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Worker Dies in Mining Equipment Repair Facility
No full textA 50 year old welder working at a mine machine repair facility died as a result of injuries incurred when a block of ice and frozen slag fell, pinning him against the grinder he was operating. The welder had been grinding a small metal plate. About 3 feet behind him a 20 ton coal car was lying on its side. The bottom of the car contained frozen material consisting of dirt, coal and slag. This material became loose and a large piece of it weighing about 1000 pounds dislodged from the car, fell and struck the victim in the back and forced him forward into the grinder. He was pinned against the grinding machine for approximately 30 seconds. The supervisor and two coworkers raised the block from his back and extricated him from the machine. The victim died 3 days later; the cause of death was ruled to be heart failure and overwhelming infection associated with the interruption of the intestinal blood supply resulting from blunt abdominal trauma. Recommendations arising from this accident include: removal of all debris from the bottom of a coal car if there is any need for it to be turned on its side; and initiation of a safety program that identifies hazards, promotes hazard awareness, addresses specific tasks, and stresses safety training.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Two Workers Electrocuted in Tennessee
No full textTwo laborers caulking and painting around elevated church windows were electrocuted after the 25 foot scaffold they were moving contacted a high voltage line. The scaffolding consisted of five joined 5 foot sections on rubber casters. The power lines in one section were about 30 feet off the ground, but they dropped to about 25 feet at one point. The scaffold contacted one phase of the 12,000 volt line, completing a path to ground through the two men. The ground fault relay of the power company, set at 1750 amps, did not open the circuit breaker. This probably occurred because the casters were made of rubber and the current through the two victims did not exceed 1750 amps. The line was not deenergized for about 12 minutes. This prolonged contact caused extensive thermal burns and no resuscitation was possible when they were finally removed from contact. Recommendations arising from this accident include: design of a specific plan of action which will ensure safety should be incorporated into job planning when there is a potential risk for contacting electrical energy; and the posting of an observer without other duties to watch when it is necessary to move a scaffold in the vicinity of electrical lines.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Massachusetts Plant Operator Dies in Fall at a Petroleum Marketing Terminal
Get PDFOn December 13, 1993, a 37 year old, male plant operator was fatally injured at a Massachusetts oil supply terminal when he fell nine feet from the top of a home heating fuel truck. The victim and the fuel truck driver had climbed on top of the truck to purge air from a load arm assembly line prior to filling the truck with fuel. The plant operator inserted the loading tube in the opening at the top of the truck and pushed it in until it reached the bottom of the tank. When he pressed the loading tube handle to activate the fuel line, a jet of compressed air blew the pipe out of the truck and knocked the victim onto the asphalt ground below. Seconds later, the terminal supervisor found the victim unconscious and bleeding profusely from the head and face. The supervisor immediately summoned emergency medical assistance and the victim was transported to a hospital, where he died five days later from craniocerebral injuries due to blunt trauma. The MA FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1. Explore the feasibility of devising a system to stabilize the load arm tube when purging air from supply lines; 2. Install mechanical devices (safeguards) in the load arm assemblies to allow for a slower or more diffuse release of built up pressure; 3. Always use the on site purging tank with the built in man lift and guard rail when evacuating air from supply lines; Furthermore, fuel truck manufacturers should: 4. Consider making all fuel trucks with bottom loading charge points.Publication Date provided by FACE program; not printed on the report.Cooperative Agreemen
Plumbing Supply Warehouse Worker Dies in a Fall From a Raised Order Picker - Massachusetts
Get PDFOn May 29, 2008 a 53-year-old male warehouse worker (victim) for a plumbing supply company was fatally injured when he fell from a raised order picker he was operating. The victim was accessing a toilet located on a top section of shelving when he fell approximately 16 feet from the raised order picker onto the concrete floor below. A co-worker discovered the victim and ran to the office area where another co-worker called for emergency medical services (EMS). EMS and the local police department arrived within minutes. The victim was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1.) Ensure warehouse management systems require heavy items to be stored on lower shelves that are clearly labeled; 2.) Ensure that fall protection equipment is worn by employees exposed to fall hazards; 3.) Adopt and enforce a mandatory tie-off / no unhook policy for order picker operators; 4.) Provide employees comprehensive training on powered industrial trucks; 5.) Ensure that employees operating order pickers have a state required hoisting license; and 6.) Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive written safety and health program that includes topics such as powered industrial trucks and fall protection.Cooperative Agreemen
Surveyor Dies When Struck by Oncoming Vehicle
