Weekly Toll

Workplace Safety

2009-11-18T21:28:00.002-05:00

Thursday, November 19th at 8pm - KQED Public Radio’s Health Dialogues will broadcast a program looking at Workplace Safety. Segment topics include Cal-OSHA regulations, safety of green jobs, health concerns for migrant and farm workers, and more.

Don’t live in S.F. or Sacramento? Find your local airtime here:
http://www.californiareport.org/healthdialogues/about.jsp

You can embed the program on your website or stream it online starting this Friday at 12pm by visiting www.HealthDialogues.org.

2009-11-17T08:51:00.016-05:00

Grocery employee shot, killed while chasing robber

November 21, Kansas City, Missouri - Police have arrested two men in connection with a robbery-turned homicide earlier today on East 12th Street. A grocery store's employee and his brother tried chasing down two guys who had robbed Abarottes Grocery, only one of them shot the employee near 12th and Bales. That man was pronounced dead later at the hospital. The brother followed the suspects to an apartment building, which police then surrounded. A couple of hours later, police arrested two men. Tony's story is here. And the official, original police statement is below the jump.

Driver killed when semi slams into building at rest stop

November 19, Harquahala, Arizona - Officials have identified the driver of a semi truck who was killed when his vehicle slammed into a building at a rest stop west of the Valley Wednesday. Edward A. French, 45 , of Long Beach, California died in the violent crash. Officials with the Department of Public Safety said five people were in the backyard of a residence at the Burnt Wells rest stop when the truck came barreling through.

One person killed in Miley Cyrus tour bus crash

November 20, Richmond, Virginia - Miley Cyrus' tour bus driver was killed when the bus he was driving overturned on a Virginia highway. Cyrus was not in the bus involved in the accident; however, she was part of a 4-vehicle caravan that was traveling to Greensboro, North Carolina for a concert. Virginia state police said the bus overturned on Interstate 85, about 40 miles south of Richmond. Nine other passengers, part of Cyrus' concert production crew, had minor injuries in the crash. Cyrus' manager told TMZ that, "It was one of our tour buses, but not Miley's. It was one of our buses that transported our lighting crew."

PGW employee killed in accident at plant

November 20, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - An early morning accident today at Pittsburgh Glass Works LLC on Southern Avenue has resulted in the death of an employee. According to plant manager Jerry Hornyak, at approximately 9:30 a.m., an employee operating some material and handling equipment at the plant was killed. He did not go into detail as to what specifically happened. Local EMS and Chillicothe Police were called to the scene and the Ohio Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified of the fatality. The name of the employee has not yet been released pending notification of the family.

Pacific Railroad Employee Killed in Boyle Heights Drive-By

November 20, Los Angeles, California - Police searched last week for whoever killed a man in a drive-by shooting in Boyle Heights. The victim was fatally shot near Union Pacific Avenue and La Puerta Street about 8:40 p.m. on Nov. 11, according to Officer Karen Rayner, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman. News reports identified the victim as Ademio Morales, 43. The vehicle from which the shots were fired was a white compact with tinted windows, possibly a Toyota Corolla, a watch commander at the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Station said last Thursday.

STRATA employee killed on highway: Family says sorrow won’t turn to anger

November 20, Vernal, Utah - Richard Adams lived long enough to tell those first on the scene of the accident that claimed his life that he’d gotten a glimpse of the car that crossed the road and struck him. In that instant when he knew he was going to be hit, his response was not one of anger, said those who know him best. “Richard was a man of peace — a disciple of Jesus Christ,” wrote Brad LeBaron, Adam’s brother-in-law and president of the West Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “He set that example of forgiving and turning aside from wrath.”

St. Paul firefighter's death is declared in line of duty

November 21, St. Paul, Minnesota - As a St. Paul firefighter, Ramon "Ray" Hain came in contact with a patient's body fluids in 1997. Doctors think he contracted a rare disease that weakened his heart. Hain, of Roseville, got a heart transplant in 1998 but had to retire in 2000 from the job he loved. In recent months, the 50-year-old Hain's heart began failing. He died last Saturday. Despite the years that have passed, the St. Paul Fire Department considers his death to be in the line of duty — its first such death in 20 years — and his name will be inscribed at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md.

Corrections officer dies in collision on U.S. 95

November 21, Las Vegas, Nevada - A corrections officer with the Metropolitan Police Department died early this morning when the van he was driving was involved in a collision on U.S. Highway 95 near Searchlight. Daniel Leach, 49, a 25-year veteran of the department, died after his southbound van clipped the second trailer of a 10-wheel dump truck that was making a left turn to head north on 95, police said. He was the only occupant in the vehicle. Two occupants of the dump truck were uninjured. Leach was beginning his shift at the time of the 5:45 a.m. accident, en route to Searchlight, about 50 miles south of Las Vegas, when the accident occurred.

Port Angeles worker killed cleaning up highway slide

November 19, Port Angeles, Washington - A Port Angeles state transportation worker was killed Thursday by a falling limb. 42-year-old Neal Richards died when the tree limb fell on him while clearing a slide about mid-day Thursday west of Port Angeles. Richards was helping clear debris from a mudslide on Highway 101 near Indian Hill. Richards worked for the Port Angeles detachment of the WSDOT since 1998 and was most recently a maintenance lead tech in Port Angeles.

Wabasha man found dead on silo ladder

November 20, Rochester, Minnesota - A 49-year-old man was pronounced dead Friday after authorities found him stuck on a silo ladder at the Drysdale farm just outside Wabasha. The cause of death appears to have been an unknown medical issue, according to a report from the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the farm at 10:12 a.m. with a report of a man stuck on a ladder with a safety cage on the outside of a silo. He was about 35 feet off the ground.

Clerk found dead at Village Pantry store

November 21, Indianapolis. Indiana - Metro police are searching for suspects who robbed a village pantry Saturday morning and shot and killed the clerk. It happened around 5 a.m. in the 1400 block of South Meridian Street. It was still dark when a customer stepped inside the south side convenience store, and walked into a robbery in progress. "A customer arrived just after 5 a.m. and noticed 2 individuals in the clerks area inside the village pantry gathering merchandise. Just digging through taking packs of cigarettes from the shelf," explained Sgt. Paul Thompson.

Man dies Wednesday following accident at Kent Boeing plant

November 19, Kent, Washington - Kent Police and Boeing officials are investigating the circumstances that led to a man dying in what appears to be an industrial accident at about 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Boeing plant in Kent. Firefighters from Kent and Tukwila responded to the plant near the corner of South 212th Street and the West Valley Highway. They were able to confirm that a man died as a result of a piece of machinery, according to a Kent Fire Department media release. The man was authorized to be in the area and use the machinery where the incident took place.

Facilities management department employee dies

November 19, Richmond, Virginia - A VCU Facilities Management Department contract employee died of natural causes while at work Tuesday afternoon in the Temple building on the Monroe Park Campus. Nora Ann Gaines, 62, told Broadcast Engineer for the College of Humanities and Sciences John Geerdes she was not feeling well around 2 p.m. and asked him for a glass of water. "(Gaines) was in the audio bay, sitting in a chair," Geerdes said. "(I) went to get her a cup of water and then I look back in the audio bay and she collapsed in the chair and fell on the floor."

53-year-old worker dies in New Springville construction accident

November 20, Staten Island, New York - A Staten Island construction worker was crushed to death by a reversing dump truck driven by his co-worker this afternoon on Richmond Avenue near Rockland Avenue in New Springville. Jody Reese, 53, of Tottenville, was standing behind the white Mack truck, out of view of either mirror, police said. When the driver began to back up, Reese was crushed by the rear and then the front tires. Emergency responders worked to revive Reese, before he was taken to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze where he was pronounced dead.

Woman killed in forklift accident

November 20, Columbus, Ohio - A worker was killed in an accident this morning at the Pittsburgh Glass Works plant in Chillicothe. Paramedics were summoned at 9:24 a.m. on a report that a female worker was injured at the Southern Avenue facility, fire department officials said. The woman, whose identity was not immediately released, was declared dead at the scene. The woman was operating a mechanized device used to retrieve packages when she was struck by a falling object, said Bill Wilkinson of the Cincinnati office of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Truck driver killed in early-morning I-10 wreck

November 20, Houston, Texas - Portions of Interstate 10 and U.S. 59 near downtown were shut down for hours this morning after a fatal traffic crash involving an 18-wheeler early this morning. A single-vehicle wreck occurred on the westbound I-10 East Freeway near Jensen about 3:15 a.m. Officials closed the westbound freeway near the area for several hours while police and emergency workers cleared the site. Also, two southbound lanes of the U.S. 59 Eastex Freeway at Jensen were closed for a time as investigators determined how the wreck occurred. Police said it appeared the big rig, traveling on wet pavement because of overnight rains, veered out of control and slammed into a guardrail, then a concrete pillar supporting the overpass at Jensen. The driver, a 44-year-old woman whose name has not been released, was killed.

Funeral held for Kosciusko County officer killed in crash

November 18, South Bend, Michigan ― It is a somber day today in Kosciusko County. Friends, family, and even complete strangers are saying a final farewell and thank you to a man who served and protected the community for 15 years. Kosciusko County Sgt. Jeffery Shaw was killed in a traffic accident last week. His funeral started around 11 a.m. at the Warsaw Community Church. The funeral procession headed to the cemetery after that service ended.

North Slope worker dies at Prudhoe Bay

November 19, North Slope, Alaska - A North Slope worker was killed Wednesday when a pickup truck pinned him against a section of pipe. He is the second man crushed by a vehicle in Prudhoe Bay in roughly three weeks. New Jersey resident Mike Phelan, 59, died in the accident at Prudhoe Bay's North Gas Injection Pad a little after 2 p.m., BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said. Phelan was a BP contractor who worked for MISTRAS Group Inc., a Princeton Junction, N.J.-based outfit that evaluates the structural integrity of energy and industrial infrastructure.

Boating accident leaves dredging contractor dead

November 18, Gansevoort, New Jersey – State Police are investigating a boating accident on the Hudson River that led to the death of a contractor working for General Electric as part of the Hudson River dredging project. Jeffrey Harbison of Lambertville, N.J. was pulled from the water Tuesday after the disabled boat he was in went over a dam, according to a fire official. Keith Burch, first assistant chief with the Gansevoort Fire Department, said Harbison was still alive when initially pulled from the water but was being treated as a "cold water drowning" victim.

Jobsite Entrapment Kills Worker in Dakota Dunes

November 18, Dakota Dunes, South Dakota - A construction worker is dead after a job-site accident in Dakota Dunes Tuesday morning. The Union County Sheriff's office says a 27-year-old man was installing forms for a basement on Bluestem Trail when a dirt wall collapsed on him. Co-workers were able to free the victim and begin CPR but he did not survive.

Forklift kills worker at Burris Logistics

November 18, Staunton, Virginia — A 27-year-old Greenville man was killed after he was pinned underneath a forklift at Burris Logistics. The tragic workplace accident occurred on Friday morning, November 13, 2009 on Mount Torrey Road in Lyndhurst, as reported by the Waynesboro News Virginian.Matt Megginson, 27, of Greenville reportedly lost control of a standup forklift at Burris Logistics, when it overturned and pinned the man underneath the heavy machine.

Gas well blowout near Grand Cane kills 1

November 18, Grand Cane, Louisiana - The DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office says one worker was killed and a second seriously injured by a natural gas well blowout. Sheriff's Lt. Toni Joe Morris says deputies evacuated about two dozen houses within two miles of the Chesapeake Energy well, which blew about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Names of the dead and injured worker are not yet available.

2 men killed by falling trees during storm cleanup

November 19, Seattle, Washington - Two men were killed in Western Washington while trying to clear trees damaged in recent windstorms - a 42-year-old state Transportation Department worker and a 24-year-old Sedro Woolley man working for a private contractor. The DOT worker was killed near Port Angeles after being hit by a falling tree limb. A DOT spokeswoman says Neal Richards was working to clear a slide on U.S. 101 near Indian Hill when the tree fell.

Truck driver killed in fiery accident in NY suburb

November 16, Continental Village, New York - New York State police say a truck driver was killed in a fiery accident while attempting to avoid an oncoming car on Route 9 in northern Westchester County. Police say a southbound car crossed the center lane and veered in front of the tractor trailer at about 2:30 p.m. The truck swerved off the roadway and struck a tree, its cab bursting into flames. Police say the driver died at the scene. Emergency workers had to use power tools to remove the other driver, who was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Part of the roadway has been closed in both directions.

BTES lineman electrocuted on Hickory Tree Road

November 18, Bluff City, Tennessee – Local investigators are still puzzling over how a local utility worker was electrocuted and thrown from a utility pole Tuesday morning. Bristol Tennessee Essential Services lineman Ronald E. Norris, 34, died while working on a power line behind a home on Hickory Tree Road in Bluff City, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Norris, of Bluff City, leaves behind a wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, police said. A co-worker on a nearby utility pole told investigators that he saw a flash of light and then spotted Norris on the ground. The co-worker performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until an ambulance arrived, but to no avail.

One killed, another injured, after crane collapses

November 17, Houma, Louisiana — A crane collapse this afternoon at a Houma business left a 30-year-old worker dead and another in critical condition, according to the Terrebonne Sheriff's Office. Heath Perkins, of Montegut, was pronounced dead at 2:44 p.m. at Leonard Chabert Medical Center. He was working inside the welding shop at Elevating Boats, 201 Dean Court, off Industrial Boulevard, about 1:30 p.m. when the crane came crashing into the building.

Hay baler crushes farmer

November 15, A 60-year-old St. Helena farmer died Sunday after being crushed by a hay baler, St. Helena authorities said. Kenneth Bridges, 23754 La. 441, was oiling the chains inside of his New Holland round hay baler when a hydraulic line snapped, closing the baler on him, said Maj. Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office. Bridges was working alone on his farm located near Easyville at the time of the accident, Martin said. Authorities were called to the scene at 2:30 p.m. by Bridges’ associate who was coming to help with the farm work, Martin said.

