Second worker injured at old Blockbuster site (a construction worker, 30, fell through the roof of a former video store about 8:30 a.m., the second accident this month at the site - another worker fell into a vat of hot roofing tar on the same rooftop on Aug. 12)
Construction worker stable after three-story fall (a construction worker fell from a third-floor scaffolding but landed in sand and was airlifted in stable condition - rescuers thought the man had a fractured pelvis after the 25- to 30-foot fall)
Worker injured in 100-foot fall (a contractor, 56, was working adjacent to a conveyor belt - he had a harness on - he was working up high - somehow, the harness got caught in a conveyor belt and it flung him more than 100 feet to the ground - when he landed on the ground, his head landed on a board with nails sticking out of it - he remained in critical condition at a Hospital's neurological intensive care unit)
Worker’s body found at LJ pump station (there are no signs of foul play in the possible industrial death of a man, 23, working on a pump station construction site - he was found dead at about 3:40 p.m. inside one of two rooms being built at the site - authorities do not suspect foul play but have not determined a cause of death - two co-workers found him lying on his back near some scaffolding, which was about 25 feet high, but police do not know if he’d fallen)
FATAL FALL Worker Killed In Construction Accident (a man, 37, and another employee were working on a construction project at a plant chimney, located between the power plant's two smokestacks when he fell more than two hundred feet - he suffered serious head injuries, and was pronounced dead at the scene - accident happened shortly before seven o-clock this morning - he was working on the construction of the chimney for an environmental emissions control project)
Worker plunges 40 feet (a worker was rushed to hospital with head injuries after falling 40ft from scaffolding - the 26-year old man fractured an arm, his ankle, and suffered head injuries in the fall at around 10am - it is unclear how the accident happened, but an investigation is already under way with the Health and Safety Executive)
FATAL FALL Verrazano Bridge Worker Dies in Fall (a construction worker, 48, died after falling about 15 stories from the bridge, after an 8,500-pound concrete barrier tipped over and knocked him off a wooden platform - he had been on the platform, on the bridge’s lower level helping align the barriers - at 1:15 p.m., one of the barriers tipped and fell onto the platform causing him to fall to the ground below - workers at the site said a backhoe that was being used to align the barriers might have struck one, causing his fall)
FATAL FALL Construction worker dies after fall (authorities are investigating the death of a worker, 51, who fell about 50 feet during construction of a state highway bridge - he was installing iron plates intended to hold concrete when he fell)
Worker shocked; falls off roof (a construction worker involved in building the new city barn escaped major injury when he was shocked and fell nearly 20 feet from the building's roof - he and others were pulling a long piece of steel to the roof when it came in contact with a secondary power line - he was conscious of the wires, but the steel dipped into the line - it shocked him and he just back flipped off the roof)
Firefighter in hospital after falling from truck (a firefighter, 33, remains in serious condition in hospital after tumbling out of a fire truck en route to a fire - he was injured after hitting the pavement when a door opened while the truck turned - she suffered head injuries -she was not wearing a helmet, which fire officials say is standard procedure while riding in the truck)
Worker dies in gravel pit fall (police are investigating after a worker fell into a gravel pit and died around 1 p.m. - the man fell and was unconscious When officers and firefighters arrived - the man was pronounced dead at the scene - the man, who is either an employee or a subcontractor, is believed to have been working on pipes above the gravel pit when he fell) FATAL FALL Worker dies after falling from Valley Road condo tower (a 26-year-old roofer fell off the seven-story building and died - he was with three other workers finishing the edges of the roof when he fell)
Identifications released of workers injured in lift boom accident (workers, 27 and 28, were both in critical condition at The Medical Center - the two men were working atop the boom lift on the flashing near the roof line of the the building under construction - the bucket was at full extension when the mechanism crashed - the ground beneath the lift was sloped - early reports from police indicated that when the boom lift fell, the two workers were thrown from the bucket to the opposite side of a nearby retention pond - however, according to a police news release issued this evening, "both parties were unconscious and still attached to the boom lift by their safety harnesses" when police arrived - the boom lift itself came to rest in a retention pond)
Worker dies in gravel pit fall (police are investigating after a worker fell into a gravel pit and died around 1 p.m. - the man fell and was unconscious When officers and firefighters arrived - the man was pronounced dead at the scene - the man, who is either an employee or a subcontractor, is believed to have been working on pipes above the gravel pit when he fell)
Wall falls on construction worker (a construction worker was injured and airlifted to the hospital after a wall fell on him - the 49-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was working on a new housing subdivision when the accident occurred - he noticed a section of cinder block wall about 100 feet long and 6 feet high lying on the ground - the construction worker was holding his midsection, saying the section of wall fell on him - the worker had been digging a trench near the wall for additional construction when the wall gave out, falling on him and trapping him between the trench and the block walls - the wall pinned him at the edge of the trench)
Construction worker stable after three-story fall (a construction worker fell from a third-floor scaffolding but landed in sand and was airlifted in stable condition - rescuers thought the man had a fractured pelvis after the 25- to 30-foot fall)
Second worker injured at old Blockbuster site (a construction worker, 30, fell through the roof of a former video store about 8:30 a.m., the second accident this month at the site - another worker fell into a vat of hot roofing tar on the same rooftop on Aug. 12)
Second worker injured at old Blockbuster site (a construction worker, 30, fell through the roof of a former video store about 8:30 a.m., the second accident this month at the site - another worker fell into a vat of hot roofing tar on the same rooftop on Aug. 12)
Construction worker stable after three-story fall (a construction worker fell from a third-floor scaffolding but landed in sand and was airlifted in stable condition - rescuers thought the man had a fractured pelvis after the 25- to 30-foot fall)
Worker dies in gravel pit fall (police are investigating after a worker fell into a gravel pit and died around 1 p.m. - the man fell and was unconscious When officers and firefighters arrived - the man was pronounced dead at the scene - the man, who is either an employee or a subcontractor, is believed to have been working on pipes above the gravel pit when he fell)
Factory worker dies after hitting head (a man, 26, died after hitting his head on a truck at a factory - the man died about 6pm after either striking his head on a truck or as the result of a fall at the furniture factory)
Worker falls from scaffold at Cornell construction site (emergency personnel are preparing to airlift a worker who fell from a scaffold at a university construction site - the accident occurred at about 11:10 a.m. at a building, which is under construction - the man fell about 30 feet to the ground and is semi-conscious)
Construction Workers Fall Over 20 Feet (an accident at a construction site sent two workers to the hospital - two men were working on an apartment building and fell off a hydrolic lift 20 feet to the ground - the accident happened just after 11 a.m. - OSHA is investigating the cause of the accident)
Worker found dead in lift shaft, London (a construction worker has been found dead at the bottom of a lift shaft in offices - the unnamed man worked for specialist joinery and fit-out contractor - he appeared to have fallen from height - no other details)
Turtle Creek firefighter dies: Lt. Paul D. Baker falls during ... (a firefighter for the Volunteer Fire Department died trying to free the driver involved in a one-vehicle accident on the overpass - one of a number of fire personnel working to free the man, slipped and fell from the bridge to the ground below - he fell about 40 feet - the firefighter is believed to have died upon impact)
FATAL FALL OSHA Investigating Sugar Mill Accident (OSHA is investigating the death of a sugar mill contractor worker - worker, 23, died after falling off a scaffold and hitting his head )
Miner dies at Orkney (a miner was killed at a mine - miner fell into a tip and died immediately - there had been a cover over the tip but that somehow it had collapsed)
2 miners injured in fall at Tenn. mine (two miners were being treated at a hospital after falling about 40 feet in a limestone mine - the miners had been working on a scaffolding or lift bucket about 9:30 p.m. EDT when an accident knocked them to the ground about 40 to 50 feet below - it was not immediately clear what caused the accident, but investigators believe that part of the roof may have collapsed or dropped rocks onto the platform where the men were working - at least one of the men suffered several broken bones in the fall)
Worker hurt in fall at Salem construction site; Co-worker ... (a 20-year-old construction worker suffered serious injuries when he fell two stories from a scissor lift that tipped backward and crashed to the ground as his co-worker lunged for the roof and pulled himself to safety - the worker, whose identity was not released, was listed in serious condition - the two workers were sanding an exterior wall near a corner of the roof at the rear of the building, which is mostly a frame of steel and concrete - co-worker, 21, recounted how the sanding equipment he and his co-worker were using made the scissor lift they were standing on rock back and forth)
CTA worker falls from North Side tracks (an employee working on elevated tracks was injured when he lost his balance and fell to the ground - the ironworker was part of a crew on the reconstruction of the elevated tracks when he fell down to the street around 11 p.m., and suffered leg injuries)
FATAL FALL Construction Worker Killed in Carmel (a normal work day turned tragic at a construction site - a worker fell 40-feet to his death - the man was laying brick when he fell - he was on the top scaffold, he lost his balance, and he fell)
Man hurt in fall from Blauvelt building, A Haverstraw man who fell 15 feet off the second floor of a building under construction and landed on a concrete stairwell was in critical condition last night at the Westchester Medical Center. via The Journal News
Worker conscious, stable after Friday fall, Fabian Renteria, a 27-year-old construction worker who was seriously injured in a six-story fall Friday afternoon at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa in downtown Montgomery, was conscious and listed in ... via Montgomery Advertiser
FATAL FALL Man dies in fall from scaffold (a 25-year-old man died after falling from a building under construction - the victim apparently fell from scaffolding approximately 40 feet above the ground - victim was working on the building, which is under construction)
FATAL FALL Construction Worker Killed in Carmel (a normal work day turned tragic at a construction site - a worker, 25, fell 40-feet to his death - the man was laying brick when he fell - he was on the top scaffold, he lost his balance, and he fell)
Officials investigate overpass collapse (a construction worker, 39, who fell 50 feet when a highway overpass he was working on collapsed remained in serious condition as officials tried to determine what caused the structure to give way - he was airlifted and underwent surgery after fracturing his pelvis, left elbow and lower left leg in the collapse - workers spent early Tuesday morning erecting concrete columns and steel tubes for the overpass - during the collapse, two steel beams fell onto a FedEx delivery truck, crushing its hood and back end and requiring firefighters to cut its driver out of the cab)
FATAL FALL Worker dead after fall at ethanol plant (a 26-year-old man died from injuries he suffered in a 60-foot fall at the plant - he was an employee of tank company - the fall was from the top of a new storage silo that was being built on the west side of the ethanol plant)
UPDATE: Mine worker killed in accident was from Morristown (the contract worker, 28, fell to his death in the mine shortly after midnight - he replacing structural steel inside the main shaft of the mine - the work was part of the process of reactivating the mine, which has been closed for five years)
Man who fell into vat of wet concrete is hospitalized (a worker who fell into a mixing vat of wet concrete was taken to a hospital - the man fell into the vat at a company that makes concrete forms for construction projects such as buildings and bridges - the employee was up to his waist in the concrete as the blades continued the mixing process - it took rescue workers 10 minutes to get the man out - he suffered serious injuries)
FATAL FALL Hoover worker falls to his death (a man performing work on a roof fell 22 feet to his death at a coal mine - according to Deputy Coroner, the worker, 27, was pronounced dead on the scene after the accident, which occurred at 2:30 p.m. at the company's coal mine facility)
Scaffolding Accident Leaves 2 Dead,1 Injured, “We have to physically re-create the scene, determine if there were any type of equipment malfunctions, any kind of negligence whether it was accidental” Two workers are dead after falling approximately 50 feet at a construction site early Saturday. via KXAN-TV
Airline employee dies in accident at Tunica Airport (the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are looking into the death of a worker at the airport - a flight mechanic died in an accident - according to a preliminary NTSB report, he was attempting to close the main cabin door on a flight that was preparing to take off when he lost his grip and fell ten feet to the ground - he suffered a skull fracture and broken ribs, and died the next day - the NTSB report says it was very windy and raining that afternoon, but does not say if weather was a factor in the fall - closing the main cabin door was not part of his duties - he was doing a favor for a flight attendant)
Worker Falls into Elevator Shaft at Ballpark (a worker suffered serious injuries when he drove a cart into an elevator shaft, and the elevator wasn't there - the worker was attempting to drive the cart into a service elevator used to transport food on the third floor - somehow, the cart went through the gate, dropping 30 feet - the cart landed on top of the elevator where the worker's brother, another worker, was inside the elevator - one man is listed in critical condition - the other is stable)
Worker falls from roof in Ramapo (a construction worker fell about 25 from a roof possibly injuring his shoulder and leg - no other details) DOUBLE FATAL FALL Two Killed In Construction Accident (two construction workers are dead and another one is seriously hurt in an accident - apparently two workers were on top of a scaffold about 4 1/2 or 5 stories up the side of the building, when, for whatever reason, the scaffolding or the structure supporting it collapsed)
Teen suffers head injury on the job (a 16-year-old summer student working at an industrial operation is in critical condition after he fell off a ladder and struck his head on a concrete floor - the student was working on a ladder when co-workers heard a crash and went to investigate - they found the teen on the concrete floor of the plant - he suffered head injuries - he was wearing a hard hat but suffered serious injuries in any case)
Man dies after industrial accident (a local electric company worker, 50, died from injuries he suffered in an industrial accident - fell 20 feet to the ground from a scaffolding he was working from - the cause of the fall has not been determined)
Gasfield worker dies in Antero drill site mishap (worker, 34, was fatally injured in an apparent work-related accident at a gas-production drilling rig - the accident occurred at a drilling rig - it looks to be an apparent mechanical failure - several witnesses stated to deputies that he was bent forward checking something on the rig when a "swage," a steel water fixture that connects two pieces of pipe, fell from about 50 feet, striking him on the back of his head)
Worker survives nuclear station fall (a worker had a lucky escape after he fell around 30 feet from scaffolding - he suffered a dislocated ankle and a broken arm in the accident)
FATAL FALL Worker falls 50 feet, dies in Alaska (worker, 19, moved from his hometown to work on construction at the gold mine - he and a co-worker were standing on a manlift about 50 feet above the ground, working on construction of a building when the lift tipped over - while the men survived the initial fall, the workers were pronounced dead at a hospital - it's unclear whether a mechanical problem or operator error led to the accident)
FATAL FALLConstruction worker dies from fall (a 32-year-old man died from injuries sustained in an accident at a construction site - a steel worker, fell more than 30 feet from a building on a construction site - he fell from one of the I-beams on the upper level of the building where he was working - he fell to the basement level of the building and landed on concrete)
Construction worker injured near convention center (a construction worker who fell 20 feet into a parking garage excavation had to be hoisted out on a stretcher by fire department, EMS and other workers - the worker suffered multiple injuries and was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital)
Excavator plunges 75 feet (a 25-ton excavating machine fell about 75 feet off a cliff with its operator jumping to safety just moments before the plunge - the worker suffered a broken arm in the accident, which took place on the site of the condominium project - no cause yet)
UPDATE NIAGARA FALLS: CIty cited in work accident (the city has been hit with six safety violations from the state’s Department of Labor in connection with a workplace injury accident in May - the injured maintenance worker has filed a grievance with the city and is still questioning why, after two months, the Public Works Manager has never been disciplined for allowing the unsafe conditions to continue - he was operating the city’s asphalt recycling machine at the corporation yard the morning of May 3 when he slipped from a makeshift platform consisting of concrete cylinders and fell three feet, landing face first onto the ground - according to a report filed by an outside safety consultant the city employs, the accident could have been prevented if safety suggestions the group made seven months earlier were followed)
FATAL FALL WVU worker falls to his death at football stadium (university officials have released the name of a maintenance worker, 50, who fell about 30 feet to his death at Milan-Puskar Stadium - he died after falling off the stadium's north end zone building at 5 p.m. - he had worked for the university since Oct. 1, 2002)
Construction Worker Falls From Renaissance Hotel (a construction worker fell 7 stories from the Hotel being built - no word on how the incident happened, but we are told he was transported to Baptist South with life-threatening injuries)
Rock That Fell on Worker's Head Was Freak Accident (the rock that crashed down on a state worker's head was a freak accident - after investigators inspected the contract, the safety plans and the situation, they decided the worker was wearing the right safety gear and there were no violations - accident happened at about 9:00 a.m. - crews were detonating explosives to break up large rocks along the cliff side when a rock bounced off a 200 foot screen and hit the 24-year-old crewman)
Worker survives three-storey fall (a plumber, 24, who fell three stories down a lift shaft, narrowly missing being impaled, landed on his back and rang 111 for help because other workers were off having smoke - fell while inspecting a solar light at the top of a lift shaft on the third floor of a home being built - he suffered serious injuries when he landed on concrete just below the ground floor)
Contractor injured in fall inside Orangetown house (a 20-year-old contractor fell this morning and injured his throat while working in an attic inside a house - the contractor was possibly working on an air conditioner - he may have fallen on a hammer, which hit his throat)
OSHA probes barn fatality, Officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are probing the death last week of 17-year-old Lowell native Travis DeSimone, who was killed when a barn ceiling fell on him. via The Sun
FATAL FALL Condo worker killed in fall (a construction worker died after falling from the 35th floor of a building - the man, a 27-year-old safety foreman, plunged about 140 feet - he was standing on a platform that may have moved out too quickly, causing him to lose his balance - he fell to the 11th floor, where he hit a cast-iron frame used to pour concrete in columns - debris that fell with the worker injured 10 to 15 other workers, who suffered minor cuts and scrapes - police are still trying to determine the cause of the accident - the victim had been working with the construction firm for two years)
Worker in stable condition after fall off scaffolding (a 32-year-old man was in stable condition after falling from a scaffold while painting a house - worker suffered multiple injuries, including internal bleeding, after falling 28 feet)
Worker injured in Ira Allen fall (a construction worker, 21, was injured after falling about 55 feet from scaffolding that was set up for a restoration project - he was replacing the decking on the floor of the scaffolding, when he lost track of where he was working and fell through a gap in the planking - he was able to grab onto a nearby steel cable as he fell, slowing the rate of his fall)
Construction worker injured in fall (a 23-year-old man was taken to a Medical Center with head and chest injuries after he fell from an exposed roof - the construction worker fell between eight and 10 feet from a ladder and landed on the beam he was carrying - it isn't clear whether the ladder broke or kicked out)
UPDATE Police, fire and courts (the condition of a man injured June 29 in a 15- to 20-foot fall off a mechanical lift has improved - worker, 52, was listed in serious condition - he was caulking windows about 12:35 p.m. outside a High School when the mechanical lift he was using toppled over, throwing him to the ground - a co-worker, who didn't witness the accident, said the lift had stabilizing legs for balance, but it appeared that he didn't attach them, reports stated)
Man breaks leg in tumble off ladder at work (a man is believed to have suffered a broken leg in a fall at work - the worker is believed to have fallen about three metres off a ladder
Tower fall victims identified, Two men killed in a fall from a tower in Douglas County on Tuesday have been identified as Jerry Case, 54, of Kansas City, and Kevin Keeling, 33, of Independence. via Kansas City Star
Construction worker injured in fall from UVM chapel (a construction worker was injured after falling about 55 feet from scaffolding that was set up for a restoration project - the injured worker, 21, was still being evaluated a Health Care center - he was replacing the decking on the floor of the scaffolding, when he lost track of where he was working and fell through a gap in the planking - he was able to grab onto a nearby steel cable as he fell, slowing the rate of his fall)
Fatal Fall Construction Accident on Fort Carson (employees at a job site are in shock after a co-worker, 39, died in a construction accident - it happened when a section of new building collapsed - three other co-workers were hurt - one man is in critical condition at a local hospital - two others suffered minor injuries - a slab of concrete being moved by a crane crashed onto a bucket truck - video and photos @ link)
Construction accident (a 48-year-old construction worker was seriously injured after he fell into a concrete-bottomed pit at a building site - the man was working on a residential construction site around 3:30 pm when he fell from a ladder to the bottom of the pit, which is designed to allow natural light into the basement - the man climbed out on his own and was taken to the regional Health Centre by ambulance - his injuries turned out to be more serious than expected and it's believed he's suffering from critical head and neck injuries)
Fatal Fall 2 workers killed in fall from tower (investigators are trying to determine what caused two workers to fall hundreds of feet to their deaths from a communications tower - the two men were installing telecommunications equipment on the 1,000-foot tower - they were working in a bucket hoisted about 500 feet to 800 feet from the ground - it is unclear how the men were secured - the men were killed on impact)
Worker survives fall into hole (a construction worker survived a fall into a 15-foot hole being dug to build a new pillar for an extension of the bridge - the man was conscious and talkative, although he had a laceration on his head - the man was delivering materials to the construction site when he leaned against a wooden railing made of two-by-fours - the railing gave way and the man fell into the hole)
One Worker Is Killed and One Is Hurt in Falls, One construction worker was killed and another was critically injured in two separate accidents only hours apart yesterday, the police said. In the first accident, a man was on the roof of a building in Brooklyn and fell three stories to his death shortly after noon. The police said that the man, Balihar Singh, 43, of Jackson Heights, Queens, was taken from the building, at 11 Front Street in Dumbo, photo above, to Long Island College Hospital, where officials pronounced him dead on arrival. In an unrelated accident less than three hours later, another workman fell from the roof of a construction site in Queens and suffered severe head and body trauma, the police said. Officials who arrived on the scene, at the corner of Beach 26th Street and Seagirt Boulevard in the Rockaways, found the man unconscious and took him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition last night. The police did not say how many stories the second man fell. His name was not released, but he was described as a 31-year-old. The police said that investigations were pending in both cases....
Legoland worker injured in fall (a 20-year-old employee was seriously injured after falling 25 feet from a children's rock-climbing wall - he suffered a broken right ankle, a splintered left heel and a fractured back and right wrist - the accident happened just after 6 p.m. when the employee climbed close to the top of the outdoor 28-foot-high climbing wall - it is not clear if the worker's safety harness broke or if it was not connected properly)
Worker Falls Three Stories At Beach 26 Street Construction Site (a 31 year-old construction worker fell 25 feet from a building under construction - he was taken to a hospital after falling to the ground from the third floor) FATAL FALL Jackson Heights worker dies after building fall (a construction worker, 43, died after he fell from the roof of a building - he was working on the roof of a building - he fell three stories - work was halted at the site during the police investigation, and a Department of Buildings inspector determined that worker error and not unsafe conditions contributed to the accident) Construction Accident at CityCenter Leaves 1 Injured (for the second time this year, a construction accident has OSHA investigating a Project - a construction worker fell about 30 feet onto the 20th floor - a piece of rebar went through his leg, but that rebar was still connected to the concrete and fire fighters had to cut it free before transporting him off the building - they used a crane to lower the victim, and he was reported as stable and awake - back in February, two construction workers were killed when two retaining walls being lowered by a crane fell. Two others were injured) FATAL FALL Construction worker falls to his death (a 25-year-old worker plunged two stories to his death at a construction site - he fell from the roof - two other construction workers, one of whom was a relative, reportedly witnessed the fatal fall - he was married and had a 6-year-old child in Guatemala)
Construction Worker Hurt in Fall (a construction worker suffered back and head injuries when he fell 15 feet down a hole at a work site - the incident happened just after 10 a.m. - the worker was alone on site when he fell in a storm drain area - two firefighters were sent into the hole to rescue the worker)
DOUBLE FATAL FALL 2 die dismantling Rolling Stones' stage (two workers, 44 and 38, dismantling a stage at a stadium fell to their deaths from a metal scaffold - two other workers were injured in the accident, one critically - three of the workers fell about 30 feet from the scaffold, and landed on the fourth worker)
Fatal Fall Worker in Milton, Ont., dies in fall through roof under repair (a construction worker has died after falling through the roof of a building under repair - a roofing company was working on replacing the roof - around noon, the 40-year-old worker broke through the roof and fell to his death)
Construction Worker Rescued After Falling Into Trench (a construction worker was digging a trench behind a house around 4:30pm when the ground beneath him gave out - the victim fell a frightening 10 feet into the dirt and rubble and began yelling for help - he wasn't seriously hurt - it's not clear what caused the collapse)
Two injured in accident at EKPC (two contractors working at a new clean-coal generating unit being built were injured - the two men fell between 6 and 10 feet from scaffolding while at the site - information from a witness indicated the injuries were non-life threatening)
Bluffton Worker Dies After Falling Nearly 150 Feet (a man is dead after falling from a tower - the worker fell almost 150 feet from a cell phone and communications tower - authorities still aren't sure what happened, but they've called in OSHA to investigate and figure out what went wrong - he was working about 10 feet above his tools when something went wrong and he fell to his death - workers were in the process of installing reinforcement steel clamps on the tower to help secure the cables, and had just started the work - the workers stated they were up there on the tower working and the worker cut his finger and was taping his finger because they didn't have any Band-Aids, and apparently he fell - when investigators found his body, he still had on all of his safety gear)
Stop-Work Order Issued At Citi Field Site Following Construction ... (a partial stop-work order was issued at the site after a construction worker was injured while working on the new stadium - the worker fell eight-to-ten feet Fwhile working in a stair tower shaft - he was treated for minor injuries)
Fatal Fall Worker dies in fall from school roof (a roofing subcontractor was killed when he fell off the roof of an elementary school - the man was working at about 1:30 p.m. when the incident occurred)
FATAL FALL!!! Worker Dies After Falling Through Classroom Skylight (a roofing worker is on life support after falling through the roof at a City elementary school - he was not responsive when he was rushed from the school by ambulance and taken to an area hospital - he fell 15 feet through a skylight into a classroom)
Worker Dies Hours After Starting New Job, Michael A. Miller died at the age of 19 last week, only hours after starting his new job as a roofer. Miller and a co-worker were carrying a sheet of plywood across the rooftop on which he and his crew were working when he stepped into a skylight hole. Although the hole had been covered earlier, the cover had been removed. Miller fell about 20 feet (seven meters) and died of head trauma. Read the story at News-Herald.com
Man injured after fall at Boynton construction site (a man working at a construction site in a residential neighborhood was rushed to a hospital after falling 10 to 15 feet from scaffolding - no other details)
Landscaper dies after fall into cesspool (a landscaper, 34, died of his injuries after falling into a cesspool while cutting a lawn and being crushed by the quarter-ton mower - he was mowing the backyard of a home while another employee worked on the front yard - the other landscaper went to the backyard and discovered him trapped in the block-lined cesspool, his head above the liquid, with his lawn mower pinning him to the wall - while using the mower, he had clipped the lid of the cesspool, causing it to give way - the lid was below the surface, covered with grass and dirt and not readily visible)
FATAL FALL Edmond athlete dies in construction accident (former high school standout athlete died in an apparent construction accident while working - he allegedly fell off some scaffolding while working)
Worker In Critical Condition In 72-Foot Fall Down Hole (a laborer, 26, was in critical condition after he fell 72 feet from a bucket lowering him into a tunnel shaft - the cause of the accident will require an investigation- the tunnel and pipe are being installed to relieve the wastewater burden for an older lift station that was damaged by flooding)
Worker rescued from sewage tank (a worker was trapped inside a sewage tank for more than an hour before firefighters pulled him out - the man was transported to a Medical Center for treatment - the incident at a fuel-storage site was reported shortly after 2 a.m., when a witness told authorities a man working inside the sewage tank hit his head on a ladder and was not able to get out - firefighters initially planned to use a crane to hoist the man from the tank but determined the positioning was "not right" for such an effort - crews were then sent down to rescue him)
FATAL FALL Window washer dies after eight story fall (a worker cleaning windows died when he fell eight stories - he was training another worker when the accident happened - the two men were on the roof around 8:30 a.m. when he leaned back off the roof to start cleaning the windows - the safety harnesses weren't properly hooked up and the emergency safety line never caught - he fell eight stories - "It happened pretty quick. He went over the side and just went straight down. He tried to grab the ropes with his hand and his weight and the speed was just too much. I watched him go over. I saw his life line going and going. I was waiting for it to catch but he just went straight down," said the co-worker - he rushed to the ground and started performing CPR on the fallen worker - "He was training me today, and I'm thinking he didn't pay attention. He failed to connect to the right ring on his safety harness," said the worker - according to the trainee, the fallen worker had been a window washer for more than 30 years)
FATAL FALL Oil rig worker killed near Freer (a 24-year-old man fell 25 feet to his death while working on a land oil rig - he fell from a 25-foot platform after being struck by an unknown object about 8 a.m.)