Get PDFOn June 22, 2006, a 47-year-old male surveyor for a county Road Commission was struck by an oncoming vehicle while conducting surveying operations in the middle of an intersection of a two-lane highway. He was wearing an orange high visibility vest. The two-person survey crew had not set up any road signage indicating that survey work was being conducted. The crew had not established a proper lane closure nor had they set up traffic cones around the area where he was standing, holding the prism pole. The decedent was holding the prism pole in the southbound lane when an oncoming vehicle traveling in the southbound lane struck him. The collision caused him to become airborne and he was struck again by a northbound vehicle. 911 was called and the decedent was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the southbound vehicle was driving on a revoked license due to "vision problems." Recommendations: 1. Road Commission employers should ensure employees have a copy of the Michigan Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MMUTCD) and required signage in the work vehicle, use the required signage for work performed, and that the manual requirements are implemented (such as adequate MMUTCD-required personnel are available for a work crew) when working on or near a roadway. 2. Road Commission employers should ensure effective health and safety training for their employees. 3. Each county Road Commission should form a joint Health and Safety Committee. 4. Employers investigating additional technologies to provide supplementary employee protection such as intrusion alarms or lighted vests should consult the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse for the advantages/disadvantages of these technologies. 5. The Michigan legislature should consider increased funding for public education campaigns to educate motorists about Work Zone Safety.Cooperative Agreemen
Truck Driver Dies When He Falls Off the Top of a Tank Trailer
Get PDFA truck driver died after he fell off the top of a tank trailer while attempting to close the tank lid. The victim had gained access to the top of the tank trailer by a catwalk and weighted gangway with a fixed guardrail that extended over the top of the trailer. The victim fell through a gap between the guardrail and the top of the tank trailer. The victim was not wearing any fall protection. The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent future occurrences, employers, as part of their Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) should: 1. Ensure that fall protection is used by drivers and other employees who use the catwalk and gangway to gain access to the top of tankers. 2. Use a catwalk, gangway, and guardrail system that eliminates the gap between the tankers and the guardrail of the gangway.Cooperative Agreemen
Farm Boy Dies in ATV Rollover While Helping Father Chop Silage
Get PDFDuring the summer of 2004, an eight-year-old farm boy was killed while helping his father and a neighbor chop hay for silage on their dairy farm. The father was driving a tractor pulling a silage chopper and silage wagon in the field. The boy was helping, driving to and from the field location on a 4-wheeled all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and assisting in the hookup for each silage wagon. A neighbor was also helping by emptying the silage wagons into a blower which blew the silage into silage bags then transporting the empty wagon back to the field. The boy was driving the ATV back and forth on a dirt field drive, which was also used by dairy cows going to and from their pasture. After the last load of the evening, the boy was returning to the house on the ATV after 10 PM. He stopped on the side of the road and turned off the ATV's lights. The neighbor drove by on his way home and noticed that the boy had stopped the ATV and was standing beside the road. After the boy got back onto the ATV, and before he turned on its lights, it appears he drove forward up a slight field embankment causing the ATV to roll over on its top and pinning him to the ground. When the father returned in his tractor later on the same road, he found the boy and the ATV upside-down with the handlebars on the boy's chest. The boy was not breathing. The father immediately drove to the house to call for help then returned to his son. Recommendations based on our investigation are as follows: 1. Parents should be aware of laws concerning ATVs and follow recommendations for the appropriate size of machine for the age of the rider. Youth under the age of 16 should not operate full-sized ATVs. 2. ATV operators should participate in a hands-on ATV safety training course.Cooperative Agreemen
Emergency Roadside Technician Dies When Struck by a Single-Unit Truck on an Interstate Shoulder
Get PDFIn the winter of 2005 a 52-year-old male emergency roadside technician (ERT), (providing traffic control support for police), died when he fell approximately 75-80 feet from a bridge after being struck by a single-unit truck. A policeman had responded to a call from a semi-truck driver on the interstate who had blown a tire while driving on an interstate. After the tire blew, the driver immediately pulled the semi onto the right shoulder and called police for assistance. This section of the shoulder was on a bridge on the blind side of a hill, and was too narrow to accommodate the width of the semi. The back left corner of the semi extended out into the right-hand travel lane of the interstate. A police officer arrived and with emergency lights flashing, parked his cruiser on the shoulder at the top of the hill behind the semi. The officer requested assistance with traffic control. An employee of a company contracted by the local police to provide roadside assistance arrived in a panel truck. Upon arrival, he was instructed by the police officer to park his vehicle with yellow emergency lights flashing at the bottom of the hill, approximately 100 yards behind the police cruiser. After parking his vehicle on the shoulder as instructed, the contractor then exited the vehicle from the driver's side and proceeded to walk up the hill toward the police cruiser. A single-unit truck approached from behind in the right hand travel lane and tried to switch lanes when he observed the yellow emergency lights on the panel truck. When the driver of the single-unit truck switched to the middle lane, the driver struck the right-rear end of a semi trailer in the middle lane, lost control, swerved back into the right lane, sideswiped the ERT's panel truck, then struck the ERT. Upon being struck, the ERT was thrown over the side of the bridge 75-80 feet to the ground below. The police officer called emergency medical services to the scene. They arrived and detected no vital signs in the ERT. The coroner was called and upon arrival, declared the ERT dead at the scene of "multiple blunt force injuries secondary to motor vehicle versus pedestrian". To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: 1. A traffic control plan should be implemented and enforced immediately when the travel lane is obstructed. 