 people were hurt by falling debris, including a woman whose hand was severed when part of a crane came crashing down on her car. “I pulled over my car and ran for a few steps before I saw a falling steel beam smashing another car, right in front of me,” taxi driver Wang Tien-tse told the TVBS television station. The building under construction — the Taipei Financial Center — will be Taipei ‘s tallest when completed, at more than 100 stories. Elsewhere in Taipei , buildings rocked, cracks appeared in walls and frightened people ran from homes and churches.
UPDATE, OSHA fines Pasadena Tank Corp $258,000
Modern Bulk Transporter, Mar 1, 2002
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed fines of $258,000 against Pasadena Tank Corp for an Aug 23, 2001 , accident that killed a worker at a Houston TX construction site. The company had 15 days from February 15 to contest or pay the fines. OSHA cited the Houston-based firm with six alleged willful and serious safety violations for failing to protect workers by providing an inadequate fall protection system. The violations allegedly occurred in which an employee repairing the rooftop of a storage tank fell 56 feet to the ground when the rooftop collapsed. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. “The employer knew about the unsafe working conditions, but continued to place workers at risk,” said John Lawson, OSHA Houston North area director. “A similar incident happened two years ago when two employees fell to their deaths from a storage tank. This company’s continued failure to protect its workers from falls is simply unacceptable.” The company was also cited with two alleged serious violations for failing to train workers and protect workers from falling objects. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and that the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.
OSHA fines companies for wall collapse
By Tamara Ford The Herald, (Published March 29 2002)
Two construction companies have been cited for serious safety violations and fined as the result of a February accident at York Technical College that killed one worker and injured four others. The investigation by the S.C. Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that the contractor, Clancy & Theys Construction Co., and subcontractor, General Masonry, failed to brace “all masonry walls over 8 feet in height to prevent overturning and collapse” at the construction site of York Tech’s science and technology building. On Feb. 4, Larry Craig Jr., 33, of Rock Hill died and four other construction workers were injured when a concrete block wall collapsed onto a nearby scaffold. High winds, with gusts exceeding 30 mph, buffeted the work site that day. The OSHA report, sent to the companies March 20, says the masonry wall under construction and the wall to the workers’ rear that collapsed onto the scaffolding were not adequately braced given their height of more than 40 feet. Clancy & Theys was fined $5,000 and General Masonry was fined $1,500. The maximum penalty for the violation was $7,000. “We don’t agree with that, and we’ll more than likely appeal,” said Ron Mikels, spokesman for Clancy & Theys, the Raleigh, N.C.-based general contractor for the York Tech project. A General Masonry official could not be reached for comment. Nearly two months after she lost her son in the construction accident, Linda Craig said Thurs-day she misses him dearly. “I don’t want to blame nobody,” said Linda Craig. “I just feel like if that wall would have been secured, my son would have been sitting here with me now.” Larry Craig’s sister, Tammy Starnes, said she did not think that General Masonry was fined enough. Craig was a brick mason working for Charlotte-based General Masonry. “It really upsets me totally,” Starnes said. “I just don’t feel that this was right. It really hurts me to know that they were fined $1,500. I just wish that my brother would not have went to work that day.” OSHA spokesman Jim Knight said OSHA’s penalties are based on a company’s size, along with its good faith and history. Knight said the employers would have up to 20 days to either pay the fine and correct any procedural flaws or to file an appeal for a hearing with the state OSHA review board, an independent body. Knight said it could take up to six to eight months before the review board would reach a decision. Mikels said the $7.5 million science and technology project at York Technical College remains on track to be completed by fall 2003. The 44,000-square-foot building will house science labs and classrooms, five new distance-learning classrooms, the Educational Technology Center and TV station WNSC, a regional station of the S.C. Educational Television Network. Contact Tamara Ford at 329-4067 or [email protected].