Street worker killed in accident

November 14, Scott, Arkansas - Authorities say a 71-year-old Lonoke County street crew employee has been killed in a work accident. Sheriff's Lt. James Kulesa said Friday that the man, whose name hasn't been released, was working near a bridge in Scott when a grader ran over him about 4:15 p.m. Thursday. The grader hit the worker while the driver was putting the machine in reverse to park. Kulesa said the driver thought his co-worker was standing elsewhere. He also said the man had hearing problems and may not have noticed the machine's reverse signal.

Grocery store clerk killed in Lake Worth robbery known for his generosity

November 16, Lake worth — A man was shot and killed by gunmen in a convenience store robbery on Friday night, authorities said. Miguel A. Gonzalez-Huicochea, 38, of Lake Worth was working in Los Cunaos Grocery on Dixie Highway just south of 10th Avenue North, when two apparently teenage gunmen walked into the store about 9:45 p.m. They were dressed in black and covered their faces in white clothing, according to a statement by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. One carried a semiautomatic handgun. The other had a revolver.

West Virginia employment attorney News: Guardian Fiberglass worker killed by roller

November 16, Martinsburg, West Virginia — A Guardian Fiberglass employee was fatally injured when he somehow became caught in an insulation roller at the company’s insulation plant near Inwood. Bill Willison Sr. was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:15 a.m., at the plant located at 4812 Tabler Station Road, as reported by the Martinsburg Journal. The lead mechanic, Bill Willison Sr., 50, was reportedly conducting maintenance work on an insulation roller at the fiberglass plant, when he somehow became struck in the roller. The insulation roller is a piece of machinery designed to have paper fed through the rollers. Police officials stated it does not appear that foul play was involved, and have since ruled the death as an accident. Rescue teams had to utilize cutting torches to free Willison’s body from the roller.

Farm Worker Killed When Tractor Rolls Into Canal

November 16, Palm Beach County, Florida - A 37-year-old farm worker was killed when her tractor rolled into a canal Monday morning in western Palm Beach County. Maria Cigarroa was killed when the tractor she was on rolled into a canal, detectives say. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the fatal accident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. near U.S. Highway 98 and Hatton Highway. Sheriff's office spokesman Eric Davis said the tractor was too close to the edge of an embankment and rolled into the canal.

16 Deaths Per Day

2009-11-16T17:17:00.012-05:00

Brave New Foundation (BNF) released a video called 16 Deaths Per Day!

BNF has made it easy to view the PAWA, Protecting American Workers Act, and also sign a petition endorsing the act. It features our very own Mrs. Debi Fergen interviewed and at the start of the video. (Way to go girl)

We met one of the gals that helped produce the video at the National COSH Health and Safety Summit, Ms. Myra Donnelley. Myra has also been very helpful and gracious with her advice. So a big public thank you to Myra!

16 deaths per day cant tell you the whole story but it does help explain why we need the PAWA. I can't stress enough how monumental, how historic the PAWA is. So if you haven't taken a look at what the PAWA really is please take a few moments to do so.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-11-09T09:12:00.019-05:00

1 Killed After Trucks Collide On I-78

November 13, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania - A tractor-trailer rear-ended another tractor-trailer Friday morning on Interstate 78 in Lebanon County, killing one of the drivers. The cab of one truck and the trailer of the other caught fire, state police said. The driver of the truck that caught fire was killed. A passenger in that truck was flown to the hospital. The driver and passenger in the other truck were not hurt.

Worker dies after fall from Lynnwood hotel

November 12, Lynnwood, Washington - The worker who fell from a fourth-story window of a hotel under construction in Lynnwood has died. Investigators said the 45-year-old man was offloading carpet on the fourth floor of the building from a forklift outside when he fell from an opening and landed on the sidewalk below. Officers and medics were dispatched to the scene, the new Holiday Inn Express at 2515 196th Street SW, at about 10 a.m. He was rushed to the Harborview Medical Center, where he later died.

Man killed in trench collapse

November 13, San Antonio, Texas – A construction worker is killed while working at the site of the new Texas A&M campus on the city’s south side. The 43-year-old man died when the trench he was working in collapsed Saturday morning. Ralph Medina with the San Antonio Fire Department tells News 4 WOAI that crews were trying to dig out a large oak tree from a field at the new campus when the rocks and soil gave way. Medina says, “He was underneath there doing the final bit of digging when a big portion of the cone over his head fell on top of him and crushed him. It was a very heavy rock and soil.”

W.Va. worker killed in accident at plant

November 13, Inwood, West Virginia - A worker at the Guardian Fiberglass plant near Inwood has died after being caught in an insulation roller while doing maintenance work. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department says Bill Willison Sr. died Thursday morning at the plant. Willison was a lead mechanic at the plant. Police say the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration has been notified of the death and will conduct any follow-up investigation.

Worker killed at Quinnipiac University

November 13, Hamden, Connecticut - Hamden authorities say a construction worker has died after he was struck by a forklift at Quinnipiac University. Emergency workers were called to the school's York Hill Campus at about 9:15 a.m. Friday for the incident, in which a 58-year-old carpentry foreman was killed. Police and his employer, Torrington-based O&G Industries Inc., identified him as John Borovicka of Vernon. He was pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Gunman Enters Clinical Laboratory in Oregon Yesterday, Two Dead, Two Injured

November 11, Portland, Oregon - Yesterday, in Tualatin, a quiet suburb city near Portland, Oregon, a gunman entered a laboratory facility owned by Legacy MetroLab and shot his estranged wife. He then killed himself. Two other individuals in the laboratory were injured, including a man admitted to a local hospital with Gunman Enters Clinical Laboratory in Oregon Yesterday, Two Dead, Two Injuredmultiple gunshot wounds... Shortly before noon on Tuesday, November 10, Robert Beiser, 39, entered the Legacy MetroLab facility in Tualatin. He immediately fired an undisclosed number of shots. When police arrived on the scene, just two minutes after the first 911 emergency call, they found Theresa Beiser, 36, an employee of Legacy MetroLab, dead of gunshot wounds. Robert Beiser was dead of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Kosciusko officer dies on duty

November 9, Jackson, Mississippi - A Kosciusko police officer died early Sunday morning from heart trouble while on duty. Officer Joseph Fulton, 45, was pursuing a vehicle along County Road 2101 around 3 a.m. when his vehicle swerved off the road, Attala County Coroner Sam Bell said. An autopsy revealed Fulton suffered a heart arrhythmia as the result of hypertension caused by heart disease, Bell said.

Maryland worker crushed and killed by construction truck

November 10, Frederick County, Maryland — Maryland police officials reported to a Route 85 construction site where an LAI Construction employee was run over and killed by a construction motor vehicle on Thursday, November 5, 2009 in Frederick County, announced the Gettysburg Times. Police identified the fatally injured man as 57-year-old Carroll Michael Rehmert, resident of Brooklyn Park. Officials declared his injuries to have proved fatal at 2:52 p.m. at the scene of the accident on Route 85 near Lime Kiln Road.

DTE worker is electrocuted at utility substation

November 111, Detroit, Michigan - A DTE Energy Co. worker was electrocuted while working at a company substation on Detroit's northwest side. DTE spokesman John Austerberry says the employee came in contact with some electrical equipment about 9 a.m. Wednesday and was taken to Sinai Grace Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim's name hasn't been release. Austerberry says the company will conduct an investigation and has notified state workplace safety officials.

Man who died in Ohio River was riverboat worker

November 10, Liverpool, Ohio - A man who was found dead in the Ohio River yesterday has been identified as Michael Smith of East Liverpool, Ohio, Beaver County Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi said. Mr. Smith, 43, had been employed on a riverboat docked out of Ohio Township. The coroner said Mr. Smith drowned in a suicide. His body was pulled out of the Ohio River yesterday afternoon near the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge.

Workers’ identities released in performing arts center accident

November 11, Kansas City, Missouri - The worker killed Tuesday at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts construction site has been identified as Ryan Goodman, 35, of Lee’s Summit. A second worker, 30-year-old Shane Wagener of Grain Valley, remained in serious but stable condition this morning, Kansas City police said. The men were roughly 50 feet up in the air on a cherry picker-type lift when the vehicle tipped over about 1:45 p.m., throwing them onto 16th Street just east of Broadway.

Utility worker killed by car in Roosevelt

November 11, Salt Lake City, Utah - A telephone company repairman died Tuesday after he was struck by a car in eastern Utah. Roosevelt Police Chief Rich Harrison said Wednesday that 49-year-old Richard Adams, an employee of Strata Communications, was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon after being rushed to Uintah Basin Medical Center. Adams, of Roosevelt, was working on a telephone junction box near 1800 South and State Street about 11:30 a.m. when a Ford Crown Victoria struck the box and Adams. The 36-year-old driver was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and released, Harrison said. The chief said it appeared the southbound car crossed the center line, went off the left side of State Street, hit a wooden fence post, jumped a sidewalk and went airborne before hitting Adams. The car came to rest in a residential yard, about a foot from the home's wall.

Cable worker killed in hammer attack

November 9, Victorville, California - Neighbors were in shock when they learned a man who moved into the neighborhood on Sunday attacked and killed a Charter Cable installer with a ball-peen hammer Monday afternoon, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victorville station officials said. Rescue workers were called to a home in the 15200 block of San Jose Drive near Amargosa Road and Mojave Drive at about 5 p.m. and found the victim struggling to breathe. The victim, who is in his twenties, was taken to Victor Valley Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Construction accident kills one, injures another at performing arts center site

November 9, Kansas City, Missouri - A construction accident at the future home of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts killed one man and critically injured a second this afternoon.A portable boom lift with a basket on top toppled over about 1:45 p.m. just north of the building under construction at 16th Street and Broadway. Both workers were in the basket before it plummeted about 50 feet to the pavement, said Kyle McQuiston with J.E. Dunn Construction Co. The workers apparently fell from the basket on the way down, police said.

Two tree trimmers shot, one dies in suburban West Palm Beach neighborhood

November 09, Palm Beach County, Florida - Two tree trimmers were shot, one fatally, this afternoon during an argument, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported. The two Asplundh workers were trimming trees along power lines behind a home in the 5000 block of Pat Place when the homeowner saw one fall from the ladder about 3:20 p.m., sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said. When deputies arrived at the neighborhood north of 45th Street and west of Haverhill Road, they realized it wasn't an electrocution, but a shooting, and a second man was also wounded, she said. He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center where he was in critical condition tonight.

Worker fatally hit in Frederick County

November 9, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - Police are continuing to investigate the death of a construction site employee who was struck and killed by a construction vehicle Thursday in Frederick County. According to the Maryland State Police Frederick Barracks, Carroll Michael Rehmert, 57, Brooklyn Park, Md., was pronounced dead at the scene in the area of Route 85 and Lime Kiln Road around 2:52 p.m. Police reported that Rehmert was working at the time as a flagman at a construction area where damaged lines were being repaired.

Two workers killed on I-75

November 9, Clinton, Tennessee — Two workers working on cable barrier along Interstate 75 between the Clinton/Norris exit and the Knox County line were killed Monday when they were struck by a truck, an accident which the state's transportation chief says is "all too common." "The death of these two men should serve as a reminder to all motorists of the importance of using the utmost caution when workers are present along the roadway," Gerald Nicely, Tennessee Department of Transportation commissioner, stated in a news release a few hours after the 10:45 a.m. wreck... They were identified as 18-year-old Cheyenne Dakota Burke of Bulls Gap and Jeffrey Bryan Thompson, 19, of Rogersville. Both died at the scene.

Farmer Killed When Trench Collapses

Joice, Iowa - A North Iowa farmer dies when a wall of dirt falls on top of him. It happened sometime Saturday afternoon, just East of the community of Joice, in Worth County. Joice Fire Chief Mark Delawyer said the unidentified 79 year old man went out to fix a field tile sometime around 2 or 3 p.m., on Saturday afternoon.

Kosciusko Police officer killed in chase

November 8, Jackson, Mississippi - The Koscuisko Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own. Officer Joseph Fulton was killed early Sunday morning. Koscuisko Police Chief Ronnie J. Adams would not make any comments Sunday, but according to a source on the scene, Officer Fulton crashed his patrol car on Stonewall Road outside of Ethel. Sources say it all started around 2:45 Sunday morning when officers tried to stop a Buick Roadmaster on East Jefferson Street. The vehicle sped away and a chase ensued outside the city limits. That's when Fulton lost control of his car. Chief Adams is expected to release a statement about the death of officer Fulton Monday.

Worker dies at food company

November 6, St. Joe, Missouri - A contract employee died in an apparent industrial accident Thursday at Lifeline Foods, the chief executive officer of the food-processing company confirmed. Christopher Caraway, 36, who worked for IHP Industrial, was on the roof of the Lifeline building at the time of the accident, St. Joseph police said. It was believed the accident happened sometime between 4:30 p.m., when Mr. Caraway was last seen by another worker, and 9 p.m., when the body was discovered. St. Joseph police were called to the scene and found Mr. Caraway, of Stewartsville, lying on the roof of the building near a condenser unit he had been working on earlier in the day. Paramedics on the scene checked Mr. Caraway and confirmed that he was deceased.

Construction Worker Killed in Buckeystown

November 6, Buckeystown, Maryland - Maryland State Police say a road construction worker was killed after a co-worker backed over him with a bucket truck on Friday.It happened just before 3:00 p.m. Police say Carroll Michael Rehmert of Brooklyn Park, Maryland was working as a flagman near the intersection of Route 85 and Lime Kiln Rd when he was killed. Authorities say the 57-year-old had stopped north bound traffic when Anthony Lamburn backed into him.

6 Shot, 1 Killed, at Orlando Office Building; Suspect Caught

November 6, Orlando, Florida - A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, authorities said, killing one person and injuring five others. Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother's home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-10-30T08:48:00.008-05:00

Winthrop farmer found dead inside grain bin

November 5, Winthrop, Minnesota - A rural Winthrop farmer, Jerry Wannarka, was found dead inside a grain bin at his farm Monday afternoon. He was 75-years-old. The Sibley County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the emergency in Alfsborg Township, about seven miles southwest of Gaylord, at 3:32 p.m. Wannarka was reportedly buried under corn when help arrived. The cause of death is being investigated by the Medical Examiners Office for Sibley County. The Sibley County Sheriff’s Office, Gaylord Ambulance and Gaylord Fire Department were called to the scene.