2. Ensure that the placement of various types of warning devices (portable signs, orange traffic cones, flares and/or portable changeable message signs) informs drivers of what to expect when approaching an incident scene. 3. In addition to flashing lights, a permanent message board should be placed on the back of emergency response vehicles that routinely need to control traffic. 4. Ensure that personnel receive training in the proper procedures and the hazards associated with emergency operations for highway incidents. 5. When providing emergency roadside assistance, company policy for exiting emergency vehicles away from the traffic lanes should be enforced. 6. Braking mechanism performance checks should be routinely performed on all motor vehicles before entering roadways.Cooperative Agreemen
Worker Killed When Crushed By Multiple Granite Slabs - Massachusetts
Get PDFOn October 3, 2005, a 38-year-old male laborer/granite worker (the victim) was fatally injured when he became caught between five stone slabs and a stone table. At the time of the incident, the victim was retrieving a granite slab (from this point forward referred to as granite slab 2) that was stored with four other stone slabs in the first section of a slab rack. Granite slab 2 was the second slab in from the end of the rack's first storage section. To retrieve granite slab 2, the victim positioned himself with his back against the first stone slab and then removed one of the end slab rack support pins. A coworker/saw operator standing at the edge of the first stone slab removed the remaining end slab rack support pin. Next, the first stone slab was tilted towards the victim and the coworker, away from granite slab 2. As the victim and the coworker were supporting the first stone slab, another coworker went to access an overhead gantry crane to remove granite slab 2 from the rack. The remaining four slabs in the slab rack's first section, including granite slab 2, tilted towards the victim and the coworker. All five stone slabs fell crushing the victim against a stone table and pinning the coworker partially against the floor. Twelve coworkers lifted the stone slabs off of the victim and the coworker, while an office worker placed a call for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Upon EMS arrival at the incident site, the victim was unconscious. EMS transported the victim and the injured coworker to a local hospital where the victim was pronounced dead. The coworker's injuries were not life threatening. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1. Use slab racks designed with fixed support pins and individual compartments for each slab; 2. Ensure that all slab racks have been designed by registered professional engineers and that current engineering drawings and documentation of load capacities for all racks are readily available; 3. Develop, implement, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOP) for receiving, storing, and retrieving stone slabs, which includes limiting employees' manual handling of stone slabs; and 4. Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive written safety program, which includes hazard recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions, and provide training in language(s) and literacy level(s) of workers. In addition, manufacturers of slab racks should: 5. Evaluate and consider supplying only slab racks with fixed support pins.Cooperative Agreemen
Assistant Supervisor Dies while Releasing a Jammed Product from a Plastic Injection Molding Machine - Massachusetts
Get PDFOn February 7, 2004, a 25-year-old male assistant supervisor (the victim) was fatally injured while trying to release a jammed product from inside a plastic molding injection machine at a manufacturing facility. The victim went to the machine and noticed that the product being manufactured was stuck on one half of the machine's die. The victim climbed inside the machine with a brass chisel and a hammer to try and cut the plastic product off the mold. While inside the machine, reportedly with the gate open, the machine cycled bringing the dies together crushing the victim. Coworkers notified Emergency Medical Services (EMS). EMS responded to the incident site within minutes and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner's Office was notified and arrived to remove the victim's body. The Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1. Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive hazardous energy control program including a lockout/tagout procedure and routinely review and update the program and training. 2. Ensure that their comprehensive safety program includes training on hazard recognition and the avoidance of unsafe work practices and conditions by conducting a job safety analysis (JSA). The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) should: 3. Consider revising standard ANSI/SPI B151 to require all plastic injection molding machines, regardless of size, to have an additional safety device to protect workers from the moving parts in the mold processing area. Manufacturers of plastic injection molding machines should: 4. Consider an additional safety measure for all HIMMs, regardless of size, to protect workers from the moving parts in the mold processing area.Cooperative Agreemen