FATAL FALL Missing worker's body recovered in coast bridge accident (divers recovered the body of a missing worker, bringing the death toll to two from a construction accident - the unidentified victim and eight others plunged off the bridge - divers began searching for them and found all but one - eight workers were taken to area hospitals - one of them, 51, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a hospital - the others were in stable condition - workers were filling a large cage of rebar, used to reinforce a concrete section of the bridge, just after noon - a large machine vibrates the steel basket to settle the wet concrete and remove bubbles - while the concrete-filled cage was shaking, it slipped off the bridge and tumbled into the water below - the concrete-filled cage and the workers fell nearly 50 feet)
Worker falls in university accident (a construction worker fell in a scaffolding accident at a University site - the man was an employee of the contracting company that was hired to perform roof work - a beam support on the scaffolding apparently broke about 7:30 a.m., causing the worker to fall - no other details were available)
FATAL FALL INDUSTRIAL INJURY: ISCHIA, SCAFFHOLDING COLLAPSES 2 DIE (two workers died in an industrial injury - another worker was injured - they were three workers who were working to the restoration of a Hotel - the accident was caused by the collapse of scaffolding - one of the workers died immediately the second died while the rescuers were carrying him to a hospital - the injured man had his legs broken and is hospitalized)
FATAL FALL Albania roof collapse, two workers killed (the roof of a building under construction collapsed, killing two workers and injuring seven others- the building was undergoing renovation when the accident occurred)
FATAL FALL Worker dies following 20-foot fall from home in Scottsdale (worker, 29, was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m. from head and other injuries he suffered in a 20-foot fall from scaffolding while working on a home - he fell from a scaffolding onto the floor of the home - he was doing drywall work - none of the other six workers at the site witnessed the fall, and nothing appears to be suspicious about the incident)
FATAL FALL Construction Worker Fell 8 Stories To His Death (for the second time in less than a month, there's been an accident involving an elevator shaft on a building under construction - a 19-year old worker painting on the eighth floor of the Residence and Hotel was killed when he accidentally fell down the open shaft - a safety officer who conducted CPR on the worker after the accident was rushed to the hospital after he suffered some sort of medical problem - last month, a construction worker was seriously injured when he was hit by a cinder block that had fallen down the same elevator shaft)
Co-workers rescue man who fell in trench in Temecula (a Water District employee was hospitalized after falling between a dirt wall and a 1,500-pound concrete block before co-workers rescued him - the 59-year-old man, who was not identified, suffered moderate injuries - the man was repairing a water pipe)
Gautrain worker falls six metres (a construction worker was in a serious but stable condition after falling six metres to the ground -it appeared the man fell from a six-metre height at one of the sites in the afternoon - no other details)
Scaffolding collapse injures two painters, Two painters, who were not identified, were transported to area hospitals with "serious, but not life-threatening" injuries after their two-story wooden scaffolding collapsed outside a home at 75 Dana Street ... via Boston Herald
Worker injured at construction site (firefighters had to haul a construction worker out of a 40-foot hole when he was injured - the man fell about eight feet while working inside the hole, injuring himself - firefighters had to lower a stretcher into the hole and pull the worker out using a winch on an aerial ladder - his injuries were not considered life-threatening)
Worker injured in UT stadium accident (a man was recovering after a construction accident - the worker fell 10 to 15 feet into a hole at site of a large expansion project - no other details)
FALL PROTECTION SAVES TWO, One Dies, One in Critical Condition Scaffolding collapse kills worker (Construction company leaders and state safety officials want to know why one construction worker died and another was hurt when scaffolding collapsed - it was the second scaffolding accident this year on the project - four workers were spreading cement for the theater project shortly before 11 a.m. when a pin that kept the scaffold suspended by cable came loose - a 29-year-old man and a 39 year old worker walked to the corner of the scaffold to try to fix the pin, but the cable of the 40- to 50-foot length scaffolding gave way - the two men were not wearing their safety harnesses and fell 30 to 40 feet to a concrete surface - two other men were attached to safety cables and were left dangling, but neither was hurt - one man died shortly after the fall from severe head trauma and other injuries - the other had head and chest injuries - he's listed in critical but stable condition - all of the workers should have been wearing safety harnesses)
Solon man dies in construction crane accident (a construction crane accident has taken the life of a man, 49 - he died \after the crane he was working from tipped over causing him to fall to the ground - he was about 37 feet above the ground on a platform cutting branches from a tree - the crane operator was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries - the cause of the accident is under investigation)
FATAL FALL!!! Indiana cell phone tower worker killed in 75-foot fall (a cell phone tower worker, 21, fell 75 feet to his death - he was on a cell phone tower and was holding onto a cable and a bracket when he fell onto the roof of a small building next to the tower - a coworkers told police he heard a click and then heard him yell as he fell from the tower)
No one hurt at Wheaton Glass fire (a fire that erupted as a result of an ember falling into a bin of steel beads at the Glass plant took almost four hours to contain - a fan was being installed in the roof of the glass plant when the ember fell in the maintenance area around 1:36 p.m. - no injuries were reported, and the fire was contained in the bin of steel beads used to clean the glass molds in the plant)
Worker Killed in Fall, A utility worker fell to his death on the Southside Thursday morning. The man, an independent contractor from Indiana, was installing reinforcement beams on a tower behind the Food Lion off Old St. via WJXX
Garbage Truck Worker Killed In Fall In Brooklyn (it was a deadly night on the job for a garbage truck worker - the 33-year-old worker was riding on the back of a private sanitation truck when he slipped - the worker suffered head injuries and died at the scene - investigators said it looks as if the fall was an accident, and no one has been arrested)
Crane collapse leaves worker in serious condition (a crane collapsed on a building site left the driver seriously injured - the driver was reportedly trapped in his cab for seven hours after the crane collapsed - three other colleagues were trapped in the wreckage, but were not seriously injured - the crane was attempting to lift a large steel girder at the time of the accident - a section of the crane collapsed onto the roof of the neighbouring hotel, and guests were temporarily evacuated)
Labourer hurt at downtown arena site (construction was halted at the site of the city’s downtown sports and entertainment centre while provincial inspectors investigated an accident that sent a labourer to hospital with broken legs and a smashed ankle - the worker fell about eight metres when a steel beam gave way on the building around 11:15 a.m. - the worker was reportedly tethered to the beam when the mishap, involving both a crane and the beam, occurred)
FALL FATALITY!!! Man dies after 300ft plunge chimney plunge (a steeplejack has died after falling almost 300 feet from a chimney - he was dismantling scaffolding from a disused chimney when he fell from near the top of the 300ft structure - two of his horrified workmates witnessed the accident - "Safety equipment and harnesses were being used by the men and the investigation will focus on exactly how it was this man fell." - one colleague was helping the steeplejack dismantle scaffolding around the top of the structure and another was working at ground level)
Fall Victim Amazed to be Walking, Timothy Stanton, 38, says he's amazed to be able to walk. The concrete worker was one of nine workers injured when freshly poured concrete at a Minnesota construction site abruptly collapsed, dumping Stanton and his workmates approximately 35 feet (12 meters). Stanton suffered broken ribs and a concussion in the collapse, prompting doctors to say they were astonished at his relatively light injuries. Read more here
Coroner Names Man Who Fell Off Catwalk At Drywall Factory, A contract worker who fell 70 feet to his death while repairing a conveyor belt Tuesday at a drywall factory in Richmond has been identified as 49-year-old Livermore resident Timothy Barney, according to the ... via NBC11.com
FATAL FALL from ladder Young worker in ladder fall horror (a teenage workman fell 20 feet to his death from a ladder which a health and safety inspector described as the worst he had ever seen - he was working on the windows of a home when the accident happened - he fell head first on to a concrete patio - witness told the inquest how the worker was up the ladder and over-reaching sideways to try to knock in a nail when the ladder slipped and the teenager fell to the ground - he suffered several skull fractures and massive brain damage - health and safety inspector "The state of the ladders was key in the accident." - he added that at least one of the rungs of the metal ladder was missing and the remainder were dented - the rubber feet which should have been on the foot of the ladder were missing and no one had been holding the ladder to stabilise it while he climbed)
Jonesboro Man Dies in Industrial Accident (a man is dead as the result of an industrial accident - 44-year-old worker died after falling from a forklift while installing Internet cable on a warehouse - he was in a forklift basket when the weight in the basket shifted, causing him to fall approximately 8-and-a-half feet onto a concrete floor - the steel basket then fell on top of him, causing a traumatic head injury)
Garbage Worker Killed By Sanitation Truck in New Port Richey (a garbage collector was killed by his garbage truck - reports say the driver of the truck didn't realize the victim was not on the back of the vehicle - the worker had fallen off and was run over by the truck)
Painter injured in fall from bridge in Devon (for the second time in six months, a worker at the bridge reconstruction fell in the inner workings of the bridge and had to be rescued by firefighters - a painter was touching up the underside of the machinery that raises and lowers the bridge when he fell about 4 feet from a ladder - company will investigate what caused the painter to fall)
Worker trapped after falling into pit (firefighters were called out to help assist with an extrication of a construction worker who has fallen into a pit - no other details)
WORKER DIES IN FALL FROM WIND TURBINE (a windfarm worker, 19, died after plunging 100 feet down the inside of a turbine - it is believed he was to have fallen from near the top of the shaft)
Fall on bridge spurs fed safety probe, Federal safety officials have launched an investigation into a workplace accident at the Washington Bridge, where a painter was injured Wednesday after falling off a ladder. via Connecticut Post
Brewery fined after accident severs worker's tongue (a worker’s tongue was partially severed after he slipped and crashed through a skylight - he also sustained a fractured pelvis, a displaced vertebra and fractures to his wrist and elbow following a fall of more than 13ft on to a concrete floor)
Worker injured in fall (an employee is in serious condition after falling 21 feet while on the job - the 49-year-old man was working alone on the outside wall of a building when the accident happened around 4:45 p.m. - he was standing on a ladder drilling a hole through a wall when he fell 21 feet and struck his head on the concrete below)
Firefighters rescue injured worker (it took a tall ladder truck and more than a half-hour of work by firefighters to rescue an injured worker from a four-story cement-handling structure - the accident occurred about 1:20 a.m. as workers were unloading a ship full of cement powder - one of the workers was up on the loader, and he slipped and fell about 5 feet - in falling, the worker, 31, apparently hurt his leg and back - the firefighters had to use their 100-foot aerial ladder and their Stokes basket to perform a higMay 28, 2007p>
Stafford man escapes crane's fall, “I really don't have anything profound to say”, First the cable came down, then the ball. The next thing William Huther knew, a 10,000-pound steel boom flattened the cab of his pickup. via Houston Chronicle
Three injured in crane collapse in Ghusais (at least three labourers were seriously injured when a crane collapsed at a construction site - the accident took place at around 11.30am. - only two persons were injured and were undergoing treatment - one of them is said to be critical, the other is in a stable condition - sources said that three people had fallen from the crane - the reason for the crane's sudden collapse is not known, but there were three men who suffered injuries when it did)
FALL FATALITY Worker killed while off-loading containers from a ship (an accident at an industrial site in the Houston Ship Channel cost an employee, 28, his life - he was reportedly off-loading containers from a ship when he was knocked off his feet and fell into the water - he apparently hit his head on the way down and never came back up)
Worker in harness injured (a construction worker suffered back injuries when his harness was struck by a piece of timber, causing him to dangle about three stories in the air - when his harness was struck, it caused him to fall back - firefighters used a crane to rescue him because he was elevated, but the injuries were not considered serious)
FALL FATALITY Worker falls to death in downtown Oakland (a 52-year-old plumber fell to his death from the 14th floor of a downtown office building - the fall happened about 10:33 a.m. - he was working inside on the 14th floor of a building - the impact from the fall was so great that a ring came off his finger and tore off a rubber glove he was wearing on his hand)
FALL FATALITY Sarasota roofer falls to his death (a 37-year-old roofer died when he fell about 40 feet off the roof of a three-story home he was refurbishing - another worker was painting on the third-floor porch when he heard him scream and watched him fall - emergency medical crews arrived at the scene and found the worker bleeding from his head - efforts to revive him were unsuccessful - details about what caused him to fall were unknown, but, authorities said, the death appears to be accidental)
Ephrata man, 18, injured in fall from scaffolding (an 18-year-old man — on just his third day at a new construction job suffered serious injuries after falling 37 feet from a scaffold plank - he suffered several injuries - his back bone splintered his spinal canal and he has multiple contusions of his lungs, two broken ribs and a split spleen - two full-time employees and he were waterproofing a gutter ledge - he walked across a plank on a scaffold when it failed - the plank was 2 inches by 12 inches and 7 feet long)
FALL FATALITY Man dies after scaffolding fall at private school (a man, 50, has died after falling from scaffolding - he plunged 30ft as he worked - the father-of-three was rushed to the an Infirmary but was dead on arrival - he was erecting stonework at an extension when the accident happened around 9.40am)
Teen Worker Killed in Fall, A teenager working on a California remodeling project died last week after falling about 15 feet from the roof of the building. Levy Manuel Rojas-Calderon died of head injuries received on impact; he was not wearing a hard hat. Rojas-Calderon had been doing framing work on an old dairy building when the accident happened. Frantic co-workers tried to save his life, but were unsuccessful. Read the story at the Gilroy Dispatch
Worker Injured At Downtown Construction Site, City of Las Vegas, A construction worker on the 23rd floor of a downtown high-rise construction site was injured when a gust of wind lifted a wood form and knocked the worker over Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities probe Howell man's fall from Target, Asbury Park Press, Authorities are probing the cause of an iron worker's 25-foot fall from the Target building under construction on Route 23 on Sunday.
UPDATE Bassi Construction & Masonry Ltd. fined $65,000 for Health and Safety violation (a bricklayer was standing on a second-level section of a scaffold platform and was receiving a shipment of bricks when the scaffold section suddenly failed and the worker fell about four metres (13 feet, two inches) to the ground below - the worker suffered injuries to the arm and leg)
Workers at BP Refinery Hospitalized (about 90 contract workers at the refinery were sent to hospitals overnight for medical observation after reporting they were feeling ill - all the workers, whose complaints included eye irritation and nausea, had been released from local hospitals - the workers who fell ill were part of a group of about 400 working on a crude distillation unit that's been shut down since Hurricane Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005 - he said monitoring personnel checked the air for sources that could have caused the workers to become sick and detected nothing - there was no evidence of a release or leak of any kind)
Bridge worker dies in fall as platform breaks away, tumbles 82 feet (a carpenter, 36, died at the project when a work platform he occupied detached from the bridge and plunged 82 feet to the ground - he is the fifth worker to die at the I-280 bridge construction site - authorities do not yet know what caused the platform to break away from the bridge)
Report: Filipino survives 5-story fall in Caribbean (a 54-year-old carpentry foreman miraculously survived after falling five stories down a laundry chute of a hotel construction site - fell from the 22nd to the 17th floor while working on the laundry chute - "Because he used all the safety gear his injuries were minor, as he only required several stitches. He suffered lacerations to his face and leg,")
Construction worker falls twenty feet from scaffolding (the winds were responsible for a construction accident at a downtown high rise condo development - two construction workers were injured, one of them critically, while working on the roof - three workers were taking down scaffolding from the top floor when the winds knocked over the unit they were attached to)
Chesnee Man Dies In Accident At Gaffney Plant (a man was killed in an accident at a distribution plant - about 5 p.m.,the worker, 23, died when the lift he was using tilted - he fell about 30 feet to the floor)
Worker OK After He Falls Through Roof (a worker performing repairs on top of a bank got something be didn’t “bank” on, a fall through the roof - that while the man was helping to repair the roof, he somehow fell through a hole and dropped 10-feet to the ground below him)
Female Construction Worker Critically Injured In Fall (a construction site accident left a 24-year-old woman in critical condition - the female victim apparently fell through an opening in a concrete floor on the 11th story of the building under construction - she fell 30 feet, landing on the 9th floor)
UPDATE Report: Crew erected safety fence minutes after fatal fall (a construction crew was erecting a safety railing just after one of their co-workers plunged 30 feet and was being worked on by paramedics - the newspaper reports that a police officer said the workers ignored repeated orders from cops on the scene to stop nailing up a safety railing inside the downtown building where a worker died last week after falling from a second floor ledge - the officer -- who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity -- says the work on the railing continued as paramedics tried to save the 24-year-old construction worker - a police captain says several of his co-workers were questioned by police after the incident and denied any knowledge of the railing being installed after the accident - the captain says those workers will be interviewed again by investigators - OSHA is investigating the accident)
Female Construction Worker Critically Injured In Fall (a construction site accident left a 24-year-old woman in critical condition - the female victim apparently fell through an opening in a concrete floor on the 11th story of the building under construction - she fell 30 feet, landing on the 9th floor)
Alberni Worker Killed In Waterfront Accident (an industrial accident involving a log barge and tug boat claimed the life of an unidentified worker - a worker had fallen from the front of the log barge onto the back deck of a tug boat that was positioned in front of the log barge)
Fatal fall for Enemalta worker (an employee, 59, lost his life in an accident while performing work on electricity cables - an investigation is underway to shed light on the accident, however it is believed the worker fell from the ladder while working on cables - upon falling, the worker hit his head on a nearby wall which resulted in serious injuries)
LOCK IT OUT!!! UPDATE Safety harness being checked when recycling worker died (a harness that could have prevented the worker falling to his death in an industrial baler had been removed for a safety test - he died aged 33 at the Recycling Centre - he had been attempting to clear a blockage and had fallen into the machine at the site - the inquest heard how he had attempted to clear the blockage on his own, without anyone watching him - the conveyor belt had been shut off, but the baler had been left running - all the workers who gave evidence said they had taken the shortcut of not isolating the power to the baler completely before removing an obstruction)
Worker Falls, Prompts High-Angle Rescue (a man fell and became stuck on a platform that was below ground level but above water at a construction site on a river bank prompting a high-angle rescue around 8:45 a.m. - the victim fell and became stuck on a platform that was below ground level, but above the water)
2 workers hurt in Montrose scaffold collapse (two workers were hurt when their scaffolding collapsed while they were installing siding on an addition to a private home - the workers did not appear to have life-threatening injuries from the 30-foot fall - other employees said that they noticed the structure buckling and saw the two victims yelling for help just moments before everything came crashing down - no word on cause)
Ladder Fall Kills County Worker, An electronics specialist working for Pima County, AZ, died after tumbling from a ladder. John Andrews, 48, fell from a ladder and struck his head while working on a fire alarm system. The county's Risk Management Department and OSHA are investigating. Read the article at the Tucson Citizen
Mechanic Killed In ELP Ramp Mishap (a 64-year-old contract mechanic was sucked into the right turbofan of a 737 while he was checking for an oil leak on the engine - he was pulled into the engine when it spooled up, apparently as part of a maintenance check - a National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman said that there had been an earlier problem with the engine he was working on so its cowling was removed at the time of the accident)
UPDATE Work site accident kills man (a man died Thursday from head injuries he received when he fell off a roof at a construction site on Jan. 5 - the man, 48, owner of the company was working on a restaurant when he fell off the roof and landed on his head)
At least 3 workers die as scaffold collapses (at least three workers died when the scaffold they were standing on to clean a chimney at a cement factory collapsed - it seriously injured 23 other workers on the large platform when it fell 30 metres - authorities were investigating the cause of the accident - the fire department speculated that the platform may have collapsed because it had exceed its weight limit)
AEP Accident Victim Not Required To Wear Harness (company officials said a worker who suffered serious injuries when he fell was not required to wear a harness - the 42-year-old man sustained broken bones when he fell about 15 feet - the man worked for a contracting company and was climbing a ladder to get onto a scaffold when he fell)
Worker Killed In Fall At Fort Worth Hospital (investigators are trying to determine if a man's frantic effort to avoid lightning, during severe weather, may have led to his death - a masonry worker fell to his death - the order was given to come off the scaffolding - the accident happened as employees attempted to get out of the weather - he stumbled off the scaffold even with all the safety features in place - he tumbled from the 6th floor to the 3rd floor - a distance of about 40-feet)
Worker Killed In Fall From High-Rise Project (a construction worker died after he fell 46 floors at an apartment building project -an ironworker was caulking when he fell from the 46th floor - the man had finished taking a break with another worker when the went to separate areas - the man had two sons who worked at the same project)
Construction accident kills worker (minutes after climbing onto a roof to lay shingles, a worker, 28, plunged 30 feet from the roof bouncing off a foundation wall and into the open basement of the house under construction - he landed on his back - he was bleeding from his ears and was unconscious and was struggling to breathe when police arrived around 10:15 a.m.)
Three workers injured in scaffolding accident (three workers were injured after the scaffolding they were working on gave way - the incident occurred around 11 a.m. when workers from a brick restoration company fell about three stories when their scaffolding collapsed - the workers had been restoring brick work on the building for about a year and were nearly completed with the project when the accident occurred - the workers were in the process of dismantling the right side of the track which supports the scaffolding - authorities are investigating whether that may have contributed to the accident)
Worker, 18, killed in construction accident (an 18-year-old man was killed in a construction accident after he fell into a hole in which a large drill was operating - the drill was mounted on the back of a truck when the driver noted the power "take off" and saw the drill drop down - he yelled to the worker, but no one answered - when he walked to the back of the truck he saw the worker in the hole)
Construction worker seriously injured at Ave Maria (a construction worker was air lifted the hospital after falling from a ladder - he was working on one of the buildings when something happened and he fell about 10 feet - he suffered a cut to the head and several other "bumps and bruises")
Construction Worker Falls 35 Feet (a construction worker fell about 35 feet - officials say the man was wearing a harness, but it didn't catch - the worker landed in a bush - he has injuries to his back
Construction worker hurt in New Milford fall (a 24-year-old construction worker suffered head and neck injuries when he fell about 20 feet off a ladder while he was working on the roof for a new townhouse - he was a member of a crew working on the peak of a second-story unit - he apparently lost his footing on the ladder)
Construction worker injured after fall at Marsha Sharp site (a construction worker suffered a broken arm and possible other serious injuries after falling 28 feet in the construction site - the victim fell into a hole that is 28 feet deep and 4.5 feet wide and was dug for tiers to support the freeway - the victim remained conscious after he fell, he suffered a broken arm and an injured foot - the construction crew was digging the hole with an auger (a drilling device used to dig holes for the tiers), which is mounted on the back of a work truck - the victim was working somewhere behind the truck and auger when he fell into the hole)
Worker ko'd as scaffold tower is blown over (a worker was knocked unconscious when he was hit on the head by falling scaffolding - the man, in his 20s, was rushed to the hospital with concussion after being struck by the 200kg aluminium tower - the accident was caused by a "freak gust of wind" at the building site (now there even calling a gust of wind "Freak") - rescue teams launched an intricate attempt to lower the man to safety, amid initial fears he had suffered spinal injuries - amazingly the man suffered no serious injuries and is recovering after being discharged from hospital)
Man rescued from sewer after fall (a 21-year-old male construction worker fell about 25 feet underground at the intersection - he had stepped into an open manhole and fell down into a sewer that had work being done to it - he was injured in the fall and trapped underground - YFD personnel found the victim conscious and able to communicate with rescuers)
BREAKING NEWS: Construction worker injured at hospital garage (a construction worker sustained non life-threatening injuries yesterday, after a beam struck him while he was working on the parking garage - worker was in a bucket lift when the beam fell - it struck him in the bucket)
Construction worker dies at Jardine (one construction worker died and another was injured following an accident - worker died after falling from a forklift box - the box fell on top of him after he fell out - the other man in the box was injured)
Worker falls through roof at Avalon (a worker reportedly fell through a hole in a roof and was very seriously injured - the victim had fallen through a hole in the roof, apparently designed for some duct work or cables, and was not immediately noticed missing by employees who later went into the building and found the man on the ground)
Superintendent Dies in Fall, The superintendent is supposed to set and enforce limits on people at the jobsite. This one may have done that job just fine, but he forgot that a safety leader needs to show the way. Read the full story at SafetySmart.com
Beaumont rice-mill worker falls to his death (a rice mill worker fell about 23 feet to his death, apparently from an overhead catwalk - co-workers looking for him at end of their shift at 3 a.m. found the man at the bottom of a rice hopper - he was about 50 years old and had worked at the mill for six years)
Worker Falls, Breaks Ribs in Buckley Hall (a worker working in the building fell from a ladder - he was repositioning some lights - the injured man was able to get up and he walked to solicit help from other people in the building)
Build site accident injures worker (an accident at the construction site left one worker in the hospital - the construction worker, 28, was welding an angle on the roof of the structure from a platform lift - rain from the previous night had filled up some holes on the concrete surface below where he was working, making it hard for him to see them - the wheel of his lift fell into one hole sending the equipment onto its side - it was about 50 feet up - the fall broke his right arm in multiple places, dislocated his elbow and left him with scrapes and bruises from head to toe - he underwent a two-and-a-half-hour surgery to reconstruct his broken arm -the platform lifter was damaged during the fall and it had been determined a total loss)
Construction Worker Hurt In Highrise Fire (a construction worker was hurt after trying to put out a fire on the 10th floor of a building - the worker was welding on the 12th floor of a high-rise when part of the material he was working with fell two stories below - the super-heated metal ignited the plywood it landed on - the worker ran down, and burned both of his forearms trying to put out the flames)
Construction worker dies in 30-foot fall (a construction worker, 43, died after he fell 30 feet from the roof of a two-story building - he was walking backward while rolling out tar paper when he fell off the roof under construction - he died of trauma to his head and chest and internal injuries after falling face down in a mound of clay
Construction Worker Falls Far Without Safety Gear (the 32 year old man was apparently walking along the top of the tank when he lost his footing and fell in - the man apparently fell into the tank and coworkers immediately called EMS - when paramedics arrived on the scene, they noticed he was more nearly 20 feet down and called fire crews to pull him out - FF who was part of the rescue team says the accident could have been prevented if the man had been wearing his safety gear - the other workers on the scene were not wearing their safety gear either)
Town suffers loss (man, 56, died after falling - he fell 30 feet from the roof of the building - he was renovating the building for use as a shop and storage barn for his custom harvesting business)
Worker, 59, dies after ladder fall (a man, 59, died in hospital after falling 15ft while carrying out work on an empty building - he suffered severe head injuries and was unconscious when he was found at the scene of the accident - one theory is that he had balanced a ladder on top of scaffolding - he then slipped, knocking the scaffolding over and sending him plunging to the ground - he would have been working about 15ft above the ground)
Workers Survive Scaffolding Collapse (two construction workers are recovering after surviving a scary scaffolding collapse - the men were working on an eight story building when a cable malfunctioned, dumping the men from the platform - safety harnesses kept them from falling all the way to the ground - luckily, some firefighters were nearby and were able to make a quick rescue - one of the men suffered a broken leg - the other worker had cuts on his head)
Worker falls from rooftop (the construction worker lost his balance and fell, feet-first, 60 feet onto the wooden roof of the neighboring building - no other details)
Builder breaks leg after falling off scaffolding (a man had to be airlifted to hospital with a fractured leg after falling off some scaffolding - the man, who was carrying some breeze blocks at the time, stepped off some low scaffolding and fell, around a metre, onto some pallets which broke as he landed on them)
OSHA Cites Shipman Inc. Following Worker Fatality, OSHA has cited Shipman Inc. after a worker died from a fall at the company's worksite in Hueytown, Ala. The agency is proposing penalties totaling $61,300. "This tragic accident should not have happened," said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA's area director in Birmingham. "It could have been avoided if the employer had assured that adequate fall protection procedures and training programs were in place."OSHA's investigation began in response to the accident that took place June 13 as employees of the company were erecting a prefabricated metal building. A worker lost his balance and fell more than 30 feet to a concrete floor. Shipman was cited for two alleged repeat violations of safety and health standards. The citations, with proposed penalties of $39,500, were issued for hazards associated with the lack of fall protection while engaged in steel erection activities and the improper use of work platforms on vehicles. The company was cited for similar violations in October 2005. OSHA also issued citations for seven alleged serious violations and proposed penalties of $21,800. These citations included lack of adequate protection from falls; use of improper anchor points; failing to train employees in proper safety procedures; and exposing workers to other hazards. Serious citations are issued when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
Sanitation worker critical after falling off of vehicle (a garbage company employee was injured when he was thrown from the back of his truck - was taken to Regional Trauma Center with head, chest and ankle injuries - was listed in critical condition - the accident occurred about 9:55 a.m. when the truck swerved to avoid a collision with another pickup truck - the garbage truck went onto a small bank - there was no contact between the vehicles - at some point, he was thrown off the truck - there are no marks on the telephone pole - one of the few pieces of physical evidence investigators had was the right side tire tracks of the garbage truck imprinted in the mud of the bank)
Death of construction worker investigated (authorities are investigating to determine the circumstances that led to a construction worker falling to his death from a rooftop - worker, 31, landed on his back and died from the fall - the County Medical Examiner's office reported that he died from internal injuries with bleeding - none of the other workers witnessed the fall - the crew had finished the roofing work a day before he fell, and no one knows why he went back up on the roof)
Seven Construction Workers Injured After Scaffolding Collapses (seven workers were injured after scaffolding collapsed at a construction site - three workers were seriously injured and several others had broken bones - workers were laying bricks for a new shopping center when the 20-foot-high scaffolding gave way - one worker was on the scaffolding loading bricks and authorities believe the weight of the bricks may have caused the structure to collapse on top of the six others on the ground who were injured - other workers on scene acted quickly to free the victims from the structure - officials said their attempts to help could have caused more injuries - the two victims most seriously injured were underneath the scaffolding when it fell - photos @ link)
Man killed in roofing accident in Thompson (a construction worker was killed on the job after falling 17 feet off scaffolding that was mounted against a house - worker, 47, was part of a roofing company crew installing a new roof on a two-story home when he fell off aluminum scaffolding around 11 a.m. - he was transported to Hospital by ambulance - he succumbed to injuries sustained from the fall and was pronounced dead at 11:42 a.m.)
Andover carpenter suffers head injury in 24-foot fall (a 22-year-old man was listed in stable condition after he fell on his head from second-floor staging into the cellar of a home under construction - he was working with a framing crew when he slipped off staging - according to site workers, their crew member fell 24 feet through a stairwell, struck a staircase on the way down, and was seen hitting head first)
Construction worker OK after fall from ladder (a construction worker survived a 30-foot fall from a ladder - he was working with a construction company on a private house when he fell around 3:30 p.m. - the ladder may have given out under him - the icy conditions may have contributed to the fall as well)
Contract Worker Hurt at UTC (the worker fell off some indoor scaffolding and tumbled down about six feet - no other details)
Man hurt in city crane accident (the man suffered neck and back injuries in the incident - fire crews freed him after he was trapped when a crane fell on scaffolding - no further details at the moment)
Worker falls to death in skyscraper blaze (a man fell to his death and dozens of others were trapped above the blaze after a fire broke out at a 37-storey skyscraper under construction - another labourer also died and 57 people were injured - some of the workers were trying to climb down on cables - one guy in red was trying to climb down and then he just fell - police confirmed that one worker died in a fall - another was died in the building after suffering a severe head injury while fleeing the smoke - three of the injured were in a serious condition - as hundreds of onlookers watched stunned, firefighters smashed windows to reach a man perched for more than an hour on a 13th-floor ledge - it was not immediately clear why those trapped near the roof were unable to make their way to lower floors)
Worker Dies After Falling from Roof (a construction worker, 26, fell to his death while finishing up a roofing project - just before 9:30, crews were working on the building - the building previously served as a church and has steep roofs - the new roofing project was nearly complete, when a worker slipped and fell - there were two ladders going up to the roof with the scaffolding across and apparently he slid on to that and bounced off the scaffolding and fell to the ground)
Worker killed in UPEI accident identified (worker, 53, died shortly after a fall from a construction site - he fell and he was elevated at the time, but we can't get into specifics as to where he was and what he was doing at the time of his fall)
UPDATED: EMS called to scene of construction accident (a construction worker was operating a Bobcat vehicle when he fell off of a retaining wall - the vehicle landed upside down on its roof pinning the worker inside - took EMS workers at least 30 minutes to extract him from the vehicle)
Worker falls to death from seventh floor (worker, 25, was killed when he fell from the seventh floor of a 10-storey residential building under construction - accident reportedly occurred when the worker was stacking concrete blocks on the seventh floor for a side wall - he fell through a gap that was left unfilled to lift the blocks from the ground floor)
Worker dies after fall from roof (a construction worker, 24, died after he fell from the roof of a three-story home under construction - he landed headfirst onto the frozen ground about 9:45 a.m. - he was a roofer - he was with a crew working on a home)
Man survives tumble in crane (a man, 53, survived a 30-foot fall when the crane he was operating tumbled from an overpass at a highway construction project - he was in one of two cranes hoisting a large I-beam that spanned the overpass where it crosses the railroad tracks north of Interstate 90 when the crane fell from the eastbound lanes of the overpass - it looked like a crane at the south side of the overpass hoisted its boom too high, pulling the concrete I-beam away from the second crane, causing it to fall - the boom separated from the crane and lay mangled along a portion of the overpass - the I-beam fell onto the railroad tracks)
Tree cutter seriously injured after fall in Chestnut Ridge (a 28-year-old tree cutter suffered severe head, neck and facial injuries when part of the tree he was working on collapsed and he fell about 30 feet - he and another man were cutting down a tree when the accident happened - he was standing on a section of tree that collapsed - at the same time, the other worker was lowering a cut-off portion of the tree - what happened next is still being investigated - he could have been hit by the tree section, or when he landed or some combination of both)
Worker hurt in fall from roof (a construction worker at the plant fell more than a dozen feet while welding beams - the worker fell while "erecting steel" - fell off the roof and landed on his head - the worker had head trauma and was still unconscious when he was taken from the plant)
UPDATE Ford Factory Worker Dies in Freak Accident (a man who had worked for the company for several years fell into one of the stamping machines - there are many precautions taken on a daily basis to prevent injuries from happening at the company's engine stamping plant - what happened earlier today is believed to be one in a million - the individual who died was a 59 year-old man - he was working on an upper level and happened to fall into one of the engine stamping machines - the county coroner pronounced him dead from injuries to his chest, abdomen and pelvis)
Construction worker falls, dies (a construction worker died after the machinery he was operating fell several stories to the ground - investigation is ongoing)
McDonald's worker's skylight plunge (he had been inspecting the restaurant's leaky roof - the man had gone to see where the leak was coming from and slipped and fell through the skylight on to the restaurant's first floor)
2 hurt when loading dock ceiling at UF collapses (a loading dock ceiling collapsed injuring two employees working - they received minor injuries when the stucco ceiling fell - the men had been in a crawl space above the ceiling and were doing cleaning work when they heard a cracking noise - the structure fell out from underneath the men - they fell with it and were stuck in the debris)
Worker killed in fall at REP (a 35-year-old father of twin girls fell 120 feet to his death in an industrial accident at a steel mill - he was working as a contract cleaner when he slipped off a narrow ledge and fell - he was an employee hired to provide cleaning services throughout the massive complex - he had climbed a ladder to clean an area near a crane - when he reached the third and final step of the ladder, he went to step down onto a small ledge and either slipped or tripped on a steel rail, losing his balance - another employee saw him fall and that he tried to grab a rope hanging near the ladder, but it was out of his reach - he died instantly from head and neck injuries - he also had several broken bones, including a fractured pelvis)
Worker injured after 30-foot fall (a construction worker was hospitalized after he and a co-worker fell 30 feet after their scaffolding collapsed - the men were pouring concrete for a support tower in a new water tank when the scaffolding gave away dropping the men to the ground)
17-foot fall off helipad fatal to hospital worker (a facilities management employee, 42, was killed when he fell 1 story while in a tractor he was using to remove snow from a helicopter landing pad - he was using a lawn tractor with a snow blade to clear snow from the 50-by-70-foot helipad - the tractor fell about 17 feet with him inside - tractor cleared a 5-foot steel safety net, horizontal from the edge of the roof, that is intended to catch people who fall from the helipad - suffered head and chest injuries)
Safety harness put on after worker fell 3 stories (a supervisor who strapped a safety harness onto a worker after he fell three storeys from a roof has been sent to jail for 30 days - it was the employee's first day on the job and he was told to remove shingles from a roof - ten minutes later, the worker fell three storeys into a dumpster and bruised his shin - a Ministry of Labour investigation the same day found the employee wasn't wearing a safety harness when he climbed onto the roof - but the ministry said that as the worker lay injured, the supervisor put a harness on him and told him to say he had been wearing it the whole time)
Worker killed in Bahrain collapse (a man was killed and another critically injured when they fell six floors after a scaffold collapsed on a construction site - the two men were applying finishing touches to grill work - initially doctors believed he had suffered a dislocated shoulder but he died from massive internal injuries)
Man falls from barn, dies (a 21-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene following a fall of about 16 feet from a barn - the man and several other workers were working in a tobacco barn - at about 2 p.m., the man lost his footing and fell from the upper tiers, where he was moving tobacco to be processed - co-workers tried to catch him)
SSJID treatment plant worker dies (a water treatment plant employee fell to his death - accident took place inside the treatment plant’s main building - fell 15 feet to the main floor - state safety authorities are investigating the accident)
Cement plant worker hospitalized after fall (a worker at the cement plant was taken to the hospital after falling on the job - the worker fell about 15 feet, suffering a laceration to the ear and possibly a broken hand)
3/4-Ton Pipe Falls on Worker (an employee suffered a severe leg injury when a 3,500-pound steel pipe fell on her - rescue crews say she would have been killed instantly if that pipe had landed on her chest or head - OSHA is investigating)
Worker dies year after fall at Dow (a worker who suffered a head injury Dec. 8, 2005, when he fell from one deck to another deck on a ship while loading or offloading product has died)
Sealift worker's death under investigation (a 42-year-old sealift operator died during a routine boat loading - worker died after the front-end loader he was driving fell off from a barge)
Worker seriously injured in 3-story fall from condo (a construction worker was flown to a Medical Center after falling three stories - the 38-year-old man was on a scaffold doing soffit work when he fell off the roof of the condo - the man hit a banister on the way down and received chest injuries)
Worker injured at Gilbert's new fire station (the 27-year-old man suffered a head injury and broke his left wrist and left femur - he had been walking around and fell in the hole - the hole in the floor at the building is for the pole that firefighters use to slide from the second floor down to the first floor to quickly respond to a call)
Two Hospitalized After Equipment Falls (three workers were hurt after a piece of equipment toppled over at a construction site - the men were on top of a piece of equipment similar to a forklift when shifting weight caused the machine to topple - the crew was working on an incline, which could have contributed to the accident)
Construction worker dies in fall from roof (worker, 19, fell from the roof of the university’s two-story building where was working on removing cooling equipment - no other details)
Man dies in mining accident (the 19-year-old worker was believed to have been carrying out electrical work when a cage fell to the ground )
Mine roof fall kills worker (a man has been killed in a roof fall at a coal mine - three workers were riding a rubber-tired mantrip into the underground mine when a roof fall occurred at an intersection - two of the men were able to jump or bail out, and tragically, the victim was not)
Worker dies from construction site fall (worker, 21, sustained serious head injuries when he fell from the top storey of a duplex - fell more than five metres - no fall protection in use)
Man Dies After Falling Four Floors At Downtown Building (man, 49, died after falling four floors at a downtown building under redevelopment - fell from the sixth floor to the second floor - he was cutting a beam near an elevator shaft when he fell through an opening in the floor - he was not wearing a safety harness)
Man dies in workplace accident, The man was working at the medical waste disposal facility when he apparently slipped and fell, grabbing a heavy object on the way down, the object fell on him, and he suffered internal injuries.