YOUNG WORKER DIES IN DUMPER INCIDENT

November 4, The Mid Devon Star has reported that Police and HSE are investigating the death of 20 year-old groundworker who died when the dumper truck he was operating overturned. The incident occurred at a private residence in near Tiverton, Devon and further enquiries suggest the work may have involved construction of a pond. Comment: This latest tragic accident involving a young workman confirms recent trends towards a greater proportion of construction fatalities occurring on smaller projects.

SEPTA service suspended after worker killed by train

November 5, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Train service into Philadelphia was suspended Thursday morning after a track inspector was apparently hit and killed near Melrose Park. The inspector was reportedly killed by an in-bound train. The R2, R3 and R5 lines north of Center City are suspended after the fatal accident. The person was hit about 8:42 a.m. Passengers on those trains were sent back their original destinations.

Man Killed by I-Beam Identified

November 5, Farmington, Connecticut - Farmington Police say the construction worker killed in an accident at a home under construction Wednesday morning was a 22-year-old Hartford Man. Freddy Vasquez of 24 Putnam Heights in Hartford was struck in the head by a steel I-beam while working in the basement of a new home on Birmingham Circle, said police. He was later pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital of massive head injuries. Vasquez was reportedly working for Michael McGreal Construction, police said. The incident remains under investigation, police said.

St. Joseph employee found dead in bathroom

November 2, Versailles, Kentucky - Authorities are investigating the death of a St. Joseph Hospital employee found dead at the hospital Sunday. The body of Christopher Watts, 34, of Versailles was discovered about 6 p.m. in the second-floor staff bathroom, according to the Fayette County coroner's office. The coroner pronounced him dead just before 7 p.m. An autopsy was scheduled Monday. The coroner's office was waiting for autopsy and toxicology results before determining a cause of death.

Employee shot dead in restaurant

November 3, Yonkers, New York – An employee at the Charlie Brown’s Restaurant on Central Park Avenue in the City of Yonkers was gunned down, city police said Monday. The victim, identified as Fuad Nagi, 21, of Pine Street in Yonkers, was found at 7:10 p.m. on Saturday night, suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Detective Division is investigating the homicide and asking anyone with information to call them at 914-377-7724 or 377-7725.

Farmer caught in auger dies

October 29, Grant County - The Grant County Coroner's Office is conducting a death investigation of a farm worker who died Thursday afternoon in an apparent auger accident. Investigators say Daniel Shock, 58, of Fairmount,was trapped in a large auger attached to a grain silo at the Ceres-Midland, Inc., farm plant at 10700 South 700 West. Chopper 13 flew over the scene around 5 p.m. Several agencies, including the State Police, Grant County EMS, and Parkview Samaritan Air Ambulance, assisted in an attempted rescue operation.

Man Dies In Industrial Accident

November 3, Redford Township, Michigan - A Redford Township man died after an accident at Voigt and Schweitzer Galvinizers Incorporated. Darryl Johnson was a temporary worker at the company located in the 12000 block of Arnold Street for the past three weeks. The 41-year-old was working with steel beams when one of the beams fell on top of him, according to his family.

Construction Worker Dies At Texas Roadhouse Site

November 3, Dallas, Texas - The construction worker who died from injuries sustained at the Texas Roadhouse construction site has been identified as 31-year-old Robert Gotschall of Mentor, Ohio. Gotschall worked for Roth Painting LLC of Bellaire, Ohio. Police say evidence suggests the man fell. The Duluth Fire Department responded to the call at 1101 Mall Drive at 5:41 p.m. on Saturday evening. Assistant Fire Chief Eric Simonson says when the crew arrived, they found the man at the bottom of an interior stairwell, which led to the roof. Simonson says the man was unconscious, not breathing, and had no pulse.

Worker killed in Allentown in tree-cutting mishap

November 4, Allentown, Pennsylvania - A 26-year-old man helping to cut down a tree on Allentown's east side was injured fatally this afternoon when a heavy tree limb fell on his head, authorities said. Christopher Rhudy of Topton, Berks County, was hit at 1:33 p.m. as he stood below the lift bucket at 618 E. Westminster St. while the other worker was sawing a high portion of the tree, city police Assistant Chief Ron Manescu said. "I wouldn't call it a homicide," Manescu said. "At the moment we're classifying it as a death investigation."

Falling Beam Kills Construction Worker

November 4, Farmington, Connecticut - A construction worker is dead after an I-beam struck him in the head on Wednesday morning. The man was working in the basement of a house under construction on Birmington Circle in Farmington around 9:30 when the accident happened. A steal I-beam fell, hit him in the head and fell on him. Other workers were able to remove the beam, police said. The man suffered massive head injuries and was rushed to a Hartford Hospital by helicopter, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Worker killed by falling tree limb at Monmouth Battlefield

November 4, Manalapan, New Jersey — A maintenance worker at Monmouth Battlefield State Park was killed this morning when a dead tree fell and struck him in the head, authorities said. Officials said they were not releasing the man's name, because all of his relatives had not yet been notified about his death. This morning, the man -- who is in his 30s - was working on trail maintenance with another worker around 9:20 a.m., said Dana Loschiavo, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which has jurisdiction over all state parks. A dead tree was leaning against a tree the workers were cutting down, she said.

NY DOT worker struck, killed at upstate work site

November 3, Forestport, New York - Authorities say a state transportation department employee has been struck and killed while directing traffic at a work zone in central New York. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office says 48-year-old Gary Farrell of Holland Patent was working as a flagman on Route 28 Monday when he was struck by a pickup truck in Forestport, 55 miles northeast of Syracuse. Deputies say the 63-year-old woman driving the truck hasn't been charged, but their investigation is continuing.

Tree service owner killed on job

October 31, Laurinburg, North Carolina - The owner of a Laurinburg tree company was killed Thursday in a work-related accident. Robert Milton Walters, Jr., 44, of Andrew Jackson Highway, Laurel Hill, died after a tree fell on him, according to a Robeson County sheriff's report. Walters was working at 208 Jam Drive, Parkton when a rope supporting a tree snapped, the report said. The tree fell on Walters, who was cutting the base of the tree. He was taken by EMS to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. He was the owner of Robert's Tree Service in Laurinburg. His wife, Hilary, said Walters had been working in lumber trade since he was 16.

Construction worker falls to his death in church building

October 30, Bullard, Texas - An East Texas man falls to his death Friday morning while working on a construction project at a church. Justice of the Peace James Morris said 41-year-old Hermilo Pimentel died instantly when he fell around 7:45am at the First Baptist Church in Bullard. According to Pastor Scott Brown, Pimentel was hanging sheet rock in what will soon be a family life center at the church. However, according to Morris, Pimentel stepped back into a construction hole on the second floor and fell to the ground. Emergency officials were called immediately.

Calif. Officer Killed in Motorcycle Collision

October 31, Los Olivos, California - An on-duty California Highway Patrol officer was killed Thursday, October 29, within days of completing his first year of service. Officer Jarrod John Martinez collided on his motorcycle with a sports car and was dragged about 45 feet under the vehicle, the CHP said on Friday. The incident occurred in Los Olivos, in Santa Barbara County, near State Route 154. Martinez, 30, graduated from the CHP Academy on October 31, 2008. He is survived by his wife Trish and his daughter Julia.

UPDATE: One officer killed, one wounded in Leschi shooting

October 30, Seattle, Washington - Listen to the full Sunday afternoon briefing here from Interium Seattle Police Chief John Diaz, Mayor Greg Nickels and others: Seattle police had no clear suspects or even a specific color of a suspect vehicle after one officer was killed and his student trainee was wounded Saturday night when someone fired on their parked patrol car. The deceased officer was identified as field training officer Timothy Q. Brenton, 39, of Marysville. He joined the Seattle police department in December 2000. He is survived by his wife, an 11-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son, and his father, a retired Seattle police officer.

Ind. farm worker dies after leg trapped in auger

October 30, Point Isabel, Indiana - Authorities say a central Indiana man died while emergency workers were trying to free him after his leg became trapped in a grain auger. The Grant County coroner says 58-year-old Daniel Shock of Fairmount died Thursday at a farm near the community of Point Isabel. Coroner Stephen Dorsey says Shock's co-workers found him in the grain auger's conveyor with his leg badly injured and pinned under a support bar.

Police identify DOT flagman killed while working in Forestport

November 2, Utica, New York - The driver who struck and killed a state Department of Transportation flagman on Route 28 Monday would have passed three warning signs and had 1500 feet to react after seeing the first, a DOT official said. Regional DOT spokeswoman Alice Romanych said the death of 48-year-old highway maintenance worker Gary Farrell is the DOT’s first work-related employee death in the Mohawk Valley in decades. “Highway maintenance workers are out there putting their lives on the line every day,” Romanych said after the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office identified Farrell as the victim Monday. “Most days they all go home. Unfortunately, today one of them didn’t. It is a tragedy and something I wish we never had to discuss.”

Construction worker killed in hit-and-run accident

October 26, West Valley City, Utah - Troopers are looking for a hit-and-run driver who they say killed a construction worker on Interstate 215 Sunday night. The Utah Highway Patrol says the worker was killed while walking in a construction zone on I-215 near 3300 South. UHP says the truck was traveling in a southbound lane, when it drifted into a barreled off construction area and struck the worker. The hit-and-run driver is still at large. Troopers say the truck went into that lane traveling more than 40 miles per hour when the worker was hit from behind.

Worker Falls Off Maryland Roof, Dies

October 30, New Carrollton, Maryland - New Carrollton Police say a construction worker was killed when he fell off of a roof on Friday afternoon. It happened on Chestnut Avenue in New Carrollton. Prince George's County Fire officials say someone who was working on the roof fell off and died. No other details were immediately available. Another person was being treated at the scene of the fall, but there's no word yet on who that person is or what their injuries are.

Sumter cab driver shot in the chest

October 30, Columbia, South Carolina - A cab driver was shot early Thursday on Hannah Street but managed to drive back to the cab stand on South Main Street, officials said. Jacob Wilson, 64, of 204 Royal Ave., was shot in the chest, said Sumter police Capt. Alvin Holston, and is expected to recover. A bullet entered the left side of Wilson's chest and exited the right side, Holston said. A report states that Wilson was driving a Buick with a 46-year-old female passenger about 1:09 a.m. and was turning onto Hannah Court from Hannah Street when two black males approached the car and fired into the cab. Holston said it's unclear how many shots were fired, but investigators think the weapon was of a small caliber.

Gunman Kills Office Worker, Self Near Rosedale

October 30, Rosedale, Maryland - Baltimore County Police say a man walked into an advertising company near Rosedale and shot a man several times, killing him. It happened about 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Police spokesman Bill Toohey says the gunman then walked outside Keary Advertising in the 7200 block of Rolling Mill Road and shot himself in the upper body. He was taken to Bayview Medical Center and pronounced dead about an hour later. The victim died at the scene.

Construction worker struck and killed by truck

October 31, Chicago, Illinois - A construction worker directing traffic at a southwest suburban work site was struck and killed today by a gravel truck that was heading to the same company where the victim was employed. The accident happened shortly after 9 a.m. in Chicago Ridge at 99th Street and Ridgeland Avenue, where crews were working on a road project. Joseph Bartkowiak, 56, a worker for Crowley-Shepherd Asphalt Inc., was acting as a flagger, directing traffic at the location, when the truck hit him while turning from southbound Ridgeland to westbound 99th, police said.

Man killed in Grant County grain auger accident

October 29, Grant County, Indiana - According to WISH Channel 8 News, a Fairmount farmer was killed Thursday when his legs were caught in a grain auger in Converse. Emergency crews were reportedly on the scene.

Police: Man shoots two co-workers, self in Cathedral City murder/suicide

October 29, Police said four employees of Luxury Rent-A-Car, 68-350 E. Palm Canyon Drive, were meeting at the office just before the 10:30 a.m. shooting. Police said they do not know the subject matter of the meeting. "It was just a business meeting, and I can't say any more than that," said Barry Curtis, the manager of Luxury Rent-A-Car. Curtis said the meeting involved employees from multiple offices. All the meeting's participants were middle-aged men, and at least two were from the Los Angeles area, police said. During the meeting, one man got a handgun from another room and shot one of the others once, killing him. Man trimming tree in SC dies when hit by 2nd tree

Man trimming tree in SC dies when hit by 2nd tree

October 30, Moncks Corner, South Carolina - A man trimming a tree in eastern South Carolina has died when he was struck by a second tree. The Post and Courier of Charleston reported that 46-year-old Donald Twiggs died Thursday when he was struck about five miles south of Moncks Corner. Berkeley County Deputy Coroner Bill Salisbury says the accident occurred shortly before noon when Twiggs was trimming a tree and a nearby tree fell and pinned him. Salisbury says Twiggs died from a blow to the head.

Education and Labor Committee

2009-10-29T23:01:00.001-05:00

Today the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Nevada’s workplace health and safety program and Federal OSHA's review of Nevada's state plan.

A Federal OSHA task force conducted a special study of the Nevada State Plan. It concluded that Nevada OSHA
• avoided classifying violations as repeat or willful violations
• identified hazards during inspections that were not addressed in citations.
• did not follow-up inspections
• did not track abatements
• did not make certain that employers carried out abatement.
• inspectors were not properly trained
• many times did not ensure injury and illness logs was not obtained by inspectors.
• failed to notify more than half the families that there was an investigation involving their loved ones death.

During the hearing

Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Jordan Barab pointed out there could be a few advantages to State plans; they add resources to the Federal program, they cover state and local government employees, they can possibly address more workplace hazards, they can conduct more inspections and strengthen enforcement and standards. Jordan also agreed that that the tribulations in Nevada were leadership problem.

Debi Koehler-Fergen also testified in the memory of her son, Travis, who was killed at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Debi stated "The Federal OSHA review of the Nevada State plan agency confirms that NV OSHA utterly failed not only my son and Richard, but also all workers in the state of Nevada...My son trusted his employers and never would have dreamt that on that fateful day he would be called upon to intentionally be put in a deadly situation."

