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Laborer Electrocuted While Working at Bottom of Dry Well at Sewer Pumping Station
Get PDFOn August 28, 1990, a 31-year-old male laborer was killed, apparently as a result of contact with equipment thought to be deenergized. Working at the bottom of a 24-foot deep dry well at a sewer pumping station, the victim backed into the frame of a disconnected heater and apparently received an electric shock of a least 0.53 volts AC, sufficient to have caused an electric shock. Careful monitoring of electrical components in the area revealed ground faults which caused the wall heater frame to be energized. FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1. ensure that electrical equipment within pumping stations are periodically inspected and repaired by a licensed electrician conduct a job site survey before starting any job to identify potential hazards and implement appropriate control measures; 2. develop and implement an electrical safety program to help workers recognize and control hazards; 3. ensure that workers entering a confined space, such as the dry well at the pumping station, observe appropriate safety measures; 4. have at least one person assigned the responsibility for overseeing safe work practices and safety education; 5. provide training in basic CPR.Formerly 90NJ010Cooperative Agreemen
Warehouseman Falls 70 feet to His Death Through an Open Elevator Shaft in New Jersey
Get PDFOn July 2, 1990, a 45-year-old warehouseman died as a result of a 70-foot fall through an open elevator shaft in a refrigerated warehouse of frozen food products. The victim took a loaded pallet jack by elevator to the seventh floor and left the elevator door open while a co-worker took the elevator to the eighth floor. The victim stepped backwards into the open elevator shaft and fell to his death. NJDOH FACE personnel determined that: 1. All freight elevators must have an operating interlocking safety device which does not permit the elevator to move while its doors are open; 2. A communication device (telephone) should be placed on each elevator and at each floor. The elevator operator can then be summoned to bring the elevator to a specific floor; 3. An audible alarm device must be provided in the elevator to call for assistance in case of emergency; 4. The employer and employees must jointly evaluate each job task and prepare written safety instructions for each job.Formerly NJ9008Cooperative Agreemen
Logs Roll Off Truck at Sawmill Killing the Truck Driver
Get PDFA 64-year-old male (the victim) was killed while unloading logs at a sawmill. Since retiring from the mining industry several years ago, he had been working part-time driving a semi-trailer truck owned by a logger. As was his usual practice, the victim drove the truck alone, and on the day of the incident hauled a large load of logs on the trailer bed. The logs were approximately 12 inches in diameter and 20-25 feet long. Stakes on the sides of the trailer bed were four feet high; witnesses reported that the logs were stacked approximately four feet higher than the stakes. Drivers are not required to check in upon arrival, and the sawmill has no guidelines in place for unloading procedures. The victim arrived about 9:00 am and began the unloading procedure before any employees of the mill came to assist. Each stack of logs on the truck was bound by two chains having one-inch links, which were rusted and in poor condition. The victim unhooked the chain nearest the front of the truck. As he began releasing the second chain, the load of logs shifted and the chain broke. Three logs rolled off the truck and struck the victim. Although the incident was unwitnessed, an employee of the mill who was working in the yard at the time heard an unusual sound and looked over to find the victim on the ground. Emergency medical services (EMS) were called to the scene immediately and the victim was pronounced dead at 9:45 am. In order to prevent similar incidents from occurring, FACE investigators recommend: 1. The height of the stack of logs should not exceed the height of the standards on the truck 2. Routine safety inspections should be made to ensure that equipment is in proper condition 3. Written policies should be in place regarding unloading procedures for loggers at the mill, and the policies should be enforced by mill owners 4. Loggers and log-truck drivers should attend the Master Logger Program 5. Lawmakers should consider initiating regulations to limit the height of log stacks on vehicles traveling on public roadways.Cooperative Agreemen
Tree Trimmer Killed When a Branch to Which He Was Tied Broke And His Lifeline Failed
Get PDFOn September 9, 1996, a 28-year-old tree trimmer died when he fell 60 feet from a tree he was cutting to a gravel driveway below. He was attached by a lanyard to the branch he was trimming and, when the branch broke behind him, he fell with it. His safety line was attached to the tree trunk and, as he and the 25-foot-long branch section fell, his safety line broke and he fell to the ground. New Jersey FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents, the following safety guidelines should be followed: 1. Arborists should use appropriate fall arrest systems when working in trees. 2. Arborists should use appropriate cutting techniques. 3. Employers should provide appropriate training and supervision to employees. 4. Employers and employees should be aware of the dangers of drugs and other substances that may impair judgment or alertness. 5. Arborists should be properly trained in identifying hazardous trees and in safely trimming or removing them.Cooperative Agreemen
Log Rolls Off Truck During Unloading and Strikes Logger
Get PDFA 52-year-old male logger was killed when he was struck by a log rolling off of his truck during the unloading process. The victim was a self-employed logger and had at least 25 years of experience. Using the family-owned truck, he hauled a load of logs to the mill; the vertical standards on the truck trailer were approximately three feet high with the logs stacked another 3-4 feet above the standards. He arrived at the mill at approximately 9am and began the unloading procedure. One of the chains that secured the load of logs on this truck was in two pieces and needed to be unhooked on both sides of the trailer. After unhooking the chains on one side of the truck, the victim walked to the other side of the vehicle and as he was bending over to unfasten the chain attached on that side, a log fell off of the stack, striking the victim on the back of the head and pinning him on the ground. The endloader driver for the mill was a witness to the incident. The victim was transported to the hospital by emergency medical personnel and pronounced dead at 10:30am. In order to prevent similar occurrences, FACE investigators recommend: 1. Height of the stack of logs should not exceed the height of the vertical standards on the truck trailer 2. Chains securing a load of logs should be long enough to allow loggers to unfasten chains on one side of the vehicle. 3. Written policies should be in place regarding unloading procedures for loggers at the mill. 4. Loggers should attend the Master Logger Program for education regarding OSHA logging standards and safety procedures.Cooperative Agreemen