Crane plunge worker killed by double-decker bus, A worker died after falling from a crane into the path of a double-decker bus, it is believed the bus hit the crane, which was at the side of a road, collision caused the man to lose his balance and he became trapped under the bus.
OSHA probe of fatal accident continues, Worker, 46, died as a result of severe head injuries he suffered after falling through a hole on the third floor of an addition to the papers plant that is under construction, landed on concrete at the ground level and later died at the scene after EMTs and officers administered first aid.
Worker killed in fall, A construction worker, 53, fell to his death Wednesday while cutting steel beams on a job, he was working on a demolition site, he was in a construction cage hoisted about 35 feet up as he worked to cut the steel beams, a cut beam gave way and struck the cage, knocking him out of it and to the ground.
Bridge worker injured in fall, A worker fell 70 feet to 100 feet onto dry land at around 8:30 a.m., he was working on deck plates on the bridge’s overpass approach to the main bridge structure, he fell from a plate that was a few feet out from a retaining wall, which was supporting the road beams that crossed over Ohio 618 and onto the bridge’s main structure.
Construction workers hurt when scaffolding collapses, Two construction workers were seriously injured when 40 feet of scaffolding they were dismantling collapsed, a third escaped injury, a construction crew had been dismantling the home to make way for an indoor swimming pool, when the accident occurred, as a hydraulic boom the workers were using to dismantle the scaffolding crossed atop wood placed over a ditch, the wood broke, causing the boom to swing around and knock down the scaffolding.
Worker seriously injured in 15-foot fall from Dania roof (a worker was seriously injured after he fell 15 feet to the ground while repairing a roof - part of the roof decking gave way underneath the worker, sending him on a 15-foot fall to the ground)
Construction worker who died in fall is identified (Authorities have identified the construction worker, 45, who died after falling 35 stories while dismantling a crane at a downtown condominium complex - he died of blunt force injuries - his 22-year-old son, an ironworker who was also at the site, witnessed the fall - he apparently lost his balance on a platform between the tower and the crane, but it wasn't clear whether there was an equipment malfunction - it was the second time a worker has fallen to his death while working on the project - a 36-year-old man died after falling at least four floors at the site in September 2005)
Two Hurt In Mocksville Construction Mishap (a 129,000-square-foot building was under construction when metal rails gave way - two injured people fell about 30 feet - 28 workers were inside the building at the time of the collapse)
Worker falls from scaffold to his death in Queens (a worker fell to his death from a scaffold at the bridge - three workers were manually lowering themselves from the scaffold when the platform tipped to one side - the 45-year-old man who fell was not wearing a safety harness - the other two workers were wearing harnesses and were not injured)
Scaffold Slippery From Ice and Snow A tubular welded frame scaffold was covered with ice and snow. A construction laborer working on the third level slipped and fell headfirst to his death on the pavement about 20 feet (6.1 meters) below. Find out what else contributed to this fatality.
Worker dies after fall into Lock 9 (a longtime state canal worker, 45, drowned after he fell into the river while helping co-workers prepare an Erie Canal dam for winter - he was clearing debris from a dam gate at Lock 9 when he apparently lost his footing and fell into the roiling waters on the east side of the dam at about 9:30 a.m. - he was the chief lock operator at the bridge, was among a group of 10 canal employees who were raising dam gates to winter levels - he was wearing a flotation device when he fell, but was pulled under by the churning water next to the dam)
Construction worker falls to death at Tequesta condo (a local construction worker, 41, was pronounced dead after he fell from the 10th story of a condominium - had been working on the reconstruction of the outer balcony area when he fell - he was wearing a harness, but he hadn't attached it to the safety cable)
Worker killed in construction accident (a worker fell 40 feet to his death while setting up a circus tent for a Christmas party - the 58-year-old man was at the top of the circus tent when he slipped through an opening around 2 p.m.)
Worker killed by fallen forklift (a construction worker has died in hospital after a forklift fell on him - the 48-year-old man was unloading the forklift when the accident occurred)
Worker at middle school injured in fall from ladder (a construction worker fell off a ladder sending him to a local hospital for treatment - a hydraulic lift pushed the ladder, causing the man to fall around 7 a.m.)
Worker falls from rooftop (the construction worker lost his balance and fell, feet-first, 60 feet onto the wooden roof of the neighboring building - no other details)
Builder breaks leg after falling off scaffolding (a man had to be airlifted to hospital with a fractured leg after falling off some scaffolding - the man, who was carrying some breeze blocks at the time, stepped off some low scaffolding and fell, around a metre, onto some pallets which broke as he landed on them)
Worker, 59, dies after ladder fall (a man, 59, died in hospital after falling 15ft while carrying out work on an empty building - he suffered severe head injuries and was unconscious when he was found at the scene of the accident - one theory is that he had balanced a ladder on top of scaffolding - he then slipped, knocking the scaffolding over and sending him plunging to the ground - he would have been working about 15ft above the ground)
McDonald's worker's skylight plunge (he had been inspecting the restaurant's leaky roof - the man had gone to see where the leak was coming from and slipped and fell through the skylight on to the restaurant's first floor)
Two Men Critically Injured in Construction Accident (two male workers were constructing a building when they both fell from a high-reach hitting the concrete slab platform below - the platform was elevated 20 feet from off the ground - one worker broke his leg)
Ironworker killed by falling metal plate (aman working as a dry dock ironworker was struck and killed by a 6,000-pound metal plate that fell from a crane at a shipyard - the 40-foot-by-80-foot plate somehow came loose from a crane on a fuel barge and landed on the ironworker)
Worker tumbles off church roof (while repairing the roof of the Church, a 25-year-old worker slid down the shingles and landed in bushes, fracturing his right leg and right wrist - according to police reports, the accident happened at 1:20 p.m. - the victim, climbed a ladder to the pitch of the church and lost his grip and fell to the ground)
Man killed in roofing accident in Thompson (a construction worker was killed on the job after falling 17 feet off scaffolding that was mounted against a house - worker, 47, was part of a roofing company crew installing a new roof on a two-story home when he fell off aluminum scaffolding around 11 a.m. - he was transported to Hospital by ambulance - he succumbed to injuries sustained from the fall and was pronounced dead at 11:42 a.m.)
Worker dies after fall at Wyo mine (accident is under investigation by MSHA officials - the victim was employed by a construction contracting company - died on Dec. 26 from injuries received in a fall at the mine - no other details)
Worker falls into sewerage tank (two employees were working at the tank just after 11 a.m. when one slipped and fell in - the employee fell into about 12 feet of water - injured his knee)
Man found dead in Fond du Lac industrial plant (a 21-year-old man found dead in an industrial plant apparently fell from a crane - Investigators aren't sure how they got in, since the plant was closed and only security guards were supposed to be there - neither man worked at the plant)
UPDATE Casino exec: Injured worker wasn't wearing harness (a steel worker injured at the construction site apparently was not wearing a safety harness when he fell about 30 feet from the lower section of the casino roof)
Jefferson Officer Risks Life to Help Trapped Worker (a painter remains hospitalized after he fell 30 feet to the bottom of a water tank - worker, 37, was painting the tank when he slipped and fell inside)
Construction worker in Forked River injured after fall (a construction worker was hospitalized after falling roughly 20 feet from a ladder today at a home - was climbing a ladder at a residence in an attempt to reach a third floor deck - as he reached the top, the ladder slid sideways and he plunged to the ground, landing face first onto lumber)
Cobo Worker Injured on Job (a contract worker fell more than 20 feet while working for the upcoming Detroit Auto Show - all construction came to stop when a contract worker on a lift at least 20 feet high fell to the floor, hitting his head)
UPDATE Worker's fall at store prompts OSHA probe (California Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an accident at a Furniture warehouse that left a 25-year-old employee brain dead - fell about 32 feet from a piece of equipment called a "picker," described as a forklift with a platform, which allows employees to stock and retrieve items)
UPDATE Building firm fined after worker fell from ladder (company was fined more than £4,000 after one of its workers broke his back when he fell 20-feet from a ladder on a construction site - plummeted to the ground after the ladder he was working from slipped backwards on smooth concrete)
Construction Worker Falls More Than 20 Feet (a construction worker was hurt after he fell more than 20 feet - an attorney representing the contractor at the sight said the worker went into an off-limits area that was barricaded)
Worker dies at library site (the man fell and died on the council's new library construction site - the man fell 10m from a roof he had been working on - under investigation)
Ice Contributed to Construction Accident (icy conditions contribute to a fall at a construction site - crews were working on a concrete trench that is part of a major expansion - a 20-year old construction worker was going down into the trench on a scissor-lift. He slipped on a piece of ice and fell into a concrete channel)
Workers from Boone business hurt in construction site accident (three workers from the construction business were injured when a wall and scaffolding collapsed - at about 8:15 a.m., a scaffolding about 18 feet off the ground came down with two of the workers on it, and one underneath)
UPDATE SoCal jury awards $30 million in sewage tank collapse lawsuit (a jury awarded $30 million to construction workers injured when a roof collapsed over a sewage tank they were building in Carson, plunging some down six stories and impaling two on metal reinforcement bars)
Construction Worker Injured In Fall Onto Queensboro Bridge (a construction worker was seriously injured after falling from scaffolding - the construction worker was injured just after 10 a.m. when he plunged two stories from scaffolding above the bridge onto the roadway below)
Viscous attack: Grease traps worker (worker, 17, was getting a hands-on education in HVAC work by helping his stepfather’s company clean the ducts when he slipped 12 feet down the grease-caked opening of a roof exhaust the size of a small box — accidentally triggering the chemical fire extinguishers)
Oil worker in fatal fall (oil worker,51, died after plummeting 120 feet off a petroleum exploration rig - was a derrickman on a rig - fell while climbing down from the rig - it is unclear whether he was using his safety harness)
Worker killed when radio tower falls (a 33-year-old man working on a state transportation department radio tower is dead after the tower fell on him - investigators still haven't determined what caused the accident - the National Weather Service reported sustained winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour with gusts of 40 to 45 miles per hour in the area)
1 killed, 1 injured in tank collapse (one worker died and another was transported by Life Flight after they fell while working on a refinery tank at a facility - the shell of the north side of the tank fell inward and two of the tank contractor employees were injured)
Worker killed when high winds downed his scaffolding (two contract workers were inside a storage tank when part of the tanker wall collapsed - one worker was killed and another injured when high winds caused their scaffolding to collapse)
Worker dies in Avondale accident (a shipfitter died at the facility when he fell into a tank filled with water - the 59-year-old worker was working on the dry dock when he fell)
UPDATE Two Toronto-area construction companies fined $115,000 each for health and safety violations (a labourer was spraying oil onto concrete "forms" (structures into which concrete is poured) for a wall in a building when the labourer fell about 15.2 metres (50 feet) from the 10th floor to the roof of the fourth floor. The labourer had been walking backwards towards the edge of the building when the fall occurred through a 0.9-metre (three-foot) gap in a metal guardrail. The labourer died as a result of injuries)
UPDATE Sunoco Worker Wins $9 Million Lawsuit (a jury has awarded a laborer $9 million for injuries he suffered falling from a ladder at the company's refinery - the main factual dispute in the case was whether a safety cage was in place on the ladder when the accident occurred)
UPDATE Two Toronto-area construction companies and two supervisors fined for health and safety violations (a worker was working on a 3.65-metre (12-foot), single-section, aluminium ladder driving a nail into a ledge that was being fastened to formwork (structures into which concrete is poured) when the worker slipped and fell onto a protruding "rebar" (a piece of reinforcing steel used in concrete formwork) that was directly below the worker. The rebar penetrated the worker's abdomen causing serious injuries. At the time of theincident the ladder was set up on a level section of dirt and was leaningagainst a vertical section of formwork - investigation found the rebar was not protected in a manner that ensured worker safety. This was one of the factors that contributed to the incident. The ladder was also not secured to anything)
Roofer Dies After Falling 7 Stories Onto Metal Fence(a worker repairing the roof of a condominium died after falling seven stories, landing on a metal fence - the 55-year-old worker was operating a trolley hoist, lifting roofing supplies, when he and the machine came crashing down)
Man Injured In Fall At BWI Dies (was one of two workers who fell into a hole about 25 feet deep while installing a fueling system at the airport's north cargo complex)
Labourer dies in site collapse (a labourer was crushed to death and another seriously injured after scaffolding collapsed - men were among four labourers trying to dismantle the temporary scaffolding — which had been put up to move medical equipment)
UPDATE Algoma Steel fined for accident that killed Bob Brzezinski (a steel manufacturer was fined $313,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of an employee - on April 26, 2004, an electrical worker was attempting to visually trace some wire that ran along a ceiling when the worker walked over an opening to an "alloy addition chute" (a large funnel-shaped hole used to introduce additives during the steel-making process) in the floor and fell about 10.7 metres (35 feet) into a pit below)
UPDATE Injured worker awarded $1.89M (a jury has awarded a construction worker $1.89 million for injuries from a 2001 fall - worker, 40, fell roughly 20 feet while helping to erect the second story of a hotel - a 4,000-pound precast concrete slab landed on him after an improperly designed beam that was supposed to hold the panel in place twisted)
Bluffs worker falls off roof (man was seriously injured when he fell from a roof while working on a building project - fell through a hole in the roof - suffered a fracture in the ball of his hip joint, two cracked ribs, a bruised lung, a compound fracture in his arm, internal bleeding and a cut on his chin)
Construction worker falls to death Plummets 15 feet while working ... (a married father of two young children, was a metal worker - was working alone on a high steel beam that was approximately 15 feet high - he was fastening rivets and bolts when witnesses said they saw him lose his footing and fall directly to the ground)
Man dies in elevator shaft fall (an elevator maintenance worker fell 10 floors to his death while doing an inspection in a high-rise office building - the man was inspecting an elevator about 10:20 a.m. when he somehow slipped)
Investigation: accident at Anchorage dump site (a concrete worker took a pretty serious fall - during those repairs that the accident happened - according to reports, that man fell some twenty feet, suffering a serious injury to his head)
Man critical after fall at Haverstraw work site (a construction worker was in critical condition yesterday after falling four stories when the scaffolding he was standing on gave way - worker, 29, was standing on a 2-by-6 plank and installing a wall shortly before 11 a.m. when the scaffolding collapsed)
Worker killed at Fort Myers power plant (two men were inspecting the cooling towers when an external staircase collapsed - men fell four stories to the ground - plants across the state are closing all external staircases until they can be inspected)
Mittal worker injured in fall (a week after IOSHA fined the company for violations it found in an accident that caused the death of a steelworker, another worker was critically injured at another company facility - the accident occurred in the steel producing area when the maintenance technician fell more than 15 feet into the hot metal hole of the No. 3 Basic Oxygen Furnace)
One worker killed in accident at Keppel Shipyard (one worker was killed while another was injured after both men fell into the sea while working - the incident is currently under investigation by the authorities and the shipyard)
Man dies in construction accident (two subjects had fallen from the roof and one was in critical condition - they were putting the trusses on the roof - the accident occurred when a truss he was standing on broke the two men fell approximately 14 feet)
Worker Dies After Injury At Arena (a worker, 65, at the Arena died from injuries he suffered in an accident while moving bleachers - fell 8 feet - no other details)
Man Dies Under Six Flags Coaster (a painter, doing maintenance work fell into a frigid pond - a 25-year-old contract worker was using a pontoon boat on a shallow pond to paint the lower portion of the Ninja roller coaster - a railing on the boat gave way, and the worker fell in)
Painter fell trying to aid others, witnesses say (a temporary maintenance deck broke under the bridge - safety harnesses saved three of the workers, and live television showed them being pulled to safety after dangling below the bridge deck - he fell into the river in an attempt to help his dangling co-workers - GREAT Video of the suspended workers and rescue @ Worker Falls From JB Bridge; Rescuers Save 3 Others)
Fall in Navy destroyer injures civilian worker (the Navy is investigating the events surrounding a civilian worker who fell yesterday while working inside of a destroyer which was in for repairs - the worker fell through one of the hatches of the USS Chafee, but would not describe the length of the fall or the nature of the civilian’s work)
1 worker killed, 8 injured on job (one migrant worker was killed and eight others injured during two separate work-site accidents over the past two days - one worker was killed when a pile of lumber fell on two workers as they were moving some of the timber in a lumberyard - he was buried under fallen lumber and pronounced dead on the scene - the stack of wood suddenly collapsed after the workers pulled out a piece of lumber from around the middle of the pile - seven other migrant workers were injured when the scaffold they were working on collapsed - the workers, who were putting the finishing touches on the outside of a building fell about two stories)
Worker breaks both legs in 2m fall (a man broke both his legs in a two-metre fall from scaffolding at a building site - the man involved in the incident, who is believed to be aged about 50, fell from scaffolding on to a partially concreted surface while working on a new home)
Construction worker killed after fall (an experienced construction worker has died after falling 16 feet from a roof - worker, 33, was working with four other men building a house when he fell - had worked for his company for 15 years and was experienced in his field - is survived by a wife and a 3-year-old son)
Worker hurt in fall from rooftop on Governors (a man, 30, was seriously injured when he fell off the top of a building - was working on an air-conditioning unit on top of a building when he fell about 20 to 25 feet)
ACCIDENT AT ST. PETER'S: CONSTRUCTION WORKER DIES (AGI) - Rome, Italy, Sept. 1 - Workers were setting up a stage at St. Peter's square, when they lost their balance and fell five meters. A 50-year-old worker died while a 38-year-old worker was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition. The stage was being prepared for an upcoming ceremony to be held by the pope. (AGI)
Bridge worker drowns By David Conti and Jim Ritchie TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, August 30, 2003 A worker on the Fort Pitt Bridge construction project drowned in the Monongahela River Friday afternoon after falling out of a boat used to transport workers from a pier work site. The Allegheny County Coroner's Office identified the victim as James Warren, 29, of Conneaut, Ohio, an employee of Cleveland-based L.M. Lignos Enterprises. Trumbull Corp., of West Mifflin, the contractor on the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel rehabilitation, hired Lignos to handle the painting. "It's a real tragedy, and our real concern is with the employee and his family," Trumbull President George Mezey said. Mezey and PennDOT project manager Jim Foringer said this was the first major work-related accident on the decade-long project to rehabilitate the bridge, tunnel and nearby roads. It occurred as Trumbull is wrapping up work on its $84.2 million contract with PennDOT to overhaul the bridge and tunnel.
N.S. man killed in fall from roof JOSEPH B. NADEAU , Staff Writer 08/29/2003 BELLINGHAM -- A North Smithfield man suffered fatal injuries after falling from a roof at 710 Pulaski Boulevard Thursday. David R. Marchand, 45, of 10 Mill St., had been working on the roof of the three-story home at Pulaski and Brisson Street with other workers from Cote Remodeling Co., when the 2:19 p.m. accident occurred. "He appeared to trip on an air hose on the roof being used in the repairs, lost his balance and slid off the roof," said Bellingham Police Sgt. Peter Lemon. The two-family home was reported to be undergoing a renovation involving the addition of third-floor living space, according to local officials. Marchand suffered severe neck and back trauma in the fall and was initially assisted by local rescue personnel, according to Lemon. A LifeFlight helicopter was called to the scene and a landing zone set up at the South Elementary School, Lemon said. But after the helicopter arrived, the victim’s worsening condition prompted the aircraft’s flight surgeon to recommend ground transport to Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, he said. Marchand was pronounced dead at Landmark after an examination in the hospital’s emergency room, he said. The owner of Cote Remodeling was at the scene at the time of the accident, as was the owner of the home, Lemon said. Family members were notified of the accident and responded to the emergency room, he said. The Police Department secured the job site and began an investigation. Participating in the review are the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State Police Crime Scene Services, Worcester CPAC, and the town building inspector’s office, he said. Lemon said he could not say if any charges would result and noted that OSHA was leading the investigation. "OSHA is there, as we speak, taking measurements," he said. The federal agency could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Construction Worker Survives 60-Foot Fall Down Cliff MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- A Marion County construction worker is recovering after he fell down a 60-foot cliff. It happened around 10 o'clock Thursday morning at Alliance Construction Materials northwest of Ocala. The man wasn't seriously hurt. The 60-foot drop was steep and covered with cinderblocks. Charles McCrone was supposed to be dumping the blocks. Instead, he and his front-end loader went in. His boss says he never should have been using equipment this heavy. The drop didn't crush the passenger cabin. So, McCrone pried himself from the mangled mess and made it half way up the 80-degree incline. Then he ran out of gas. That's when the technical rescue team arrived. "My initial reaction was how lucky the patient appeared to be, that he was awake and alert and oriented," says rescuer Derek Bracewell. Three rescuers used an elaborate system of ropes to repel down to McCrone. They say he was happy to see them. "He was in good spirits. He just wanted to get out of there, get out of that situation," says rescuer Scott Ramage. The rescuers used something called a Stokes basket. They strapped him in tightly so he couldn't move much, in case he broke his back or neck, while the firefighters gingerly moved McCrone into the basket on the steep cliff. The cinder block footing couldn't have been less stationary. Rescuers say many of their steps sent the blocks tumbling to the bottom. "If you're not 100 percent on your game, you're going to the bottom, just like the front-end loader," says Bracewell. Once McCrone was strapped in, it was up to another team on level ground. They were able to get McCrone safely to the top and on to a hospital. The Marion County firefighters involved go through hundreds of hours of training for rescues like these.
UPDATE Company cited in water tower death By HEATHER CHAPIN , Norwalk Bureau Chief 08/19/2003 NORWALK -- The company that employed a Michigan man who fell to his death inside a Willard water tower earlier this year has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to Richard Tracy, an investigator at OSHA's Toledo office. Dixon Engineering Inc. of Lake Odessa, Mich., was issued a ''serious'' citation by OSHA on Aug. 1 that carries a fine of up to $7,000, Tracy said. The specific charge and investigative report have not been released by OSHA because the agency has not received notification that Dixon has received it, Tracy said. Ken Benson, 51, of Hastings, Mich., was wearing a safety harness that was not buckled properly when he fell to his death while inspecting a city water tower on May 13, Willard City Manager Brian Humphress had said. Yesterday, Bill Dixon, president of Dixon Engineering, confirmed the company received the citation. In response to questions about Benson's harness, Dixon said: ''Nobody really knows what happened in that water tank.'' Dixon also responded in writing to the citation, stating: ''Dixon Engineering is considering an appeal of the citation and will not comment on the OSHA citation nor the accident. We do wish to thank the brave personnel of both the Norwalk and Willard Fire Departments who participated in the recovery.'' Benson fell while climbing down a ladder leading from a manhole inside the tower located at SR 99 and SR 103, Willard Fire Chief Rich Myers said at the time. The tank was drained of water for a regular inspection contracted to Dixon Engineering when Benson fell. There were no witnesses to describe what happened, Myers also had said.
Mason dies after falling 10 feet at construction site Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Daily News staff A construction worker died after falling about 10 feet Monday afternoon in East Naples, officials with the Collier County Sheriff's Office said. The worker was identified as 40-year-old Gumaro Rodriguez of 478 Mississippi Ave., Fort Myers. Sheriff's officials said Rodriguez fell at 12:37 p.m. Monday at 3919 Forest Glen Blvd. and was pronounced dead by paramedics. Rodriguez worked as a mason for a construction company. Investigators said Rodriguez was moving concrete blocks on the second story of a home under construction when he fell through an opening in the floor and struck his head. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the government agency that oversees workplace safety, was notified Monday. An OSHA representative was expected to arrive in Collier County sometime Monday to investigate, officials said. Officials said they did not know the name of the company for which Rodriguez worked.
Worker dies after fall in Talcher ANGUL, Aug. 17. — In yet another fatal accident, a 35-year-old contractual worker Srikanta Kumar Lenka died after falling down from a height of 40 m at a bunker located at Unit-4 of Talcher-Kaniha Power Project. He was working as a welder in Endfab Company, engaged in construction of Talcher Super Thermal Power Project. He had no safety belt despite repeated warning to the agencies, police said. The incident occurred on Saturday. Injuries on his head, he succumbed on way to hospital. — SNS
Worker Injured In Scaffolding Collapse Dies; Officials Investigate Cause Of Scaffolding Collapse POSTED: 1:39 p.m. EDT August 15, 2003 MADISON, N.C. -- A worker critically injured when scaffolding on a Rockingham County water tower collapsed has died, authorities said Friday. The man who fell was identified as Pedro Hernandez Encarnacion, 34. He was flown to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where he died, according to a hospital spokeswoman, who wouldn't say when the death occurred. Two other men dangling from ropes when the scaffolding fell Thursday later were rescued by emergency workers at the tower, located at the intersection of U.S. 220 and N.C. 704 just east of Madison, according to authorities. One of the workers who dangled from the scaffolding, identified as Victor Estrada, 35, was taken to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro. A hospital spokesman said Estrada was in good condition Friday with minor injuries. The second worker didn't require treatment. The cause of the scaffolding collapse was unclear Thursday.
UPDATE DEATH PLUNGE WARNING Aug 16 2003 A WORKER fell from a ladder to his death just weeks after a plea for better site safety, a probe heard yesterday. Welding supervisor Grant Shields, 35, from Paisley, died at the BP refinery in Grangemouth on November 15, 2001. Joseph Burns, of contractor Babcocks, told a fatal accident inquiry at Falkirk Sheriff Court that BP had ignored his call to fit safety straps two months earlier. The inquiry continues.
Man plunges to his death in bizarre accident ABC13 Eyewitness News A bizarre accident that kills a maintenance worker gets the attention of the secret service. A man died in a fall overnight while installing phone lines in the office building where former President George Bush works in west Houston. Police say the maintenance worker slipped and fell straight through a layer of sheet rock into a small air tube. He tumbled down almost ten stories to the ground. A security guard making his rounds heard the man moaning at about 11pm and figured out that the sound was coming from inside the air tube. He called for help, but the man was dead by the time help arrived. Because the man was working on the ninth floor, where the former President's offices are, the Secret Service is also looking into the case.
UPDATE Judge: Contractor liable in pedestrian bridge collapse August 13, 2003, 3:43 PM EDT UTICA, N.Y. -- The general contractor working on a pedestrian bridge that collapsed last October, killing one construction worker, is liable for injuries suffered by another worker, according to a court ruling. A decision last week by State Supreme Court Justice Robert Julian found that Department of Transportation employee Theodore Fox Jr. fell 30 feet from an elevated work site that did not have required safety devices. The bridge wasn't properly shored and braced to prevent its collapse, Julian said. That makes Tioga Construction Co. of Herkimer liable for Fox's injuries under New York State Labor Law, Julian ruled in a decision released Tuesday. Fox and seven others were injured when the 170-foot bridge twisted, buckled and collapsed 20 feet to the ground on Oct. 10. Fox is suing Tioga for $70 million. According to his lawsuit, Fox broke his pelvis, dislocated his right shoulder and broke a bone in his left arm. Another worker, Scott Couchman, died in the collapse. Terence Hannigan, the lawyer for Tioga, said the company disagreed with Julian. "This isn't a situation where these people weren't given proper safety equipment," Hannigan said. "This is a case in which the structure they were hired to build failed through no fault of Tioga or the men and woman standing on it." Hannigan said he expected to appeal. Seven other lawsuits by those injured in the collapse have been filed in the Court of Claims in Albany. They range from $25 million to $50 million. In New York, workers' compensation law prevents a worker from directly suing his employer in cases such as the bridge collapse. That means Fox couldn't sue the state since he worked for DOT. The plans for the pedestrian bridge have been scrapped. It was part of a highway project about 45 miles east of Syracuse. The bridge was being built over a new section of a four-lane highway, a project that started in the late 1970s and is expected to be completed next year.
Construction Worker Survives 60-Foot Fall From Scaffolding COCOA, Fla. -- Cocoa firefighters claim a construction worker is lucky to be alive after he fell more than 60 feet this morning. Not strange enough? Read more strange news from WFTV.com. He was working on some scaffolding at the Whitley Bay Condominium project in Cocoa. Firefighters were amazed that the man may have only a severely broken leg. Apparently he hit one of the balconies on the way down. That may have broken his fall before he hit the sand. There's no word on what led to the accident.
Construction worker injured in fall By OREN DORELL, STAFF WRITER RALEIGH -- The N.C. Department of Labor is investigating a construction worker's fall early today while working on the Glenwood Avenue bridge over Wade Avenue. Orlando Leon Sattlerwhite, 48, of Warrenton was admitted to WakeMed with a back injury, according to a police report. The incident occurred at about 1:13 a.m. on the 1400 block of Glenwood Avenue. Sattlerwhite was working for C.C. Mangum Contractors LLC of Raleigh, according to the report.
UPDATE Worker died from head trauma, autopsy finds By JENNIE TUNKIEICZ Last Updated: Aug. 9, 2003 Racine - A fall from a great height and severe head trauma will most likely be listed as the the cause of death of a Milwaukee man who was involved in a construction site accident in Racine last week, Racine County Medical Examiner Thomas Terry said Thursday. Terry said an autopsy by the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office revealed no heart problems or other natural causes that would have caused Zebedke Richardson to fall 30 to 40 feet from a scaffolding Monday. Terry said he had not received a final report from Milwaukee County, but it is not believed that any other findings will be released. Robinson fell from scaffolding and was impaled on a 5-inch bolt at a construction site near Batten Airport at Mount Pleasant St. and South St. He was 55. Richardson was a 12-year employee of C.D. Smith Construction of Fond du Lac. The company is building a basin for the city's Water and Wastewater Utilities. The accident happened Monday afternoon, and Richardson died at 8:50 p.m. after neurosurgery at St. Mary's Medical Center, Terry said. Terry said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the incident. A review by the Racine Police Department concluded that the incident was an industrial site accident and not a criminal incident, Sgt. William Macemon said.
