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Four Hotel Maintenance Workers Exposed to Excessive Levels of Carbon Monoxide in Boiler Room- Massachusetts
Get PDFOn September 17, 2003, four hotel maintenance department employees were exposed to excessive levels of carbon monoxide (CO). During an early afternoon check of a hotel boiler room by two maintenance department employees, it was discovered that the temperature inside the boiler room was elevated and that a power venter belt, which had been replaced earlier that same day, was slipping. During the repair of the power venter, one of the two maintenance department employees started to feel ill. The ill employee's condition was reported to management and a call was placed for emergency medical services (EMS). Two other maintenance department employees went to check on the ill employee and all four employees stayed inside the boiler room until EMS arrived. The two employees who were originally performing the repair were immediately transported to a local hospital and then were moved to a larger hospital where they received treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The other two employees, who went to check on the employees performing the repair, drove themselves to a local hospital approximately one hour after the arrival of EMS. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1. Provide employees training in hazard recognition including, but not limited to, carbon monoxide and its associated health effects; 2. Conduct workplace surveys to identify all potential sources of carbon monoxide and locations where carbon monoxide poisonings could occur; and 3. Ensure that at a minimum carbon monoxide detectors are installed and operating properly within areas where fuel burning appliances are located, such as boiler rooms. Employers of 911 call takers and dispatchers should: 4. Encourage the collection of all available information, such as exact location of incident, when answering an emergency call to help identify the exact nature of the emergency. Employers of emergency first responders should: 5. Ensure that when responders are dispatched to locations where the potential exists for toxic atmospheres, such as boiler rooms, that the atmosphere is tested by trained personnel prior to entering. In addition, manufacturers of power venting equipment should: 6. Consider providing warning labels about the carbon monoxide hazard that could develop if power venters are not operating properly.Cooperative Agreemen
Massachusetts Mechanic Killed When A 55-Gallon Drum Exploded
Get PDFOn July 24, 2000, a 61-year-old male mechanic (the victim) was fatally injured when a 55-gallon drum exploded. The victim was using a torch to cut the lid off of the drum, which had previously contained diesel fuel conditioner, so the drum could be recycled. After the explosion an employee activated the company's emergency system that consisted of a direct line to their alarm company who then placed a call for emergency assistance. The town police and fire departments arrived at the incident site within minutes. The victim was med-flighted to a hospital where he was in critical condition for seven days before he died from the injuries sustained in the explosion. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future employers should: 1. Develop, implement and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for removing lids from large, sealed metal containers. 2. Routinely undertake hazard assessments of the work site. 3. Provide workers with training in the recognition and avoidance of hazards and safe work practices that pertain to their work environment. 4. Maintain their chemical inventory at a few months supply, whenever possible, to reduce the number of large metal containers used.Cooperative Agreemen
Roofer Falls from Top of New Home in Wyoming
Get PDFA 53 year old teacher who was working as carpenter/leadman on a housing project died from injuries received when he fell nearly 30' from the roof of a two-story home he was helping to roof. The victim had been standing on a roof slope with an unusually steep pitch (45 degree angle), braced against a 2x4 that was securely nailed to the roof about four feet from the peak. A fork-lift supported platform had been raised to bring a 4x8 sheet of plywood within reach, which the victim would then take from the platform and hand up to other workers who would nail the plywood sheet in place. As he turned toward the platform he apparently lost his footing and began sliding feet first down the roof. As he slid down the slope of the roof he somehow got turned around and fell headfirst from the roof to the ground below, striking his head on an inch long 3/4 inch diameter bolt that protruded from wooden support block. The victim's son, who was working with him on the construction project, had begun mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before ambulance personnel arrived. An off-duty EMT arrived at the scene and began CPR. Ambulance personnel then prepared the victim for transport to a local hospital where he expired. Employers may be able to minimize the potential for occurrence of this type of incident through the following precautions: 1. Personal protective equipment, including tiedowns, should be provided to and used by all employees required to work over 10 feet from the ground on a roof. 2. Guard rails should be provided for employees who work on a platform six feet or more from the ground. 3. Specific training and education should be provided to all employees who work over 10 feet above the ground.Publication Date provided by FACE program; not printed on the report.Cooperative Agreemen
Laborer Struck by Skid-steer Loader While Exiting from a Tarp-enclosed Area on a Construction Site - Massachusetts