Man Dies In Fall From Talleyrand Crane
A shipyard worker fell to his death from a crane at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Talleyrand dock Wednesday. The man fell from one of two large cranes that load and unload containerized freight at the Jaxport facility. His identity has not been released. “Those cranes are very big and spacious,” JPA spokesman Robert Peek said. “There are gangplanks up there; there are rails up there; there is an elevator that takes you up. They are fairly sizeable pieces of machinery.” As is customary, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investing the death.
Colchester: Workers hurt after cinema scaffolding fall
Brought to you by the Evening Gazette
Two builders were hurt when they fell from a scaffolding tower on the site of Colchester’s new cinema. The pair were taken to hospital with minor injuries. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating the accident at the Head Street site on Tuesday afternoon. A spokeswoman said: “The HSE will be visiting the site on Thursday to investigate. “However, their understanding so far is that a mobile scaffold overturned resulting in minor injuries to two people working on the scaffold. “There was no danger to members of the public.” Jamie Woodward, of sub-contractors SDC Builders, said: “SDC take safety on their sites very, very seriously. It’s being fully investigated to make sure a similar occurence doesn’t happen again.” Sam Walker, a director for Licet Developments, which is developing the former Post Office site, said yesterday’s accident was the first reported there in the 12 months work has been going on. He added the two men, who were working on plasterboard partitions there, are expected back at work in the next couple of days. Both men were taken to hospital for checks: one had banged his head, the other had jarred his legs. The first was released yesterday and the second was sent home today. Published Thursday, March 28, 2002
UPDATE, State levies fines to Mary’s River Lumber for safety violations
By Lisa Curdy — Daily World writer
After months of investigation, the state Department of Labor & Industries has assessed a $1,800 penalty against Mary’s River Lumber Co. in Montesano. The fine comes in the wake of a “serious violation” of state safety standards steming from an accident that claimed the life of a mill worker on Jan. 2. A second accident on the same day was also investigated, but no violations were found. Benchman Carl Butterfield, 63, fell 12 feet through a gap in a second – story floor while changing the head rig saw blade at 11:30 a.m., according to Brad Kirkbride, the mill’s chief operations officer. He was pronounced dead at Grays Harbor Community Hospital. “At this work site, the opening for changing the head rig saw blade had no protection for employees d from falling to the lower level,” according to L&I’s citation and notification of penalty dated March 12. Butterfield’s accident came three hours after Cergene “Shell” Clark, 32, was run over by a forklift, Kirkbride said. His left leg was amputated just below the hip at Harborview Medical Center after being airlifted there. No violation was issued in connection with Clark’s accident. Following the fatal accident, the state agency inspected the Western red cedar lumber mill between Jan. 2 and Feb. 21, according to documents. Mary’s River Lumber Co. has until April 3 to either pay or appeal the fine, said L&I spokesman Bill Ripple. Mill Superintendent Terry Smith said that decision is up to the corporate office. “This is our first serious violation,” Smith said. Kirkbride was out of the office and unable to comment on Friday. In addition to the fine, a general violation was also issued for an electrical switch box and an electrical outlet not being properly covered, according to the citation. No fine was issued. During the past 10 years, Labor & Industries has inspected the mill 10 times. The last violation cited by L&I was found in 1999. “We found four serious violations related primarily to machine guarding and lock – out/tag – out,” L&I spokesman Bill Ripple said. He explained that lock – out/tag – out means that a piece of equipment must be locked or tagged so a person working on it wouldn’t be exposed to an inadvertent start up. For those four violations, the mill was fined $1,980, Ripple said.
Worker falls 16 feet from scaffolding in North Lauderdale
By Wanda DeMarzo
A Lake Worth man working at a construction site in North Lauderdale fell about 16 feet from a scaffold early Friday morning. Catalino Flores, 44, was working at a site on the corner of McNabb Road and Southwest 81st Avenue at about 8:30 a.m. when he lost his balance and fell, said Broward County Fire Rescue spokesman Todd LeDuc. Flores sustained injuries to his neck and abdomen and was airlifted to Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale where he is listed in stable condition.