Construction worker listed critical after fall
By RICHARD LIEBSON THE JOURNAL NEWS August 9, 2003 WHITE PLAINS — A construction worker was in critical condition yesterday after falling headfirst three stories down a duct shaft at the $325 million City Center project in White Plains. Louis Ackerman and another worker were in the shaft, located next to a stairwell, about 11:30 p.m. Thursday when police said Ackerman accidentally fell about 50 feet to the bottom of the shaft. He was rushed to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he underwent emergency surgery for a skull fracture, spleen injury and blood on his brain. Ackerman, who police believe is in his 40s, was listed in critical condition yesterday. Police did not have his address, but were told by fellow workers that he lives in Brewster. City building inspectors and officials from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were called to the site immediately and returned yesterday to try to determine the cause of the accident. White Plains Building Commissioner Michael Gismondi said that work on the site has not been halted, but that developer Louis Cappelli "will be issued a minimum of three or four summonses for safety violations by us, plus whatever OSHA decides to do.'' He would not elaborate, but police said the men were apparently working without safety rails on the scaffold and were not wearing safety harnesses. "I can't tell you the specific violations right now, other than to say they are for safety issues,'' Gismondi said. "It's an ongoing investigation.'' Brian Connolly, assistant director for OSHA's regional office in Tarrytown, said he knew little about the accident late yesterday afternoon. "Our inspectors are out there right now, and I'm waiting to hear from them,'' he said. "The investigation has just begun.'' Cappelli did not return a call seeking comment yesterday. Police said Ackerman works for Precision Carpentry. Officials from the White Plains-based company could not be reached for comment yesterday. Police Lt. Nick Kralik said witnesses told investigators that Ackerman and another man were finishing up their work when Ackerman asked the other man for a measurement. The man told police he heard a noise, turned around, and saw Ackerman fall down the shaft. "We've determined that there was no crime committed, and we've turned over all of the witness statements to OSHA,'' Kralik said. The accident marked the second time this year that a worker has fallen down a shaft at the City Center site, at Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue. In March, Alvin Burgos of Yonkers was injured when he fell from the 16th to the 13th floor of a 35-story apartment tower under construction at 222 Main St. after removing wooden support beams from an elevator shaft. Burgos' fall was broken by plywood on the 13th floor. Earlier, a worker was injured when he stepped into a hole and hurt his leg; in another incident, a worker was hit by a pipe. On June 17, 2002, Richard Ellis of Thornwood, a 40-year-old worker, was killed after a bundle of concrete reinforcing bars fell more than 50 feet and crushed him at a hotel-apartment construction site Bank and Main streets in White Plains. Another worker was hurt. Scheduled to open in October, the City Center will contain 15 movie screens, a community theater and thousands of square feet of restaurant and retail space. The project also includes two 35-story apartment towers. A $40 million garage is being constructed by Cappelli and the city.
Rabat worker still on danger list but in stable condition by Charlot Zahra, di-ve news (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) GWARDAMANGIA, Malta (di-ve news) -- 09 August 2003 1215 CET -- Clint Borg, the 18-year-old man of Rabat who fell off around one storey from a scaffolding while doing works on the façade of a building at Bahrija on Wednesday afternoon, was still reported to be on the danger list but was in a stable condition, Police told di-ve.com on Saturday morning. The accident took place at around 1830 CET at Raddet ir-Roti Street in Bahrija, when for some reason or another the worker lost his balance and fell off. A fellow worker of Bahrija called for an ambulance to be sent on site. Borg was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was certified with grievous head injuries and in danger of dying. Duty Magistrate Giovanni Grixti is conducting the inquiry on the case and has appointed various experts to assist him. Police Inspector Marthese Micallef from the Rabat District is leading the investigations on this case.
Worker dies after fall at former power plant The Associated Press APPLETON — A 29-year-old man died after falling about 20 feet from the roof of an old power plant. The man was a member of a five-person crew from A&A Environmental, of Poynette. The group was removing asbestos from the roof of the former Vulcan Power Plant Thursday morning, Appleton Police Lt. Rudy Nyman said. The man fell through the roof to a lower-level floor and later died at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton. His name had not been released early Friday. An autopsy was scheduled, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the accident. The 94-year-old electric generating plant is in the early stages of being converted into a restaurant.
Worker Impaled By Metal Pipe In Stable Condition LINCOLN PARK, N.J. -- A Morris county man is in stable condition Thursday night, after being impaled during a freak accident at a sewer pumping station. The incident happened in Lincoln Park, N.J. at about 4 p.m. Police say Leonardo Menna, 26, an employee of the Two Bridges Sewer Authority, fell down a flight of stairs and became impaled on a pipe inside the pump house. Menna was trapped for 90 minutes before workers were able to get him out. Rescuers were able to cut the pipe and free Menna. He was later airlifted to Morristown Memorial Hospital.
Carl Junction Worker Injured Wednesday, August 06, 2003 A construction worker is injured while working on the Carl Junction Intermediate school. The worker fell through the roof, falling more than 20 feet. He was working on the damage from last May`s deadly tornadoes. The man was working through western fireproofing, a subcontractor through RES Construction. The man was taken to Freeman hospital for possible hip injuries. Construction has stopped until a cause of the accident can be explained.
2 labourers die after fatal fall Express News Service Pune, August 2: Two labourers had a fatal fall from the third floor of a building under construction near Chinchwadgaon old octroi post today. Police said the accident occurred while the labourers were removing the bamboo scaffolding. Police identified the duo as Suresh Suhan Verma (30) of Kunal Residency, Thergaon, and Sunil Pujari (25) of Pavana Nagar, Kalewadi. The incident occurred at Krunal Riverside, a building coming up near Moraya Mangal Karyalaya adjacent to octroi post. A case of accident has been registered.
Construction worker falls 60 feet From staff reports 08/01/2003 A construction worker was critically injured in Fairview Friday afternoon when he fell nearly 60 feet into a sewer excavation pit, fire officials said. The worker, whose name was not immediately available, fell onto a piece of metal wire and was impaled in his chest. The man was transported via Careflite to Methodist Hospital in Dallas. His condition has not been made available. Chief investigating agency, Fairview Fire Department, called McKinney's high-angle vertical rescue team to assist with the man's rescue. Fire fighters removed the construction worker from the 30-foot excavation pit, which was located inside another 30-foot cement casement being set for the town's sewer system. McKinney Asst. Fire Chief Frank Roma said this is the specialized vertical rescue team's first year in McKinney.
2nd Skyway Construction Death Of Summer Saturday Aug. 2, 2003, 3:10 p.m. (Chicago) -- A worker fell 50 feet to his death Friday after he stepped on an unsupported platform while working at a construction site on the Chicago Skyway, marking the second fatality from the area in less than a month. The victim, identified by the medical examiner's office as David Stevens, 36, fell at about 1 p.m. from the Skyway at 75th Street and Greenwood Avenue, Gresham District Sgt. Robert Orlando said. Stevens was laying a platform to pour concrete from when he stepped on a 3-by-4-foot piece of plywood that had no support under it, according to a Calumet Area detective. The worker plunged 50 feet and struck his head on the ground, the detective said. He did not know the name of the construction company the victim worked for. Stevens, of 14256 Luna Av. in Midlothian, was pronounced dead at 1:47 p.m. at Stroger Hospital of Cook County, according to a Cook County medical examiner's office spokesman. An autopsy was scheduled for Saturday, the spokesman said. This was the second time in less than a month that a construction worker was killed falling from the Skyway. Dennis McNamara, 63, 249 Lincoln Ct. in Wood Dale, was working on the Skyway near 77th Street when he plunged to the ground at about 11:10 p.m. July 9. He died from his injuries at 12:15 a.m. July 10, according to the police and a medical examiner's office spokesman. The Skyway viaduct from 75th to 79th Street has been undergoing reconstruction since September 2001 as the first phase of a $250 million project to improve the safety and traffic flow, according to the city Department of Transportation's Web site. Work to on the viaduct deck between 77th and 79th streets, which involves removing the superstructure and replacing it with a filled embankment, was scheduled for completion in November.
Construction Worker At New Resort Falls Three Stories UPDATED: 7:13 a.m. EDT July 30, 2003 ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A construction worker fell three stories while working on a new resort in Orange County. It happened at the Bonnet Creek Resort near Disney. This is what we know about the injured construction worker. He's in his 20's. He is coherent and is said to be in stable condition. This is what we know about the accident. It happened around 4 a.m. at the Bonnet Creek Resort located next to the Caribbean Beach Resort. The worker fell three stories and landed on dirt. It is unclear if he fell off a balcony or scaffolding. It apparently didn't happen on Disney property, however, Reedy Creek Emergency Services responded and took the injured construction worker to an empty parking lot near Cirque de Soleil, which is on Disney property. He was then airlifted to the hospital and is in stable condition.
Worker in danger of dying after fall by Charlotte Bonavia, di-ve news VALLETTA, Malta (di-ve news) -- 28 July 2003 - 2100CET -- A 40-year-old Fgura man is in danger of dying after falling a height of three storeys while working at Old Hospital Street, Valletta, on Monday afternoon at around 1600CET. Police said that the accident occurred when the man fell off a plank while he was carrying out some works in a shaft of a block of apartments situated in the zone known as Camarata. An ambulance took the man to St Luke’s Hospital where he was certified as suffering grievous injuries and that he was in danger of dying. The duty magistrate was informed about the incident and appointed various experts to assist in the inquiry. Valletta district police are leading the investigations.
Worker Falls 20 Feet At Nelson-Atkins Museum; Officials Expect Victim To Survive KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A construction worker was injured Monday morning when he fell 20 feet into a shaft outside the Nelson-Atkins Museum, KMBC's Brenda Washington reported. The accident occurred just after 7 a.m. on the southeast side of the museum. The worker, an employee of J.E. Dunn Construction, was hoisted out of the hole and rushed to an area hospital. Officials said he suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, Washington reported. The construction company is working on an expansion project for the museum. The injured worker's name has not been released.
UPDATE Fatal Fall at Brandeis University Worksite Leads to $46,200 in OSHA Fines for Danvers, Mass., Contractor METHUEN, Mass. -- The death of a worker who fell two stories to his death at a Waltham, Mass., construction site could have been prevented if his employer, William A. Berry & Son, had supplied required fall protection, according to citations issued by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). William A. Berry & Son, of Danvers, Mass., general contractor on the construction of a new dormitory at Brandeis University, faces $46,200 in fines for alleged willful and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, following the March 2 fatality. A crew of laborers was dismantling a temporary work platform on the second floor level of an unfinished stairwell when one of them fell through the partially dismantled platform to the basement level. OSHA's inspection found that the employer had not provided fall protection for the workers. This exposed these workers to falls of almost 26 feet from the work platform. The workers had also not been instructed to recognize and avoid such fall hazards. "Falls are the number one killer in construction, having cost the lives of more than 400 American workers in 2001," explained Richard Fazzio, OSHA's area director for Middlesex and Essex Counties. "This case shows in the starkest terms why fall protection is an absolute necessity when employees are working six feet or more above the next level." Berry & Son faces a fine of $42,000 for failing to provide the fall protection, while a $4,200 fine is proposed for the lack of training. A willful violation is defined by OSHA as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. A serious violation as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA's Methuen, Mass., area office conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is (617) 565-8110. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Bridge construction accident injures six The Associated Press Saturday, July 26, 2003 Crestline — Six workers were injured Thursday when a beam gave way on a bridge being constructed in southeast Kansas. The accident occurred about 4 p.m. at a construction site on Old Highway 96 between Crestline and the Missouri state line. Employees of Beachner Construction Co., St. Paul, Kan., have been working since December to replace the bridge over the Spring River. One worker was taken by helicopter with serious injuries to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Mo. The other five were taken by ambulance to area hospitals with less serious injuries, said Cherokee County Undersheriff George Kelly. George Dockery, a engineer with the Kansas Department of Transportation, said all six workers were standing on the beam, placing braces on it and preparing it for placement. One worker had just released a cable to move to another spot on the beam when the beam started to topple, throwing the workers off, Dockery said. The workers could have been more seriously injured if they had not been wearing lifelines, Dockery said. They would have fallen the 25 or 30 feet to the ground. The most seriously injured worker rode the beam all the way to the ground, suffering cuts to the head and face and leg injuries. The other workers suffered scrapes, bruises, sprains and possible broken bones, officials said. Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials probably will be called in to investigate, but it is up to the construction contractor to contact the agency, Dockery said. The highway was closed in December 2002, when construction began on the $2.6 million bridge replacement project. Dockery said the accident probably would delay completion of the new bridge, which was scheduled for November.
UPDATE Investigation continues into Henrico job-site accident Lance Martin Herald Staff Writer JACKSON -- The Northampton County Sheriff's Office will continue to investigate a construction site accident in Henrico Monday. Three workers for the South Hill, Va.-based Howerton Construction were injured when the scaffolding they were on gave way at a job site in the Whippoorwill Hills Subdivision. Chief Detective Bill Wheeler said he will review notes taken by Deputy Fontay Macon and conduct his own investigation. Macon forwarded the investigation to the detective division. Four men were on the scaffold when it tilted, causing three of the workers to plunge to the ground. Injured were Frankie Howerton, Frank Edmonds and Brandon Jones. One worker sustained a back injury, one hurt his foot and the other sustained a wrist injury. Two of the workers were transported to Community Memorial Health Center in South Hill while another was taken to Halifax Regional Medical Center in Roanoke Rapids. Their condition reports were not available. A company representative did not immediately return phone calls this morning.
Hathaway Bridge Accident One worker died and three others were hospitalized Wednesday morning in a construction accident on the East bound lane of the new Hathaway Bridge in Panama City Beach. The accident happened around 6:45 a.m. when a section of scaffolding collapsed and fell about 50 feet into the water. Four men went into the water with the scaffolding. One man who was fastened to the scaffolding with a safety harness, apparently was trapped under water. The rescuers were unable to reach him in time. He died at the scene. He is identified as 44-year-old Alan Stockton of Panama City Beach. Two others were rescued and taken to a local hospital for treatment. The fourth man managed to survive the fall uninjured. Another worker, who jumped in to help rescue the trapped man, was injured and he too was taken to the hospital.
Three injured in scaffolding accident Lance Martin Herald Staff Writer HENRICO -- Three construction workers were hospitalized Monday morning when scaffolding they were working on tilted over, the Northampton County Sheriff's Office said. A construction worker at the scene off River Road in the Whippoorwill Hills subdivision said the workers, including the job foreman, fell between 15 to 20 feet while working on a house. The worker for Howerton Construction of Gasburg, Va., offered no other details. Deputy Fontay Macon said a construction worker told him around 9:15 a.m., four men were on the scaffold when it tilted, causing three men to plunge to the ground. Injured were Frankie Howerton, Frank Edmonds and Brandon Jones. No ages or addresses were available. Macon said one worker sustained a back injury, one hurt his foot and the other sustained a wrist injury. Macon said it was not clear who sustained which injury. Two of the workers were transported to Community Memorial Health Center in South Hill, Va., while another was taken Halifax Regional Medical Center in Roanoke Rapids. Macon said it was not clear which man was transported to which hospital. Macon planned to turn the accident over to the detective division for further investigation.
UPDATE Worker dies after falling into vat of cyanide By T.J. WILHAM thestarpress.com MUNCIE - A Muncie man died Friday after he fell into a vat containing a cyanide solution while he was working at a near-downtown metal plating plant. Local authorities are investigating why there was no safety equipment in place that would have prevented 56-year-old Joseph Gray from falling into the 7,000-gallon vat at Mid-City Plating Co., 921 E. Charles St. Gray died at Ball Memorial Hospital not long after he tumbled headfirst into the vat about 7:30 a.m. Gray, who had worked for the company since 1999, had been perched over the vat on 3-foot-wide sheets of plywood that had been placed over a series of bars, according to Mike Terry, a Delaware County deputy coroner. Investigators said Gray was trying to place zinc balls into tubes running into the vat when he lost his grip on the plywood and fell into the 6-foot-high container, which was filled with a solution containing sodium cyanide. The chemical can cause death if it is absorbed through skin. Co-worker Ron Jennings, who had been next to Gray on the plywood, immediately pulled him out of the vat and helped him to the showers. After he was pulled out of the container, Gray was talking to his co-workers, but he lost consciousness shortly after he was taken to the emergency showers. "I didn't realize at first how serious it was," Jennings said hours after the accident. "It didn't hit me until they loaded him into the ambulance." The company dips cages into the vats to create a chrome-like finish. Investigators said workers routinely employed the technique that Gray was using to put zinc balls into the vats. The process involves building a walkway with several sheets of plywood. Workers lay down a piece of wood, move onto it, then lay down another as they make their way to the center of the vat. Meanwhile, the foamy solution is a few feet under them at a temperature of 80 degrees. "It's like something you would see on Fear Factor," said Muncie police Sgt. Bill Brown, who was the first officer on the scene. "You couldn't pay me to do what these guys were doing." Pete Rimsans, deputy director of the Indiana Department of Labor, said Friday afternoon that his agency was conducting an inspection of Mid-City. Rimsans said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires companies that do such work to use safety belts or safety rails. "Generally we would require guardrails or something to prevent employees falling in," Rimsans said. "There would have to be some type of safety system." Jennings said Mid-State did have safety belts, but he and Gray were not wearing them. The long-time factory worker said he felt that the company was a safe place to work. After the accident, Jennings took the rest of the day off. He planned to return to work Monday. "Even if he had a belt on, it would not have mattered," Jennings said. "It ain't too bad out there. You just have to watch what you are doing." Delaware County Emergency Management Director Bill Gosnell said Friday that he was concerned about the safety equipment at Mid-City. Gosnell said his agency, the department of labor, and representatives from Mid-City would meet Monday. "Common sense would tell you that what they were doing was a very risky thing," Gosnell said. "This is a serious situation and someone died. If there were some procedures that should have been followed that were not followed, we need to make sure this doesn't happen again. "We have to protect the workers, the community and the first responders who go into these facilities to give medical aid." Rod Muzzarelli, Mid-City plant manager, did not return a phone message from The Star Press.
Firecrew help fall worker Jul 22, 2003, 14:49:00 Firefighters went to the aid of an injured workman at Kidderminster's new Weavers Wharf shopping complex. The workman, who had fallen off a ladder and had a suspected broken bone in his foot, was on scaffolding 30ft up when he was hurt yesterday afternoon. Sub officer Mick Rowlands of Kidderminster fire station said a turntable ladder from Worcester was sent for, and the workman was lowered to the ground on a stretcher before being taken to hospital. Mr Rowlands said: "He was a young, fit man and was not in any distress."
Man killed in scaffold tumble, ag worker injured in city fall By Herald-Tribune staff An elderly painter was killed in a worksite accident Thursday in Wabasca. Mounties said the 70-year-old-man died after falling more than 4.5 metres from a scaffolding he was using while painting the interior of Wabasca's new swimming pool. Foul play is not suspected, and police have turned the investigation over to Alberta Occupational Health and Safety. Wabasca is about 120 kilometres northeast of Slave Lake. Occupational Health and Safety is also investigating an incident that occurred at Agricore United's fertilizer storage and blending facility in Grande Prairie. A employee of Spray-Air Technologies, a company contracted to do some routine maintenance, fell off a fertilizer deck onto cement six to 7.5 metres (20 to 25 feet) below. The man was transported to University Hospital in Edmonton, said Linda Park, spokeswoman with Occupational Health and Safety. Agricore United general manager of operations TJ Hinton said they'll be working with the company and occupational health and safety on the investigation.
Muncie Worker Dies After Fall Reported by: AP A worker at a Muncie, Indiana metal plating company was killed when he fell into a seven-thousand-gallon vat of sodium cyanide. Investigators say no safety equipment appeared to have been in place that could have prevented 56-year-old Joseph Gray from falling into the vat. The accident occurred yesterday at Mid-City Plating Company. Gray was pronounced died at a hospital shortly after he tumbled headfirst into the vat. The Muncie man had worked for Mid-City Plating since 1999. Mid-City Plating dips cages into the vats to give them a chrome-like finish. Pete Rimsans of the Indiana Department of Labor says his agency is conducting an inspection at Mid-City.
Worker Dies In Elevator Shaft; Fell to death at Stony Brook school By Samuel Bruchey and Chao Xiong STAFF WRITERS July 17, 2003 An Oakdale man working inside a junior high school in Stony Brook died yesterday after falling down a two-story elevator shaft, Suffolk police said. Andrew Amarando, 32, and at least one co-worker were installing telephone cables inside the Robert C. Murphy Junior High School at 351 Oxhead Rd., Homicide Det. Sgt. Vincent Posillico said. At about 9 a.m., Amarando stepped through a press board covering in the attic of the two-story building and fell down the shaft, Posillico said. "It really wasn't designed to hold much [weight]," he said. Amarando became wedged between the elevator car and the wall of the shaft, Posillico said. The elevator car had to be dismantled before Amarando's body could be removed. It took police and Setauket firefighters four hours to extricate his body and remove it from the shaft, Posillico said. It was unclear exactly when he died. But "nobody heard him calling out from the shaft," a police source said. Amarando was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Suffolk County medical examiner's office in Hauppauge for an autopsy. Amarando's relatives declined to comment. His employer, Cable Reddy of Selden, did not return calls for comment. Posillico said it was Amarando's third day working at the school. There were no children in the building at the time of the accident, Three Village District Superintendent John Sonedecker said. Other contracted workers and school maintenance staff were present in the two-story red-brick building when the accident occurred, he said, adding that a custodian reported the incident.
4th Grand Strand construction worker dies since Dec. (Myrtle Beach-AP) July 16, 2003 - A construction worker has died after falling about 40 feet from the roof of a building in Horry County. Horry County Coroner Robert Edge said 41-year-old Alfonso Morales of Loris died Tuesday afternoon. Morales is the fourth worker to die in a construction-related accident on the Grand Strand since December. Last year there were 27 construction-related deaths in South Carolina, according to the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The most common causes of construction deaths in South Carolina are falls, being struck by an object and electrocution.
Construction worker injured 7/15/2003 4:45 PM By: Capital News 9 web staff A construction worker fell 20 feet to the ground in Warren County Tuesday. The county sheriff's office said Ronald Bauer fell off a roof at a job site on Garnet Lake Road in Johnsburg. Authorities said when Bauer fell, he struck his head on a stone wall on the way down. The 67-year-old Johnsburg man suffered serious head injuries. Paramedics responded to the scene and Bauer was later airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.
OSHA Investigating Fatal Fall from Tower Jul 15, 2003 3:16 pm US/Eastern Greene Twp (KDKA) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a deadly accident in Beaver County this morning in which a man fell about 450-feet to his death. According to state police, the 26-year-old man was doing routine maintenance on an antenna on a radio tower in Greene Township around 9:20am when he somehow fell. Another worker who was with the man told authorities that he thought the victim was securely fastened in a safety harness, adding that a bolt may have come loose. The victim has not been identified, but officials say he was from the Paducah, Kentucky area and worked as a subcontractor for World Tower Company. OSHA is now looking into the deadly accident.
Man falls from pickup truck, is killed on I-77 by SHAWNA MORRISON THE ROANOKE TIMES A 28-year-old Pearisburg man was killed Wednesday afternoon when he fell out of the back of a pickup truck and was run over by the trailer it was towing, police said. Virginia State Police Trooper J.L. Mullins said the accident happened about 5:40 p.m. in the Fort Chiswell area of Interstate 77, about a mile and a half south of its intersection with Interstate 81. Charles Eugene Stowers was on his way back from North Carolina in a pickup truck with seven other men - five in the large cab and two in the bed, which was covered with a camper shell, Mullins said, when he fell out of the truck and was run over. The men worked for an independent construction company that did commercial tile work and had been working on a project for Campbell's Soup Co., Mullins said. They had been in North Carolina for a few weeks and were on their way home. The truck was hauling a small box trailer loaded with tools, clothes and other supplies, Mullins said. The pickup truck was the only vehicle involved, Mullins said. Mullins said foul play is not suspected. "It's really sad," he said. "Just a tragic accident." No charges will be placed. A law that makes it illegal to ride in the back of a truck applies only to people younger than 16.
Worker Hurt in Fall By Tomoeh Murakami STAFF WRITER July 12, 2003 A Ronkonkoma man was in serious condition last night after falling 25 feet into a cement hole at a Melville construction site. Salvatore Valensisi, an employee of McLean Contracting of Melville, was inside a waste treatment plant he was helping to build at 171 Half Hollow Rd., the site of a 1,300-home community called Greens at Half Hollow, when he plunged into the hole, authorities said. "One of the grates [covering the hole] was removed and he fell in," said David Kaplan, assistant chief of the Melville Fire Department. Valensisi, 55, suffered internal bleeding, a broken leg and various back, rib and abdominal injuries, authorities said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. A man identified as a representative of the employer by an OSHA investigator who was at the scene of the incident Friday declined to immediately comment. It took Melville firefighters, assisted by rescue teams from the East Farmingdale and Huntington Manor fire departments as well as Suffolk County police, 50 minutes to hoist Valensisi out of the 10-foot wide hole on a stretcher, Kaplan said. Valensisi was transported to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. He was later taken to Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, where he remained in serious condition last night, a hospital spokesman said.
Ship worker's death fall A 55-year-old Polish worker was killed after falling 12 metres (40ft) from a jetty at Burton upon Stather, Lincolnshire, into a moored ship below, police said.
UPDATE Worker dies in fall from HRN; Man died after falling from scaffolding on the eighth floor of Hamilton College House By Laura Sullivan July 10, 2003 A construction worker fell to his death from scaffolding on the south side of Hamilton College House while working on renovations to the high rise building nearly two weeks ago. University officials would not release the victim's name, but said that he was in his early twenties. "Unfortunately on June 27 at [1:40 p.m.] we had an employee... fall from the eighth floor off the scaffold," University Director of Fire and Emergency Services Ted Bateman said, noting that the drop was approximately 85 feet. The victim was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after the accident. "The day of the unfortunate incident operations were ceased," Bateman said. "Out of respect for the employee, his family and the other workers at the site, operations were ceased on Monday as well." The death comes on the heels of a stabbing, which left another construction worker in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. On June 23, David Ingraham, 38, was arrested after allegedly stabbing Sam Hrynczyszn, 25. The two workers reportedly got into an argument over their work schedules and Ingraham allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Hrynczyszn three times in the stomach and upper chest. Ingraham has been charged with criminal attempt to murder, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. Commending the officers on the scene, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush noted that "had it not been for their actions we probably would have had a 26 year old victim who would not have survived." After the most recent accident, University officials say they are working to improve safety measures at the site. "There were a number of meetings subsequent to the accident and they included representatives from Penn Public Safety, the general contractor on site, the subcontractor and representatives from Penn Facilities and Risk Management to address... the site safety considerations," Bateman said. Aiming "to take some remedial action before the site would be open again," the crew has implemented several changes according to Bateman. These changes include inspections of the guard and end rails on the scaffolding mechanisms at the beginning and end of each work day. The glazers -- those whose work at the site requires them to be out on the scaffolding -- will also be tied in as per new safety measures. Bateman also noted that there would be "trained and qualified supervision on the site at all times and all operations -- including the scaffolding operations -- would be monitored throughout the day." All personnel -- including those who work on the scaffolding -- will be retrained, according to Bateman. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently investigating the death. "Penn Public Safety and other responsible parties at Penn are in constant contact with OSHA," Bateman said, noting that a closing meeting will be held once the investigation is complete.
Workers injured in Kimmel collapse to get $12.7 million The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA - Seven workers who were injured, several of them completely disabled, in a scaffolding collapse during construction of Philadelphia's new performing arts center will receive amounts ranging from $200,000 to $3.1 million to settle lawsuits in connection with the accident. Attorneys worked out the $12.1 million settlement in three days of negotiations before mediator Ronald Sherr. The accident occurred Feb. 10, 2000, as hundreds of tons of concrete were poured into a form built to create an underground parking garage ramp at the 435,000-square-foot Kimmel Center, which opened in December 2001. The workers standing on the form plunged nearly 40 feet into the wet concrete and broken scaffolding below The agreement calls for payments of $3.15 million to David B. Jennings III, $3 million each to Rodney Jones and Christopher Rizzo, $2 million to Michael Warnick, $1.2 million to Michael Berardi, and $200,000 each to Allen McCray and Earven E. Pettaway. Attorneys for the worker said the blame was shared by several companies involved, because designs for the concrete form had never been completed, and contractors went ahead and built it without any plans. he injured workers sued the form designer, Peri Formwork Systems Inc.; the concrete contractor, Pietrini & Sons; the general contractors, L.F. Driscoll and Artis Ore Inc.; and the Regional Performing Arts Center, the company that owns the Kimmel Center. Robert J. Mongeluzzi, one of the attorneys for workers, said the plaintiffs' attorneys focused on proving that all the defendants shared in the liability. Peri Formwork was under contract to provide a design for the form but never did, and Pietrini built the form "without the benefit of plans," according to a memo by the plaintiffs' attorneys outlining their case. L.F. Driscoll had overall responsibility for safety, but the company's safety manager at the site acknowledged in a deposition he hadn't seen a formwork project before and wasn't aware of relevant safety regulations, "for which the plaintiffs have paid a very heavy price," the memo said. Joel Paul Fishbein, an attorney for L.F. Driscoll and Pietrini, said the settlement was acceptable. "This was about as reasonable a settlement as one could expect considering the liability issues, the nature of the accident and the quality of the plaintiffs' attorneys," Fishbein said. Information from: The Legal Intelligencer
Man dies doing what he loved: Working By DEBORAH GATES Daily Times Staff Writer FRUITLAND -- Wallace Foxwell turned 65 and called it quits at the job he had held for more than three decades. But like other retirees wanting to stay active, he went back to work. Foxwell, the oldest employee for the City of Fruitland, died last week from an accident doing what he knew and loved -- climbing a ladder. Fruitland's code enforcement officer and housing inspector for the last seven years would have turned 79 next Thursday. "He's been in construction work all of his life," a tearful Wanda Foxwell, of Salisbury, said of her husband. "He loved it." Her husband was inspecting a house under construction on Fruitland's East Main Street when a ladder supporting him apparently slipped, she said. A construction worker discovered Foxwell on the ground beside the ladder the morning of June 30, Fruitland City Manager Rick Pollitt said Tuesday. It was unclear whether the ladder slipped or Foxwell became ill and fell, he said. "We're speculating he might have fallen off," Pollitt said. The injury paralyzed Foxell, and he was flown by helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore from Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Wanda Foxwell said. "He could talk. We were hoping he'd get better," she said. Foxwell died two days later and the Dorchester County native was buried Monday in Cambridge, where he worked 35 years at the Charles E. Brohawn Co. construction company, his wife said Tuesday. The couple moved to Salisbury after Foxwell's 1986 retirement, renting a place for a while, then eventually building a new home. "He didn't build it himself but he checked on the builders, checked what they were doing," Wanda Foxwell said. Foxwell took a job as an inspector at George Miles and Buhr, a Salisbury architectural firm doing business with Fruitland, Pollitt said. "That's how we got to know him," he said. "We took him away." At the time, Fruitland was facing a housing boom with no housing inspector, and Foxwell stepped in part-time to fill the void, Pollitt said. Soon, he doubled as the town's code enforcement officer. "He made his own hours, usually (working) in the early morning until about noon," Pollitt said. "We were in the process of hiring a full-time code enforcement officer and have him do building inspection. We will have to re-evaluate the whole program."
Accident puts window washers in hospital; Flat tire on forklift hoisting platform causes 2 men to topple 28 feet From Staff Reports The State A window washer was in poor condition and another was fair Wednesday after the machine hoisting them at a Fort Jackson Boulevard building blew a tire and crashed to the ground. Both men, whose names were unavailable, were taken to Palmetto Health Richland. One went straight to surgery, said Columbia Police Capt. Steve Conley. The men, ages 47 and 18, fell about 28 feet, said Jim Knight, spokesman for the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. State Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating what happened. The men's employer, Innovative Building Products, of Charleston, could not be reached Wednesday. The company has not been cited for workplace violations, Knight said. The men, who were working in a basket attached to a platform, were power-washing windows about 8:30 a.m. at the building, officials said. No one connected to the investigation knew who owned the building or its use Wednesday. The forklift that held up the platform got a flat tire, Knight said, which caused the forklift to topple over. The tires were larger than those on a tractor-trailer rig. A third man, the forklift driver, was not badly hurt. He also was not identified. Knight didn't know the extent or type of injuries to the men who had been working in the basket. Everyone involved spoke Spanish, which slowed the gathering of information, Knight said. OSHA investigators relied on a Spanish-speaking Columbia police officer to get information. It could be at least five weeks before the investigation is done, Knight said.