Get PDFOn April 9, 2007, a 30-year-old male construction laborer (the victim) was fatally injured when a skid-steer loader struck him. The victim had been using a wheelbarrow to move mortar from the mixer to the staging area. The staging area was underneath a section of scaffold that was surrounded by a tarp. At the time of the incident, the victim was in a crouched position moving backwards pulling the wheelbarrow. He was exiting from underneath the staging area's tarp when he was struck by a skid-steer loader. Co-workers placed a call for emergency medical services (EMS) and within minutes personnel from the fire and police departments arrived at the site to attend to the victim. The victim was 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 that tarp-enclosed areas have designated entrance/exit openings for workers; 2.) Place warning devices at designated entrance and exit locations where workers on foot are entering into work areas occupied by mobile equipment; 3.) Develop, implement, and enforce an internal traffic control plan (ITCP) specific to each construction site to help protect workers on foot; 4.) Supply and ensure that employees wear appropriate personal protective equipment, such as the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) compliant high visibility safety apparel; 5.) Ensure that employees operating skid-steer loaders have the required state-issued hoisting license; 6.) Provide employees training on the operation of skid-steer loaders and other equipment; 7.) Ensure employee trainings are in a language which is comprehensible and at appropriate literacy levels; and 8.) Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive written safety program, which includes hazard recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions.Cooperative Agreemen
Timber Harvester Operator Killed Following a Chain Shot Incident
Get PDFOn August 12, 2010, a 47-year-old timber harvester operator (employed by a logging company) was fatally injured when he was struck in the neck by a broken saw chain link while processing a Douglas-fir tree and the cutting chain experienced chain shot. Chain shot is the high velocity separation and ejection of a piece or pieces of cutting chain from the end of a broken chain. The operator was using a Timberjack harvester equipped with a Timberjack cutting head to thin a stand of trees. Prior to the chain shot incident, the operator used the harvester to cut the Douglas-fir stem and move it to the left side of the operator's station for processing. When the operator started the cut-off saw to cut the tree into shorter lengths, the chain broke. It is believed by the employer and DOSH inspector, that when a portion of the broken chain hit a snow hole on the cutting head, chain shot occurred. Three pieces from the chain struck the operator's cab. One of the pieces penetrated the 12 millimeter (approximately 1/2 inch) polycarbonate window made by Lexan and struck the operator in the neck. The injured operator contacted a co-worker in the area, who contacted emergency responders and the employer. The harvester operator was pronounced dead on the scene. Most experts agree that the risk of chain shot cannot be completely eliminated. However, to prevent similar incidents the Washington State Fatality and Control Evaluation (FACE) team recommends several preventive measures that employers, harvester operators, employees on foot, and manufacturers can take to greatly reduce the risk. Employers: 1. Should create maintenance and guarding systems that reduce the chance of chain shot and protect workers. 2. Train all workers who might encounter chain shot on standard operating procedures (SOPs) used for the prevention of chain shot. Harvester operators: 1. Should whenever possible avoid processing trees when the processing saw is in line with the operator's cab. Workers: 1. Should be aware of and in frequent communication with harvester operators regarding their proximity and alignment relative to timber harvesters and the location of safe zones. Manufacturers: 1.Should equip mechanized logging equipment with multiple safety systems to prevent chain shot and related injuries.Cooperative Agreemen
Mechanic Dies When Tractor Overturns While Removing Tree Stump in Cemetery
Get PDFDuring the spring of 2004, a 36- year-old mechanic died in a tractor overturn. He was working alone in a cemetery picking up tree trimmings and removing a tree stump. He was using a narrowfront- axle (tricycle-type) farm tractor with a front-end loader. The loader was an older model with hydraulically-extendable lower links/lift arms to raise the loader bucket and its load. Side view of the overturned tractor showing the raised front-end loader with the stump secured by a log chain. He had been picking up tree limbs, removing brush piles, and working to extract a large tree stump in an area of the cemetery with sloping terrain. He used a chain saw to cut through the roots of the previously felled tree so he could hoist the old stump from the ground and place it into a nearby wagon, already partially filled with tree branches and trimmings. The tractor was aimed at an angle forward and downward across the slope, tilting to the left as he attempted to lift the heavy tree stump by raising the front-end loader. The stump was secured to the loader by a log chain around it and the loader bucket. As the loader bucket raised well above the height of the hood of the tractor, the tractor tipped onto its left side and continued to roll onto its top, stopping upside down on top of the operator. The victim was found by another worker who came to the cemetery to mow grass later in the day. The victim had been crushed between the ground and the steering wheel of the tractor and was pronounced dead at the scene. Because the loader lift arms, and therefore the loader bucket, were raised high the tractor was protected from damage in the overturn. Although there were other tractors reasonably available for the victim to use, none of them were equipped with a loader. The victim had also been drinking alcohol and this likely influenced his assessment of the equipment, loadings, terrain, and overall risk of an overturn. RECOMMENDATIONS: (1.) Tractors suitable for the task, properly equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and seat belt, configured and ballasted appropriately, should be used with a capable, properly-installed front-end loader recommended for the tractor. (2) Operators should be educated and trained to recognize and assess the risk of an overturn and the factors that contribute to an overturn. (3) Workers should not operate tractors while under the influence of alcohol or when taking medications for which doctors advise against the operation of machinery.Cooperative Agreemen
Coal Truck Driver Fatally Injured in Collision With another Coal Tractor-Trailer