One person killed in accident at Warrior River Steel
From Staff Reports, Published March 22, 2002 8:44 PM CST
CORDOVA – Details were sketchy and company officials refused to release any information, but one person reportedly died Friday morning in an industrial-type accident at Warrior River Steel in Cordova. Cordova police were dispatched to the scene, as well as a representative from the Walker County Coroner’s Office. Unconfirmed reports said one person was killed in a fall. The victim’s identity was not released pending notification of next of kin. The accident is currently under investigation. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are expected to be on the scene to look into the accident.
ST. PAUL: Painter dies in fall at library
BY LISA DONOVAN, Pioneer Press
A decorative painter lay fatally injured and alone overnight in the downtown St. Paul Public Library this weekend before his worried wife found him, according to the man’s employer. After apparently falling from a ladder or scaffolding, Raymond Tatar was found unconscious but breathing Sunday morning inside the library, which is closed while undergoing a two-year $15.9 million renovation. He died Sunday night at Regions Hospital. Janice Tatar, concerned when she couldn’t contact her 46-year-old husband, had driven about 320 miles from the couple’s northwestern Illinois home to find out what became of him. “We don’t know most of the details, but we know it happened sometime Saturday and he wasn’t found until Sunday morning,” said Jacqueline Beeken, CEO of New Millennium Inc., of Suttons Bay, Mich., the company that employed Tatar. The firm was restoring the historic library’s ceilings. It is the third time in recent weeks that a Twin Cities worker has died in a construction-related fall, and the Minnesota Occupational Health and Safety Division is investigating each death. Tatar wasn’t scheduled to work Saturday and his bosses in Michigan believed he was taking the weekend off. But Beeken said she later learned the painter had told members of the construction management team in St. Paul that he was working Saturday afternoon. Tatar was last seen by some other workers about 2:30 p.m. Saturday inside the library, which has been closed since 2000 and is scheduled to reopen this fall. “He must have had something he felt he needed to finish,” Beeken said. Paul Oberhaus, whose Bloomington-based Cost Planning Management International is managing the project, declined to comment. He also declined to say whether regular rounds are made at the construction site. Tatar’s wife was the first to become concerned. From the family’s home in Savanna, Ill., she placed several calls to her husband Saturday, and when she didn’t hear from him she got on the road. “She drove up from Savanna, to see what the problem was, I guess. And she went to the job site and found his truck there,” Beeken said. She asked a maintenance worker to look around, but the man saw no one. So Tatar’s wife asked if she could look around. Together, they went in and searched again. This time, they found Tatar at the bottom of some stairs, Beeken said. Initial police reports stated he might have fallen four flights, but details were not available Monday from the St. Paul Fire Department, which responded to the accident. Considering the severity of Tatar’s head injuries, Beeken said it’s not clear whether he could have survived if he had been found and received immediate medical attention. Janice Tatar could not be reached for comment. Raymond Tatar was the supervisor of a small crew and was meticulous about safety, Beeken said. But on Saturday, he was working alone and wasn’t wearing the safety belt required when working on ladders and scaffolding – both in violation of company policy. “He was our safety officer, he was our job site supervisor, and he stressed safety continuously. So why he was on a ladder, why he was alone, we just don’t know and never probably will,” Beeken said. “He was just an excellent, excellent employee and we are going to miss him,” she said of Tatar, who had worked for New Millennium Inc. since May 2001, but had been a painter since 1975.