Man dies after fall into steaming hole FAMILY, friends and colleagues gathered at the Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery yesterday for the funeral of Mr Said Husin Mohd, 50, who fell into a hole full of steaming water at a chemical plant on Wednesday. Mr Said, who worked for Kok Chang Scaffolding, was surveying a worksite at Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore when the accident happened. He suffered 70 per cent burns and died in the burns unit of Singapore General Hospital on Saturday. His wife, Madam Salmah Bee, 40, who had spent three days by her husband's bed, could not make it for his burial yesterday after she fainted at the family home in Clementi West Street 2. Her two teenage daughters had to be supported by relatives at the funeral. The hole Mr Said fell into drains water out of the plant, and was uncovered. It was just wide enough for an average man to fall through. Mr Said hit his chin against the edge of the hole as he went in. Though badly scalded, he managed to crawl out of the hole by himself. After being taken to the hospital, tere was little doctors could do but cover his burns from the neck down with a transparent membrane and sedate him. The severity of the burns made any skin graft operation impossible - there simply was no skin left on him to use for grafts. Officials from Petrochemical Corp were present at the funeral yesterday but they put the lid on questions about why there was no cover over the hole. Madam Salmah had earlier said: 'My husband had worked for 30 years without any accidents. I cannot imagine how it happened.' Some of Mr Said's colleagues who were at the funeral said the plant was fogged up with steam when he fell into the hole. One worker, Mr Zulkifli, said: 'He was screaming and screaming. It was awful. He was trying to tear at his skin because it hurt so much.' Police have classified the case as an unnatural death and are investigating.
UPDATE Firm fined 0.5m euro on death of worker Thursday, July 03 22:31:56 (BizWorld) A Galway firm has been hit with a half million euro fine following the death of a worker in an accident. The fine - the biggest ever under safety law - was imposed on Oran Precast Concrete, based in Oranmore, at the Circuit Court today. The case arose from the death of a 25 year old worker who fell nearly 10 metres to his death from the roof of a factory at Charlestown, Co Mayo, two years ago. The court was told that the man had not been given adequate safety training for the height at which he was working.
Worker killed, 14 others seriously injured in lift crash JOHOR BAHRU July 1 - An Indonesian construction worker was killed and 14 of his co-workers were seriously injured when their service lift developed brake failure and crashed to the ground from the eighth floor of the 17-storey condo block under construction at Tampoi near here Tuesday. Johor Bahru Selatan OCPD, SAC II Hashim Mohamad Yusof said some of the seriously injured suffered broken limbs and were now warded at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah here. He said the person who died at the scene was identified as 40-year-old Paidi. Speaking to Bernama, he discounted sabotage as the cause of the accident which occurred at 8.15 am. He said the service lift which operated from the outside of the building could carry about 10 people at any one time. The workers aged between 20 and 40 were going up when the accident occurred. There was a sombre mood among the Indonesian workers who gathered at the scene to ponder on the fate of their colleagues. Kempas Assemblyman Osman Sapian who visited the site said the condo block as part of the Johor Education Foundation (YPJ) Holdings privatised project and was scheduled for completion next year. Two other blocks of the Amona Condominium Project had been completed and occupied and 40 units of the block now under construction had been bought by the Johor Government for state civil servants, he said. Meanwhile a spokesman for Amona Consolidated Holdings Sdn Berhad when contacted said officials of the Occupational Safety and Health Department visited the scene and gave permission for construction work to go ahead but grounded the service lift.
Construction worker tumbles to death from ninth storey The Gazette Wednesday, June 25, 2003 Fatal fall at construction site: Second major accident in two weeks at new e-commerce project downtown. A construction worker in his 40s plunged almost 30 metres to his death Monday at the site of the Cité de la Commerce Électronique after part of a platform he was working on collapsed. The work-related death was the second major accident in two weeks at the construction site, the future home of the provincial government subsidized e-commerce complex. Urgences Santé technicians travelling south in an ambulance on Crescent St. watched the final seconds of the worker's descent before he landed in a pile of rubble. The worker, whose name has not been made public, had ventured onto a platform on the ninth floor, where the safety jacks had apparently been removed. It took several minutes to free the man from the debris. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The construction site is at the corner of René Lévesque Blvd. and Lucien L'Allier St. The Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, the provincial workplace health and safety board, has opened an investigation of the death. On June 10, a pedestrian suffered a broken leg when a load of steel pipes fell from a crane and rolled over him. After that accident, the board was called in to investigate and immediately found flaws in the safety process. The sidewalk between the crane and the construction site had not been closed to pedestrians and there were no clear markings to warn passers-by of the danger.
Construction Worker Injured In Memorial Stadium Renovation POSTED: 8:52 a.m. CDT June 20, 2003 NORMAN, Okla. -- A construction worker is in critical condition after falling 68 feet from the new second deck being built on the University of Oklahoma football stadium. Ian Cox, 19, suffered a broken back and brain swelling, officials said Thursday. Project officials said they haven't completed an investigation into the accident, but said Cox fell about 1 p.m. Wednesday while working on handrails at the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. "It was just a freak accident," said Mark Rose, a spokesman for Advanced Masonry, a subcontractor on the project.
Two injured at American Tobacco By: News 14 Carolina Staff Two men working on renovations at the American Tobacco Complex are recovering from an onsite accident. The two were on scaffolding about 15 feet in the air when part of a brick wall fell and knocked them to the ground. Both were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Tree Worker Critically Injured In 50-Foot Drop; OSHA Investigates Accident POSTED: 12:23 p.m. EDT June 19, 2003 Michigan safety officials are investigating what caused a worker to fall approximately 50 feet from a tree he was trimming. The 24-year-old Brighton man was critically injured at 8:55 a.m. Wednesday on Country Club Lane near Maple and Inkster roads, fire officials told the Oakland Press. He was working for Nelson Tree Service, and a co-worker was with him, said fire Capt. Joe Slawek. Officials aren't sure why he fell because he was wearing the necessary equipment, including a harness, ropes and spiked boots. "We really don't know what the cause of the accident was," Slawek told the paper. He was reportedly taken to William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak by fire department paramedics. Updated details on his condition were not released because of federal medical privacy law, the paper reported. The Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Bureau of Safety and Regulation, is investigating the accident.
Worker Critically Injured In 20-Foot Fall HOUSTON -- A construction worker was injured when he fell into a ditch in northeast Houston Thursday. Officials said a piece of construction equipment snapped, and a cable hit the 27-year-old man in the chest. He then fell into a 20-foot hole, according to authorities. The accident happened around noon on Dell Dale, near Wallisville. The victim, who was not identified, was transported by Lifeflight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. He is listed in critical condition. The accident is under investigation.
Man injured in fall from ladder June 19, 2003 A Giles County man was seriously injured Thursday afternoon in a 20-foot fall from a ladder. Contractor Robbie O'Malley was working on a barn in the Blue Creek area when a gust of wind knocked another worker's ladder into the ladder on which O'Malley was standing. The Giles County Ambulance Service met O'Malley on the way to Richland School and transported him to the school grounds where he was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. O'Malley suffered serious bruises, two broken wrists, a crushed left arm and several head injuries requiring 20 stitches. Doctors will decide this week if further treatment or surgery is required. O'Malley said he has received numerous calls from his friends and customers since the accident and is pleased that his employees are continuing to maintain his business obligations as he recuperates.
3 hurt in East High construction accident Three construction workers were taken by ambulance to Wesley Medical Center today after some scaffolding they were working on collapsed outside East High School. Wichita Fire Department battalion Chief Mike Menges said two of the men fell 18 to 20 feet to the ground when the wooden scaffolding gave way. The third escaped a fall but ended up with his leg pinned by some concrete blocks. Rescue crews said one worker sustained minor injuries while two others had potentially serious injuries. Their names were not immediately released. School district spokeswoman Susan Arensman said the three were working on a new gymnasium when the accident occurred about 1:30 p.m. Two workers badly burned in explosion. Two construction workers suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation this afternoon when a chemical they were using to waterproof a house ignited. "It was a big boom," said Miguel Briceno, a third construction worker who was not injured. "It threw me to the ground." The men were using a petroleum-based material to fill a crack in the back of a home, 902 N. Lawrence Lane. The material somehow ignited, caused a flash and started a fire in the back of the home, Wichita Fire Battalion Chief Mike Menges said.
UPDATE SPA WORKER KILLED IN FALL 15:00 - 17 June 2003 An Investigation is under way into the death of a Bath building company worker from a fall at the city's new spa development. Today police and the Health and Safety Executive were due to visit the city centre site for the first time since the incident to carry out an inspection. John Cox fell several feet while checking work on the £23m project, which is due to be opened in August. Mr Cox, who was born in Bath, was taken to the Royal United Hospital. But he died two weeks later of his head injuries after being transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. Mr Cox had worked for Mowlem, the spa project's main contractor, for 26 years. The 54-year-old was carrying out inspection and snagging works at the site when he fell. Det Sgt Mike Porter, who is leading the police investigation, said that they were trying to establish how Mr Cox sustained his head injury. "There are no other parties involved. We are looking at this as an industrial accident. We are simply investigating the circumstances surrounding it." An i nquest is likely to be held later this year. A spokeswoman for the HSE, the Government body responsible for workplace safety, said it was in the early stages of its investigation. "All we know at this stage is that he fell from a height of several metres and sustained serious head injuries. "There were no witnesses to the incident." Mr Cox lived for most of his life in Bath before moving to Kingswood, Bristol. He was educated at the former Westhill School, now known as Culverhay, and later worked as a carpenter. He was a member of the Exiles (Bath) Cricket Club from the age of 15. A statement from Mowlem, whose Bath-based Ernest Ireland arm is carrying out the spa work, said: "We can confirm that Arthur John Cox (known as John) has died as a result of a serious head injury suffered in an accident at our Bath spa project. "We extend our deepest sympathies to John's family and friends, particularly his wife, son and daughter." A spokesman for Bath and North East Somerset Council's spa project team said staff wanted to express their sympathy to Mr Cox's family. Mr Cox, who fell last month and died earlier this month, had been transferred from the RUH to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.
Louisiana man's fatal 1,200-foot fall investigated The Associated Press 6/17/03 1:57 PM GOEHNER, Neb. (AP) -- A faulty piece of safety equipment may have led to the death of a worker who fell 1,200 feet from a television transmission tower, the Seward County sheriff said. Carlos J. Munoz, 22, of West Monroe, La., was attached to the tower through a harness system moments before he fell, Sheriff Joe Yocum said. A piece of the harness system apparently hooked to the tower was found bent "at a disturbing angle," Yocum said Tuesday. "That definitely jumps off the page at me," he said. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration was called in to help with the investigation. Yocum said the federal investigators will be asked to help inspect and analyze the safety equipment, including the bent piece. Munoz was one of the five employees of SpectraSite Broadcast Group of Irving, Texas, who had been working on the 1,500-foot tower 30 miles west of Lincoln for the last two weeks, Yocum said. The crew had been working to reinforce the KOLN/KGIN transmission tower after a high-definition television antenna was added to it last fall, Yocum said. "We're working together with OSHA and local authorities to investigate the incident fully. We have no further comment at this time," said Noreen Allen, a spokeswoman for SpectraSite's corporate headquarters in Cary, N.C. It was the state's fourth death involving a tower accident in the last 14 months. All involved workers who were performing tasks associated with upgrading towers for high-definition television transmissions. In September, two men were killed when a 1,965-foot television tower collapsed near Hemingford as they worked reinforce it. Another man was killed in April 2002 by falling debris from a 1,524-foot tower near Bassett. In the latest accident, the victim was one of three workers who were on the tower, and two others were on the ground when the accident happened about 4:40 p.m. CDT Monday, Yocum said. "The others say the victim was attached to the tower moments before he fell," Yocum said. "We are going to focus our investigation on the harness system and safety equipment in place at the time."
Fall injures worker A worker was flown to a Baltimore trauma hospital Saturday after falling more than 15 feet off a building under construction in Parole, county police said. Nicholas Ritzer, 28, of Damascus, was taken to the Shock-Trauma Center at University Hospital, where he was in serious condition this morning, a hospital spokesman said. Mr. Ritzer and another man were putting up roofing trusses on the building at 2623 Riva Road about 11 a.m. when one broke and hit them, causing Mr. Ritzer to fall, police said. He suffered a large cut to his head, back pain and told paramedics he had diffculty feeling his lower extremities, police said. The other worker, William Manges, 30, of Emmittsburg, did not fall and declined medical treatment at the scene, police said.
Tuas shipyard employee falls to death A WORKER plummeted to his death while inspecting a ship being repaired at Singapore Technologies Marine's Tuas Shipyard on Sunday morning. Mr Sambandam Kamaraj, an Indian national, fell 16m from a raised platform and landed in an empty tank, used to hold chemicals. The ship, which has been berthed at the shipyard since the end of last month, was getting an anti-rust treatment at the time. The 31-year-old was a quality-control inspector and was doing his rounds when he fell. An ST Marine spokesman said it could not reveal how he fell because investigations were still being carried out. Mr Kamaraj was pronounced dead on the spot by paramedics. No other workers were hurt, said the spokesman. The Manpower Ministry is looking into what happened. This is the second accident reported at the Tuas shipyard this year. In March, a 33-year-old Indian national, Mr Veerasinnan Peryp Samimuthu, was crushed to death by a forklift.
UPDATE Ford fined over worker's death in paint vat Ford, the car manufacturer, has been fined £300,000 for safety failings that led to a man drowning in a vat of paint. Technical adviser Christopher Shute, 30, was trying to stop the 30-yard-long paint collector overflowing when he fell in at the Ford Transit van factory in Southampton. Mr Shute's family called on the Government to bring in a new offence of corporate killing after the sentencing at Winchester Crown Court. Two contracted managers, Peter Preston, 51, and Paul McKenzie, 55, were also fined £5,000 each for failing to ensure the safety of staff. Mr Justice Stuart McKinnon said: "This was obviously an entirely unnecessary accident and death and one which was waiting to happen." Ford and the managers admitted at an earlier hearing that they failed to provide a safe system of work under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Preston and McKenzie further admitted that Mr Shute's death in the tank was attributable to their neglect. Ford was fined £50,000 for failing to ensure the safety of its own workers and £250,000 for failing to ensure the safety of others. The company was also ordered to pay £46,688 costs.
Worker dies in fall By Michelle Muellenberg / News Staff Writer Tuesday, June 10, 2003 HUDSON -- A Plymouth construction worker died yesterday morning after suffering head injuries from a 23-foot fall at a Central Street work site. Scott Callender, 37, of 104 Brook Road, Plymouth, was taken by helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead, according to Police Chief Richard Braga. Callender worked for Barnes Building and Management Group of South Weymouth. The company declined to comment. Callender and other employees were working on the construction of a metal-framed building at 282 Central St., Braga said. Police received a call about 7 a.m. that a man had fallen. When officers arrived they found Callender lying on the ground with people trying to assist him. "He was not conscious," Braga said. Callender was working on a metal structure used in roof framing, he said. "Both my department and OSHA are investigating this matter," Braga said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officer was on hand yesterday morning, said Richard Fazzio, OSHA's area director in Methuen. "It is an ongoing inspection," he said. Fazzio did not know when the investigation would be complete and said the time varies by case. According to OSHA's Web site, Barnes Building and Management Group has not been the subject of previous accident or health investigations.
Worker grievously injured but not critical after fall written by MM News - 10 Jun, 2003 A 55-year-old man suffered grave injuries but is not in danger of dying after he fell from a height of one storey in a construction site at Qormi on Tuesday morning. The police report the man, from Naxxar, was taken to hospital by ambulance and given treatment for his grave but not critical injuries. Duty Magistrate Myiam Hayman is conducting an inquiry, while the Qormi District Police are investigating.
Worker Killed By Four-Story Fall June 10, 2003, 11:07 PM EDT A 22-year-old concrete worker fell four stories to his death through an elevator shaft Tuesday at the site of a new courthouse in the Bronx, officials said. The man, whom officials did not identify, was pouring concrete on the seventh floor of the Criminal Court site when he backed toward the shaft. He fell to the third floor, said Mary Costello, spokeswoman for Bovis Lend Lease, the site's main contractor. Ilyse Fink, a Buildings Department spokeswoman, said the shaft had the necessary safeguards. She said the worker's death was "a very, very tragic accident." No action would be taken against the contractor or site, Fink said. Antonio Martins, a project manager at J & A Concrete, which was working on the project, said the man worked there for about two months. Martins added that the man was single but a "family man." He would not elaborate. "It's a tragic accident," Martins said. "It's a little rough right now."
Monday's Fatal Mining Accident is Kentucky's Fourth A Monday morning mining accident in eastern Kentucky leaves one man dead. 49-year-old Randall Osborne of Essie, was checking an electrical sub station from a boom truck when he fell 25-feet. He was rushed to Mary Breckenridge Hospital in Leslie County where he later died. The accident occurred about 8:30am Monday morning, no other miners were injured. Pastor Chad Hensley recently grew close to mine foreman Randall Osbourne just two years ago. Osbourne was baptized and Hensley says that is giving him hope in this time of tragedy. Workers at Calvary Coal say Osbourne was in a bucket when something fell from another site and into his bucket the end result knocked him out of the bucket. As the investigation into the accident continues, the news is spreading through Osbourne's small community, as people remember him as someone that everyone loved. The Department for Mine Safety and Health Administration says its investigation into the accident is ongoing, but it is too early to know how long the investigation might last. This is Kentucky's fourth mining fatality this year.
Sugar shed worker falls 30m to his death By MALCOLM WEATHERUP 05jun03 SENIOR Walter Constructions Group executives have flown to Townsville to join investigations into a construction worker's death plunge at the city's new sugar shed. Troy Leonard Body, 27, of Cranbrook, fell 30m from the roof of the Townsville Port Authority structure on to a concrete floor just after 11.30am yesterday. Police spokesman Dave Finlay said it was believed he died instantly. Sergeant Finlay said Body was employed by subcontractor Lollo Constructions as a roofer/plumber. "No one saw the actual moment that caused him to fall but there is nothing suspicious about the circumstances," Sgt Finlay said. "He was wearing a safety harness but a co-worker had seen him walking in the roof area just before the fall, so we're assuming he was unhooked." A horrified co-worker who saw the impact was one of several to have counselling after the tragedy. Workplace Health and Safety officers started their mandatory inquiry yesterday afternoon. Australian Workers Union spokesman Rod Stockham, in Brisbane on business yesterday, said he was "shocked and saddened" by the incident. "The AWU has no safety issues regarding the sugar shed site but naturally I'll be seeking further information about the matter," Mr Stockham said. David Meek, the Queensland construction manager for the project contractors, said the company's staff and site workers were shocked and stunned by the death. "Some of the man's colleagues, first on the scene, tried to give him CPR but it was no good," Mr Meek said. "Many people are getting counselling. It's such a tragic thing." He said the company would be contacting the man's family at the appropriate time. Workers walked off the site after the accident and a meeting early this morning will vote whether to resume work today.
Qormi builder in danger of dying after falling four storeys by Charlot Zahra, di-ve news Another worker escapes life-threatening injuries after falling off a school roof in Birkirkara. COSPICUA, Malta (di-ve news) -- 03 June 2003 0945 CET -- A 42-year-old Qormi builder was still fighting for his life on Tuesday morning after falling four storeys while doing demolition works on a building at Mariano Gerada Street in Cospicua on Monday at around 1300 CET. Initial police investigations showed that the man, Joseph Debono, was pushing a stone down when he suddenly lost his balance and fell down. Civil Protection Department officials extracted the worker from the building. He was taken in an ambulance to St Luke’s Hospital, where he was certified with grievous injures and in danger of dying. Duty Magistrate Miriam Hayman was informed about the case and appointed various experts to assist her in the inquiry. The Cospicua district police are conducting the investigations on this fall. Meanwhile, a 54-year-old Balzan worker was also injured on Monday afternoon after falling three storeys while doing maintenance works on the roof of the V. Borg Brared Secondary School at Ta’ Paris, Birkirkara. He is not in danger of dying. The Birkirkara district police are conducting the investigations on this case.
Worker hurt in fall from ladder; He was helping refurbish a store at the North Hanover Mall By JOSEPH DEINLEIN For Dispatch/Sunday News Tuesday, June 03, 2003 - A medical helicopter flew a man to York Hospital yesterday after he fell 12 feet from a ladder while refurbishing a store at the North Hanover Mall. A crew foreman said Irv Smolko, 50, fell in the former Fashion Bug store about 1:10 p.m. Smolko was listed in stable condition this morning at York Hospital, said a nursing supervisor. He suffered back and facial injuries, said Hanover Fire Commissioner James Roth. Smolko was one of three people in the store, which is being converted to two smaller shops, said foreman Larry Levadnuk. The other two workers were in another area of the store and didn't see the fall, he said. Reports conflict on exactly what Smolko was doing. Levadnuk said Smolko was installing a water line and was atop a ladder. But mall manager Dirk Brown said Smolko was putting up a wall for Crown American Realty Trust, which owns the North Hanover Mall. "The rest of the accident is under investigation," Brown said. Hanover Ambulance Captain Bruce Yealy said Smolko fell through a ceiling in the store. He wasn't sure what the circumstances were. Because of the distance Smolko fell, paramedics called for a helicopter to transport him to York Hospital's trauma unit, Yealy said. Hanover Police Department and Medic 46 also were dispatched.
Town Hall fire escape proves safety hazard By Susan Nolan EXETER - A construction worker who fell through a Town Hall fire escape last week was uninjured, said town administrator George Olson. "He was holding on to the rail," said Olson. "My understanding is that he held on and that there was no injury involved," said Olson. The fire escape was roped-off immediately after the accident and was later condemned by the fire department. The construction worker was an employee of Target New England, a Wolfeboro company hired to install an elevator in the Town Hall. Olson said an engineer will assess the fire escape next week to decide whether it can be repaired, or whether it needs to be completely replaced, said Olson. In the meantime, the number of visitors to the top two floors of the Town Hall will be limited to 50 at a time, he said, because of fire-safety codes. Town officials roped-off the fire escape shortly after the worker fell through the structure on Thursday, May 22, Assistant Fire Chief Kenneth Berkenbush said Wednesday. Berkenbush said he walked by the Town Hall shortly after the incident and noticed the area in question. He said he evaluated the fire escape and found it to be unsafe. "It had already been roped-off by, I believe, (town maintenance supervisor) Kevin Smart," said Berkenbush. "The rest of the stairs looked as if they may be in need of repair," he said. Since it did not meet the life-safety codes, he had no choice but to condemn it, said Berkenbush, who is the town’s fire prevention officer. Funds for the elevator installation - $40,000 - were approved by voters at Town Meeting in 2002. The remainder of the $100,000 cost was raised by the Exeter Arts Committee through private donations and grants. The arts committee uses the second floor of the Town Hall for art exhibitions. Olson said the Exeter Art Association puts on "a variety of shows throughout the year" and that limited access to the art room in the Town Hall will interfere with that activity. "That is going to be a problem," said Olson. Olson said a rumor that the worker was advised not to file a worker’s compensation form was untrue, as far as he knew. Voters this year approved funding to replace Town Hall furnaces, windows, gutters and downspouts, said Olson.
Amish Worker Killed (Smicksburg-AP) June 3, 2003 — Officials say a 22-year-old Amish man working on a house demolition project was killed when a window he was trying to remove broke loose. The Indiana County Deputy Coroner says the man fell about 16 feet to the ground and the window crashed on top of him. The man died Saturday. Deputy coroner Michael Baker won't release the man's name because his family raised religious objections. But Baker says he was from the Smicksburg area, where many Amish families live.
Construction worker dies after fall June 3, 2003 A 60-year-old construction worker died Monday afternoon after falling two stories from a ledge at a construction site on Hungerford Drive in Rockville, county and city officials said. The man, Jose Francisco Reyes of Langley Park, would have turned 61 Saturday. He was installing a safety rail when he lost his footing and fell onto a concrete floor below, Rockville Police Chief Terrance N. Treschuk said. Work was temporarily halted at the site of Archstone at Rockville Town Center, a 221-unit rental complex just south of the new Giant grocery store and Rockville City Centre shopping plaza. Reyes was declared dead at the scene after suffering massive head trauma, county police spokesman Officer Derek Baliles said. Officials with the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health division are investigating the incident, Baliles said, but county homicide detectives have determined "there does not appear to be anything suspicious." Bethesda-based Clark Construction is the general contractor for the project, said Jim Wasilak, chief of long-range planning for the City of Rockville. A spokeswoman for Clarke Construction did not return a call Tuesday.
UPDATE High Court compensation award for roof fall victim Peter Bieliauskas, 51, has been awarded more than £1,000,000 at the High Court in compensation for his loss resulting from injuries sustained in a roof fall during August 2000 at his Midlands employer's boat building premises in Stoke Prior. His brain injury has placed severe limitations on his life. Mr Bieliauskas had been inspecting the roof when he fell through a skylight. Previously, employers J L Pinder and Sons were prosecuted for breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company operated without employers’ liability insurance and ultimately its landlord's insurance company met the settlement without liability being admitted.
Ulsterman dies in New York accident A Co Down man has died after a fall in Brooklyn, New York. Lee Keenan, 27, who hailed from Mayobridge, died after falling six stories from a scaffolding at a residential building in Brooklyn on Saturday May 17, New York police said. "Mr Keenan appeared to have slipped," said Detective Mike Wokowski, at the 83rd precinct in Brooklyn. "Mr Keenan fell six stories from a scaffolding on Central Avenue and Noll street in Brooklyn at 8:15am. The medical examiner pronounced him dead on arrival at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn. Mr Keenan, who was a construction worker for Hickey Construction, lived in the Irish neighbourhood of Maspeth in Queens. His funeral took place in Queens on Monday and the body arrived in Ireland on Tuesday. Relatives had flown to New York to claim the body. The family will be making arrangements to have him buried closer to home. Mr Keenan was well known in the Irish community, said John Guiney a local footballer. New York police have concluded the incident was an accident but an investigation into the safety on the site is continuing. The Department of Buildings Inspectors has visited the site. Hickey Construction was unavailable for comment.
Fall from roof kills worker By Deuce Niven Correspondent TABOR CITY - A man working on the roof of the former Planter's Tobacco Warehouse died of injuries suffered when he fell through a skylight Tuesday morning. The worker, who was from Mexico, had not been identified as of late Tuesday, police Chief Roy Norris said. "This looks to be an accident, nothing criminal," Norris said. Rodriguez was taken to Loris Community Hospital, where he died. Columbus County Coroner Lynwood Cartrette said he would not investigate the death. A group of investors - Kyle Cox, Trent Burroughs, and lawyer Dennis Worley - recently purchased the warehouse and is renovating it, Burroughs said last week.
Roofer hurt in fall BY LUISA YANEZ A roofer was seriously injured Tuesday when he fell four stories from the top of a building at Florida International University's south campus. The unidentified worker is an employee of a Broward County company contracted to fix the roof of a campus building that houses classrooms and offices, according to a university spokeswoman. Classes were in session at the time of the 2 p.m. accident at the DM building at the corner of Southwest Eighth Street and 112th Avenue. Miami-Dade fire rescue transported the worker to an area hospital. His condition is unknown.
Man injured in fall by di-ve news MOSTA, Malta (di-ve news) -- 20 May 2003 - 1005CET --A 44-year-old man suffered leg fractures after he fell a height of one storey while conducting maintenance works in Mosta, the police said. The accident happened after the man from Valletta, slipped from a ladder. The victim was rushed to St Luke’s Hospital. Further investigations to establish the cause of the accident are being conducted by the district police.
UPDATE California Adventure worker dies The Orange County Register A California Adventure stage technician who fell while testing the special effects for the show "Aladdin" died Sunday, the Orange County Coroner's Office reported. Christopher Bowman, 36, of Temple City fell on April 22, suffering severe head injuries. He had been unconscious at UCI Medical Center ever since, said Supervising Deputy Joseph Luckey at the coroner's office. The coroner is scheduled to perform an autopsy today, Luckey said. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health began an investigation immediately after the accident and is expected to release its findings soon. "Disney's Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular'' has played to mostly packed audiences since opening Jan. 16. The accident happened at the Hyperion Theater in California Adventure. Bowman was in a safety harness at about 6 a.m., testing special effects for the magic carpet portion of the show.
Construction Worker Dies After Falling From Scaffolding (New York-AP, May 17, 2003) — A 27-year-old construction worker died Saturday when he fell six stories off scaffolding at a residential building in Brooklyn, police said. Lee Keenan of Maspeth, Queens, appeared to have slipped, said Carmen Melendez, a police department spokeswoman. Keenan was pronounced dead on arrival at Woodhull Hospital at 9:10 a.m., less than an hour after the fall. The incident occurred in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. No other injuries were reported, Melendez said. UPDATE Crane-hire company fined for worklace death that was 'wholly avoidable' Robert Grant, an employee of Rumney Crane and Engineering Ltd, Rumney, S.Wales, lost his life in what a Welsh judge described as a "wholly avoidable accident" in March last year. Mr Grant died from injuries he sustained in a 10-metre fall from a crane at his employer's premises as he undertook electrical work. The company admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in the circumstances of Mr Grant's death and was fined £15,000 with £1,266 costs at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. Steve Scott, HSE Principal Inspector commented: "Wearing a suitable safety harness would undoubtedly have saved Mr Grant's life. Firms whose employees work at height should operate the 'two-metre rule'. In essence, workers should not work within 2 metres of an open edge from which they might fall more than 2 metres unless appropriate precautions have been taken."
Man survives 30-foot fall Friday, May 16, 2003 By Zeb Carabello GILROY - An Eagle Ridge construction worker suffered minor internal head injuries Thursday afternoon when a bridge structure he was working on collapsed, sending the man on a 30 foot free fall into a trickling creek. The worker was Francisco Torres, 44, according to Torres’ work partner, who declined to give his name. Rescue crews arrived on the scene around 3:30 p.m. at the south end of Eagle Ridge Court near Bullybunion Drive where Torres fell, eventually pulling him out of the creek and transporting him a quarter mile up the road by ambulance where he was met with a helicopter ambulance that transported him to a Santa Clara Valley hospital. Rescue workers on the scene said Torres was lucky to have full body motion and did not appear to suffer paralysis, and Torres was released from the hospital this morning. “I was on one side of the bridge and Francisco was on the other when it just collapsed,” said Torres’ co-worker. “I saw him and all the materials fall and he was just laying there not saying anything. When I got down there blood was coming out his ears.” Shapell Industries is the developer of the Eagle Ridge area, although several separate construction contractors are believed to be building within the division. When contacted this morning a Shapell official said she was not aware of the accident or which construction company employed Torres.
Worker slips, falls, is killed by truck By SUZANNAH GONZALES, Times Staff Writer HERNANDO - A worker for FDS Disposal Inc. was killed Thursday afternoon when he jumped off a garbage truck, slipped and fell to the ground and then was run over by the truck, authorities said. The accident happened in the Hernando City Heights neighborhood east of U.S. 41 between Inverness and Hernando. The Florida Highway Patrol, which is handling the investigation, did not release the names or ages of the victim or others involved. The man's next of kin had not yet been notified, an FHP trooper said Thursday afternoon. While one man drove the truck, two others - including the victim - rode on the back, FHP trooper Jamie Mulverhill said. The man jumped off when the truck was near Hawaii Lane and Arkansas Terrace. Dispatchers received the call at 2:17 p.m., according to Citrus County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gail Tierney. The first deputy arrived seven minutes later. Following the accident, sheriff's officials cordoned off about half a block of Arkansas while the white garbage truck remained parked on Hawaii. A covered body and a red cap lay on the ground in front of it. It was "a total accident," said a tearful FDS Disposal Inc. owner, Ina Ray, who was at the scene. "Just a total, stupid accident."