A few of Debi's concerns were after reading OSHA's report was that NV OSHA lack of training. Two of NV inspectors had been conducting fatality investigations without accident investigation training. One employee hired in 1993 had not even received basic training for initial compliance. Debi was also troubled about the political connections that could influence the outcome of investigations and they way families were treated during these investigations.
Debi also explained the calloused treatment she received. ." “Adding insult to injury when we arrived to pick up the report I was told to come in the back lobby area and he would be right down (reporters were expected to be coming to the front door and going to their office). Instead of inviting us to his office he stood by the back elevator explaining why they reduced the citations while employees were walking past us watching me cry as I was understandably upset. At no time did he offer me a chair or to go to a private room while I digested what was going on around me. He did not show me common courtesy and was the most unprofessional encounter I have ever had.” ."

Rep. George Miller closed with the Smell test. He stated.” “If you get seven out of eight people dyeing you don’t end up with a serious violation, willful violation, that’s a fact (not a perception). The finding of the review is that willful violations were discouraged because of a lack of management and legal counsel support so I mean this is almost a set up. You have such bad recordkeeping, you have such bad training and you have such bad suck a lack of resources or skilled people apparently her that can do this that you end up seven out of eight nothing happened, essentially nothing happens for the death of a worker. I mean that is not a perception there is something very wrong with that, it just doesn’t pass the smell test.”
Miller also alluded to the fact that Nevada State OSHA may not have a grasp of the situation the inspector were busting the humps to insure enforcement but many times over ridden What is the message to the employer when they become exempt from inspections, willful citations and abated fines.

Well the families know well what this message it sends…you have a license to kill. Good Going Debi you persistence and hard work is paying off!

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-10-23T08:58:00.007-05:00

S. Jersey man dies in workplace incident

October 24, Berlin Township, New Jersey — An employee of a local firm has died in a workplace accident in western Pennsylvania. Yamil Gonzalez, 29, was crushed by a concrete slab while working at a construction site in Plum, Pa., on Thursday, police said. Gonzalez worked for P & B Partitions of Berlin Township and lived in New Jersey, officials said. A P & B representative could not be reached Friday night. Police said Gonzalez was moving a piece of machinery on the fourth floor of a assisted living center that's under construction, when a crane hit a concrete floor slab above him and caused it to fall.

Fayette miner dies in hoisting accident

October 27, Fayette County, West Virginia - A Fayette County man was killed in a hoisting accident at a Newtown Energy coal mine in Kanawha County Tuesday morning. In a statement issued by Newtown Energy, Charles Dixon, 53, of Fayette CSheriff's deputy dies doing traffic control. The annual Fright Farm in Maplewood, put on by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, was the scene of tragedy last Saturday night. According to reports, around 8:30 p.m., Michael Wilken, a reserve sheriff's deputy, was struck and killed as he helped direct traffic on White Bear Avenue.

Fall at CPS Energy plant left worker dead

October 28, San Antonio, TX — A contract worker was killed in an accident at a CPS Energy power plant. The 27-year-old worker died after falling nearly 30 feet to his death on Monday, October 26, 2009 around 11:45 p.m., at the JK Spruce II project located in the 9500 block of Gardner Road on the north side of the lake, as reported by the San Antonio Express. According to CPS Energy officials, a contract worker employed by Calaveras Power Partners was installing a new piece of catwalk at the construction site, when the worker stepped on an unsecured portion of the catwalk, which caused it to tip. The worker then lost his balance and fell nearly 30 feet to the ground. A coworker, who was working with the man at the time of the accident, stated the man was wearing a safety harness, but didn’t have it secured to anything. Responding emergency medical services (EMS) professionals pronounced the worker dead around 12:30 a.m.

Worker Stabbed to Death at Washington Heights Restaurant

October 27, New York, New York - A bouncer was stabbed to death early Tuesday morning after ejecting three men from the Manhattan restaurant where he worked, police said. It was Karaoke night at La Casa Del Mofongo, a 24-hour Latin restaurant on St. Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights. The bar was hopping, police said. The bouncer, who hasn't been identified pending family notification, asked the men to leave because they were getting rowdy, police said. The men then got into a scuffle that spilled out onto the street and the bouncer was stabbed several times in the torso. The victim was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at New York Presbyterian Hospital -- Columbia.

Juárez: Police commander, bar employee slain

October 25, El Paso, Texas - A Juárez city police commander and an employee of a popular bar were killed Friday evening when gunmen opened fire, Chihuahua State police said. Just before 6:30 p.m., a group of gunmen began firing inside Pockets, a bar on Oscar Flores Boulevard, killing Francisco Lazarín Núñez, 38, commander of the theft investigation special unit in Juárez, and Jimmy Cristopher Jensen, 25, who worked at the bar. An unidentified man was wounded in the shooting attack and was taken to a hospital, Chihuahua police said.

Worker dies after fall from scaffolding

October 26, Moss Point, Mississippi - Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus said a contract worker from Louisiana died Saturday night following a scaffolding accident at a V.T. Halter Marine, Inc., project site. Broadus said Sunday that 23-year-old Andrew L. Magee died as a result of injuries he suffered after apparently falling about 60 feet from some scaffolding at the worksite. She says Magee was taken to Singing River Hospital shortly after the accident and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:48 p.m. She said Magee died of multiple blunt force injuries, which were secondary to the fall.

Farm worker killed in manure pit

October 26, Eau Claire, Wisconsin - The Dunn County Sheriff's Department says it happened around 10:30 Monday morning at the Steven Weinzirl Farm in the town of Eau Galle southwest of Menomonie. 31-year-old Candelario Rayon from Mexico was operating a skid steer when it went into a manure pit and overturned in about seven and a half feet of manure. Deputies say Rayon had been working at the farm for about a year.

Construction worker hit, killed on Interstate 215

October 26, West Valley City, Utah - The Utah Highway Patrol says a construction worker on Interstate 215 was hit and killed by a motorist who then fled the scene. In a news release, the UHP says Brayden F. Beddoes died after the scene Sunday. The accident happened about 7:40 p.m. Witnesses told officers the pickup truck had veered off the highway and into a construction zone that was blocked with barrels. They say that after hitting the 20-year-old Beddoes the truck continued traveling south.

Police officer killed in collision

October 23, A POLICE officer was killed and two others injured when their patrol car collided with a cement truck yesterday. The three officers were responding to reports of a major disturbance in the Sunshine Park area when the crash happened. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hulan Hanna said that as is standard procedure, the unit's siren and beacon lights were on. According to reports, the patrol car was travelling east on Carmichael Road as a small white car was pulling out of Fire Trail Road.

Worker Crushed In Plum Construction Accident

October 22, Plum, Pensylvania - Police and OSHA officials are investigating after a worker was apparently crushed to death by a large chunk of concrete this afternoon in Plum Boro. The accident happened just after 2 p.m. at the Longwood at Oakmont Assisted Living community, which is on the Plum-Oakmont border. Authorities say the accident happened when a crane hit some concrete flooring, which then tumbled onto the worker who was on the floor below. "There was an incident about 2 p.m. this afternoon," said Patricia Kornick, of Presbyterian SeniorCare. "It resulted in the death of a 29-year-old subcontractor on the project."

Falling rocks kill worker

October 26, Kermit, West Virgina — A machine operator was crushed to death by falling rock inside a railroad tunnel Thursday near Kermit, W.Va. Sue Barazi, spokesperson for the Charleston, W.Va., office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the accident occurred sometimes between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Barazi said crews were conducting maintenance work inside the Norfolk Southern tunnel when the accident occurred. The 27-year-old victim was operating an excavator inside or near the tunnel entrance when he was crushed by falling rocks, she said.

Worker Dies After Being Trapped In Trash Compactor

October 24, North Hills, California ― A worker who died after getting trapped inside a trash compactor at a Southland factory was identified Saturday. Emergency personnel were called to the factory at 3:44 p.m. at 8201 N. Woodley Avenue Friday afternoon, City Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales said. When they arrived, paramedics found 64-year-old Efren Monterroso dead at the scene. Gales said the Lake View Terrace resident was inside the trash compactor when it somehow turned on. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Construction Worker Dies After Fall At Work Site

October 23, Santa Barbara, CA - The Santa Barbara County Coroner's Office confirmed with KEY News, that Rene Vargas of Santa Maria died after impaling himself at a work site. The 24-year-old Santa Maria man was working at a construction site in Hope Ranch on Tuesday, when he fell into a pit, landing on a piece of rebar. The impact of the fall caused the rebar to penetrate Vargas' head. Vargas was rushed to Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital, where he later died. According to Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the responding agency, Cal OSHA has launched an investigation.

Sanitation worker pinned between two vehicles dies

October 23, Hrillsborough County, Florida - An early morning accident pinned a sanitation worker between two vehicles, killing him. Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies said a Toyota, driven by Llyod Cribbs, rear ended a santiation truck, pinning the worker between the two vehicles. Investigators say the truck was stopped in the north bound lane of Parsons Avenue to pick up garbage around 6 a.m. The sanitation worker was in the back of the truck when the Toyota crashed into the rear end of the truck. The worker died at the scene. The truck was belonged to Republic Waste Services.

1 dead, 1 injured in crash in highway construction zone

October 24, Castle Rock, Colorado — One man is dead and another is seriously injured after a traffic accident in a construction zone on Colorado 470 in Douglas County. The Colorado State Patrol says 40-year-old Christopher Chialtas of Highlands Ranch was driving in the right lane of eastbound C-470 early Saturday. The patrol says the right lane was closed for construction and the car driven by Chialtas struck the rear of a street sweeper and then hit other equipment. Authorities say Chialtas, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Construction worker Donald Pacheco of Pueblo was thrown from the street sweeper. The State Patrol says he had serious injuries and was taken to Littleton Hospital.

Worker electrocuted in St. Paul

October 24, St. Paul, Minn. — St. Paul officials say a man working in a manhole was electrocuted when he hit live wires. St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard (ZAK'-kurd) says firefighters were called at 9:05 a.m. Friday and found the man dead. Police spokesman Paul Schnell says the man was working with cable when the accident happened. His name has not been released, and it wasn't immediately known who he worked for.

Worker killed after clothing got entangled in sewer equipment

October 24, Chicago, IL — A man died from his injuries he sustained when a piece of his clothing became entangled in a piece of sewer equipment on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. The construction accident happened on Saturday, October 17, 2009 around 7:30 a.m. outside a home on the 700 block of North Merrill Street, as reported by Pioneer Local. Park Ridge police reported, Joseph Patyk, 32, of the 800 bock of Lawndale Avenue in Skokie, was working with a power rodder to clean out a drain outside a home. A piece of Patyk’s clothing apparently got caught in the machine and twisted the clothing around the workers neck.

Man killed by train identified

October 23, Malvern, Iowa - Authorities have identified the Malvern man killed by a train as 20-year-old Christopher Aguirre. Aguirre was struck Thursday night by a Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train as it passed through Malvern. The incident remains under investigation. The sheriff's office said it hasn't yet determined why Aguirre was on the tracks. According to Deputy Bruce Paulson, the 911 call came just after 9 p.m. A worker with the Burlington Northern Railroad reported that his train hit a man along Second Avenue near Malvern. Malvern Fire and Rescue and Glenwood Rescue responded, but paramedics had trouble locating the man. It took a few minutes to find him, said Paulson.

Sanitation worker killed in crash

October 23, Tampa Bay, Florida - A sanitation worker was killed when a car crashed into a garage truck, Hillsborough County deputies said. The sanitation truck was stopped in the northbound lane of Parsons Avenue south of U.S. 92 for garbage pickup around 6 a.m., according to the sheriff's office. Deputies said the driver of a Toyota, also traveling northbound, crashed into the rear of the garbage truck, pinning the worker between the truck and the car. Frederick Solomon, 34, of Bradenton, died at the scene, deputies said.

Man killed by cardboard crushing machine in Los Angeles

October 23, Los Angeles, California - A 60-year-old man was fatally crushed in an industrial compactor this afternoon, authorities said. The man was working at 8201 N. Woodley Ave. in Van Nuys when the accident occurred. The compactor was believed to be crushing cardboard at the time, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales said. The Los Angeles County coroner and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

Tree trimmer killed at job

October 22, Alamogordo, New Mexico - A 63-year-old Cloudcroft business man is dead after he fell from a bucket truck while trimming pine trees Sunday, a police spokesman said. Chief Matt Flotte said Joseph L. Mancillas was trimming some trees on Swallow Place at a local business. Flotte said the village of Cloudcroft volunteer paramedics arrived on the scene and performed CPR. "The medics landed a helicopter and worked on him for 20 minutes before pronouncing him deceased," Flotte said. "Mancillas fell from about 20 to 25 feet."

Man electrocuted in Midland

October 23, Midland County, Texas - Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials investigated a drilling pad Thursday after an industrial accident there killed an oilfield worker in southern Midland County, county fire marshal Dale Little said. The man, whose full name was not known Thursday, was electrocuted after a mast he was installing touched a 14,000-volt power line at about 10 a.m. Wednesday. Little said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Little said the man worked for Harris Rat Hole Service Co. and was installing a mast on a pad about 13 miles south of Midland, in a ranch along State Highway 349.

Construction worker killed in accident in Verona

October 22, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - A man was killed this afternoon when he was struck by falling concrete in a construction accident at Longwood at Oakmont, an assisted living facility in Verona. An initial investigation suggests Yamil Gonzalez, 29, was working on the fourth floor of a structure when a crane lifting materials struck the fifth floor, causing a piece of concrete to fall on him, Plum police Chief Frank Monaco said.

New York Construction Accident Alert: Worker killed by dump truck!

October 22, Penn Yan, NY – A man was fatally injured when he was working on a boat house and a dump truck barreled into the site and crushed the worker on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, announced the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The construction worker from Penn Yan, New York was working alongside two other workers at the boat house when suddenly a dump truck transporting stones for the work site lost control and the truck rolled down the 25-foot hill crashed into the boathouse and killed the worker inside. The Yate’s County Sheriff’s department identified the worker as 28-year-old Joshua Larham. The accident took place on Lower East Lake Road in the town of Milo.