Father of five killed in quarry accident
HSE and police investigation underway
A father-of-five was crushed to death after falling 90ft into machinery at a quarry, officials said today. Keith Ronald Branston, 51, is believed to have fallen on to a conveyor belt, which dragged him into the equipment at the Leicestershire site. The worker, from Syston, Leicester, fell from a platform into the machinery at Mountsorrel Quarry on Tuesday, said a spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The spokesman added: “The death was reported to us yesterday afternoon. It appears that the guy fell from a working platform in the quarry into some machinery. The Health and Safety Executive are launching an investigation into how and why he fell. “There will be an inquest and the HSE will look at the circumstances surrounding the incident.” The quarry owners, Lafarge Aggregates, said Mr Branston was a working for a sub-contractor at the site when the accident happened. Production director John Close said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of a man working for a sub-contractor at Mountsorrel Quarry. Our sympathies go out to his family and friends. “The accident happened at around lunchtime on Tuesday when the man was carrying out routine repairs to a walkway alongside a conveyor belt. The police and Health and Safety Executive were informed immediately and a full investigation into the cause of the accident is now being conducted.” Mr Branston had two daughters and three sons. His older brother, Mick Branston, 61, of Wanlip Road, Syston, was today too distressed to talk about the tragedy. FEEDBACK – To provide comment or feedback on this article – click here <mailto:[email protected]> Article by Max Herd – 14/03/2002
Construction worker dies in fall at College of St. Catherine
Published Mar 13, 2002
A 26-year-old sheet-metal worker fell four stories to his death Tuesday from the roof of the main administration building at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. Todd Wiley of Red Wing fell at about 7:30 a.m. and died at Regions Hospital about an hour later, the St. Paul Fire Department said. Wiley, part of a three-worker crew from M G McGrath Inc., was finishing work on the gutters and eaves of Derham Hall, said college spokeswoman Julie Michener. At noon Tuesday a service was held in the college chapel to honor Wiley. Michener said about 200 people attended, including his relatives and co-workers. Ken Berres, a project manager with McGrath, said it was the first fatal accident the company has had at one of its work sites since it was founded 17 years ago. He said he did not know what effect, if any, the recent icy conditions had played in the accident. He said he also did not know if Wiley’s safety equipment failed, or if he simply slipped from the roof. Workers normally wear safety devices, including full-body harnesses, while working above the ground, Berres said. The crew was just starting the workday when the accident happened, he said. Company officials met with safety investigators following the memorial service. Wiley was nearing completion of his apprentice training, which normally takes about five years, Berres said. He said Wiley had worked for McGrath during that time. “He had three weeks to go,” Berres said Tuesday. — Heron Marquez Estrada
UPDATE, Bay Bridge Scaffold Called Unsafe
3/13/02
SAN FRANCISCO — State safety monitors says Bay Bridge construction crews have to stop using work platforms like the one that killed a worker in January. The platforms won’t be allowed back on the span until they can be proven safe. The action came just days after a scaffold manufactured by the same company that made the bridge equipment plunged from the John Hancock Center in Chicago. Three people were killed. The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered contractor Robison-Prezioso to pull platforms made by Beeche Systems of Scotia, New York. Cal OSHA ordered the platforms tested and proved safe before the equipment can be used again. Caltrans officials say removing the platforms will cause minor delays to the earthquake retrofit project. The platforms are made of aluminum tubing and plywood scaffolding. They’re used to hold crews working above traffic. A painter was crushed January 4th when a platform collapsed as it was being moved. Source: KTVU/Fox2
Fall from pole fatally injures Madison man
By AMY CALDER Staff Writer, 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