Tree Trimmer Dies After Falling with a Fractured Tree
Get PDFOn February 14, 1995, a 33-year-old male tree climber/crew chief of a small tree trimming company was killed after he fell approximately 42 feet with a falling tree. The victim was working with two other employees to cut and trim a group of three vertical tree limbs (branching out from the main trunk) that had been tied together with steel cable. The victim was tied to the limb and, when he cut the cable, the limb fractured. He fell with the tree and was crushed. NJDOH FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future, the following safety guidelines should be followed: 1. Tree trimmers should be aware of alternate methods of safely removing hazardous trees; 2. Tree trimmers should be properly trained in identifying hazardous trees and in safely trimming or removing them; 3. Tree trimmers should utilize fall protection when climbing in trees.Cooperative Agreemen
Worker Electrocuted While Servicing an Energized Air Conditioning Unit
Get PDFOn July 14, 1992, a 42-year-old male heating and air conditioning company worker was electrocuted while he serviced an energized central air conditioning unit. NJDOH FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future, the following safety guidelines should be followed: 1. Employers must ensure that workers are thoroughly trained before doing service or repairs involving electrical equipment. 2. Before working on electrical equipment, it must be deenergized.Publication Date provided by FACE program; not printed on the report; Formerly 93NJ008Cooperative Agreemen
Farmer Dies When Caught Beneath Overturned Tractor
Get PDFA 68-year-old male farmer was killed when the tractor he was operating overturned and pinned him underneath. He had been plowing in preparation for corn planting and apparently was on his way to check on the cattle after finishing in the field. As he traveled down a hillside on the tractor with the plow attached, he turned the vehicle sharply to the right causing the tractor overturn. The Allis Chalmers 190 tractor was not equipped with a Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) or seatbelt. As the tractor overturned, the victim fell off and was pinned under the right rear wheel. He remained there for 3-4 hours until the tenants who live on his land came home and found him about 6 pm. Although the victim's lower abdomen and legs were pinned by the rear wheel, he was still alive and able to speak. 911 was called and rescue squads arrived within 10 minutes. Using a wrecker and cable, rescue personnel were able to lift the tractor up enough to pull the victim from beneath the wheel. The victim was transferred to a 4-wheel drive vehicle and taken to the top of the hill to the waiting ambulance. The ambulance arrived at the local hospital at 7:16 pm and he was immediately transferred by helicopter to a higher level trauma hospital; however, he had suffered severe injuries and died later that evening. In order to prevent similar incidents from occurring, FACE investigators recommend that: 1. Tractors should be equipped with Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) and seatbelts. 2. Equipment should be kept in good working condition.Cooperative Agreemen
Construction Worker Dies in 7-foot Fall
Get PDFA 41-year-old male construction worker (the victim) died in a fall while working in a warehouse. He had been hired to build wooden racks to hold building products in a warehouse. The racks were made of wood and stood 10\ubd feet high and 12 feet long (Figure1). On his fifth day of work, the victim was working alone in the warehouse. At about 8:40 am, two workers in the office heard a noise in the warehouse and went in to check on what happened. They found the victim sitting on the concrete floor beside the rack on which he had been working and he was complaining that his head and neck hurt. He said that he had fallen from the rack he was standing on (about 7 feet off the floor), apparently while trying to nail on a board at the top. As the two men helped him up, he complained that his knee hurt also. They drove him to a physician's office for treatment and he was subsequently sent to a local hospital for x-rays and further examination. His head injuries were extensive and his conditioned worsened. He was transported to a higher level trauma hospital where he lapsed into a coma and died the following afternoon. In order to prevent similar incidents from occurring, FACE investigators recommend that: 1. Employers should develop and enforce written policies related to safe work practices. 2. Employers should require the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).Cooperative Agreemen
86 Year old Farmer is Killed After Being Hit By Tree Branch
Get PDFAn 86-year-old male farmer was killed after being struck by a tree limb. The victim was driving a tractor through a pasture checking on his cattle. As he approached a large tree, the extended front-end loader, in full upright position, which was attached to the tractor struck a tree branch. The branch broke off and struck the victim causing massive head injury. He was thrown from the tractor and discovered a few hours later by his grandson. The tractor was equipped with a Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) and a non-function seat belt. The tractor did not have a Power Take Off (PTO) shield or Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) placard. In order to prevent future fatalities of this type, the FACE investigator recommends: 1. Equipment should be used in such a way to allow clear view of the path of travel 2. Equipment operators should be aware of the side effects of medications and take precautionary measures to ensure their personal safety. 3. Operator should realize that lifting the front-end loader too high can change the balance of the equipment and its handling properties as well as result in objects falling toward the tractor 4. Safety devices should be well-maintained and used at all times while operating hazardous equipment. 5. Additionally, operators should communicate with their personal physician the nature of their work and ask for guidance/precautions regarding equipment operation.Cooperative Agreemen