Worker Dies In Tunnel Accident

October 22, Charleston, Virginia - A man working in a railroad tunnel in Mingo County was killed Thursday morning when a large rock fell on top of him. OSHA Assistant Area Director Sue Barazi says the man was operating equipment in the tunnel at Marrowbone Creek Road near Kermit at about 5 a.m. Thursday when the accident occurred. Barazi says the victim worked for Johnson Western Gunite Construction. Norfolk Southern owns the tunnel. The victim's name has not been released.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-10-16T08:09:00.011-05:00

Oilfield Worker Dies in Industrial Accident

October 21, Midland County - An oilfield worker is dead after an industrial accident on Wednesday morning in south Midland County. The accident happened around ten, 13 miles south of the City of Midland in a field just off Highway 349. According to Midland County officials, a crew was setting up a small rig beneath some power lines.

State investigating fall that killed Norfolk worker

October 21, Norfolk, Virginia - Virginia Occupational Safety and Health officials are investigating why a veteran employee fell to his death Tuesday morning at a Hampton Roads Sanitation District plant, a district spokeswoman said today. Randy Piche, 57, a lead operator, had worked at the Army Base Treatment Plant for 37 years, said Nancy Munnikhuysen, the spokeswoman.

Truck crashes into NY boathouse, killing worker

October 21, Milo, Nkew York - Authorities say a construction worker was killed when a truck hauling stone crashed into the Finger Lakes boathouse where he was working. The Yates County Sheriff's Office says 28-year-old Joshua Larham of Penn Yan was killed in Tuesday afternoon's accident in the town of Milo, on the northern end of Keuka (KYOO'-kuh) Lake, 48 miles southeast of Rochester. Deputies say Larham was working inside the boathouse when the truck delivering stone to the site rolled down a 25-foot-high embankment and crushed the building.

Shooting Reported At Magic Mirror Salon

October 20, Jackson, Mississippi - Jackson police said two people were killed Monday during a shooting at a beauty salon. The shooting happened at about 5:15 p.m. at Magic Mirror Beauty Salon at 3943 Hanging Moss Road, police said. Gerrick Watson, 36, an employee at the salon, was found dead outside the business, police said. Christopher Bowling, 33, died at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The Hinds County coroner said he died from multiple gunshots to the chest and back.

Victim of explosion named

October 20, Columbus, Ohio – Authorities have identified the 47-year-old Columbus man who was killed following an explosion at American Packaging Corporation in Columbus on Sunday evening. Medical examiner Angela Hinze said Jeffrey A. Doxtater “died as a result of the injuries he sustained due to the explosion.” Hinze said an autopsy conducted on Monday found that Doxtater died of blunt force trauma.

Atlantic City honors casino killing victim

October 20, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - During his career as a supervisor at the Taj Mahal Casino Resort, Ray Kot was known as a peacemaker, a gentle, unflappable soul skilled at defusing the difficult and potentially volatile situations that can arise when money, alcohol and stress mix on the gambling floor. When he was shot to death inside the casino in May, allegedly by a man who claimed various casinos had cheated him, co-workers said the tragedy was compounded by the loss of such a soothing presence. "He had a knack for defusing difficult situations," said Leo Flasch, the Taj Mahal's night supervisor who would succeed Kot at the end of each shift. "The combination of alcohol and gamblers losing money is a volatile situation.

Service Saturday for St. Louis police officer killed in crash

October 21, St. Louis, Missouri — The funeral will be Saturday for St. Louis police Officer Julius Moore, 23, who died Oct. 15 of injuries suffered nine days earlier in a traffic crash while responding to call. The service will begin at 10 a.m. at the City of Life Christian Church, at 8333 Fullerton Avenue in University City. Burial will be in St. Peters Cemetery, at 2101 Lucas and Hunt Road in Normandy. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Austin A. Layne Mortuary's Renaissance Building, at 7302 West Florissant Avenue in Jennings.

Chargers' game-day staff worker dies after fall

October 20, Los Angeles, California - A worker who fell out of the press box at Qualcomm Stadium on Monday has died from his injuries. Walt Daniels, who worked as part of the San Diego Chargers' game-day staff for more than 20 years, died after falling 25-30 feet from the press box prior to Monday's game between the Chargers and the Denver Broncos. Witnesses said he sustained massive head injuries before being transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. Daniels, 66, died at 2:30 a.m. this morning. It is unclear why he fell out of the press box.

Construction worker crushed to death at Broomfield's Anthem Ranch

October 20, Boulder, Colorado - A 50-year-old construction worker was crushed to death Monday by a 32.5-ton earth mover in an accident at the Anthem Ranch development in northern Broomfield. Roderick Seymour, of Fort Lupton, was operating the machine near the intersection of Anthem Ranch Road and Lowell Boulevard when the accident happened just after 2 p.m.. According to preliminary reports from the North Metro Fire Rescue District, Seymour exited the vehicle and was standing behind it when it rolled back over him. He was pronounced dead shortly after emergency crews arrived, North Metro spokeswoman Wendy Forbes said.

Oregon farmer killed harvesting onions

October 19, Klamath Falls, Oregon - Klamath County authorities say a Malin man died in a farm accident during the onion harvest. Sheriff Tim Evinger says 46-year-old Juan Manuel Martinez was trying to walk between a slow-moving farm tractor and trailer when he fell was run over by the left front tires of the trailer. Martinez was pronounced dead at Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls.

Train Accident in College Station Leaves Aggie Dead

October 16, Cleveland, Ohio - A Texas A&M student was killed early Friday morning after being hit by a train on Wellborn near Old Main in College Station. When officers arrived just after 2:00 a.m., they found the engine had stopped and a pedestrian was located on the tracks under the train. The man killed has been identified as Patrick Noel Jernigan, 22, from Cleveland, Texas, according to police. Jernigan is listed on A&M's website as a senior Industrial Distribution student. Texas A&M University Police and College Station Police are investigating the accident.

Construction worker fatally struck in Berwyn hit-and-run

October 19, Berwyn, Illinois - A construction worker was killed by a car in a hit-and-run accident in west suburban Berwyn on Sunday morning. Orlando Farias, 47, of the 300 block of Lawrence Ave. in Elgin was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood at 6:37 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. A Monday autopsy revealed Farias died of multiple injuries from an automobile striking a pedestrian and his death was ruled an accident, the medical examiner's office said.

Steamboat Briefs: Meier killed by blast of compressed air

October 17, The worker who died in a construction accident near the base of the ski area was killed by a blast of compressed air that entered his ear and caused a brain hemorrhage, Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg said Friday. Hayden resident Brady Meier was working at the base of Steamboat Ski Area on Oct. 9 in a small utility vault, about 3 feet deep, 4 feet wide and 3 feet long, when the cap on a pipe burst off. Meier was taken to Yampa Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Man killed at Northborough construction site

October 17, Northborough, Massachusetts - A Worcester man was killed yesterday when he was pinned by a forklift he was trying to fix at a Rte. 9 construction site, police said. Richard DiPietro, 65, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 1:03 p.m. accident at The Loop, a shopping center being built at routes 9 and 20, said Sgt. James Bruce. DiPietro, a mechanic who had been called in to fix the forklift, was pinned by the machine's arms, he said. He had been working for Beauregard Construction of Worcester, according to the police report. A listing for the company could not be found.

Young St. Louis police officer dies from crash injuries

October 16, St. Louis, Missouri - A young member of the St. Louis Police Department has died of injuries from an Oct. 6 crash in his patrol car, the department announced Friday. Officer Julius Moore, 23, died about 6 p.m. Thursday at St. Louis University Hospital. Moore was hurt when he collided with a tractor-trailer at South Broadway and Arsenal Street. Moore was in his patrol car, with the lights and sirens on, rushing to help other officers catch burglars, police say.

Wayne County sheriff's officer collapses, dies

October 16, Detroit, Michigan - A 37-year-old Wayne County sheriff's officer collapsed at roll call and later died. The Detroit News reports 13-year sheriff's veteran Cpl. Jammie B. Smith collapsed Thursday and was pronounced dead at Detroit Receiving Hospital. Sheriff Benny Napoleon says Smith was "a dedicated professional, devoted husband and father." WWJ-AM says survivors include his wife, Sharon, and two sons. Funeral arrangements are pending. A cause of death wasn't yet known.

Worker Hit By Truck In Mt. Lebanon, Dies

October 16, Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania - Mt. Lebanon police are investigating the death of a man who was struck by a contractor's vehicle while on a job Friday afternoon. Police said the man either tried to grab onto or fell beneath a truck as it was moving on Colonial Drive, where Hanula Concrete Pumping was working on a private contracting job. The victim -- identified as Jon Polcawich Jr., 34, of Beaver -- was taken to UPMC Mercy hospital and later died.

Worker Dies After Explosion, Fire At Columbus Plant

October 19, Columbus, Wisconsin - Authorities are investigating the death of a man after an explosion and fire at a Columbus plant. The building fire happened Sunday night at the American Packaging Corp. in the 800 block of West James Street. Fire officials said the maintenance employee was killed while using a hand-held grinder on some floor bolts at about 6 p.m. Fire Chief Randy Koehn said sparks ignited some vapors, causing the explosion and fire. Koehn said the explosion ripped apart the sprinkler system in the room. He said that caused water to spill from the pipes, containing fire damage to the room.

Ga. worker dies at Habitat for Humanity site

October 15, Atlanta, Georgia - A contractor was killed at a Habitat for Humanity construction site in southwest Atlanta after he was buried under at least five feet of dirt when a sewer trench where he was working collapsed. Omar Ismael, 23, died of asphyxia Thursday when the trench caved in, said Dr. Randy Hanzlick, Fulton County's chief medical examiner. He said Ismael likely died within minutes of the trench collapse, although rescue crews didn't recover the body until hours later.

Millom factory worker killed

October 15, A MAN who suffered serious head injuries while working at a factory has died. Michael Pattinson, 59, had been emptying rubbish into a skip at Tornado Wire in Devonshire Road, Millom. He was later found lying on the floor by a worker from a nearby company. Mr Pattinson, of Queen’s Park, Millom, had suffered serious head injuries.

Man killed in Elk Grove Village industrial accident

October 15, Elk Grove, Chicago - A 63-year-old industrial worker was killed Wednesday afternoon in an accident in Elk Grove Village. Dennis Woods, of West Chicago, was killed shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday after being crushed while handling a large aluminum coil at Material Sciences Corp., 2200 Pratt Blvd.. The coil reportedly weighs about 18,500 pounds and about 5,800 feet long. Woods was trying to move the coil from a storage area onto a machine to receive a paint finish when the coil fell off and trapped him underneath, Elk Grove Village Fire Battalion Chief William Sellers said.

Taxi driver killed in Highway 24 crash involving big rig

October 15, Orinda, California — A San Francisco-based taxi driver was killed early this morning on Highway 24 when his car was struck by a big rig that jackknifed trying to avoid him, authorities said. The man killed in the collision was identified as Adimas Kassie, 33, of Daly City. According to the California Highway Patrol, the taxi driver was in the westbound lanes east of Camino Pablo about 1:40 a.m. when he drifted into the right shoulder, then overcorrected left across the freeway and struck the center divider, leaving the cab facing oncoming traffic, said Officer Tom Maguire. What caused him to drift is under investigation.

Bulldozer slips; pinned worker from Fayette dies

October 15, Ossian, Iowa — Authorities say a Fayette man died after he was pinned by a small bulldozer that he was working on at a construction equipment company in Ossian. Officials say Patrick O'Shaughnessy, 60, was working on the bulldozer Monday at Reilly Construction when it apparently slipped off the jacks, pinning him. His co-workers used a crane to lift the bulldozer. O'Shaughnessy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Man killed in Springfield orchard accident

October 15, Springfield, Oregon - A 59-year-old man died in a mishap while harvesting hazelnuts at a Springfield orchard. Springfield police say the man was pulled into an auger attached to a harvester when he tried to clear the device to make room for more nuts. His jacket got twisted in the machinery, causing him to suffocate. A co-worker found the man Tuesday, and he was declared dead at the scene. The Register-Guard newspaper reports an autopsy Wednesday confirmed the cause of death.

Worker Struck and Killed on Farmington Road

October 15, Peoria, Illinois - A worker is struck and killed on Farmington Road Thursday morning. Terra Engineering employee 28-year-old David Kim of Chicago was installing a traffic counter in the 2300 block of Farmington at 5:50 Thursday morning. His truck with caution lights was parked on the east bound shoulder, while Kim was working on the west bound side of the road. A man driving a Buick LaSabre heading east bound changed lanes and then struck and killed Kim. Kim was wearing a reflective vest.

Construction worker killed in trench collapse

October 15, Atlanta, Georgia - Police took down the yellow tape blocking off 7th Street in southwest Atlanta and a woman ran past police and firefighters toward the muddy trench where a construction worker disappeared into the wet earth. "Where's my brother? Where's my brother?" she screamed as she ran toward the site where he'd been buried alive. Rescue workers had just pulled the man's body from beneath five feet of dirt piled in a collapsed sewer trench being built for a Habitat for Humanity home under construction.

Medford pilot killed in crash loved flying

October 14, Medford, Oregon - Daniel Townsend loved the freedom of flying and left behind a long list of family members who wanted him to take them on a helicopter ride. The 37-year-old Medford resident made his last flight Monday after the McDonnell Douglas 369FF helicopter he piloted crashed in Central Oregon. Townsend was hanging a power line near the small town of Spray when the helicopter's rotor struck a pole. He was working for Johnny Cat/Pacific Rim Helicopters out of Jacksonville.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-10-13T08:10:00.017-05:00

Animal Control Officer Dies In Line Of Duty

October 11, American Fork, Utah - Sunday night, a celebrated Utah high school band honored a music instructor who died trying to save a busload of students the night before. That bus, carrying the American Fork High School Band, swerved off I-15 north of the Utah-Idaho and landed on its side. Thirty-three-year-old woodwind instructor Heather Christensen died at the scene. Students and friends from two schools came together Sunday to remember the woodwind instructor. One parent described the tightly knit group of students and their families as one large family. They are accustomed to many hours together in rehearsal, in travel and now in grief.

Animal Control Officer Dies In Line Of Duty

October 12, Plainfield, Connecticut -- Calling hours are scheduled Monday night for a Plainfield animal control officer who died from injuries suffered while on the job. Police said the residents of a home on Green Hollo Road called Plainfield Animal Control before 11 p.m. to report a pit bull on the property. The residents said the dog would not let them leave their home. Animal Control Officer Theresa Foss, 48, suffered severe head trauma while responding to reports of a loose pit bull on Sept. 29. Police said the dog lunged at Foss and may have caused her to fall.