Window Washers Die After Fall; Rope System Gives Way As Men Start Work May 15, 2003 Story by Boston Channel BOSTON -- Two window washers died Thursday after falling from a building in Boston's Government Center. NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported that the workers fell from the roof of 2 Center Plaza at about 9:30 a.m. just as they were about to begin work. Both men, who work for UNICCO, were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The cleaning company they worked for identified the victims as a 20-year-old from El Salvador and a 47-year-old, whose address is unknown. The workers were on the roof, seven stories high, when something went wrong. "All of a sudden I just heard this crash. I looked up and saw a man lying there with something on top of him. I know that something awful had happened," dental assistant Kim Nichols said. Dr. Ronit Smolyar rushed out of her office. "All the co-workers were hovering over them and trying to help. They were pretty badly injured. One of them was not breathing and he had no pulse," Somlyar. Smolyar said that the other man was able to talk after she performed CPR on him. "I said, 'Are you OK?' He said, 'I am OK,'" The men were about to start cleaning the windows, using a roping system to lower themselves down the side of the building. "I believe that they were just starting. OSHA is here and they are going to investigate," Boston Fire Department District Chief Edward Lorenz said. "We offer our deepest concern and sympathy for the two workers and their familes. We are working hard to find out what happened today," a UNICCO spokesperson said in a statement.
Worker Falls At Soldier Field; Suffers Head Injury After Landing On Head May 14, 2003 CHICAGO -- A construction worker was hospitalized Wednesday night after falling 8 feet while working on the renovations to Soldier Field. The accident happened just before 11 a.m. The worker suffered lacerations to the head after falling on his head. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where a representative said he was in stable condition Wednesday night.
OSHA proposes $49,300 fine for Panhandle bridge worker's death The Associated Press 5/14/03 3:30 PM PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- Federal officials have proposed that two construction companies be fined $49,300 for alleged safety violations found after a bridge worker fell 90 feet to his death. Richard Martin James, 33, of Fountain, hit part of the bridge on the way down before falling into St. Andrew Bay on Dec. 14. The eight-lane bridge on U.S. 98 is expected to be completed later this year. It will replace an existing four-lane bridge connecting Panama City and Panama City Beach. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking fines of $29,000 against Granite Construction Co. of Watsonville, Calif., and $20,300 against Granite-Rizzani de Echer, a joint venture between Granite and an Italian company. OSHA investigators found two violations contributed to the death: failure to properly secure ladders and lack of proper equipment to prevent falls such as safety harnesses or guard rails, said James Borders, the agency's Jacksonville area director. Borders said six other violations unrelated to the death were discovered including the lack of a facility where workers could wash corrosive materials from their eyes, tripping hazards and exposed steel rods that could impale a falling worker. All of been corrected, Borders said. The companies have 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed fines before an independent review commission. Granite spokesman Michael Lawson said his company, the senior partner in the joint venture, will decide how to respond after meeting with Borders some time before the deadline.
Worker killed after falling inside water tower (Willard, Ohio-AP, May 14, 2003, 7:30 a.m.) A Michigan man who was inspecting and repairing a water tower in Ohio fell to his death inside the empty tank. Willard fire Chief Richard Myers says Ken Benson fell from an opening into the tank and was pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday. Benson worked for a company based in Lake Odessa. His hometown wasn't available. Myers says it took rescue teams two-and-a-half hours to recover the body. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death. Willard is about 60 miles southwest of Cleveland.
Man injured in fall at mine msggil GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) - A man was slightly injured after falling about 7 feet from a shovel at the North Antelope-Rochelle coal mine. The accident Friday morning was the second this month involving a P&H Minepro employee in Campbell County. On May 1, Richard Koch, 53, was burned when a cutting torch ignited a patch of grease at Belle Ayr mine. The identity of the man injured Friday was not released. He was taken to Campbell County Memorial Hospital with shoulder pain, according to officials with Peabody Energy, operator of the mine south of Wright. P&H Minepro is a contractor at the mine. A P&H Minepro official could not be reached for comment.
Freight Worker Falls Off Ship, Drowns; Man Fell Into San Diego Bay May 12, 2003 SAN DIEGO -- A worker fell off a cargo ship moored at a Barrio Logan wharf and drowned Monday, authorities said. Fredrick Bolo, 33, plunged into San Diego Bay at the 10th Avenue Terminal waterfront shortly before noon, a dispatcher said. A harbor police crew in a speedboat pulled the victim out of the water and took him to a nearby dock, where medics tried to revive him. Bolo had been working on the Cyprus-based ship for a month.
Worker hospitalized after fall from Davenport construction site UPDATED: 5/13/03 1:59 PM DAVENPORT – A worker is hospitalized after he fell from the roof of the Super Wal-Mart under construction in Davenport. Jose Martinez, 26, was working at the site of the new store in the 3100 block of West Kimberly Road. He apparently was lifting some building materials and stepped onto an unsupported area of the roof. Martinez fell 22 feet onto concrete. He was taken to Genesis East, and later flown to University Hospitals in Iowa City. There is no word on his condition at last report.
Worker seriously injured Staff Reporter A worker was seriously injured yesterday after he fell off a wooden plank two-and-a-half storeys up, police said yesterday. The 34-year-old Syrian worker, from St Paul’s Bay, who was carrying out plastering and painting work in an office in Zachary Street, fell into an internal yard. The accident, which took place at around 3pm, happened after the plank became dislodged, police said. Valletta police are investigating.
Construction Worker Loses Leg May 9, 2003 Memphis, TN - A construction worker is hospitalized this afternoon after falling 75 feet and losing a leg in the process. The accident happened near Chelsea and Well Station roads in northeast Memphis. The construction worker is identified as 48-year old Galdino Santiana. He is recovering at the Med. Santiana worked for White Contracting. He was a part of a work crew putting a tunnel under a railroad track on Wells Station. The owner of the company says he severed the part of his left leg near his ankle. The worker was flown to the med in critical condition along with his amputated leg. Doctors are working to see if it can be reattached.
UPDATE OSHA cites firm for alleged safety violations By Christine Gillette NEW CASTLE - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will fine a Portsmouth contractor $57,100 in connection with a worker’s four-story fall at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel. Courtcon Inc., of Portsmouth - an affiliate of Ocean Properties, the company that owns the Wentworth - is being cited by OSHA for what the agency called "alleged willful, repeat and serious violations" of safety laws. The citation for a willful workplace hazard, carrying a proposed fine of $49,000, is for circumstances surrounding the January fall of a Courtcon worker that resulted in serious injuries. The worker fell 40 to 50 feet and required hospitalization, said David May, OSHA’s New Hampshire area director. The accident occurred when Courtcon was using a forklift to raise a pallet of material to a wall opening for transfer into the building, according to OSHA. An employee removing material from the pallet fell when that material shifted unexpectedly. The citation was issued, May said, because the worker should have been ted or secured against a potentially fatal fall. "When you’re working close to an edge or open wall or floor, you either need something like a guard in front of you. Probably the best thing they could have done was use a safety harness," May said. "They didn’t have or were not using that equipment for the operation." The citation is classed as willful, defined by OSHA as "one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations." While neither OSHA nor Ocean Properties officials would detail the extent of the injuries suffered, the worker has not returned to work since the accident and is undergoing physical rehabilitation, Richard Ade, Ocean Properties chief financial officer, said Thursday. "He’s presently in therapy. Our benefits person spoke to his sister just this past Monday and he seemed to be doing well," Ade said. "It was an unfortunate accident. We’ve done what we can think to assist him and the timing for OSHA is just coincidence, I guess." The historic hotel is scheduled to reopen on May 15. In addition to the citation issued in connection to the fall, OSHA is proposing additional fines for other violations, $5,100 for an exposed electrical panel and fall hazards associated with misuse of stepladders and failure to train employees in their safe use, and $3,000 for an alleged repeat violation for improper storage of oxygen and acetylene cylinders. Courtcon was cited in August 2002 for what OSHA called a "substantially similar hazard" at the same site. Courtcon has 15 days to appeal the proposed fines or request an informal conference with OSHA to discuss the penalties. Ade said no decision has been made yet on whether the company will appeal. "I just got copies of (the citations) today," he said. "We haven’t yet had a chance to review them. After we have some time to review them, we’ll decide which way we’ll respond." Courtcon is a safe company to work for, Ade said. "We make every effort to have a safe work environment, to abide by OSHA rules. Construction sites at some times have some risks and we try to mitigate them the best we can."
£75,000 fine for Imperial Museum worker death firm Following the death of a worker in 1998 from scaffolding erected around the Imperial War Museum in London, the steel erection company responsible has been fined £75,000, it has been announced. One of UK’s largest steel erection companies, William Hare Limited of Bury, Lancashire, was fined yesterday after Norwich-based scaffolder Brian Knights fell to his death in April five years ago. Knights and another man, Richard Bartram who escaped serious injury, had been standing on a wooden staging board resting on two horizontal steel beams, 13 metres above the ground. They were retrieving a ladder that gave access to the top of a column of scaffolding where steel channels had been bolted into position a few days earlier. The board became unbalanced and tipped both men off. William Hare pleaded guilty to breaching section 21 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states that, ‘It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of al his employees.’ Inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that the scaffolding had not been constructed well enough to cover the erection of steel channels. This had led to the firm bodging together a makeshift system: ‘This dreadful accident has highlighted the need for the most detailed planning and preparation for all high-risk activities such as steel erection. This accident could have been avoided if the company had specified a safe system of work undertaken with suitable supervision,’ he said. The prosecution is a positive action for the HSE which is currently the target of a National Audit Office investigation into whether the safety body is using public money wisely in combating deaths in the construction industry. In 2001-02, 79 workers were killed in the construction industry, the highest contribution of any sector out of the total 249 worker deaths the UK. A further 4,700 construction workers suffered serious injuries, and many more suffered and died from long-term health effects such as musculoskeletal disorders: ‘Our examination will focus on whether the Health and Safety Executive has effective strategies in place to secure improvements in the health and safety record of the construction industry and what effect the strategies are having,’ say the NAO.
Workmates rescue stricken steelworker 09 May 2003 By BERNIE NAPP A steelworker suffering convulsions high up scaffolding in Wellington was saved by workmates and elite rescue crews. "He tripped on a piece of scaffolding tubing. He reached out to break his fall, grabbed at the rails of the protective barrier, missed that – he struck the side of his head or neck on the bottom rail," Sergeant Andrzej Kowalczyk, of Wellington, said yesterday. The man had a seizure and started writhing toward the edge of the Victoria University construction site platform. Two Atco Steel co-workers then held him down to stop him falling several metres on to Kelburn Pde, Mr Kowalczyk said. Police interviewed two people who saw the accident at 8.50am at the Easterfield Building where a new entrance is being built. Occupational Safety and Health will investigate. Wellington Free Ambulance Rescue Squad members and Fire Service officers fastened the man into a fibreglass stretcher and lowered it on secured ropes to a waiting ambulance for transport to Wellington Hospital. Rescue Squad leader Wayne Gray said rope techniques were used in only a few emergency operations in Wellington each year. "We told him to keep his hands together on the way down so he wouldn't snag on anything. He was conscious enough to know what he was doing." The managing director of university contractor McKee Fehl, Maurice Clark, said the man, a sub-contracted rigger from Atco Steel, had been working on a a canopy for the new entrance. The man had fainted, rather than tripped, Mr Clark had been told. Seizures in such events were not unusual. The patient was expected to be discharged from hospital. Victoria University public affairs director Jude Urlich said the new entrance was part of a $14 million campus upgrade.
Two workers hurt in A.C. scaffold collapse By BRIDGET MURPHY Staff Writer, (609) 272-7257, E-Mail ATLANTIC CITY - Two construction workers were injured Wednesday when a scaffold collapsed beneath them as they were repairing brick work on a South Pennsylvania Avenue office building. Authorities said one man suffered a compound leg fracture and the other may have broken both his ankles. The incident happened just before 3:30 p.m. at 26 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Construction worker Phil Crites said his two colleagues were on ladders atop the scaffold and fell about 25 to 30 feet to the ground as he watched in horror. "We were just about to pack up," said Crites, 20, of Ocean City, who has a phobia about working on ladders. "That's why they left me on the ground. They know I hate ladders. Now they know why." Firefighters and medics responded to the scene, giving the victims oxygen while securing them to backboards and stretchers. Both victims were conscious. A bloody white sock, a baseball cap and two work boots lay among the broken pieces of red scaffold authorities secured behind police tape while waiting for investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who probe construction accidents, to arrive at the scene. Crites identified one of the victims as his cousin, 39-year-old Jim Waterman, of Somers Point, who owns the company, Waterman Plastering, that was doing the brick-repair job. The other victim, who also appeared to be in his late 30s, he knew only as "Danny." Authorities couldn't immediately provide the victims' names or ages. Acting Fire Battalion Chief Bob Palamaro said it appeared as though the accident was caused by the force of the ladders pushing against the building while they were on top of the scaffold, but that further investigation is necessary. The three-story brick office building houses several businesses, including an accounting firm, law offices and the Civil Rights Division of the state Department of Law and Public Safety. It was unclear Wednesday who had contracted for the construction work.
Worker may have incurred spinal injury Aworker who was installing Sheetrock in a new housing development in Salinas fell Wednesday and may have suffered a spinal injury. The 22-year-old was contracted to work on the Creekbridge development near the Twin Creek Golf Course off Constitution Boulevard. He apparently lost his balance and fell backward on to a pile of Sheetrock, said Salinas firefighter paramedic Paul Fenwick. The man, whose name and employer were not released, told paramedics he could not feel anything below his diaphragm. A helicopter was called to rush the man to Valley Medical Center in Santa Clara, Fenwick said.
Worker dies in fall By MAZEN MAHDI MANAMA A Bangladeshi worker was killed when he fell from the second storey of a building under construction in Juffair yesterday. Joynal Miah Abdul Kadir, 26, fell at about 9.15am and was taken by his co-workers to Salmaniya Medical Complex, where he died at about 10am. Friends said Mr Kadir was unmarried and had worked in Bahrain for over a year. Labour and Social Affairs Ministry safety inspectors later visited the site. Bangladeshi Embassy officials are reportedly co-ordinating with the employer and the ministry to send the body home.
Workers hurt in 2 accidents; Falls leave 1 man in critical condition Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic May. 6, 2003 12:00 AM Four Valley workers were injured Monday in unrelated accidents about 90 minutes apart in Peoria and Anthem. One was rescued by firefighters after a 25-foot fall from scaffolding at a job site in north Peoria. Tino Patterson, 40, suffered head injuries after plunging to the bottom of a hillside concrete reservoir. He was flown to a Phoenix hospital, where he later was reported in critical condition in the intensive care unit. In Anthem, two workers fell 20 feet when roof trusses gave way about 8 a.m. at an Ace Hardware store under construction. A third worker on the ground was injured when he was struck by one of the falling trusses, officials said. The male workers, whose names were not released, were taken to Phoenix hospitals with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, said Dave Nielsen, a captain for the Daisy Mountain Fire District. One of the workers broke both of his feet when he landed on the ground, said Bob Rohn, regional vice president for RAS Builders Inc., a Phoenix firm that is the general contractor for the Ace Hardware project. The three injured workers are employed by BPR & Sons, a subcontractor, he said. Officials at the Phoenix firm could not be reached. Darin Perkins, director of the state Occupational Safety and Health Division, said BPR received safety citations last year for failure to build a guardrail on scaffolding and failure to instruct employees. The citations resulted in two $1,875 fines. An investigation has been launched into both accidents, Perkins said. It may take at least two months to complete the probes, he said. Both mishaps underscored the danger of falls, the second leading cause of industrial deaths in Arizona. OSHA investigated 94 workplace deaths in Arizona in the two-year period ending Dec. 31. Falls accounted for nine deaths. Thirty-two died from being crushed or struck by an object, the leading cause. The others died from electrocution and other causes. In north Peoria, Patterson, the fall victim, was breathing on his own when firefighters got to him, said Tom Pendley, a Peoria fire captain. "He was moving and awake, but he wasn't talking to us," Pendley said. "That's typical in a head-injury situation." Firefighters used ropes, a basket and a construction crane to raise Patterson to the top of the reservoir, then into a waiting rescue helicopter. The industrial accident took place at a reservoir near 91st Avenue and Jomax Road that will serve WestWing Mountain, a master-planned community. Archon Inc., a Gilbert firm, is the general contractor for the project. Patterson was identified as a worker for a Gilbert subcontractor, Waco Scaffolding & Equipment. Jeff Dangel, a Waco branch manager, declined comment on the mishap, but added, "We're just praying that all goes well for Tino and that he has a speedy recovery." Perkins of OSHA said Waco was last investigated in July 2001 but had no citations.
Worker Hospitalized After Falling From Roof A construction worker was injured Monday morning when he fell from the roof of Rice Creek Elementary School at 4751 Hard Scrabble Road, said George Rice, spokesman for Richland County Emergency Services. The worker, whose identity wasn't immediately known, was taken to Palmetto Health Richland where he was listed Monday in good condition, Rice said. Details about the accident at the Richland 2 school were unavailable Monday.
Workers Hurt in Scaffolding Collapse May 6, 2003 12:19 pm US/Eastern Moon Twp (KDKA) A construction accident in Moon Township this morning has sent three workers to the hospital. The men were injured when the scaffolding they were working on at the Forest Glenn Apartments -- near Moon Township High School collapsed shortly before noon. Two of the workers have been flown to an area hospital. The third was taken by ambulance to another hospital. Officials have not commented on their identities or the extent of their injuries.
Welder Killed In Fall at Plant A welder fell 89 feet to his death Monday night while working at a Florida Power Corp. plant, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. Jerry Alan Giddens, 49, of Dover, died before he could be taken to a hospital, sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Wood said. The incident occurred near a shift change about 6:20 p.m. at the plant on County Road 555. Giddens was welding at a boiler and fell from a catwalk, Wood said. One person saw Giddens fall. Officials were investigating the fall as an accident, Wood said. There are two power plants, Hines Energy Block I and II, on the 8,200 acre-site south of Bartow. Wood said Giddens worked for Gemma Power Systems, a contractor for the plant.
Man Dies In Elevator Fall By Jeremy Olshan April 30, 2003, 10:43 PM EDT A maintenance worker in a Brooklyn apartment building was killed in an elevator accident just days after he warned it would take a tragedy to prompt the owner to fix chronic problems with the elevators, neighbors and officials said Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding the death of Juan Febus, 59, of South Ozone Park, remained murky Wednesday. He got on the elevator on the 14th floor about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday and it apparently plunged down the shaft, decapitating him, officials said. City officials said the building at 216 Rockaway Ave. in East New York had a history of complaints about its four elevators, but they could offer few details. Building residents said they were lucky when two of the four were working on the same day. "We are still investigating it," said Ilyse Fink, a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings. "There are outstanding penalties of $10,000 assessed against the building because of problems with elevators." It was unclear Wednesday who owned the apartment house, according to the bldings department, and a search of land records by Newsday was inconclusive. Febus had been the building's maintenance man for 23 years and was well-liked by the tenants. "We've been complaining about this for 20 years," said Josephine Jackson, a longtime tenant. "On Saturday Febus said to me it would take a tragedy before anything would be done about this. "Unfortunately, he was right," Jackson said. Febus' son, Camilo Febus, said he was "going to see to it that this does not happen to anyone else." "First, we are going to take my father to Puerto Rico [for burial]. Then we will pursue legal action," said Camilo Febus, who worked in the building with his father for 14 years before leaving to become a ballroom dance instructor. Most tenants said they had already been doing their best to avoid using the elevators. As the elevators descend they slow and occasionally stop between floors. Several tenants said they have been stuck in the elevators, and now always make sure to bring their cell phones. "I live on the 15th floor, but I always go straight for the stairs," said Cassandra Russell. "Now it isn't even a question." In the basement, at the doorway to the elevator shaft, tenants placed two candles and a Puerto Rican flag in memory of Febus Wednesday.
Man in critical condition after scaffolding fall By LARRY LUNNIN April 15, 2003 A 38-year-old man working at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was in critical condition after falling from scaffolding that collapsed Monday afternoon. UNL Police Sgt. Douglas Petersen said Guillemo Castillo, an employee of Gagner Construction, fell from a set of scaffolding set up at Woods Hall while other employees were trying to move it. Castillo toppled into a stairwell when one of the scaffolding's bars jarred loose, he said. Van Vuong was working at the service desk when she heard about the accident. According Vuong, a junior art and math major, the falling scaffolding broke out a window at Woods Hall and prompted several employees inside to run to Castillo's aid. "It looks like (the scaffolding) just swung around," she said. To make matters worse, Vuong said, the ambulance might have had trouble finding the building. Woods Hall, home to the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, is not as well-known as other buildings on campus, she said. Petersen said Castillo was conscious when help arrived. But he was taken to BryanLGH Medical Center West for emergency surgery after suffering a fractured skull from the fall. Vuong said the injuries seemed serious. "When they carried him away it did not look like he was moving at all," she said.
UPDATE Fatal fall at Fairmount accidental STEVE HORRELL , Of the Intelligencer 04/25/2003 The death of a 26-year-old man who stepped off the edge of the grandstand roof at Fairmount Park Raceway and fell 30 feet to the sidewalk was ruled an accident Wednesday by a Madison County coroner's jury. Marty Nesbitt, of St. Louis, died on the afternoon of March 15 as he measured a part of the northeast corner of the grandstand roof at the raceway in Collinsville. He had been working for the EZJ Construction Co., of Salem, Mo., along with eight other workers who were measuring the roof and laying PVC pipe. Six of the roofers were on a nearby section as Nesbitt and another man were working together. Nesbitt's partner told Collinsville Police Detective Rich Wittenauer that just before the accident, Nesbitt had grabbed one end of the tape and walked to the edge of the roof, about 50 feet away. "He said he noticed the tape coming toward him and Marty was no longer there," Wittenauer testified. None of the workers say they saw Nesbitt fall. Wittenauer investigated the scene and said he noticed what appeared to e handprints at the edge of the roof which Nesbitt grabbed in a futile attempt to save himself. His body was found prone on the asphalt sidewalk below. Later, Wittenauer interviewed Larry Gill, a foreman for EZJ, who confirmed that Nesbitt was not wearing a safety harness at the time. Nesbitt had not been working close enough to the edge for the company to consider using a monitor who could have warned him when he got too close to the edge, Gill told Wittenauer. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death to determine whether a monitor should have been used. Nesbitt began working for EZJ six months ago after his release from the military. A toxicology test showed no alcohol in Nesbitt's system. Madison County Deputy Coroner Ralph Baahlmann said that at some point prior to the accident Nesbitt had used marijuana and that he may have been under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident.
Disney 'Aladdin' Technician Falls 42 Feet While Testing Special Effects UPDATED: 8:04 a.m. PDT April 24, 2003 ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A technician testing special effects for "Disney's Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular," fell 42 feet to the stage and was hospitalized in critical condition, a Disney spokeswoman said. The 36-year-old employee, whose name was withheld by Disney, was taken to the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center where he was in critical condition, Disney spokeswoman Sondra Haley told The Orange County Register. The worker was in a safety harness at about 6 a.m. Tuesday as he tested special effects. Disney does not know what caused the fall, Haley said. alls by The Associated Press after business hours Wednesday to the Walt Disney Co. in Burbank and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts LLC in Anaheim were not immediately returned. Technicians work for about five hours to prepare the theater for "Aladdin," which brings the Disney animated movie to the stage. The show at The Hyperion Theater inside Disney's California Adventure theme park was shut down after Tuesday's accident, but reopened Wednesday. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has begun an investigation, and division spokesman Dean Fryer said investigators would concentrate on whether there was "fall protection" and adequate training. The state will release a conclusion in about three months, Fryer said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow cast member and his family," said Cynthia Harriss, president of The Disneyland Resort. The Hyperion Theater holds 1,899 people. "Aladdin," which opened Jan. 16, is performed two to three times daily. The show is the first production under the artistic direction of New York theater expert Anne Hamburger.
Expatriate falls to death from crane in Hulhumale Tuesday, 22 April 2003 MALE, April 22 (HNS) - An expatriate worker from Thailand died Monday after falling from a crane in Hulhumale. The accident occurred around 11:00am in the mega-island that is being reclaimed in the lagoon of Hulhule which houses the Male International Airport. The Thai expatriate was a worker involved in road construction in Hulhumale, according to officials. Road construction in Hulhumale is subcontracted to the Thai company, Italian-Thai Developers Public Limited. The private ADK Hospital in Male, where the injured man was taken to be treated, pronounced him dead on arrival. A witness told Haveeru that the man received severe injuries to his head when he fell and that blood gushed out of his ears. “He immediately lost his consciousness. There was blood everywhere on the boat” in which he was brought to Male, the witness told Haveeru. It is not established how high the crane was, on whose top the expatriate was working when he fell.
UPDATE OSHA Cites Florida Contractors for Exposing Workers To Fall Hazards That Led to Fatal Accident FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited two contractors for failing to protect workers from fall hazards at a Jensen Beach job site. The agency issued citations, with proposed penalties totaling $158,500, to Continental Painting, Waterproofing & Restoration, Inc., and one citation, with a proposed penalty of $2,500, to Safway Steel Products, Inc. Continental employees were replacing balconies and restoring the exterior stucco of two ten-story condominium buildings on South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, when the fatal accident occurred. Safway Steel provided the scaffolding systems for the project. On Oct. 17, in preparation for the installation of balcony rails, a Continental employee was drilling holes in the new concrete floor of a balcony when he fell seven stories to the ground. He died later that day at a trauma center. "OSHA's safety standards for fall protection are designed to prevent a tragedy such as this," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "We are proposing the maximum penalties in this case, because Continental has been cited in the past for similar violations." According to Luis Santiago, OSHA's area director in Ft. Lauderdale, the agency issued five repeat citations to Hollywood-based Continenal Painting, Waterproofing & Restoration. One, directly related to the accident, carries a proposed penalty of $35,000 for failing to provide workers with proper fall protection equipment. The others, each with a proposed penalty of $25,000, cited the company's failure to provide workers with appropriate personal protective equipment and scaffolding with proper fall arrest systems and guardrails. A repeat citation is issued when a company has been cited previously for a substantially similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company received citations for other alleged serious safety violations, with $23,500 in proposed penalties. Safway Steel Products, Inc., received a serious citation, with a proposed penalty of $2,500, for failing to properly install the suspension scaffolds. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known. The companies have 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection of the work site was conducted by OSHA's Ft. Lauderdale office at the Jacaranda Executive Court, 8040 Peters Rd., Bldg. H-100; phone: (954) 424-0242. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov .
UPDATE OWSJ Supplies Ltd. fined $50,000 for health and safety violation TORONTO, April 8 /CNW/ - OWSJ Supplies Ltd., a Mississauga, Ont.-based supplier of structural steel for industrial buildings, was fined $50,000 on April 4, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in injuries to two workers at a construction site in Toronto's north end. On December 22, 1999, two ironworkers were positioning roof decking on top of a steel structure when a section of the structure collapsed. The first worker fell about 12 metres (40 feet) to the ground while the other was able to hang on to a bundle of decking that was being placed on the roof by a mobile crane. The first worker suffered serious injuries, including fractured and broken bones and internal and external bruising. The second worker received minor injuries after being lowered to the ground by the crane operator. A Ministry of Labour investigation found the workers were wearing full body harnesses equipped with lanyard (a connecting line from the harness to an anchor to protect the workers against falls), but their lanyards were not tied to anything. The incident occurred on Fenmar Drive in the Weston Road- Finch Avenue West area of Toronto, where an industrial building was being constructed. Following a trial, OWSJ Supplies Ltd. was found guilty, as an employer, of failing to ensure the workers wore a fall arrest system in a situation where they could fall a distance of more than three metres (10 feet), as required by Section 26(1)(a) of the Regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act. The fine was levied by Justice of the Peace Gary Miller of the Ontario Court of Justice at Old City Hall in Toronto. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Construction worker dies in fall from Holt bridge The Associated Press Police identified a Tuscaloosa construction worker who fell to his death last week while working on the Eastern Bypass bridge in Holt. Otis Morrow, 46, fell 100 feet to his death Friday after stepping onto an unsecured piece of metal being placed by other workers on top of the bridge, police said Monday. Authorities had withheld Morrow's name until his family had been notified. "It appears to be accidental," said Tuscaloosa police Lt. Loyd Baker. "It's still under investigation with our department." Morrow is the second man to die while working on the bypass bridge. Bobby L. Wade Sr. of Moundville fell and died in October 2001. Wade and Morrow both were employees of R.R. Dawson Bridge Co. of Bessemer, which is building the bridge for the Alabama Department of Transportation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for unsafe working conditions after investigating Wade's death. The agency said employees on the bypass bridge project were not properly trained for potential fall hazards. Information from: The Tuscaloosa News
UPDATE Work deaths result in fines By Robert Boyer, STAFF WRITER April 05, 2003 Three contractors have been cited for safety violations in connection with a High Point construction accident that killed a Randleman man six months ago. Charles Edward Weiss, 55, died Oct. 3 when he fell onto a concrete floor while installing corrugated metal decking onto the rafters of a building under construction in the 600 block of Pegg Road. Samet Corp., the Greensboro general contractor in charge, along with two Randleman subcontractors, Contract Erectors and W-3 Decking, Weiss' company, were cited for "not utilizing fall-protection devices" that were on site, said N.C. Department of a Labor spokeswoman Dolores Quesenberry. Samet was fined $2,100, Contract Erectors $1,750 and W-3 $1,050, Quesenberry said. W-3 was fined an additional $1,050 because investigators determined that the company had a controlled decking installation area that was too large. Quesenberry said under state regulations, decking installers are allowed to work without wearing safety devices in such areas, provided the area is smaller than 90-by-90-feet. The rulings came after a nearly six-month state Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation. Two of the contractors said Friday they aren't at fault. "The (safety) equipment was there and it was being utilized," said Mark Stinson, Contract Erectors general manager. Weiss, said Stinson, was wearing a safety harness, but "didn't have it tied on" when he fell from a height of 26 feet. Stinson said according to regulations that went into effect March 2002, workers less than 30 feet above ground don't have to be secured to a safety line. Stinson said the secure decking area in use the day of the mishap wasn't too large. "We don't agree with it," Stinson said of the ruling. "We did everything we were supposed to do." "We still feel that at the time of the accident, we were in compliance with the regulations," said Samet Vice President Marshall Tuck. Tuck and Stinson said they will talk with state labor officials in an effort to overturn the citations and fines. A W-3 official couldn't be reached for comment. Quesenberry said companies have 15 days from the date of notification to request an "informal conference" with an area OSHA supervisor to appeal such rulings. Settlements are usually reached within several weeks of a conference, she said. Weiss' death was the second in less than three weeks at the site. Juan Jose Mayo Uyoa, 30, of Randleman, died Sept. 16 when a crane boom lifting about 5 tons of rafters snapped and dropped the load, crushing Uyoa underneath. Investigators blamed his death on a broken piston rod that caused the boom to move downward and snap when it hit the wall. An investigation cleared the three contractors of any violations or responsibility in Uyoa's death.
Indiana man killed in fall from Blackstone cell tower JEFF HAYNES, Staff Writer April 05, 2003 BLACKSTONE -- A 41-year-old Indiana man fell about 100 feet to his death while working on the AT&T tower on Mendon Street Friday morning. The man, whose identity was not released pending notification of relatives, worked for the Swager Communications company, based in Fremont, Ind., which had been contracted by AT&T to work on the 220-foot tower, said Blackstone Police Detective Wayne Mowry. "They were about an hour from finishing the job," he said. "They had been there all week." Two of the victim’s co-workers were working on the ground about 5 feet from where he hit, Mowry said. "They don’t know what happened," Mowry said. "All his safety belts were on. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is conducting an investigation now." The Boston OSHA office confirmed an investigation is under way, and said the probe could last anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months. Swager was running some cables from a metal box on the ground up to the top of the tower, Mowry said. The victim was fastening those cables to the tower just before he fell, Mowry said. The co-workers reported hearing a "click," and looked up just in time to see the man falling, Mowry said. The victim fell face first onto the metal box, Mowry said. Police and rescue workers got the call reporting the accident at 11:45 a.m. "They (rescue) did everything they could," Mowry said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. When rescue workers first reached the victim, "there was no breathing, and there was no circulation," said Fire Chief Michael Sweeney. Rescuers took the victim into the ambulance for a full evaluation, Sweeney said, and when they peeled off the man’s safety equipment and outerwear, they could see the man had suffered massive trauma. Sweeney said the rescue crew initiated CPR, and provided doctors at Milford-Whitinsville Regional Hospital with the victim’s status. The doctors at the hospital then relayed back the message to stop the CPR, he said. "It’s just a tragic, tragic accident," Sweeney said. "We’ve never had as much as one single incident up there (at the tower)."