SKOWHEGAN – A Madison man died at a Lewiston hospital Friday afternoon after falling when the top of a pole he was climbing broke, according to police. Michael Finley, 41, was on Monkey Speedway, a road off Bigelow Hill Road, when the accident occurred, according to Deputy Police Chief Rick Bonneau. Bonneau said Finley was helping to connect power to sap pumps for a maple syrup operation when the accident occurred. “They were running a power line for that,” Bonneau said. “I don’t think he was in any way affiliated with a company.” He said Finley plunged about 25 feet to the ground. “The top of the pole snapped off and he fell a fair distance and suffered significant injuries,” Bonneau said. Finley was taken by ambulance to Redington-Fairview General Hospital and was flown from there to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Bonneau said. An official at the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta said Friday night that Finley died of head trauma. Cynthia Walker, 65, witnessed the accident from a nearby cemetery on Monkey Speedway, which is a dirt road off Bigelow Hill Road. Walker said she was pulling wreaths up from the frozen ground around some gravestones when she heard a noise and turned to see the pole snap off and a man fall to the ground. “It was horrible, horrible,” Walker said. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She said another man, Jeremy Steeves, was at the accident scene, where the victim appeared to be unconscious. “Jeremy called an ambulance,” she said. “I went over and I put my jacket over him (Finley).” Walker then went to the end of Monkey Speedway to wait for the ambulance so she could direct it to the scene. She said the incident left her shaken. “I can’t seem to get my life back in balance,” she said. “All I can see is his face. Poor, poor man.” Amy Calder – 861-9247 [email protected]
3 construction workers hurt when scaffolding beam breaks
Three men installing siding on a Wormleysburg apartment building fell about 25 feet yesterday when their scaffolding collapsed
Thursday, March 07, 2002, By Dan Sheehan Of The Patriot-News
Police said Kenneth Hollinger, 37, of Mount Joy, suffered a severe back injury and punctured lung in the collapse, which happened shortly before 9:30 a.m. at one of two 33-unit apartment buildings under construction on Rupley Road. Hollinger was flown by Life Lion helicopter to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. His condition was unavailable late yesterday. His co-workers, Ivan Chapman, 33, of Millersville, and Donald Keller, 45, of Elizabethtown, were taken to Hershey Medical Center by ambulance. A hospital spokeswoman said Chapman was in fair condition. Keller’s condition was unavailable, but his employer, Doug Pryer of East Pete Exteriors in Lancaster County, said he had been treated and discharged. Police said the men were at or near the third floor of the three-story building when a support beam on the wooden scaffolding snapped. They landed on a dirt area. “It could have been a lot worse” had there been other workers below them or had they landed on concrete, said Howard Dougherty, chief of the West Shore Regional Police Department. Dougherty said the incident appeared to be accidental but is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA, which generally investigates workplace fatalities, is also called in for incidents involving injury to three or more workers. An OSHA spokesman said the agency must file a report within six months. Ron Frank, commissioner of the West Shore Bureau of Fire, said the Department of Labor and Industry and the borough would be involved in the investigation. Pryer said the workers, who have been with the company about four months, were using OSHA-approved scaffolding that had been inspected. “We follow all safety regulations as far as the setup,” he said. Jim Eichelberger, who lives in a neighboring townhouse, said he had just walked outside when he heard a boom. “I grabbed some blankets that I keep in my truck and ran up to see if I could help,” he said. “They already had a first-aid kit out. They were well prepared.” The apartments have been under construction since last spring and should be completed in May, said project manager Jim Linn of Lancaster-based Rendina General Contractors. Dan Sheehan may be reached at 975-9784 or [email protected].
Fall from radio tower kills worker
A 30-year-old worker fell to his death Sunday morning during the construction of a communications tower in northwest Baker County. Five employees of SBA Network( Steve Bailey and Associates) of Johnson City, Tennessee were constructing the new communication tower on Jack Dowling Circle when foreman Michael William Perry , 30, of Ocala, Florida, fell nearly 190 feet. The crew had started working on the tower the morning of February 24 about a hour before the accident occurred. They were hoisting a jib, a 40-foot slim section of metal that is used to bring each 20-foot section of the tower, up to the tope so they could add another section of the structure. It was attached to a shackle at the top of the tower. As the jib reached the top of the tower, the worker on the top unhooked the top section and Perry who was near the bottom of the jib unhooked his safety harness to move positions. He started to move and rehook himself on the other side of the tower when the jib apparently broke away and fell. Perry was knocked off the tower and fell to the ground as pieces of the tower landed on top of him. Fire and rescue personnel responded along with police, but Perry was pronounced dead at the scene. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was at the scene of the accident Monday morning investigating the death. The tower will be part of a new statewide system for law enforcement agencies and be used for 911, police and emergency communication. It will be 320 feet high after completion.