Metro officer killed, second in critical condition after car crash

October 7, Las Vegas, Nevada - Update: A Metro Police officer has died following a car accident Wednesday night. Officer Milburn "Millie" Beitel died at UMC following surgery. Officer Beitel was 30 years old and spent most of his life in Las Vegas, attending Greenspun Middle School and Silverado High School. The other officer remains at UMC in serious but stable condition.

UPDATE:

Update: Worker dies in Philadelphia lift tip-over

October 12, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - James Wilson, 40, of Glassboro, NJ, died after falling 125 feet from a boom lift he was working from. Industry sources told ALH the piece of equipment looked like a JLG 1250AJP, a 125-foot articulated jib plus UltraBoom from Interstate Aerials. While working on a church roof around 1:30pm on October 12, the lift moved over a grate on the sidewalk, causing the grate to buckle under the lift's weight. The lift then tipped and crashed into a nearby apartment building.

Vt. Man Killed in 1-93 Crash

October 13, Hooksett, New Hampshire - New Hampshire Police are investigating a Monday afternoon crash that claimed the life of a Vermont man. Police say at around 1:30 p.m., 41-year-old Ben Bishop of Stowe was headed northbound on Interstate 93 in Hooksett in his SUV when he crossed lanes, traveling down the median and up into the southbound lanes. A tractor-trailer tried to avoid Bishop's car, but failed. The two collided and the tractor-trailer rolled over. Bishop died at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered non life-threatening injuries. Police aren't sure if alcohol or drugs were a factor but say speed doesn't appear to be the cause of the crash. Southbound lanes of I-93 were closed for nearly five hours and traffic was rerouted.

Worker dies in crash on mine land

October 9, Knoxville, Tennessee - A man died today when his coal truck ran off a mountain road in the state's first fatal accident on mining property in nearly five years, authorities said. Darrell T. Seiber, 48, of Petros was driving south on Red Oak Mountain Road in Anderson County around 8:45 a.m. at a speed too fast for the road's conditions, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Seiber started to slow down his 1982 Mack truck but went into a slide, Trooper Michael Heatherly wrote in a report. The truck ran off the road, hit a tree and landed on its side, Heatherly wrote.

Worker dies after calling 911 about his own shooting at Southside office park

October 11, Jacksonville, Florida - A worker died on Saturday afternoon after he called 911 from his cell phone to report he had just been shot at an office complex on the Southside. About 12:30 p.m., the man in his 40s, who hasn’t been named, was alone cleaning up construction debris from a newly built office building at 6960 Bonneval Road, just off of Interstate 95 and Butler Boulevard. He was standing in the doorway when he was shot, said Sgt. Larry Schmitt, of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s homicide unThe man called 911 to report the shooting but lost consciousness while on the phone. He was transported to a local hospital where he died.

Worker dies in press box at Dodger Stadium

October 5, Los Angeles, California — A worker has died in the press box at Dodger Stadium. Team spokesman Josh Rawitch said the man died of apparent natural causes Tuesday, a day before the start of the NL playoff series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. Rawitch said the man was not a Dodgers employee, but could not provide further details.

Oak Park Hospital Worker Collapses, Dies

October 5, Oak Park, Illinois ― A hospital employee was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon after collapsing at work in west suburban Oak Park, authorities said. Jerry Cash, 52, of 4006 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago, was pronounced dead at Rush Oak Park Hospital at 4:30 p.m. after he collapsed at work at 520 S. Maple Ave., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. Rush Oak Park Hospital spokeswoman Angie Spino confirmed Cash was an employee and was involved in the environmental services of the hospital.

Worker fatally falls on tugboat in Houston Ship Channel

October 9, Houston, Texas - A worker fell to his death on a boat docked at the Houston Ship Channel on Thursday night. The Harris County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the case, said it was an accidental death. The accident occurred about 10:15 p.m. in the 6000 block of Lakeside Drive in the Channelview area. The 54-year-old man was working on the tug when he climbed ladders to an upper deck, but moments later a co-worker found him on the lower deck, where he had fallen.

Worker at plant crushed to death

October 9, Springfield, Missouri - Springfield police on Thursday were investigating an industrial accident in which an Ozark man was crushed in a molding press. Tobby Hall, 31, was apparently in the machine at Springfield's Buckhorn LLC plant, 2727 N. Partnership Blvd., shortly before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when the machine was activated. Lt. Kirk Manlove said Thursday that Hall and another man were operating the machine, which had been malfunctioning.

Worker Killed, Bystanders Injured in Center City Crane Collapse

October 13, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A construction worker was killed and several other people were hurt at about 1:30 on Monday afternoon when a construction "boom lift" toppled over at 21st and Walnut Streets in center city Philadelphia. KYW's Pat Loeb and Tony Hanson report that police say a 40-year-old man who was operating the lift from its cherry-picker basket fell 125 feet to the ground as the crane fell over, and was seriously injured. He was declared dead a short time later. The crane and/or falling debris also struck a 70-year-old woman in a passing car, breaking her arm. She was reported in stable condition at Hahnemann Hospital.

Worker Killed in Broad Daylight on Southside

October 11, Jacksonville, Tennessee - Jacksonville Police say 56 year-old Clifford Backmann of Green Cove Springs was cleaning up at a newly constructed building on Bonneval Road, near JTB, when he was shot Saturday afternoon. Backmann called 911 after he was shot and apparently lost consciousness as he was speaking with the dispatcher. We've not learned of any arrests in this deadly shooting and police have not said what motivated the person to kill.

Construction Worker Killed In Steamboat Springs

October 10, Steamboat Springs, Colorado ― A construction worker killed in an accident near the Steamboat Ski Area likely died of head trauma. Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg says that 29-year-old Brady Meier of Hayden died Friday morning. He was hit with a fitting from a pressurized water line, and initial indications are that he died of head trauma. An autopsy is planned. Meier was working on a public project to replace a sewer line and prepare for the installation of a Burgess Creek diversion structure. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating.

Man dies from injuries sustained from SUV falling on him

October 8, Lynnwood, Washington - A 31-year-old Monroe man died Thursday when a large SUV fell on him at a Lynnwood junkyard and auto parts outlet. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene, Best Auto & Truck Parts at 18100 Highway 99, at about 10:15 a.m. The man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition, but passed away just after 6 p.m. Investigators determined that the man, a regular customer of the store, was working on a large SUV when it collapsed on top of him, said Shannon Sessions of the Lynnwood Police Department.

Farmer Killed by Lightning Strike

October 8, Lebanon, Missouri - A farmer who was checking on his cattle this morning as heavy thunderstorms moved through, was struck and killed by lightning, the Laclede County Emergency Management office confirmed today. Office director Jonathan Ayres says the death happened near Phillipsburg around 9:30 this morning. The farmer, whose name and age has not been released yet, was found by family members about 11:00 this morning.

Toppled crane killed worker on Smith Mountain Lake

October 7, Roanoke, Virginia — A construction worker was killed after a crane fell into the Smith Mountain Lake. The construction accident happened on Monday morning, October 5, 2009 around 11:30 a.m., in the Blackwater area of the lake, as reported by the Roanoke Times. Officials with Franklin County’s Department of Public Safety reported, a construction worker identified as Roger Dale Goad, 55, of Henry, was operating a crane while dismantling a private Smith Mountain Lake dock when the accident occurred. The 18,000-20,000 pound crane somehow slipped off the barge that was supporting it above the water, and fell nearly 70 feet into the lake. It took Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire Rescue Department and rescue teams nearly two hours to recover Goad’s body from the sunken crane. Unfortunately, Goad did not survive the accident.

Highway worker killed in NE Ind. hit-and-run

October 7, St. Joe, Indiana - Police say a pickup truck fatally struck a highway worker in northeastern Indiana, with the driver then fleeing the scene. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department says 22-year-old Andrew Landes of Indianapolis was killed in the crash Monday on Indiana 1 near the town of St. Joe. The employee for Indianapolis-based Butler, Fairman & Seufert Civil Engineers was measuring the roadway for painting when he was hit and killed instantly. Police say a witness described the vehicle that hit Landes as a tan pickup truck and that it will likely have right front-end damage. Officers were not immediately able to find the truck despite a search of the area about 15 miles north of Fort Wayne.

New Employee Shot, Killed on the Job

October 7, Houston, Texas - A man on his second day at a new job was fatally shot as he worked in front of a northeast Houston business. Houston Police say it was around 7 p.m. Tuesday when the worker at a machine shop on Corpus Christie at Boyles was shot in a drive-by. Witnesses told police the suspect was a Hispanic male driving a charcoal grey sedan. Investigators do not have a motive for the shooting.

Pages Creek Marine employee dies when boat falls on him

October 7, Wilmington, North Carolina - A 25-year-old Wilmington man was killed Wednesday in a workplace accident when a boat which the victim was aligning with a trailer fell on him, officials said. The accident occurred at 5:10 p.m. at Pages Creek Marine, which is located at 7000 Market St., according to a statement from Deputy Charles Smith, spokesman for the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. After the boat fell, Ryan Lee Church was trapped between the vessel and a trailer. Employees tried to help him, but after EMS workers arrived Church was pronounced dead.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-10-05T08:47:00.017-05:00

Business owner dies after being pinned under roll of carpet

October 6, Mesa, Arizona -A Valley business owner is dead after being crushed by a 1,000-pound roll of carpet. Jerry Price, 56, was the co-owner of Ace Flooring in Mesa. His business partner arrived at work Tuesday morning and found Pierce pinned under the fallen roll of carpet. His partner used a forklift to remove the carpet, but Pierce was already dead. Outside Ace Flooring friends held back tears as they told 3TV about the wonderful man they have lost.

Employee collapses,dies at Rush Oak Park Hospital

October 5, Chicago, Illinois - A hospital employee was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon after collapsing at work in Oak Park, authorities said. Jerry Cash, 52, of 4006 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago, was pronounced dead at Rush Oak Park Hospital at 4:30 p.m. after he collapsed at work at 520 S. Maple Ave., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. He was a hospital employee. No one witnessed the collapse.

Tree Worker Killed

October 5, Millburn, New York - A 45-year-old man fell to his death last Tuesday while cutting tree limbs at a Taylor Road home in Millburn. Elides Urena of Bound Brook fell from about 50 feet, according to the Millburn Police Department. Officers responded to a 911 call at 10:50 a.m., and C.P.R. was performed. Mr. Urena was taken to Saint Barnabas Medical Center and pronounced dead at 11:35 a.m. The cause of the fall has not been determined.

Worker killed in drilling accident in W.Va.

October 5, Salem, West Virginia - Authorities are investigating a fatal accident at a natural gas drilling operation in Harrison County. The Harrison County Sheriff's Department says a 20-year-old worker was killed Sunday while working on a drilling rig. The man was operating a piece of equipment when it released or broke away and swung him back against the rig. The man died at the scene. He was not identified.

Employee Shot, Killed At DeKalb Auto Repair Shop

October 5, Dekalb County, Georgia -- DeKalb County police said they are trying to piece together what led up to the shooting death of a auto shop employee in front of the business Monday afternoon. Officials said 46-year-old George Thrones was shot and killed. DeKalb County police identified the suspect in the killing as 41-year-old Troy Johnson. Investigators said the shooting happened while other employees were in the building of the European Autocare Center on LaVista Road in Tucker.

Jackson mechanic killed in work accident

October 4, Jackson, Mississippi - A Jackson man died after being injured Saturday night on the job. Hyreese Loftin, 26, died at University of Mississippi Medical Center around 12:15 a.m. Sunday after being transported from the Petro truck stop on I-20 in Jackson, Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said. Loftin, a mechanic at the truck stop, was working on an 18-wheeler late Saturday when compression equipment exploded and hit him in the head, Grisham-Stewart said. He died of head injuries less than an hour after being transported to UMC.

Man held in blaze that killed firefighter

October 3, Yonkers, New York — A recently fired forklift operator has been charged with murder in the arson death of Yonkers firefighter Patrick Joyce Jr. Police said Rafael Roldan, 33, broke into a house from which he had been evicted and set Friday’s blaze, in which Joyce died. Roldan lit the fire in anger after he returned to retrieve some belongings and thought that his clothes had been tossed around, police said. “We do believe he is fully responsible for setting the fire at that location,” First Deputy Police Chief Charles Gardner said during a news conference Saturday. “He did implicate himself in the crime.” Joyce, a 39-year-old firefighter and 16-year-veteran of the department, either jumped or fell from the top floor of the burning three-story, four-family home at 149 Waverly St., along with two other firefighters who remain hospitalized — one, Lt. Joe Murray, critically.

Texas Deputy Dies En Route to Accident

October 3, Beltsville, Maryland - A Burnet County Deputy was killed early Saturday after hitting a deer while responding to a crash scene, according to KXAN.com. Deputy Francis David Blake was responding to a major accident with injuries at about 1 a.m. when he struck the deer. He then lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree, the website reported. Blake, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene. He is survived by his wife and four children.

Two killed, one injured in Market Street Bridge crash

October 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A cab driver and one of his passengers were killed and another passenger was injured early Saturday in a two-vehicle crash on the Market Street Bridge. Michael Amissah, 34, of Harrisburg, the taxi driver, and Kristin Bowser, 28, of Camp Hill, one of the passengers, were killed around 2:30 a.m. Saturday after a vehicle crossed into the cab’s lane and hit it head-on, Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick said. He said that autopsies are scheduled on both on Monday.Christopher Bowser, Kristin Bowser’s husband, was taken to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition on Sunday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Construction Worker Dies from Fall on the Job

October 2, New York City, New York - Police Lt. Charles Campbell confirmed yesterday that Frank Puglisi, 66, died Sunday from injuries suffered in a fall last Friday at a Hoboken construction site. Frank Puglisi, of Lodi, was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center on Friday after a he fell backward off a loading dock platform while working at the construction site for the Berkshire, a 14-story rental building at 14th Street and Shipyard Lane, according to Police Lt. Charles Campbell. Although Puglisi fell only a few feet, he suffered serious head trauma. Campbell noted that it remains unclear how or why Puglisi may have fallen

Semi Rollover Kills Driver in Pueblo Industrial Accident

October 1, Pueblo, Colorado - An industrial accident left the driver of a semi dead after it rolled over on Wantland Lane in South Pueblo County Wednesday. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office responded to a call of an overturned semi truck pulling a doublewide trailer in the 4700 block of Wantland Lane in South Pueblo County around 8:20 a.m. The driver of the vehicle, whose identity was not released, was pinned in the vehicle. Upon arrival deputies realized the accident scene was extremely unstable due to the terrain and the angle of the vehicle and trailer. The efforts to make the scene safe for emergency services personnel and workers took nearly four hours with a combined effort from the Rye Fire District, Colorado Department of Transportation and Pueblo County Roads and Bridges.