Man injured in fall from roof By Dorrance Johnson, Staff Correspondent April 03, 2003 BRANFORD - The State Labor Department's Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating a local mishap in which a construction worker was injured last Wednesday morning when he fell from a scaffold that was erected for renovations on a house at 65 Summer Island Road. Fellow workers, who did not actually witness the fall, found the 36-year-old man apparently unconscious on the ground. The workers were last aware that the man had been working atop the scaffold, which was estimated to have been approximately 25 feet off the ground. Branford Fire Department Paramedics were summoned to the 10:34 a.m. incident and raced to aid the injured worker. When they arrived, they found him to be conscious and suffering from the effects of the fall. According to Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Mahoney, the worker was apparently involved in either "roofing" the house or performing other work in the roof area and may have been in the process of ascending a "catwalk" when he fell to the ground below. "His injuries appeared to be serious," Mahoney said. The injured worker, who is employed by Beavis Roofing and Siding, was stabilized by paramedics at the scene and transported to Yale New Haven Hospital where, at last report, he was undergoing treatment for injuries to his head, chest and legs. Authorities withheld the injured worker's name pending notification of his family.
Firefighters rescue worker who fell down hill in forest The Courier-Journal Firefighters pulled a Louisville Metro Public Works employee to safety yesterday after he had slipped and fallen while clearing debris along the edge of Jefferson County Memorial Forest. The worker, whose name was not available, complained of back and leg injuries, Fairdale Fire Chief Don Wittry said. The injuries did not appear life-threatening, he said. Workers were about halfway up Mitchell Hill Road pulling up tires, appliances and other items dumped illegally along a steep dropoff, Wittry said. One of the workers slipped and fell about 15 feet, he said. Firefighters stabilized the man, who was about 100 feet below the road, placed him in a basket and pulled him to safety, Wittry said.
Stairway collapse injures 2 workers Wednesday, April 2, 2003 By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ STAFF WRITER PATERSON - Two construction workers were seriously hurt Wednesday morning when a staircase landing collapsed beneath them inside a building they were renovating at Passaic County Community College, authorities said. The workers - Edward Lock, 50, and Dan Fisher, 32 - were demolishing concrete stairs at 218 Memorial Drive and were between the first and second floors when the landing gave way at 11:30 a.m., said Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Murray. Other construction workers ran out to get help, and by happenstance, found police Sgt. Diane Hanley and Mark Veenema, chief of paramedics at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, nearby. Both men were taken to St. Joseph's, where Lock, of Rockville Center, N.Y., was in critical but stable condition with head, back, and leg injuries; and Fisher, of Middle Island, N.Y., was stabilized with multiple fractures in one leg. The landing was left hanging by reinforcement bars in the middle of the concrete building, Murray said, preventing the massive block of cement from landing on top of the men. The city Building Department and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were notified, Murray said. The building is the future site of a community technology center, PCCC President Steven Rose said. Rose said that OSHA officials suggested ways to make the work site safer, but said that the workers took proper precautions by wearing harnesses. The college leased the building from the city of Paterson in 2000, and has been using a $400,000 federal grant along with other funds to renovate the interior and exterior, Rose said. Tuesday's accident did not impede the construction schedule, he said.
UPDATE Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc. fined $87,500 for health and safety violations BURLINGTON, ON, April 1 /CNW/ - Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc., a Georgetown Ontario-based company that provides commercial construction services, was fined $87,500 today for two separate violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the injury of two workers. Both incidents occurred during the renovation of a commercial building on Fairview Street in Burlington. On July 25, 2001, a worker, employed by a subcontractor, was removing a tarpaulin from the roof of the commercial building. The worker was walking backward while pulling the tarpaulin and tripped over a curb surrounding an opening in the roof and fell through the hole. The worker suffered a cracked vertebra, a laceration to the head and a bruised shoulder. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that the opening in the roof was not protected by a guardrail or a protective covering. Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc. pleaded guilty, as a constructor, to failing to ensure that a worker was protected from falling through an opening on a work surface. This was contrary to Section 26.3(2) of the Regulations for Construction Projects and Section 23(1)(a) of the act. The court imposed a fine of $37,500. On August 29, 2001, a worker, employed by a subcontractor, was spraying fireproofing material to the ceiling of the same building from the top of a movable scaffold. The scaffold, on wheels, was positioned over a trench dug in the floor to install piping and supported by a metal plate. Before brakes could be applied, the scaffold rolled into the trench and toppled, causing the worker to fall. The worker was rendered unconscious, and suffered a fractured pelvis and multiple scrapes and bruises. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that the worker was not protected by a fall arrest system. Silvercreek Commercial Interiors Inc. pleaded guilty to failing, as a constructor, to ensure that a scaffold mounted on castors or wheels is not moved while a worker is on it, unless the worker is protected by a fall arrest system, and the scaffold is being moved on a firm and level surface. This was contrary to Section 129(3) of the Regulations for Construction Projects and Section 23(1)(a) of the act. The court imposed a fine of $50,000. The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Barry Quinn of the Ontario court of Justice in Burlington. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Helicopter lands in local schoolyard 03/30/03 00:00:00 An elementary schoolyard doubled as a helicopter-landing pad for an air ambulance Friday morning when a man severed a major artery in a construction accident in the northwest end of the city. The man fell from scaffolding at a construction site near Fletcher's Creek Boulevard, in the area of Chinguacousy Road and Bovaird Drive, at 11:20 a.m. He cut his arm with a saw, severing a major artery, according to reports from Peel police. He was flown to a Toronto hospital and his condition was unknown at press time Friday. The Ministry of Labour is investigating.
NEW: Construction worker falls four stories to his death By Sonja Garza Express-News Staff Writer Web Posted : 03/31/2003 5:30 PM A worker for a local plaster company died today after tumbling four stories from a hotel under construction just east of downtown. Martin Machado, 43, fell at about 2:15 p.m. while working on a new Holiday Inn Express at 1309 E. Commerce St. He was dead upon arrival at Brooke Army Medical Center, a hospital official said. San Antonio police officer K. Bender said the fall appears to be an accident, but police are investigating. Witnesses reported hearing a commotion immediately before Machado plunged about 40 feet to the pavement, police said. Eyewitness Dan Martin said the man tried to grasp a bar on the way down before he flipped, struck a stack of bricks and hit the street below. Clint Baker, construction project supervisor, said it was unclear whether the worker lost his balance while atop a ladder or fell from the scaffolding. Machado was employed by Arahed Lath & Plastering Corp.
Longtime West Palm worker dies after fall off garbage truck By sun-sentinel.com March 31, 2003 WEST PALM BEACH – A long-time city sanitation worker died Monday morning after he fell off a garbage truck, had his legs run over, then suffered a heart attack that proved fatal, a city spokeswoman said. The accident occurred around 6:30 a.m. while the truck was emptying a dumpster-sized bin at the Habitat on the 4000 block of Okeechobee Boulevard, the spokeswoman said. The driver, Claude McLeod, 57, of Lake Park, was backing up the truck when James Schaefer, 65, of Boynton Beach, fell from the step next to the driver's door and the truck ran over Schaefer's leg. He then suffered a heart attack. Fire Medics transported Schaefer to St. Mary's Hospital where he was taken into surgery, but died a short time later, the spokeswoman said. McLeod has been employed with the city for 14 years; Schaefer was employed for almost 24 years. In accordance with city policy, McLeod submitted to a drug test. No charges are expected to be filed, but the police investigation continues.
A construction worker fell four floors A construction worker fell four floors to his death while working inside a West Village building yesterday, police said. Cops said the man was working inside an unoccupied building at 600 Washington St. at 11:30 a.m. when he plunged from the fourth floor.
Carpenter injured in LBT fall From Press staff reports LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP - Long Beach Township Deputy Chief Leslie Houston said that a 46-year-old carpenter from Forked River fell 15-feet off a ladder while working outside the Haven Beach Yacht Club on Wednesday. The worker, who was airlifted from the scene by New Jersey State Police's SouthStar helicopter, may have suffered "possible spinal injuries." The accident took place at 112th Street and Long Beach Boulevard, where Houston believed renovations were being done. She could not confirm what hospital the man was taken to. The man's name was not released. Four Long Beach Township officers responded to the scene as well as EMT workers from the Beach Haven First Aid Squad's Ship Bottom division. Houston said that a call came in at 8:51 a.m. from Haven Beach Yacht Club employees who witnessed the fall.
Injured man airlifted to New York hospital SIMPSON BAY--A 20-year-old man narrowly escaped death when he fell 28 feet from a megayacht and landed on the concrete at Yacht Club Isle de Sol Monday morning. The victim, Sean Peterson, though stable, was flown to the US for medical treatment. Peterson, a son of Tommy and Susy Peterson of Simpson Bay and a temporary worker on yachts in search of a steady job, was cleaning the top deck of one of the larger megayachts at the marina around 9:30am when he slipped and fell. Luckily his arm caught the second level, turning him around, head up. As a result he fell feet first. The victim suffered a broken elbow, a head wound, extensive damage to his foot and leg, and possibly a dislocated shoulder, explained Isle de Sol Manager Jeff Boyd. The crew of a neighbouring yacht heard the scream for help and rushed to the victim with first aid equipment. As some of the crew were trained in first response, they were able to stop the bleeding from Peterson's head and stabilize him. At St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) X-rays showed that his injuries were substantial. An emergency operation was performed on the left elbow. Due to the nature of his injuries it was decided that Peterson needed more specialized medical care. Boyd contacted Dr. Hoppenstein, the owner of Isle de Sol, in New York, seeking advice as to the best steps to be taken. While Dr. Hoppenstein made arrangements with the New York Center for Joint Injuries and Diseases, Boyd contacted the captain of the yacht from which Peterson had fallen. "It was determined that no expenses would be spared and that he would be airlifted to New York immediately," said Boyd. Through Genee Brouwer of Melmik Aviation, whom Boyd especially wanted to thank, Peterson was taken by Lear jet to New York around 10:00pm. His mother joined him on the trip. When Peterson left he was "in good spirits," said Boyd, although he was heavily sedated. No information was made available by the New York hospital on Tuesday.
UPDATE Manslaughter trial starts for contractor in building collapse By SAMUEL MAULL Associated Press Writer March 26, 2003, 6:45 PM EST NEW YORK -- Recklessness and greed caused a Manhattan building collapse that killed one worker and severely injured three others last summer, a prosecutor charged Wednesday at the opening of a contractor's manslaughter trial. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Cort said the tragic mishap occurred because Shunkun "Michael" Tam, owner of Tamco Corp., used inexperienced laborers and rushed or ignored some preparatory work so he could save money. The result of Tam's reckless approach to renovating the townhouse on East 61st Street was the death of 41-year-old Antonio Romano on May 16, 2002, Cort said. Tam, of Brooklyn, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in Romano's death. "This is the story of a homicide committed by the defendant (Tam) because he was greedy," Cort told the State Supreme Court jury in opening remarks. Tam's lawyer, Barry S. Turner, called the collapse a "tragic accident" for which his client was not responsible. Turner said Tam was rarely at the site _ two or three times a week _ and that his foreman, Cheung Keat "Ken" Ai, 33, caused the accident because he failed to follow instructions. Turner noted that Ai, who will testify for the prosecution, has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in exchange for minimum sentence of one to three years and a maximum of two to six years in prison. Tam faces up to seven years if convicted. Tam, 49, is also charged with assault and reckless endangerment because of injuries to Swee Kheong Tang, 37, Jian Zhang Zheng, 31, and Kok Choy Yeen, 41, in the collapse. The workers were hurt while renovating a five-story town house for Fabio Granato, owner of the Serafina restaurant. Granato said he planned to put in a Japanese eatery called Geisha and a triplex apartment for himself on the top floors. After the workers gutted the building and removed its roof and wooden support beams, they improperly installed steel beams _ called joists _ to support the remaining walls, Cort said. He said the workers then laid steel decking over those beams. Meanwhile, he said, the workers used pulleys to raise thousands of pounds of cinder blocks onto the unsecured steel decking. Soon, Cort said, the cinder blocks' weight caused the improperly supported walls to collapse. Granato, the first witness, said he had stopped by to check the progress of the work when the collapse happened. "I was there having a meeting and then I hear a big noise," he said. "Everybody ran out onto the street and I ran out onto the street." The prosecutor said Tam had seen the dangerous condition created by the piles of cinder blocks. "But he didn't stop the loading," Cort said. "He didn't do that because any delay might have cost him money." More than a dozen $55-a-day workers were buried under debris, police said at the time. Most staggered out with minor injuries, but three were badly hurt and Romano, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was crushed under the cement and metal and killed. Cort said only two out of 20 workers had any safety equipment, and Tam had built no protective shed to protect passers-by from falling debris.
UPDATE Fatally injured worker used truck's forks to gain access A fish processing company worker used a patently unsafe method of work to tend to large bags of fishmeal at his employer's premises. In December 2001 David Cobban accessed the stored product using the raised forks of a forklift truck from which he fell through four metres, sustaining fatal head injuries. Mr Cobban's employer, United Fish of Aberdeen, admitted and was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £16,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, failing to provide a safe system of work for Mr Cobban. HSE's John Radcliffe commented that the "biggest cause of serious and fatal accidents in industry is from working from height and transport in the workplace, the two most common factors of serious and fatal incidents which were present in this case." Forfab, based in Rothes, Moray, the forklift truck driver provider, was fined £4,000 in respect of failing to provide adequate training.
Three injured when scaffolding collapses Last updated: Mar 24, 11:26 PM ORMOND BEACH -- Three construction workers were injured Monday when 15-foot-high scaffolding they were on collapsed, fire officials said. None of the injuries were life threatening following the 2 p.m. accident at the Discovery Professional Plaza construction site near the intersection of Granada Boulevard and Interstate 95, said Ormond Beach Fire Department Capt. Jim Shaw. The men were not wearing safety harnesses, and it's not clear if there were any guardrails on the scaffold that crumpled into a twisted pile after it failed, officials said. The injured men were in a rear area of the office building they're helping to construct. Two of the men did not appear to be seriously hurt, and one walked a short distance after the collapse, Shaw said. But the third man fell onto some 8-inch by 16-inch cement blocks and had some of the blocks on top of him when he was found laying face down, Shaw said. That third man was in stable condition when he was taken by EVAC ambulance to Halifax Medical Center, he said. One of the other men was also taken to the hospital, and the remaining worker refused treatment, Shaw said. Officials at the scene said they did not know the men's names, but Shaw said one appeared to be in his 40s and the other two were in their 20s. Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were notified and are expected to be on the site today. A city government inspector and fire inspector examined the scene Monday afternoon.
Lewiston police investigate elevator accident Tuesday, March25, 2003, 1:59 PM By NewsRadio WMTW Staff 870/1470 AM and 106.7 FM LEWISTON -- Lewiston police are investigating a report of an elevator accident at 76 High St., a building of doctors' offices adjacent to Central Maine Medical Center. Lt. Paul Harmon said they received a call around 12:45 from someone who said the elevator had fallen "some distance." Lewiston police said a construction worker suffered minor injuries when he fell about 20 feet while working inside an elevator shaft. News 8 WMTW has a crew on the way to the scene and will bring you more details as they become available.
Tug crewman injured in fall into engine Associated Press CHARLESTON, S.C. - A tugboat crewman was seriously injured after he fell into rotating gears in a boat's engine room. Tommy Hagen, 53, of Goose Creek, was in serious condition following surgery Sunday at the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital here. Hagen was trapped for more than an hour as rescue workers and tugboat crewmen tried to free his left leg. Workers had to remove the boat's propeller shaft before they could free Hagen. The Marine Safety Office here is investigating the accident, said Coast Guard Ensign Matthew Meskun. Dr. Ralph Shealy, who treated Hagen in the engine room while the rescue operation was under way, said Hagen was trapped by machinery "that is very powerful and doesn't stop moving." The tug Sharon C had just refueled at the Allied Terminal and departed when the accident occurred. The boat came back to the terminal, where emergency personnel were called. Information from: The Post And Courier
Man dies in fall; Anderson repairman was fixing roof top By SEAN F. DRISCOLL An Anderson man who was working to repair a roof damaged in a January fire at an automotive parts warehouse slipped and fell to his death early Saturday morning. John Schoettmer Jr., 44, was pronounced dead at the scene when firefighters and police arrived at Auto Tech, 695 N. Miller Ave., at about 8:18 a.m. Saturday. Marion Fire Department Capt. Brian Swanner said Schoettmer, 2118 Rosewood Drive, Anderson, was on the building's roof doing repairs when he stepped backwards onto an unsecured piece of plastic that crews had left out to protect the building from rain. "He knew it was there, but took a couple of steps back and fell through the roof," Swanner said. Schoettmer plummeted more than 20 feet to his death, landing on the warehouse's concrete floor. Grant County Deputy Coroner Kevin Evans said the initial cause of death is listed as blunt force trauma to the head, but an autopsy will be performed today at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne to confirm the findings. Schoettmer had been working for Weiland Inc., repairing the building's roof after a Jan. 15 fire decimated the building's southwest corner, Swanner said. He and another worker were on the roof but were not secured to the roof with any safety gear.
UPDATE Carpet factory fined over injuries Mar 21, 2003, 14:01:00 A carpet factory has been fined £5,000 after an employee was injured when she fell more than two metres from a platform. Pamela Field, aged 34, was unloading bobbins when she lost her footing and fell on to the concrete floor below. Mrs Field, who has since been made redundant, broke two ribs, and both wrists and received a laceration to her head which required 15 stitches. One of her wrists had to be re-broken and set again after failing to heal. Tomkinsons Carpets, Duke Place, Kidderminster, admitted breaching health and safety regulations by failing to take suitable and effective measures to prevent the accident. Health and safety inspector Mrs Joanne Carter, prosecuting at Kidderminster magistrates court on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said Mrs Field was unloading bobbins from shrink-wrapped pallets when she fell 2.06m from a platform, around which there was no guard. She was employed as a creeler, whose job involved stripping the empty bobbins and replacing them. Four pallets of bobbins had been lifted on to the platform by forklift truck. The employees had unloaded three of them and were just starting on the fourth when Mrs Field reached up to cut the cellophane and lost her footing. Mr Edward Farrelly, defending, said the company took health and safety very seriously and this was the first prosecution in 25 years. The court fined the firm the maximum £5,000, but did not award compensation to Mrs Field as she is pursing a separate civil claim.
Worker dies in fall from roof of Lombard home by Bonnie MacKay A 30-year-old Elmwood Park man died after a fall from the roof of a Lombard home Thursday morning. Police and fire officials responded to a home in the 300 block of North Fairfield just before 9 a.m. on March 13. According to Lombard fire Battalion Chief Mike Kalina, paramedics found a man unconscious on a concrete surface. Kalina said the man apparently fell off the roof, 12 to 14 feet, to a concrete patio. "He was critical," Kalina said, adding that Lombard Fire Department paramedics transported the man to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for a severe head injury. Lombard police Deputy Chief Dane Cuny said Mariusz Lemanski, a contractor, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Lombard detectives responded to the accident scene to conduct an investigation. "Preliminary indications [show] it was a work-related accident," Cuny said, adding that an autopsy and further forensics investigation is being conducted by the DuPage County Coroner's Office.
Firefighters called to free man trapped by scaffolding A DECORATOR was taken to the Great Western Hospital after he slipped and became trapped under scaffolding while working in a house in Old Town. The man, who has not been named, suffered concussion and minor injuries in the accident, which happened at a house in Quarry Road at 3.40pm yesterday. Ambulance staff were unable to reach him because the collapsed scaffolding was unsafe, so the fire brigade were called in. Station Officer, Bruce Weatherston, said: "There was a partial collapse of the scaffolding the man was working on while painting the wall. "The man slipped and fell and the ambulance crew were unable to get close to him safely so we used ropes and chopping equipment to move the scaffolding, releasing the man." The man was freed from the scaffolding by 4pm and was today recovering in hospital.
Fall at Clinton waste-water plant hospitalizes worker UPDATED: 3/19/03 11:42 AM CLINTON - A man is hospitalized after a 40-foot fall at the Clinton Waste Water Pollution Control Plant Wednesday morning. The incident happened around 8:00 a.m. at the plant on Beaver Channel Parkway. The man, employed by a construction company, apparently fell from a scaffold and landed on a scaffold material rack inside a tank. The tank was being cleaned at the time. It took eleven firefighters, using a special rope technique, a construction crane, and roughly 45 minutes to lift the man out of the tank. The man was taken to Mercy Medical for what’s described as numerous injuries.
Work falls three stories at White Plains City Center By SUSAN ELAN AND RICHARD LIEBSON THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: March 15, 2003) WHITE PLAINS — A construction worker fell three stories down an unfinished elevator shaft at developer Louis Cappelli's $320 million City Center yesterday. Alvin Burgos, 38, of 1119 Mile Square Road in Yonkers, was removing wooden support beams from an elevator shaft shortly after 10:30 a.m. when he fell from the 16th floor to the 13th floor of a 35-story apartment tower currently under construction at 222 Main St. Burgos was taken by ambulance to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he was listed in critical condition. White Plains police Capt. Anne FitzSimmons called Burgos "very lucky. He landed on some plywood, which broke his fall. He was conscious and talking and didn't appear to have life-threatening injuries. He said he just lost his balance.'' Work at the site continued while city and federal inspections into the incident began. "No violation of city code has been issued at this time," said Michael Gismondi, White Plains' building commissioner. FitzSimmons said people were being interviewed to determine "whether it was anything other than an accident, and we're looking to see whether safety regulations and procedures were being followed.'' It has not been determined whether Burgos was wearing a harness or had taken other precautions for work at heights, Gismondi said. He said there was no indication that pressure to meet an October deadline set by Cappelli for completion of the project has resulted in unsafe work conditions. "We don't believe safety has been compromised," Gismondi said. "We would see more accidents or more of a trend." Peter West, a spokesman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Tarrytown, said Burgos "should have been protected from falling by something, whether it was a harness or guard rails." Yesterday's was the third accident at the City Center site. One worker was injured when he stepped into a hole and hurt his leg, Gismondi said. A second worker was hit by a pipe. There have been prior complaints about conditions at the site, West said. One of the complaints brought against George A. Fuller, a Cappelli company, resulted in fines, West said. Two other complaints are still under investigation. OSHA also is investigating a fatal accident in June at Main and Bank streets, where a $140 million luxury hotel-apartment complex is under construction, West said. Richard Ellis, 40, of Thornwood, died during surgery at the medical center after he was crushed by a bundle of steel rods that dropped more than 50 feet from a crane. Burgos was working at the City Center site as an employee of subcontractor Carlton Concrete of Floral Park, Queens. Officials from that company did not return calls for comment. Sal Fusaro, a spokesman for Laborers International Union of North America Local 1000 in Poughkeepsie, called Burgos "a good man and a good laborer." Burgos has been a member of the local for five years and does concrete work, Fusaro said.
Point man falls to his death at Chevron 03/16/03 By BRAD CROCKER PASCAGOULA -- A Moss Point man fell to his death Saturday morning while working at the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery. Frank S. Richards, 48, reportedly fell from a process area in which he was working as a pipefitter with Flour-Daniel, a subcontractor working on the refinery's clean fuels project, Chevron spokesman Steve Renfroe said. Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus pronounced Richards dead at the scene at 10:05 a.m. Flour-Daniel media relations director Jerry Holloway said Richards joined the company in January. The clean fuels project began about 18 months ago. No further details concerning Richard' death, including the height he fell from or the cause of death, were available Saturday. Broadus said pathologist Dr. Paul McGarry will assist in Richards' autopsy to determine if cause of death was related to an injury or because of medical factors. "It's always a possibility. He could have had a heart attack or something else that may have caused the fall," Broadus said. Renfroe said work on the project, which involved about 700 workers, was shut down Saturday after the incident and could not say when work could resume. Renfroe said a joint investigation is being conducted by Chevron, Flour-Daniel and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Certainly, we are very saddened by this and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family," Renfroe said. Holloway also expressed condolences and sympathy for Richards' family and said that officials will try to "understand the cause of this incident."
Worker plunges 20 feet inside W. Side manhole ROMANO CEDILLOS Tucson Citizen March 13, 2003 A pipeline construction worker was injured yesterday when he tripped and plunged 20 feet inside a manhole on the West Side, a firefighter said. The accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. at West Riverview Boulevard and North Dragoon Avenue. The area is near West Grant and North Silverbell roads. Francisco Montoya, 24, of Tucson, an employee of Spiniello Co., suffered hip and leg injuries in the fall, said Capt. Paul McDonough of the Tucson Fire Department. "Because of the confined space the man was in, it took rescue personnel an hour and a half to get him out," McDonough said. "He was conscious the entire time." Montoya was treated at University Medical Center. A report on his condition was not immediately available. Don Morrow, superintendent of the Morristown, N.J.-based company, said Montoya was unloading equipment from a company truck near the manhole when the accident occurred. "He had just taken the racks off the truck and was beginning to offload equipment to set up over the hole when he tripped," Morrow said. "The (two) other guys with him had their backs to him and didn't see him fall in, but they heard him yell." Frank Torres of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said his office was investigating the accident.
UPDATE Cal-OSHA blames employer in bridge death; Contractor denies violating safety rules in Cotati man's fall from Golden Gate span March 13, 2003 By JEREMY HAY THE PRESS DEMOCRAT A Cotati man killed in a construction accident on the Golden Gate Bridge last summer may have died because his employer didn't have proper safeguards in place, authorities said. Shimmick/Obayashi Joint Venture, the lead contractor in the earthquake retrofit project on the bridge, also "put up roadblocks" that impeded the investigation into the death of Kevin Noah, a California Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman said. "They exercised their legal rights almost to the point of abusing them," Dean Fryer, a Cal-OSHA spokesman, said. He said the company resisted the investigation from its outset, forcing investigators to issue repeated subpoenas to obtain interviews and documents. "That is simply not true," said Scott Fairgrieve, chief financial officer of the Hayward-based contractor. He said the company's attorney had "simply required that they follow their own rules to the letter and follow their investigation by the book." Noah, 42, a veteran carpenter, fell about 50 feet to his death Aug. 13 while working in the south anchorage, a huge concrete structure that helps support the 66-year-old bridge. Early reports suggested Noah's safety harness had failed and he fell from a mechanized basket used to lift workers and materials. But investigators concluded he "probably was standing on and tied off to rebar" embedded in the anchorage wall when he fell, Fryer said. There was no scaffolding in place in the area, the Cal-OSHA report says, and "as a result, an employee fell ... and was fatally injured." Shimmick/Obayashi was cited for three serious violations, the second-most severe level possible. Cal-OSHA levied $26,025 in fines for those violations and three that were classified as less serious. The company has appealed the penalty. "We have a very large disagreement between our interpretation and Cal-OSHA's of safety rules in regards to scaffolding," Fairgrieve said. He said other safety measures were in place and scaffolding wasn't warranted at the time.
Labourer dies after treatment works fall AN investigation was under way today after a labourer plunged to his death at a sewage treatment works. Robert Murdoch, 57, of John Allan Drive, Cumnock, was working at Linwood Treatment Works in Middleton Road, Linwood, Renfrewshire. It's thought he fell eight feet to his death as he put up scaffolding around 11am yesterday. He suffered serious injuries and was rushed by ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, where he later died. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating but it's believed to have been an industrial accident. A spokesman for Scottish Water, which owns the site, said: "The man was given first aid at the scene but he sadly died later in hospital. "He was working for Barrhead-based contractor George Leslie, a firm which has been working at the site on behalf of Scottish Water. "We will work closely with the Health and Safety Executive to establish the circumstances surrounding the man's death." A police spokesman said: "There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances and a report will be forwarded to the procurator-fiscal." No-one at George Leslie was available for comment today.
UPDATE State, KoSa investigate worker's death Joy Scott Star Staff Writer He was a kind, compassionate, loving person,” she said. For approximately 25 years, he worked for the company and its predecessors. On Tuesday, the investigation into the fall resulting in his death Monday continued with an investigator from the North Carolina Department of Labor and a team of six KoSa employees. According to Erica Luongo, communications director for KoSa, among the questions investigators are trying to answer are these: n What was Thrift doing when he fell from a ladder? n What caused his fall? n Was he was wearing a helmet? Department of Labor spokesman Juan Santosa said an employee is not required to wear a helmet while standing on a ladder. However, a helmet is required in parts of the plant. “I don’t know what the circumstances were. There are so many different areas of any plant, I would hate to say yes or no,” if a helmet was required in Thrift’s situation. It is unknown how long the investigation could take. The Department of Labor is required to conclude its investigation within six months of the incident, said Santosa. Within the past two to three years, the site had gone as much as 779 days without a serious incident, said Ms. Luongo. KoSa participates in the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division’s Carolina Star Program. According to the Department of Labor Web site, the program recognizes exemplary safety and health management. On Jan. 30, KoSa received its second recertification, marking six consecutive years as a Carolina Star, said Ms. Luongo. Thrift’s fall happened at approximately 3 p.m. Monday, said Ms. Luongo. It was reported to Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies approximately 20 minutes later, according to police reports. Thrift was found in the automated warehouse where he worked as a textile operator. Mrs. Thrift said the plant nurse called her to tell her of the accident. “She just informed me that he had been in an accident and they would get back with me,” she remembered. “I felt like something bad had happened, but I didn’t feel like it was that bad.” Together, they cared for her two children and his son, she said. They were married for 18 years and have four grandchildren. “He was just a loving, caring husband, just very thoughtful, patient, understanding. Just all those characteristics bunched into one.”
Fuel tank collapse injures two; Moss Landing accident; Men were demolishing old oil container Staff report Two workers were injured Tuesday afternoon when the roof of a fuel-oil tank they were trying to demolish collapsed at the Duke Energy plant in Moss Landing, sending them falling about 50 feet, a fire official said. The accident happened about 3:30 p.m. as the workers, Salvador Corona, 27, of Salinas, and Gustavo Ortiz, 28, of Las Lomas, worked to tear down the tank, which is obsolete because the site no longer burns fuel oil, said Duke Energy spokesman Pat Mullen. "We've stopped work on that tank until we understand what occurred and how to prevent that type of accident," he said. The men, contractors for Long Beach-based Earth Tech, were flown by a Cal-Star helicopter to San Jose Medical Center in stable condition, said North County fire Capt. Mark Maitoza. Maitoza said both had minor head lacerations. Ortiz also had a broken left leg and possibly a broken arm, and Corona appeared to have a broken leg and was "in a lot of pain," he said. "I think they had some type of a rope attached to them, so that probably broke their fall a bit," the captain said. "But basically, they fell about 50 feet." He said Cal-OSHA will investigate the accident. Mullen pointed out that in the construction of the new power plant at Duke, the company had 3.2 million labor hours without a lost-time injury. "Obviously our concern is on those injured today, but once we get past that, our focus will shift to our investigation of what happened," Mullen said.
Worker lucky to be alive after a fall at arena site Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic Mar. 11, 2003 12:00 AM GLENDALE - He fell more than 30 feet at the Phoenix Coyotes arena going up near 91st and Glendale avenues. And Richard Robinette, a Valley construction worker, said Monday that he considers himself lucky to be alive. Robinette, 59, of Surprise, said he could have plunged more than 100 feet to his death, but lower scaffolding broke the nearly three-story fall. His wife, Linda, 56, agreed, saying, "I'm glad to have him home. It was a very scary situation." The accident happened about 10 p.m. Friday while Robinette, a carpenter for Phoenix-based Perini Building Co., was working on tall scaffolding at the job site. He fell more than 30 feet and landed on lower scaffolding only 30 inches wide and still about 65 feet above the ground, said Elio Pompa, a Glendale fire captain and spokesman. Robinette was flown to a Phoenix hospital after four members of a technical-rescue team used a basket to lower him to the ground, Pompa said. It was a daring rescue in which firefighters, using a construction crane, not only climbed the scaffolding but tended to Robinette from the lofty perch, Pompa said. Robinette was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, where his wife picked him up Sunday morning and took him home, where he remained on medication Monday. Firefighters said the mishap marked the first major construction accident at the site. Perini, Robinette's employer, is the general contractor for the planned 17,500-seat hockey arena.
Metro worker rescued by Tyisha Manigo Staff Writer March 10, 2003 An employee completing work a Metrorail tunnel in Seat Pleasant had to be rescued and transported to a local hospital after falling and sustaining serious injuries, according to the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS department. The 49-year-old contract employee was operating on scaffolding 15 feet to 20 feet high when he fell onto the concrete floor Friday around 8:30 p.m., said chief spokesman Mark E. Brady. The department’s Confined Space Team removed the victim—who was approximately one-quarter of a mile into the tunnel—and transported him to MedStar at the Washington Hospital Center. The worker sustained a possible concussion and internal injuries. His condition at the time of transport was considered serious but did not appear to be life threatening.