UPDATE, OSHA still reviewing how wall collapsed
By Wendy Bigham The Herald, (Published March 4‚ 2002)
As construction continues on the science and technology building at York Technical College, so does the investigation into what caused a two-story wall to collapse on Feb. 4, killing one worker and injuring four others. A spokesperson for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said this week that investigations of this kind can take as many as six weeks to complete. Jim Knight of OSHA said findings might not be available for another two weeks. Investigators have talked with the injured workers and with management and rescue workers to learn what workplace procedures were in place at the time of the accident, Knight said. OSHA does not provide preliminary reports on any investigation, he said. Larry Craig Jr., 33, of Rock Hill died and four other construction workers were injured when a concrete block wall collapsed onto a nearby scaffold. High winds, with gusts exceeding 30 mph, buffeted the work site that day. Since the accident, there have been no additional precautions for employees working at the York Tech site, said Ron Mikels, spokesman for Clancy and Theys, the Raleigh, N.C.-based general contractor for the project. Workers continue to follow OSHA regulations, Mikels said. If cited by the state agency, the employer would have up to 20 days to either pay a penalty for any OSHA citations and correct any procedural flaws or file an appeal for a hearing with the state OSHA review board, an independent body set up by the state to hear employer appeals of OSHA citations. Clancy and Theys has indicated that the $7.5 million science and technology project remains on track to be completed by fall 2003. The 44,000-square-foot building will house science labs and classrooms, five new distance-learning classrooms, the Educational Technology Center and TV station WNSC, a regional station of the S.C. Educational Television Network. York Tech President Dennis Merrell said college officials are considering an appropriate memorial to Craig and his family. Contact Wendy Bigham at 329-4068 or [email protected].
CTA worker dies in fall from `L’ tracks
Published March 6, 2002
CHICAGO — A Chicago Transit Authority maintenance worker died Tuesday after falling 20 feet from an elevated train track while working at a storage yard at 63rd and Throop Streets. George Blue, 49, of the 1300 block of Jamie Lane, Homewood, apparently slipped on ice and fell at 2:20 a.m., said Officer Carlos Herrera, a Chicago police spokesman. CTA spokeswoman Maria Toscano said the incident is under investigation. Blue was found lying on the ground by a CTA manager, who called police, CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney said. He was pronounced dead at 3:58 a.m. at Cook County Hospital, a spokesman said. Blue had worked the overnight shift cleaning CTA cars for more than 23 years so he could spend days with his family, his son, Darren, 22, said. Over the years, Blue had watched over his three children during the day while his wife, Linda, taught elementary classes in the Chicago Public Schools, his son said. The couple had lived in Homewood for about 10 years. Blue is the third CTA worker in less than a week to fall from an elevated track. Two workers were injured when they fell from tracks in the Loop at Lake and Wells Streets last week. That incident was still under investigation.
Scaffolding collapse at casino leaves window washers hanging
Published in the Asbury Park Press, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTIC CITY — Two window washers were stranded 140 feet up Wednesday after their scaffolding broke outside a casino. The unidentified men, employees of Clean and Polish Window Cleaners, of Rockville, Md., were working on windows outside the 14th floor of the Tropicana Casino and Resort when one side of the scaffold gave way about 12:45 p.m., Deputy Fire Chief Fred Sacco said. Held in place by body harnesses connected to the roof, the two hung in place for about an hour, Sacco said. Neither was hurt. Their identities weren’t immediately available. “The one guy was still on the scaffold when we arrived. He climbed up and into a window. The other guy, we hooked him up to another line and lowered him down.” The rescue was delayed by about 15 minutes while firefighters lowered a two-way radio to the second man, who spoke Spanish. That was necessary because he was resisting firefighters’ efforts to raise him up, disconnecting him from a safety rope, before lowering him, Sacco said. “He thought we were lifting him up to the roof, so he kept putting more tension on the line. We wanted to tell him what we were doing,” Sacco said.