Taxi driver dies in Covina store parking lot

October 1, West Covina, California - A taxi driver was pronounced dead after being found unconscious in his cab Tuesday, authorities said. The dead man was identified Wednesday as 63-year-old Gholamreza Mohammadkani of Covina, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Larry Dietz said. An autopsy determined he died from natural causes, Dietz said. According to Covina police Sgt. Trevor Gaumer, someone called officials to report seeing the man "unresponsive" in his taxi shortly before 6:20 a.m. in the parking lot of 7-Eleven, 1085 N. Citrus Ave.

Texas personal injury - FedEx truck hit and killed ISD employee

October 1, Houston, Texas — A Federal Express truck hit and killed a Lamar Consolidated Independent School District employee at the school district’s bus barn. The fatal accident happened on Monday, September 28, 2009 around 1:30 p.m., at the Lamar Consolidated ISD bus barn along Avenue I, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. According to police officials, a Federal Express (FedEx) truck had just finished making a delivery at the bus barn when a Lamar Consolidated ISD employee, identified as Robert Judd Whitman, 61, of Fulshear, happened to be standing in the “blind spot” of the FedEx truck.

Grady County employee struck and killed by train identified

October 1, Pocasset, Oklahoma — A Grady County worker who died Wednesday when his mowing tractor was struck by a train was identified today. Dale Mosier, 76, of Amber, had worked for the Grady County District One maintenance barn since April 2008. He was retired from a career as a civilian employee at Tinker Air Force Base, said Sharon Shoemake, Grady County clerk. Mosier worked part-time mowing county road right-of-ways with a tractor that pulled a mower. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported the accident happened at 10:24 a.m. Wednesday near U.S. 81 south of Pocasset.

Worker dies in fall from McKees Rocks Bridge

October, 1, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - A 54-year-old Ohio man fell to his death while he was working on the McKees Rocks Bridge by Pier 16 at Alcosan, police said. A sandblasting crew was working under a gray tarp on the bridge when a staging platform the man was standing on gave way, causing him to fall 100 feet shortly after 2 p.m. The man, Michael L???Hereaux, Oberlin, Ohio, was contracting with Odyssey Contracting Corporation, based in Houston, Pa.

Police Release Name Man Killed In Industrial Accident

September 30, Oxford, Michigan - The Oakland County Sheriff's department has released the name of the man involved in an industrial accident in Oxford Wednesday morning. Gerald Setter, 52, was hit by a gravel hauler in a parking lot on Glaspie Road around 4:45 a.m. Police said his coworker at TKMS Limited was driving the gravel hauler that hit Setter as he was backing into a parking lot. Setter was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nevada mine blamed for worker's death

September 30, Las Vegas, Nevada - A federal investigation blamed a Nevada gold mine in the death of a 57-year-old driller who was struck by a flatbed truck. Steven L. Halverson was fatally injured last June at the open-pit Genesis Mine in Carlin, Nev. In a report issued late Tuesday, the Mine Safety and Health Administration said Newmont USA Ltd. failed to designate safety lanes for trucks working inside the pit. Managers adopted new procedures to correct that violation.

Texas construction accident - Worker killed at International Paper mill

October 1, Dallas, TX — A construction worker was killed a the International Paper Company’s Mansfield Mill after he fell into a water tank filled with hot water. The fatal incident happened on Monday, September 28, 2009 around 12:30 p.m., south of Mansfield in Desoto Parish, as reported by the Shreveport Times. According to police officials, a contract worker identified as Toby Lynn Gardner, 35, of Castor, was working from a catwalk on a valve above a tank, when he fell into a linerboard white water tank. The white water tank is three stories tall, and holds recycled water used in the paper making process, which is around 150-200 degrees. The tank was reportedly not completely full when the worker fell in.

Birdsong Peanuts worker dies Monday following accident

September 30, Blakely, Georgia - A cold storage worker at Birdsong Peanuts has died from injuries he received in an accident at approximately 2 p.m. Monday afternoon at the company’s cold storage warehouse on Bay Street in Blakely. Howard Thompson, 23, suffered critical injuries when he was reportedly caught in a conveyor belt. He was transported by ambulance to Early Memorial Hospital where he was treated for his injuries before being air lifted by helicopter to Southeast Alabama Medical Center. He was later transferred to a Birmingham hospital where he died Monday night. In a statement released Tuesday the company stated, “We were saddened to learn this morning that Howard Thompson died from injuries he sustained while working at Birdsong Peanuts’ cold storage facility in Blakely. He was a good worker and will be missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to Howard’s family.

Moped rider dies after Duke crash

September 30, Raleigh, North Carolina - A Duke University worker involved in a campus moped accident over the weekend has died.Saber Benson, 26, was critically injured Saturday night when he struck an iron gate on Union Drive while operating a moped. He subsequently died, Duke officials said Tuesday. Police are trying to determine whether Benson was trying to get through the gate as it was closing, according to Aaron Graves, associate vice president for campus safety and security. Benson ofChapel Hill was a contract worker at The Loop, a campus restaurant.

Birdsong Peanuts worker dies Monday following accident

September 30, Blakely, Georgia - A cold storage worker at Birdsong Peanuts has died from injuries he received in an accident at approximately 2 p.m. Monday afternoon at the company’s cold storage warehouse on Bay Street in Blakely.

Escondido man dies in landfill accident

September 30, Miramar, California – A 38-year-old Escondido man was killed Tuesday at the Miramar Landfill when he was trapped under the bin of the dump truck he had been driving, authorities said. About 11 a.m., the man finished dumping a load of an unknown type of garbage when he apparently drove away and noticed the bin of the Dodge 3500 was still in the up position, said Jose Ysea, a public information officer with the San Diego's Environmental Services Department. Authorities believe he may have crawled in the space between the cab and the bin to fix the problem when the bin fell and pinned him to the chassis, authorities said.

Breaking News: A Grady County worker was killed when struck by a northbound train

September 30, Grady County, Oklahoma - A Grady County worker was killed Wednesday morning when the tractor he was driving was struck by a northbound train. The victim, an Amber resident, was mowing on Cardinal Road (CR 1260) near the railroad track which parallels Hwy. 81 in Pocasset. The train struck the tractor with enough force to separate it from the mower attachment it was pulling, throwing the tractor east of the railroad track and the mower attachment west of the track.

Orem man killed in Eagle Mountain accident

September 29, Eagle Mountain, Utah — A construction worker died Monday when he was crushed in an industrial accident.Joshua Parks, 23, of Orem, was working on a sewage plant in Eagle Mountain and was driving a roller compactor over a large mound of dirt when he tipped over, said Utah County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Brower. He worked for Nelson Brothers Construction. Another construction worker at the plant had seen smoke from where Parks was working. He tried to get the roller off of Parks and called 911, Brower said. A medical helicopter was called but then canceled because medical responders said Parks died almost immediately.

Truck driver killed in wreck on I-30

September 30, Morris county, Texas - A truck driver was killed and two others were injured early Tuesday when one 18-wheeler was rear-ended by another on Interstate 30 in Morris County. The accident happened about 7 a.m. Tuesday in the westbound lane of Interstate 30 just west of the Bowie County line. Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety said one 18-wheeler had just pulled onto the interstate from a rest area when the collision occurred.

WHO'S NEXT? Five years after the deaths of 17 BP employees, BP has yet to improve on safety!

2009-09-27T00:00:00.005-05:00

With all the bad news that surrounds me on a daily basis one could easily question why I cannot seem to build up some sort of immunity to the stories that bother me the most as many feel I should be used to it by now. As if it were even a possibility. I'll never get used to it and anyone who believes they could is either full of shit or completely naive. Once you're affected, you're affected and every
death from that point on affects you. And while many would say that making a conscious decision to purposely surround yourself with familiar tragedies after surviving your own, is the self destructive behavior of
someone who can't let go of their pain.

Yet the sad fact is avoidance of knowledge and the decision to let it go, and or do nothing, to prevent history from repeating itself would in fact be harder by far to live with. And so I try every day to do my best to make a difference without giving in to the anger that always surfaces when I come across a story like this one.

"BP asks for more time to make plant improvements"

Go read it and then think about how the families of Raymundo C. Gonzalez, Jr. and Leonard Maurice Moore, Jr., who were killed back in 2004, must feel about BP asking for more time. And how about the families of the other 15 BP employees killed in an explosion just 6 months later in 2005. What about them? Doesn't the media believe the family members might have something to say about BP's request for more time - aside from the five years they have already had to correct the issues that cost 17 people their lives? Can this really be a case of the media not giving a shit about doing the job they are meant to do.... at least in such a manner that the public has a shot at understanding the problem for what it is and not what BP wants them to see.

For example, the most someone out of the loop will take away from a story entitled "BP asks for more time to make plant improvements" is 'so what'! BP needs improvements or here's a story I wont bother to read BOO HOO BP. Who could blame the public for a lack of concern for BP and their problems. (not to mention that safety and improvements are two different things)

But I assure you the same story with a different title and a different angle would draw a far different reaction from the public. How about "WHO'S NEXT? Five years after the deaths of 17 BP employees, BP has yet to improve on safety! Families outraged by BP's failure to prevent history from repeating itself".

Now that's a factual headline. One that would put BP back in the hot seat where it belongs as well as stirring up enough public outrage to perhaps make BP rethink its blatant disregard of workplace safety.

In the words of one family member...
"How frustrating it is to be collecting news articles yet again. I thought I was done after the trail and record fines. I am both frustrated and heartbroken by this."

There is nothing I wouldn't do to assure these families never had to feel this way again. And my thoughts and prayers are with each and every last one of them.

Weekly Toll: Death in The American Workplace

2009-09-23T07:55:00.015-05:00

Ray Mine worker killed in vehicle accident at mine

September 28, Kearny, Arizona,- Government inspectors are looking into a truck crash that killed a worker at Asarco's Ray Mine near Kearny. An assistant inspector with the office of the Arizona mine inspector, Tim Evans, says 29-year-old Robert Christopher Stewart of Globe drove the truck into a berm Sunday while making a turn and the truck flipped. Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene. He had worked at the mine for more than 2 1/2 years. Asarco's chief executive officer, Joseph Lapinsky, released a statement saying the company is cooperating fully with the investigation.

School worker killed by Fed Ex truck

September 28, Rosenburg, Texas - Rosenberg Police were called to a automobile and pedestrian accident at the Lamar Consolidated School District's bus barn located along Ave I in Rosenberg. Officers arrived at the location to find a male LCISD employee had been hit, allegedly by a Fed Ex delivery truck. Police say the truck was leaving the bus barn facility after making a delivery when the driver struck a pedestrian. The driver reportedly did not see the pedestrian, as the pedestrian was in the vehicle's blind spot.

Accident at ASARCO's Ray Mine kills employee

September 28, Kearny, Arizona - An ASARCO employee died in an accident early Sunday morning, at the Company's Ray Mine near Kearny, Arizona. The haul truck he was driving made contact with a safety berm and tipped on its side. Officials tell us the cause of the accident is unknown. No one else was injured in the incident. "ASARCO is cooperating fully with federal and state authorities in their investigation of this accident," said Joseph F. Lapinsky, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our sympathy and prayers go out to family members, friends and fellow miners who are affected by this loss," he said.

UPDATED: Deceased IP worker is identified

September 28, Mansfield, Louisiana — Authorities have identified the contract worker killed today at International Paper Company’s Mansfield Mill as Toby Lynn Gardner, 35, of Castor. Gardner died shortly after noon today when he fell into a linerboard white water tank that holds recycled water used in the paper making process. Gardner was working from a catwalk on a valve above the tank when he fell in, DeSoto sheriff’s Sgt. Brett Cooper said. The tank, which is about three stories tall, was not full, but the water was about 150 to 200 degrees.

Road Construction Worker Killed in Beaverton

September 26, Beaverton, Oregon - Update: The person killed today in the road construction incident has been identified by police as 51 year old John Thomas Sparks. Mr. Sparks was killed this afternoon, according to Beaverton Police. Detective Sergeant James Shumway, says officers were called to the road construction accident on SW 173rd near SW Walker Road in Beaverton at 3:47 p.m. "Officers arrived to learn that a road construction worker was killed when one of the dump trucks involved in the repaving backed over him. The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene."

Utility worker killed in Indiana County

September 26, Brookville, Indiana - A utility worker from Brookville, Jefferson County, was killed yesterday afternoon when he was struck by a coal truck while standing near Route 422 in Indiana County.Robert S. Conner Sr., 48, was working on the south shoulder of Route 422 near Parkwood Road shortly after noon Friday when he was struck by a truck driven by Carl White, 59, of Avonmore, Westmoreland County. Mr. Conner was pronounced dead at the Indiana Regional Medical Center at 12:56 p.m.

Farm worker dies from fall in grain bin

September 25, Columbus, Ohio - A worker fell to his death this morning while cleaning the inside of an Ohio Fresh Eggs grain bin in Marion County. Fermin Luna Garcia was on a ladder when he fell at least 15 feet and landed on the bin's metal floor. Authorities said Garcia, 50, lived in La Rue and was a subcontractor hired by the egg farm. The Scioto Valley Fire District was called to the scene near Rts. 309 and 37 at 8:30 a.m., said Chief John Boyd. He said Garcia was dead when emergency crews arrived.