UPDATE Contractor to pay for GG Bridge death BY J.K. DINEEN Of The Examiner Staff The lead contractor on the massive Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofitting project has been slapped with a hefty fine in the case of a carpenter who fell to his death last summer while working in one of the bridge's anchorage towers, according to a citation from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. On Aug. 13, Kevin Noah, 42, was standing on a three-quarter-inch piece of rebar inside the south anchorage tower when he fell 50 feet to his death. The OSHA investigation fined contractor Shimmick/Obayashi $16,200 for failing to provide scaffolding for the tower workers and $5,850 for not having a proper failing arrest system. Noah's harness was tied to an open-ended piece of rebar, and slipped off as he worked. The rebar should have been "crossed" off in order to prevent slippage, OSHA said. "It is definitely a serious case," said OSHA spokeswoman Susan Gard. "The company was responsible for conducting the job in a way that protected employees properly, and that was not done in this instance." Shimmick/Obayashi will appeal the citation, according to attorney Robert Peterson. The early-morning accident happened as Noah was strengthening concrete footings inside one of the bridge's hollow concrete "anchorage houses." Noah died when he hit the dirt floor at the bottom of the anchorage house, which is where the bridge cables are anchored. Mary Virenzi, Noah's longtime girlfriend, said Noah was an adventuresome jack-of-all-trades who worked on projects big and small. He was as comfortable building a wooden house as working on the construction of 3Com Park. "Kevin was an everything guy -- he knew how to do it all," said Virenzi. "He'd leave a job and always be welcomed back on it no matter what." Noah left behind three sons, whom he took motocross riding most weekends. The Novato resident would offer to take the family to a movie and surprise them by ending up at a drive-in in Sacramento, she added. Noah frequently complained about the lack of safety precautions on the job, according to Virenzi. At one point he turned down an offer of a foreman's job because he didn't want to be responsible for other workers in an unsafe environment. Virenzi said she recently visited the work site and found some of the safety problems persist. "I know they are never going to say they are sorry, but God, they should at least fix it," she said. "He gave them his life and they should honor him."
KoSa worker dies in fall at plant Joy Scott Star Staff Writer EARL — A KoSa employee died Monday after falling 6 feet from a ladder at work. Fred Bishop Thrift, 55, of 3228 Marshal Wolfe Road was working in the plant’s automated warehouse when he fell, said Cleveland County Sheriff’s Capt. Brian Hawkins. “It was just an industrial accident that ended in a fatality,” said Hawkins. Hawkins said Thrift had an apparent head injury, which led to his death. An autopsy will be performed, said Cleveland County Coroner Ralph Mitchem. Mitchem said Thrift was either going up or coming down a ladder when he fell and hit his head on a steel railing. The incident was reported to Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies shortly before 3:30 p.m., according to police reports. “It’s with great sadness that we confirm one of our employees was found dead this afternoon at our Shelby facility,” said Tom Halley, human resources manager for KoSa’s Shelby and Salisbury sites. “Employee safety is always our number-one priority. We’re deeply concerned to learn of this incident, and we want to extend our sympathy and condolences to the employee’s family and friends.” Halley said the plant is still conducting an investigation and notified the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the incident. The Shelby plant is one of KoSa’s best performing plants in terms of safety, said Halley. Almost three hours after the incident, Susan Brooks, Thrift’s niece, answered the phone at his residence. The shock was still too heavy. “He’s a very good person,” she said. “A very dedicated worker.” The plant at 2525 Blacksburg Road produces textile fibers.
UPDATE Fatal Manhattan Construction Accident Results in OSHA Citations & $60,000 in Proposed Penalties for New York City Employer NEW YORK -- Exposing employees to fatal safety hazards at a Manhattan construction site has resulted in a New York City employer being cited and fined $60,000 by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA has cited DCM Erectors, of 110 East 42nd Street, New York, NY, for alleged serious and repeat violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act after the agency investigated an accident on Dec. 6, 2002, in which a company employee was killed in a fall at a construction site at 731 Lexington Ave. The most significant citation is an alleged "repeat" violation that directly relates to the accident, in which an employee fell through an unprotected floor opening and plunged to his death on a steel deck 35 feet below. The citation includes a proposed penalty of $50,000 and charges the employer with failing to provide proper fall protection for employees working next to an unguarded floor opening. DCM Erectors had been cited for a similar violation at the same site on Oct. 15, 2002. "This employer was cited previously for a similar violation on this same project, yet continued to expose employees to the same hazards knowing full well the potential for a serious accident," said Richard Mendelson, OSHA's area director in Manhattan. "This outrageous flaunting of the law had very tragic consequences." OSHA is also citing DCM Erectors for two alleged "serious" violations, each carrying a proposed penalty of $5,000, for failing to train employees exposed to fall hazards in how to recognize and minimize those hazards and for failing to require employees to use eye protection in hazardous situations. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew, or should have known. A repeat violation occurs when a company has been cited for similar violations within the past three years and the citation has become a final order. DCM Erectors has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and proposed penalties to elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The OSHA area office in Manhattan conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is 212-620-3200. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Worker falls to his death from 16-story county building March 7, 2003, 10:44 AM EST BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A maintenance worker fell to his death from the roof of a 16-story county government building in a possible suicide. Michael Mazurek, 47, an employee of the Erie County Division of Buildings and Grounds since the mid-1980s, died about 1 p.m. Thursday after plunging from the roof of the Rath Building, authorities said. County spokesman Jeffrey Hammond said Mazurek might have fallen as he was performing a routine maintenance check on the building's heating system. The Buffalo News reported Friday that Mazurek was scheduled this week to face sentencing in a sexual molestation case and had taken actions in the days before his death that suggested the fall was not accidental. His death remained under investigation.
UPDATE Orangeburg company fined for violations before death Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. - The company that employed a man who died after he fell while working on a bridge was fined for several safety violations in the 1990s, records show. Carolina Bridge Co. officials were questioned by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator Thursday after Jason Kinsey, 21, fell 80 feet into the Congaree River and died. Kinsey's safety harness was hooked to the scaffolding that landed on top of him. It was the Orangeburg company's first serious accident, OSHA documents show. But in June 1994, the company was fined $6,270 for six serious violations during construction on a bridge over the Broad River in Gaffney. Officials from Carolina Bridge Co. could not be reached Friday. The company failed to provide life jackets for employees working over water, ring buoys with at least 90 feet of line for rescues and a lifesaving boat, according to OSHA documents obtained by The State newspaper. The only other violation was in June 1991. Records show it also was serious and resulted in a $560 fine but didn't specifically say what the violation was. Carolina Bridge was close to completing a $612,163 contract with the state to repair the two-lane, 54-year-old bridge at U.S. Highway 601 between the Congaree Swamp and the headwaters of Lake Marion. Kinsey and two other men, Dan Nickel and Randall Jepson, were working on the bridge when the scaffolding collapsed Wednesday. Kinsey and Nickel fell into the water, while Jepson dangled from a rope he was harnessed to and was rescued 40 minutes later. Divers pulled Kinsey's body from the water Thursday. Nickel hit a barge that was floating near the bridge then fell into the river. He was taken to a hospital and released Thursday. Neither Kinsey nor Jepson was wearing a life jacket, officials said, and it was unclear whether Nickel was wearing one. The crew also had no OSHA-required lifeboat buoys in the water in case of emergency, rescuers said. OSHA's investigation into the scaffolding collapse likely will take several weeks, said Jim Knight, spokesman for the state Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department. Information from: The State
Roof worker badly hurt in 50ft fall Mar 7, 2003, 12:06:00 A man suffered serious injuries after falling 50ft through a skylight at a Wolverhampton factory. The injured man's brother, who witnessed the accident, also ended up in hospital after suffering a heart attack brought on by the shock. Today both men, who have not been named, were being cared for at the city's New Cross Hospital. The accident happened at a foundry in GKN Thompson Ltd, in Millfields Road. Fire crews from Willenhall and Wednesbury rushed to the factory, backed up by the major rescue team from West Bromwich. The victim was a contractor who had been carrying out maintenance work on the roof, which is 40ft-50ft high. He fell and landed on some plastic pellets which were stacked 15ft above the ground. Firefighters spent 40 minutes rescuing him after the accident yesterday afternoon and used a spine board and basket stretcher to lower him. He suffered head and spinal injuries. Station officer Jim Austin, from Willenhall, said: "We were there to get the injured man off the pallets that he had fallen onto. "They were quite high off the ground that made it awkward to reach him. "We managed to reach him using a stretcher and ropes and then paramedics took over and took him to hospital." Peter Bailey, spokesman for GKN Thompson, said: "An outside contractor was working on the roof of the building and fell. "The fire brigade attended to free him."
Bridge painter dies after scaffolding collapses A worker painting the U.S. 601 bridge over the Congaree River has died after the scaffolding he was standing on collapsed, authorities say. Two other workers were injured in the incident Wednesday afternoon. Divers located the body of Jason Kinsey Wednesday evening, But he was still trapped in the scaffolding, and Natural Resources Department workers had to wait until Thursday morning to get the equipment needed to free his body, diver Anthony Walker said. An autopsy showed 21-year-old Kinsey, of Cordova, died from multiple trauma, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Thursday. Rescue workers and police did not know why the scaffolding broke loose. The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate. One of the injured workers, Dan Nickel, fell 80 feet into the river, but was rescued by a fisherman who happened to be nearby. The second injured painter, Randall Jepson, dangled by a rope for 40 minutes before being rescued by Columbia firefighter Wayne Melton, who had to rappel about 15 feet under the bridge to reach him. Both are expected to recover. The bridge, which spans the border of Richland and Calhoun counties about 30 miles southeast of Columbia, is one of the highest in the state.
UPDATE OSHA fines companies in fatal fall By David Gilligan Advocate Reporter UTICA -- The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined two companies in the death of a construction worker who fell at Utica High School. OSHA cited general contractor Robertson Construction Services and its subcontractor, Exterior Systems Inc., for failure to remove scrap metal, roof decking and plastic from the roof of the high school, which contributed to the January death of Jason Thatcher, said David Wilson, spokesman for OSHA's Columbus regional office. Each company was fined $2,000. Thatcher, 32, of Delaware, died Jan. 15 after he fell at the site of the new Utica high school. Thatcher was an employee of Powell-based Exterior Systems. Specific information on the fall and the nature of Thatcher's injuries were not available before press time. Both companies have contested the case. Lawyers for the companies and for OSHA are preparing their cases. Neither company could be reached for comment Tuesday. There was no answer at the phone number listed for Exterior Systems, and the safety rector for Robertson Construction Services Inc. was not available. North Fork schools Superintendent Tom Slater was unaware of the result of OSHA's investigation until contacted by The Advocate and declined to comment on the findings until he could study them further.
Man critical after falling through roof 05 March 2003 A man is in critical condition in hospital after falling five metres through a roof in Petone yesterday morning. The 47-year-old man and a colleague were working on the roof of a building in Nelson St when the accident happened about 9.30am. Occupational Safety and Health were investigating the incident, a spokeswoman said. It appeared the two men had been dismantling a roof when they both fell through it, landing five metres below. One man was uninjured and the other had serious head injuries, she said. The injured worker was from Porirua-based company Fogartys Structural Services. Company director David Fogarty said he believed the men were setting up when the accident happened. "I just hope he's all right, he's a bloody nice guy," Mr Fogarty said on his way to the site yesterday. "We've never had an accident on a building site before, and normally our jobs all go very smoothly. He is not a man who is accident-prone – some people are, but not this guy, he's brilliant." Mr Fogarty hoped to find out more about how the accident happened after talking to his workers, but his thoughts were with the injured man. The man was taken to Wellington Hospital in a serious condition by Wellington Free Ambulance after the fall. A hospital spokeswoman said he was in intensive care in a critical but stable condition.
UPDATE Waverly Plant Fined After Accidental Death Monday, March 03, 2003, 7:43:19 PM From The KCRG-TV9 Waterloo Newsroom The State of Iowa is fining the Nestles Plant in Waverly $32,000 for safety violations after a worker fell to his death. Fifty-four year old Henry Daniels III of Waterloo died at the plant in December. His wife says he fell from a lift that was knocked over when someone opened a garage door. The state says workers at the Waverly plant were not properly trained while working on overhead doors. Nestle has fifteen days to contest the fine.
Man dies during safety inspection aboard ship; Rescue workers arrive at the scene JACKSONVILLE, Fl (Northside) -- Rescue workers rushed to the scene of a tragedy Sunday evening when a ship worker fell to his death while performing a routine safety inspection. It happened on the freighter ship "Alice Oldendorff Monrovia," which is docked behind the U.S. Gypsum Company. Authorities said the 50-year-old man apparently lost his footing and fell through a small opening on to the deck below. The man was with another worker on the ship when the incident occurred, but it is not known at this time if the other worker actually saw the incident. Rescue units responded to the emergency call shortly after 5pm Sunday. "The person was in a limited access area and fell approximately 10 feet. Unfortunately, while the person was falling, he had apparently hit his head at some point," said Roscoe Hager, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers and the U.S. Coast Guard will continue to investigate the incident. They are not releasing the name of the victim until the next of kin has been notified. Police say an autopsy will be performed before officially ruling this as an accidental death. The man was a Polish citizen and an executive officer aboard the ship. First Coast News
Worker Killed In Church Community Center Roof Collapse POSTED: 7:58 a.m. EST March 3, 2003 FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- A church held a memorial service Sunday for a construction worker who died over the weekend when the roof of new community center collapsed beneath him. Geraldo H. De Oliveira Jr., 31, was pronounced dead at a hospital within an hour of Saturday's accident at Eternal Life Christian Center's new community and recreation center. The Brazilian man lived in Harrison. Miqueiaz Franco E. Silva, 19, also of Harrison, was treated for a leg injury and released, police said. The church's pastor planned to hang a plaque bearing De Oliveira's name at the community center after it is completed. "His death will not be in vain," Pastor Vollie Smith said. "We are going to make him an honorary member of our church and dedicate a plaque in his honor ... because his efforts will not be forgotten." The men worked for Myler Church Construction Co. of Indiana. Rick Pitre, Myler's northeast regional vice president, said the national firm had never had a construction site fatality before. The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. The construction site was closed Saturday while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigates. Franklin Township police Sgt. Marie Bandtlow said the department received no reports of problems at the site before the collapse and all permits were in order.
UPDATE Worker is killed in fall at Brandeis By Peter Demarco, Globe Correspondent, 3/3/2003 WALTHAM -- A 39-year-old Malden man fell to his death while working on a new three-story dormitory at Brandeis University on Saturday, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are trying to determine the cause. Mark Chopelas, a laborer working for William A. Berry & Son, a Danvers-based construction management firm, was in an inside stairwell in the partially completed structure at about 8 a.m. when he fell, his family and officials said. He was taken from the South Street construction site to Waltham Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. Chopelas, of Malden, had been working on the dormitory since he joined the company in January. David Passafaro, a vice president at William A. Berry, said officials would meet soon to discuss ways to honor his memory. ''He was always with a smile on his face. Always willing to help anyone in need,'' said an uncle, Timothy Chopelas, of Melrose. Mark Chopelas, who would have turned 40 this month, was born and raised in Malden. His family ran Malden Square's Chopelas Cantina for more than 60 years before it closed in the 1980s. Rich Fazzio, area director of the Methuen-area office of OSHA, said he hoped the weekend's accident would compel other construction firms to review safety procedures. ''Falls are one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in the Commonwealth. I believe it is the leading cause in the last decade,'' he said. Fazzio said he would not give any additional details about the company's record because an investigation is continuing. Passafaro said he did not know whether William A. Berry, which was founded in 1857, had ever lost an employee to a job-related accident. The company has had a clean safety record in recent memory, he said. Construction on the 70,000-square-foot dormitory will resume today except in the section of the building where the accident occurred. Fazzio said the company could face fines if it is found in violation of safety regulations.
Scaffold collapse sends workmen down lift shaft The collapse of a scaffolding tower on the inside of a lift shaft led to the fall of three construction workers of WC Cornfield & Son some 10 metres down the partly constructed shaft on a construction site at Leegomery in Telford on Friday morning. Three men, aged 34, 38 and 51, were rescued from under the debris of the collapse by fire rescue services and were admitted to hospital with leg, back and chest injuries, a 4th man in the team escaped with less serious injuries, his condition was described as "walking wounded." HSE arrived on site in the afternoon to open an investigation.
Man escapes death in fall Abu Dhabi | By Nissar Hoath | 02/03/2003 A construction worker escaped death by inches when he fell from a platform and landed on a scaffolding at a hotel construction site here yesterday. The accident occurred when the high platform on which the labourer was working slipped off its support because of gusting winds. The worker landed on another platform made of wooden planks, sustaining multiple fractures and bruises. He also sustained severe injuries when part of a wooden plank pierced his back. The South Asian worker remained suspended on the loose wooden planks in mid air until a rescue team from Civil Defence brought him down. The rescue attempt attracted a huge crowd, causing a traffic jam on Khalifa Street. The crowd was dispersed by police. The Civil Defence rescue team arrived with a crane, an inflatable air bed, ambulance and paramedics. The strong, gusting winds made their task difficult and slow. The worker was rushed to Central Hospital. According to a Civil Defence official, he is out of danger. Recounting the incident, another worker at the site said: "We thought he would hit the ground and die. But by the grace of God, the scaffolding below saved his life." The workers at the site were without proper safety equipment in the strong wind. The wooden planks were not secured firmly to the metal scaffolding, and some workers had no safety belts. After this accident, work was stopped at other construction sites in the city.
Painter dies while working on Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens By the Associated Press March 2 2003 JAMES CITY, Va. -- A painter working on a roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park died Saturday morning after the high-reaching vehicle he was in overturned. Park spokeswoman Cindy Sarko said she did not know the details of the accident. Authorities said Bill Linnin of Hampton was dead when rescue workers arrived shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sarko said Linnin was employed by St. Louis-based Hartman-Walsh Painting Co. and had been working on the Big Bad Wolf roller coaster. The Big Bad Wolf, one of several roller coasters at the park, opened in June 1984. At its highest point, it is 110 feet tall. "We extend our deepest sympathy to the family," Sarko said. "It's just a terrible day here at the park." No one was available at Hartman-Walsh's company headquarters for comment Saturday. The park is scheduled to open March 22.
UPDATE Family mourns victim of Claymont industrial accident; Father of two was 35 By MARY ALLEN AND ESTEBAN PARRA Staff reporters 03/02/2003 The family of a 35-year-old Wilmington man who died 13 days after falling into a container of boiling water said they were dealing with the situation as best they could. It came so tragically and so quickly," said John M. Barden, Anthony F. Fuhr's father-in-law. "We're coping, is the best way to put it." Fuhr died Thursday at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., where he had been hospitalized since Feb. 14. He is survived by his wife, Pam Fuhr, their 10-month-old son, Anthony J. Fuhr, and a 9-year-old son, Nick, from a previous marriage. Fuhr had been working on a scaffolding about 7:15 a.m. when he fell into a 10-by-30-foot container holding about 2 feet of boiling water at CitiSteel USA in Claymont, state police said. After falling into the water, which is used to cool molten steel, Fuhr was able to climb out and yell for help. Fuhr did not regain consciousness while hospitalized, Barden said. CitiSteel officials could not be reached for comment Saturday. Police are investigating. Family members said Fuhr loved spending time with his family and enjoyed helping neighbors by cutting their grass or shoveling snow if they were unable to do the chores on their own. He would play ball and watch NASCAR with Nick. He and his wife of two years were planning to renovate their Wilmington home. "We were planning a renovation for more children," Pam Fuhr said. Fuhr's viewing will be 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Gebhart Funeral Home, 3401 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont. The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with burial in Chester Bethel Cemetery in Brandywine Hundred.
UPDATE New Jersey firm fined $53,000 in worker death as power plant chimney February 27, 2003 A New Jersey construction firm will pay $53,000 in federal fines because a worker was killed in August when he fell 100 feet from a power plant chimney that was under construction. Hamon Custodis of Somerville, N.J., also agreed to provide fall-protection equipment to workers more than 6 feet above ground and to provide a full-time safety officer for any projects involving the building of concrete chimneys, under the settlement with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA investigated after Ronald Bush, 46, of Grayson, Ky., fell while installing metal grating inside the chimney at the Allegheny Energy Supply plant in Springdale, about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Bush was killed when he fell from a 400-high landing to another landing 100 feet below. It was the second fatality at the site. OSHA had fined the company $7,200 because another worker, Chris Beabout, 36, of Washington, Pa., fell 290 feet from a platform inside the same chimney in November 2001. Robert Szymanski, the OSHA director for the Pittsburgh region, called the $53,000 fine "fairly substantial." Jonathan Lagarenne, chief executive officer of Hamon Custodis, said the settlement with OSHA "focuses on safety enhancements" _ some of which have already been made. The chimney is part of a 540-megawatt power plant scheduled to open this summer, Allegheny Energy officials said. The plant will use three generators, two powered by natural gas and another by steam byproducts. Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Wright miner dies after fall in plant By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER Star-Tribune energy reporter WRIGHT -- Wright man Rick Richardson, 44, died early Wednesday morning of injuries sustained in a fall February 20 at the Black Thunder coal mine where he was a plant manager. Richardson is the second miner to be killed at the mine in year. Allen "Big A" Greger was killed on Feb. 20, 2002, when a section of highwall came loose and smashed the rubber-tire dozer he was operating in the pit. A spokesman for Arch Coal, which owns the Black Thunder mine, said Richardson's accident is still under investigation with the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the State Mine Inspector's office. Spokesman Greg Schaefer said Richardson, an experienced miner, was by himself when he fell through an open section of a walkway in the plant. Sections of the walkway were removed to allow parts to be transported in the plant, Schaefer said. Richardson fell about 19 feet, sustaining traumatic injuries to the head. He was take by Life Flight from the mine to the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper where he remained in critical condition until his death. When the accident occurred, the mine shut down operations until the next morning. "Everybody from top to bottom at the mine is numb from this," Schaefer said of Richardson's death. Another Black Thunder miner, Les Butts, is still recovering from a separate highwall accident that happened in January 2002. A large rock crashed down on a vehicle being operated by Butts. He suffered severe spinal injuries. Butts is still in a wheelchair and has not returned to work. Black Thunder produces about 68 million tons of coal annually. It is located about 15 miles southeast of Wright on Highway 450.
UPDATE Double Fatal Construction Accident Results in OSHA Citations & Over $27,000 in Proposed Penalties for Brooklyn, NY, Employer NEW YORK -- Exposing employees to fatal safety hazards at a Manhattan construction site has resulted in a Brooklyn, N.Y. employer being cited and fined $27,200 by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA has cited Atlantic Heydt Corp., of 1281 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, for alleged serious and repeat violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act after the agency investigated an accident on Aug. 23, 2002, in which two employees of the company were killed at a construction site at 300 Madison Ave. in New York City. The two most significant citations, both alleged "repeat" violations, relate directly to the accident, in which the two workers fell to their deaths when the material hoist on which they were working plunged 280 feet to the ground. One charges the employer with failing to provide employees working at an elevation of 280 feet with proper fall protection. The other is for failing to comply with the manufacturer's safety requirements for securing and rigging the material hoist on which the employees were working. "This employer was cited previously for similar violations on another project, yet exposed employees on this project to the same hazards with full knowledge of the potential dangers," said Richard Mendelson, OSHA's area director in Manhattan. "That's totally unacceptable." OSHA is also citing the company for five alleged "serious" violations, including: unsafe stacking of stored materials at the construction site; exposing employees to the hazards of uncovered floor holes; failing to require employees to use hardhats to protect against falling objects; failing to post the rated load capacity on material hoist cars; and exposing employees using unevenly spaced ladders to fall hazards. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm result from a hazard about which the employer knew, or should have known. A repeat violation occurs when a company has been cited for similar violations within the past three years and the citation has become a final order. Atlantic Heydt Corp. has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, and/or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The OSHA Area Office in Manhattan conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is 212-620-3200. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Man in hospital after 25-foot fall By SUE McCLURE Staff Writer COLUMBIA — A Hohenwald, Tenn., man was in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last night, after he fell 25 feet off an industrial crane, authorities said. Thomas Lindsey Jr., 26, 109 Black Road, was changing light bulbs when the 12:43 p.m. accident occurred at Industrial Door Contractors, according to Columbia police detective Don Rose. ''He fell off the crane and landed on the concrete floor below,'' Rose said. ''LifeFlight (medical helicopter) picked him up from the scene.'' Columbia Fire Department Cmdr. Mark Blackwood said his units responded to the scene and provided patient care and stabilized the scene until police and emergency medical personnel arrived. Workers at Industrial Door Contractors, 820 Mayberry Springs Road, would not comment on the accident.
Worker survives 3-in-1 accident unscathed HSE is investigating an accident in which employee Michael Wilson, 35, first fell over two metres, required rescue from a confined space and had to overcome the effects of hypothermia. Mr Wilson, an employee of North-east Ice and Cold Storage of Peterhead, fell down a shaft at the quayside in Peterhead in the early hours, landing uninjured among the flake ice but was unable to move. Another worker shut down the ice making equipment and raised the alarm to summon the emergency services who freed him after twenty minutes of shovelling, attaching a rope around him to raise him up.
UPDATE Employee Fall Leads to Over $70,000 in OSHA Fines for Nashua, N.H., Industrial Laundry CONCORD, N.H. -- A Nashua, N.H. industrial laundry's failure to protect workers against fall hazards has prompted $70,200 in proposed fines from the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Unifirst, Corp, located at 8 Industrial Park Drive in Nashua, was cited for alleged willful and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following an OSHA inspection initiated when an employee suffered serious injuries after falling 10 feet from an unguarded mezzanine on Sept. 3 of last year. "There was a clear need for guardrails that would have prevented this accident from occurring, yet they were not installed," said David May, OSHA's New Hampshire area director. "It's imperative that employers identify and effectively address such hazards before workers are injured or killed." As a result, OSHA has cited Unifirst for an alleged willful violation, the most severe category of OSHA citation, and proposed a fine of $63,000 for failing to guard the mezzanine against fall hazards. The size of the fine reflects the citation's classification as willful. 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 and regulations. OSHA's inspection also identified a tripping hazard from a protruding toeboard on the mezzanine, uncovered or unguarded waste water treatment tanks, an unguarded press and pit, and no 'no exit' sign in the mezzanine area. These alleged violations have been classified as serious and fines of $7,200 are proposed for them. OSHA defines a serious violation as one that could cause death or serious physical harm from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. Unifirst Corp. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, and/or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA's Concord Area Office conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is (603) 225-1629. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Carman worker killed in fall By STAFF A 33-year-old Carman man was killed after falling 15 metres to the ground in an industrial accident just northeast of town. The incident occurred about 10 a.m. when the victim, an Agricore United employee, fell while working on the outside of a grain elevator. He was taken to Carman Memorial Hospital where he died of his injuries about four hours later, police said. Pembina Valley RCMP said the fall appears to have been an accident and no foul play is suspected. Agricore safety representatives and Workplace Health and Safety officials were investigating the cause of the accident last night. The man's name was not released as of press time. Carman is about 60 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.
UPDATE Agency cites city construction company in worker's death LAWRENCE FERCHAW, The Saratogian February 22, 2003 SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Federal officials this week cited a city construction company for alleged safety violations in connection with the December death of one of its workers. Jelenik Building and Renovation, however, is contesting the six alleged violations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which charge the company did not properly install scaffolding, adequately train its employees on safety or provide safety equipment for workers. ''We don't think we did anything wrong,'' said David Jelenik, the owner of the company. ''It was just a freak thing.'' Jeffery Post, 42, of Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa, died from head injuries he suffered Dec. 7 when he fell from scaffolding at a work site on Vanderbilt Avenue. Jelenik said Post threw a load of shingles onto the scaffolding, which caused the plywood the brackets were secured to to give way. He fell about 10 feet to the ground. The company is subject to $3,750 in fines if the citations are upheld. OSHA alleges that employees were not trained to erect the scaffold according to the manufacturer's specifications and that employees working on the scaffolding were not provided with a guard rail system or ''personal fall arrest system.'' Terry Harding, the assistant area director for the OSHA office in Albany, said she could not comment in detail on the citations because the case is still open. OSHA is required to respond to the site of any worker death within one day. Jelenik said the scaffolding was installed correctly and that the brackets were attached to 1-inch thick plywood instead of the required 5/8-inch thick plywood. ''Safety equipment was available,'' Jelenik said. ''The training was there.'' After falling, Post was transported to Albany Medical Center, where he died the next day. Post's wife, Leslie, could not be reached for comment. The family had moved to the area from Florida less than two months before the accident. Jelenik said he and Post had been friends for about 10 years and that he gave him a job when he returned to the area to take care of his mother. OSHA's job, Jelenik said, ''is to come out and cite you with as many violations as they can.''
UPDATE Man settles catwalk fall for $1.3 million Democrat and Chronicle (February 22, 2003) — A Rochester man was awarded $1.3 million for injuries he suffered when he fell from a catwalk in 2000. Frank Miller settled a lawsuit against Mott’s in Williamson, Wayne County. Miller, a contractor for J.J. Young, a metal fabrication company in Sodus, was working at the apple plant in August 2000 when he fell through a broken grate in a catwalk he was repairing, according to a news release from his lawyer’s firm, Moran & Kufta. Miller, who was 54 at the time, fell 15 feet, landing on his back. His injuries included a spinal fracture that required surgery. He has been unable to work because of his injuries, according to the release. The settlement, intended to cover Miller’s future medical bills, lost wages and disability, came a week before the trial was to begin. Miller, who had been heavily involved in martial arts, taught children karate prior to the accident. A spokesman for Mott’s was unaware of the settlement Friday and said he could not comment.
Shell worker dies in fall in Norco Sunday February 23, 2003 From staff reports A worker at a Shell chemical plant in Norco was killed Saturday in an accident, the St. Charles Parish coroner's office and a plant official said. The victim was Henry Sutherland, said Lily Acosta Galland, a spokeswoman for the Shell Chemical Norco facility. His age and hometown were not released. About 11:30 a.m., Sutherland, an operator at the central utilities system, fell from a pipe rack at the east site, a large chemical facility, Galland said. Sutherland was taken to River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace. Galland said he died at 12:29 p.m. The accident is under investigation, Galland said. The coroner's office said an autopsy will be performed.
UPDATE Worker 'fell to his death from faulty platform' A BUILDING worker plunged to his death after stepping on a badly cracked scaffolding platform, a court heard. Graeme Oliver, 39, from Rutherglen, fell four storeys after wooden boards collapsed as he worked in Brunswick Street in Glasgow city centre. A contractor had put up the scaffolding to allow ScotDem to carry out the work. But safety checks failed to spot a 6ft long crack on one of the platforms, a fatal accident inquiry has been told. The accident happened on a site behind the former Goldbergs store, owned by property developers Pathfinder, on February 21 last year. The court heard how one of the platforms was severely weakened by two split boards. Professor John Dunwoodie, a building safety expert, said: "It was asking a lot for the platform to support a 16st man. "Any competent foreman, carrying out regularly inspections, would have spotted the damaged boards." Contractors Lyndon Scaffolding of Broxburn, West Lothian, insists the platform was part of a "buttress" - used to support the front of a building - and was not supposed to be used by workmen. Foreman Robert Polea of Lyndon Scaffolding, who oversaw the platforms being put up, told the court: "The platform was outwith the main access scaffolding - I had no reason to believe it was going to be used. "With hindsight, the boards should have been removed altogether. The platform was in a no-go area and was not reinforced but there was a bar to prevent workers from gaining access. I accept it should have been brought to the contractor's attention before work began." The fatal accident inquiry before Sheriff Linda Ruxton at Glasgow Sheriff Court has been adjourned until March 5.
1 Dead, 4 Injured In Roof Collapse February 17, 2003 EDISON, N.J. -- One man died and four people were injured when an aluminum roof collapsed Monday at a job-training school, police said. The identity of the man who died was not immediately released. The injured had broken bones and scrapes, said Lt. William Bunting of the Edison Police Department. They were taken to hospitals. The roof was covering a smoking area outside the Edison Job Corps Academy, Bunting said. He said a combination of wind and snow accumulating on the roof caused the collapse. Authorities were digging through the rubble to determine whether anyone else was trapped after the noon collapse. Also Monday, the roof of a Rite Aid drug store in Clifton collapsed, according to Lt. Ken Dalpos of the Clifton Police Department. He said EMS workers were checking to see if anyone was trapped. It was not immediately known whether the drug store was open at the time.