Get PDFDuring the winter of 2008, a 39 -year-old tractor-trailer driver died after striking the right rear of a coal tractor-trailer with his vehicle, then veering into an embankment, rolling over and catching fire. The driver of a coal tractor-trailer (Truck 1) and the decedent driver of a second coal tractor-trailer (Truck 2) had descended a hill in the lane next to one another on a four-lane undivided highway. Truck 1 stopped at a traffic light at an intersection at the bottom of a hill while Truck 2 approached the intersection from behind in the left lane. The light turned green so that Truck 2 did not need to stop for the traffic light. Truck 1 advanced from the traffic light and began to climb another hill. Truck 2 approached Truck 1 on the hill, struck the right rear of Truck 1, veered to the left, struck an embankment, and rolled over. Upon impact, driver of Truck 2 was thrown into the sleeper compartment. Emergency medical services and the local coroner arrived on the scene. The coroner pronounced the driver dead at the scene. To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendation(s) are being made: Recommendation No. 1: Owner-Operators should follow Kentucky laws and wear seat belts while operating a commercial vehicle. Recommendation No. 2: Companies should provide new and refresher truck driver safety training for company drivers including driver distraction , defensive driving techniques and Hours of Service as it pertains to fatigue. Recommendation No. 3: Vehicle stabilizer and sensory systems should be mandatory equipment on all commercial vehicles. Recommendation No. 4: To better prevent rear collisions, companies should establish a safety program to install flashing amber LED lights on the rear of all slow moving trucks.Cooperative Agreemen
Welder/Pipefitter Electrocuted
No full textThe case of a 26 year old male welder/pipefitter who died when he contacted an energized electrical conductor and fell to a concrete floor 29 feet below was examined. The employee worked for a pipefitting and steel erection company with 15 employees. He had received training at a local technical school and on the job. The company had no formal safety program. He was a member of a crew whose job it was to assemble and install a large steel storage rack in a carpet warehouse. An electrician was removing light fixtures 2 feet above the storage rack at the time of the accident. The power to the light fixtures was disconnected, but the power for the night lights had been left on for the operation. All the fixtures were removed, including those on the nightlight circuit. The final fixture could not be reached from the rack. The electrician decided to wait to remove this one until the space below was cleared and a hydraulic manlift could be used. He left the room while his assistant (the victim) was to gather the tools. When he returned the assistant had almost completed the job on the remaining fixture and would not stop working on it when told to do so by the electrician. He cut the energized 110 volt power lead for the light with a pair of uninsulated metal wire cutters, was electrocuted, and fell 29 feet to the floor. Had the employee received adequate training he would not have made this error. Had the second circuit also been deenergized, the accident would not have occurred. Appropriately insulated tools should have been used.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Poultry Processing Production Worker Drowns in an Open Offal Wastewater Pit \u2014 California
No full textOn May 6, 2023, a 66-year-old Hispanic male production worker at a poultry processing plant (the victim) drowned when he fell into an open offal wastewater pit. Offal is a mixture of water and chicken organs, blood, feathers, and other waste products. He was preparing to do preventative maintenance and clean the area surrounding the pit. A co-worker later found him inside the pit where he drowned. Even though hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels were not measured or monitored on the day of the incident, the gas is often present at poultry and meat processing facilities. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS - Failure to develop and implement a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) safety program for the offal wastewater room; No hazard assessment was conducted; Missing and unsecured floor grates protecting the offal wastewater pit; Damaged guardrails around the offal wastewater pit. RECOMMENDATIONS - California FACE (CA/FACE) investigators determined that, in order to prevent similar incidents, poultry processing plants with wastewater treatment operations should: 1) Develop and implement policies, procedures, and inspections as part of a safety program to prevent workers from being overexposed to H2S. 2) Ensure offal pits are identified as permit required confined spaces and a confined space program is implemented. 3) Ensure all pumps and equipment in the pit room remain in operation so there is wastewater flow through the offal pit. 4) Ensure offal pits are guarded and covered.Cooperative Agreemen
A gas well drilling floorhand died when he was struck by a hoisted wellhead equipment stack.
Get PDFA 56-year-old gas well drilling floorhand died on May 30, 2005 from chest trauma he received after being struck by a hoisted wellhead stack that overturned. The stack was composed of a lower spool, blowout preventer (BOP), upper spool, and a rotary head. The crew was attempting to replace the lower spool at the time of incident. As the victim and a coworker attempted to pry the lower spool loose, the 18,000-pound, top-heavy equipment overturned, pinning the victim to the ground and striking the coworker. Other crewmembers immediately freed the victim and called for emergency response. Emergency medical services (EMS) arrived at the scene and transported the victim to the nearest hospital. He was then transported by helicopter to another hospital where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Oklahoma Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OKFACE) investigators concluded that to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Ensure that employees do not position themselves under suspended loads. 2. Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive safety and health program that includes safe operating procedures for lifting/hoisting operations and compliance monitoring. 3. Develop written contracts that establish the chain of command and safety responsibilities of prime and subcontractors.Publication Date provided by FACE program; not printed on the report.Cooperative Agreemen