Lee Co. deputy dies in the line of duty

September 24, Smiths Station, Alabama - A Lee County Sheriff's deputy has died of injuries suffered in the line of duty. He is identified as 39-year-old Deputy James Anderson, a three-year veteran to the department. Anderson was rushed to Columbus Medical Center around 1:00pm Thursday in critical condition. He died a short time later. The man accused of running him down with a car, 31-year-old Gregory Lance Henderson of Columbus, Georgia is being held in the Russell County Jail. He now faces one count of Capital Murder.

Wrightsville construction worker killed in accident

September 25, Hancock County, Georgia - One worker was killed and four others were hurt Wednesday in an accident at the Hickory Grove Baptist Church construction site in Hancock County. Timothy Tyrone Dixon, 32, of Wrightsville, died from injuries he sustained when roof rafters fell as crews were setting them in place, said Ricky Brown, an investigator with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Two other members of the Hines Construction crew were airlifted to Augusta with serious injuries: James Anthony Hines, 39, of Wrightsville, and Edward Lawrence of Hancock County, whose age was not immediately available, Brown said.

Worker dies at Sugar Camp mine

September Franklin County, Illinois - An Elizabethtown man died Wednesday night as the result of injuries suffered in a fall at a Franklin County coal mine. Robert Comer III was pronounced dead on arrival at 10:48 p.m. Wednesday at the Franklin Hospital Emergency Room, Franklin County Coroner Marty P. Leffler said. Comer was an employee for a company that was sinking the shaft at the Sugar Creek M-Class Mine north of Akin, Leffler said.

Officer dies after car crash

September 24, Townson, Maryland - Baltimore County police say a seven-year veteran of the force has died after a single-vehicle accident on Black Rock Road.
Thirty-two-year-old Jason Simons died after he was flown to Shock Trauma. Police said Simons, who was off duty, was on his way to work about 1:40 p.m. Thursday. Officers say he was traveling east on Black Rock Road in his pickup truck when he lost control of the vehicle on sharp turn on the wet roadway. The truck hit a guardrail and flipped onto its top, trapping the officer. The crash is under investigation.

Addison man killed in tractor accident

September 24, Northfield, Maine — Jonathan Brock, 21, of Addison was killed Thursday morning when the tractor he was operating plummeted off a wooden bridge over the Machias River in a remote area of Washington County near Holmes Falls. Brock was coming down an incline and was hauling an empty utility trailer when he apparently lost control, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Parker said. The 80-foot-long wooden bridge has small wooden bumpers along its outside edge that were visibly chewed up by the tractor as it left the bridge deck.

Idaho construction accident - Pocatello, ID construction worker buried alive!

September 23, Pocatello, Idaho — A construction worker was killed after a 10-foot deep trench collapsed and buried the man alive. The worker was reportedly working on a sewer line project. The construction accident happened on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at a construction site on the corner of North Kraft Road and North Gathe Road, as reported by KIFI. According to the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, Kelly Smith was working on a sewer line project just eight feet away from a trench box, which is designed to keep the workers safe, when the trench collapsed and buried the worker alive. It is currently unknown why the trench gave way.

Worker Killed At Sugar Camp Mine Franklin Co.

September 23, Franklin Co., Illinois - A southern Illinois man was killed Wednesday night at the Sugar Camp Mine off Thompsonville Road in Franklin County. Robert Comer III, 38, of Elizabethtown, Illinois, was working for Cowin Company -- an independent contractor -- that was sinking the shaft for the mine, according to Franklin County Coroner Marty Leffler. Comer was among a group of workers pouring concrete. It appears Comer was moving his safety harness when he stepped through an opening in the raised work platform above the shaft and fell 39 feet. He was air lifted to Franklin Hospital in Benton. He was pronounced dead at 10:48 PM, according to Leffler.

BNSF Worker Killed Near Hereford

September 23, Hereford, Texas - A worker with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad was killed Wednesday near Hereford. The Deaf Smith County Justice of the Peace's office says Larry Craig Green was working near the track around 6:30 Wednesday morning when he was hit by a train. The incident happened near the old Caviness meat plant about three miles west of Hereford on highway 60. It is unclear right now how the events transpired. Green was 54 years old.

Teacher killed in stabbing at high school in Texas

September 23, Tyler, Texas — Police say a teacher has been stabbed to death at a high school in Texas. Tyler police spokesman Don Martin says the male teacher was stabbed around 9 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities have taken a juvenile into custody after the attack at John Tyler High School. No other details were immediately released. Martin referred further questions to the school spokeswoman, who did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. Tyler is located about 95 miles southeast of Dallas.

AP source: Census worker hanged with 'fed' on body

September 23, Washington, D.C. — The FBI is investigating the hanging death of a U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery. A law enforcement official says the word "fed" was scrawled on his chest. The body of Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old Census field worker and occasional teacher, was found Sept. 12 in the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. Investigators have said little about the case.

Ferry Worker Fatally Hit By SUV

September 23, Port Aransas, Texas - An accident at the Port Aransas ferry crossing has left a man dead. The accident happened around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on the Aransas Pass side of the ferry crossing. A lane has been closed off at the Harbor Island Ferry Landing ever since 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening when a 23-year-old woman driving an Explorer hit and killed a ferry traffic director. Preliminary investigations suggest Jeronda Horton, 23, was driving off the ferry when she had an epileptic seizure. Horton lost control of her Ford Explorer and struck
Tommy Lee Rubell, Jr., 32, and slammed into a light pole. Police believe it was Horton's vehicle that caused Rubell's fatal injuries, not the pole.

7-Eleven Employee Killed During Shift

September 23, Irvine, California - In February 2003, Suresh Dass came to the United States looking for what many people are hopeful for in the land of opportunity: a better life. Dass, an immigrant from the North Indian city of Kurukshetra, had held a career as an assistant professor. After being sponsored to come to the United States by his sister, Mona Bhatia, Dass began working the graveyard shift at the 7-Eleven on Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue. On the morning of March 2 at around 2:20 a.m., two men walked into the store pushed Dass to the ground and reportedly beat and stabbed him to death, as shown on a two-minute surveillance video. According to Lt. Jeff Love of the Irvine Police Department, the two men quickly ran out of the store after unsuccessfully trying to pry the cash register open.

Woman dies of injuries in Vermont eatery crash

September 23, Williston, Vermont — One of five people injured when a pickup truck crashed into a Williston, Vt., food stand has died. Hospital officials say 68-year-old Barbara Gregory died Tuesday following the Sept. 17 crash at Tim’s Snack Shack. She was ordering food when the crash happened. One of injured remains hospitalized in fair condition. Police said the accident happened when 38-year-old Timothy Hill of Williston apparently lost consciousness while driving. Police said Hill, a construction worker, said he had been hit in the head with a shovel shortly before leaving work.

Sam's worker dies of injuries

September 23, Salina, Kansas - A Sam’s Club employee who was injured Friday in a forklift incident died Monday, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.Shaun D. Smith, 31, of Salina, was flown to Wichita’s Wesley Medical Center following the incident, which occurred about 5 a.m. Friday at Sam’s Club, 2919 Market. He remained in critical condition until he died Monday...He had also worked for the former Lamone Candy and Tobacco Co. for several years.

Worker dies in accident at new high school

September 23, Trinity, California — A man measuring equipment at Wheatmore High School was found dead Tuesday night inside the school in what authorities are calling an accident. Cleaning personnel had noticed a work van parked outside the school but had not seen anyone working, according to a news release from the Randolph County Sheriff's Office. They searched the school to look for the van's driver before leaving for the day. Maintenance workers later found the body of John Wayne Neal of Randleman about 10 p.m. He was at the base of a stairway that leads to the air-handling units on the second floor. Neal had been at the new school to measure air-handling units for filters, and he had not been heard from since mid-day on Tuesday, according to the sheriff's office.

Construction Worker Dies in Accident

September 24, Hidalgo County, Texas - Raquel Garcia Mata, 28, says she can't talk about her husband's death. She can't let her kids see her cry anymore. She did say she'd talk about the accident though. An accident claimed the life of her husband, Urbano Garcia Mata. His wife says it's not fair. She says her husband shouldn't have been up there, unprotected without a harness or safety net. Urbano Mata was working in Alton just off Conway and 5 Mile. He was putting up a sign. He and his boss decided to stop, because it was too hot. A week later, he would die in the hospital from massive brain injuries after falling 25 feet.

Man crushed to death in paper compactor

September 23, Camden, Arkansas - Officials say a worker at a paper recycling facility in Camden was crushed to death in a paper compactor. Camden police say 42-year-old Mike Singleton was extinguishing a fire in the machine Monday afternoon when the machine unexpectedly turned on. The accident occurred at the Paper Tigers Inc. plant at the city's former International Paper mill.

Worker killed after touching live wire on power pole

September 22, San Clemente, CA – A 22-year-old man working on an electrical pole was killed Tuesday after apparently touching a live wire, according to coroner officials. Paramedics with the Orange County Fire Authority attempted to resuscitate Aaron Dineen for about an hour after he was electrocuted near El Camino Real and Avenida Valencia, said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Man killed Monday identified

September 22, Corpus Christi, Texas — A man who died during a suspected fight Monday between two employees at a recycling business in Petronila has been identified as Hector Veliz, 53, of Honduras, police said. Veliz’s preliminary cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, Dr. Harminder Narula, forensic pathologist with the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office, determined Tuesday. The preliminary results show Veliz had three gunshot wounds, according to medical examiner officials. Nueces County Sheriff’s Department officials initially reported Veliz suffered gunshot and stab wounds.

Utility worker dies after burns

September 22, Florence, Wisconsin - A Coleman man has died after being shocked and burned while working on a power line. The Florence County Sheriff’s Office said 28-year-old Michael Rhode died as a result of the injuries suffered Saturday morning. Officials said a neighbor found Rhode hanging from his safety harness about 40 feet in the air. His clothes were burned off, but he was still conscious. He was initially flown to a burn center for treatment.

Two Dead Following Workplace Shooting

September 21, Fresno, California - Sheriff’s Deputies say James Badasci shot and killed a fellow employee at the Fresno Euipment Company near Chestnut and Highway 99 Tuesday morning, before taking his own life. The shooting happened on South Bagley near Malaga around 9:00 AM in Fresno County. Employees heard the shots fired and ran for cover and called 911 for help. Deputies arrived at the scene within 6 minutes and surrounded the facility before entering the rear of the business. Once inside, they found two men dead from gunshot wounds.

A Father's Plea

2009-09-18T06:10:00.001-05:00

President Gerard,

This may seem like an unusual request but I want to clear this with you before I attempt it. I lost my first wife 11 years ago almost to the day and now I have found out my

Daughter , who is 30 years old, has two tumors on her liver and she is going in for a biopsy this coming week. We are praying that it is not cancerous but the Doctors are not so optimistic. Since my family has endured loss before, we understand the strength of Prayer.

My daughter is of the generation that has to work two jobs to make ends meet and of course she finds herself without medical insurance. That part of it is secondary to us as a family , for we are seeking Prayers I have a lot of confidence in the fact that the Organization I work for and have done so for 25 years , can help my family through Prayer.

Is it possible that your office could send this e-mail through our distribution ( e-mail ) system and ask our brothers and sisters to Pray for my daughter.

Her name is Renee Deschaine. As her father, I refuse to feel helpless .

Lucien Deschaine
Representative
District 4
Maine

Events

2009-09-14T16:19:00.002-05:00

Ok if any families are interested in this please do contact me it would be a great opportunity and you get to hear Jordan Speak!

Friday – November 6
9 AM– 5 AM - Philadelphia Holiday Inn Historic District [4th and Arch]
National COSH H&S in Construction Program - Come meet with Health and Safety professionals from around the country and many local activists to discuss the latest issues facing construction workers. This will include panels and workshops with many local and regional industry experts including representation from union, OSHA, academia and community organizations. [$10 Registration to Tom O’Connor at oconnorta@gmail.com]

8 PM – 12 PM – Annual National COSH Awards Banquet [Holiday Inn]
This event will recognize national and local efforts to promote health and safety for all workers. [Contact Tom O’Connor at oconnorta@gmail.com for more information]

Saturday - November 7
9 AM– 5 AM – Philaposh Office and AFSCME DC 33 Building - 3001 Walnut Street, 5th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19104
2009 National Health and Safety Summit – The Protecting Workers Alliance is sponsoring this important discussion about the next steps for activating grassroots support for important H&S legislative initiatives including PAWA. The Summit will include Families, COSH Activists and OSH Professionals from around the country to develop an action plan for the next year to lobby and pass new protections for all workers. Topics will include Ergonomics Reform, Immigrant H&S protections, Toxic Chemical policy and Family and Victim Rights. Jordan Barab will be our luncheon speaker. [$10 Registration to Tom O’Connor at oconnorta@gmail.com]

Sunday – November 8
5:45 PM – 8:30 PM - SangKee Chinese Restaurant 238 N 9th St Restaurant [five blocks from Convention Center]
APHA OHS Section Social Hour – Come join us as we celebrate and mingle to get our 2009 meeting in gear. There will be some delicious complementary food with a cash bar. There will be a short program at 7 PM to recognize some great people doing incredible work in H&S.

more on the 8th here

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-09-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

Livery Driver Shot and Killed in Yonkers

August 30, Yonkers, New York- A livery car driver has been shot and killed in Yonkers. The car was found on Jessamine Ave. near Ramsey Ave. with Pericles Salas, 32 from Yonkers, inside suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, police said. A call came into Yonkers police around 4:40 a.m. Sunday. Salas, was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital where he was pronounced dead. This is the fourth fatal shootings involving cab drivers in just over three months. Last week, Jose Pena-Seguira, 42, was shot once in the head inside his cab late in the Bronx, and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Worker Killed in Accident on New York City Bridge

August 27, Queens, New York - A worker is dead after a construction accident on New York City's Throgs Neck Bridge. Police say 48-year-old William Barnes was struck by the boom of a small crane mounted on the back of a truck. The cable snapped, pinning him to the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The northbound lanes of the bridge that connects Queens to the Bronx were briefly closed, but have since reopened.

Official: Man killed in industrial accident

August 31, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A young man was killed in what appears to be an industrial accident at a packaging plant in Montgomery Township Friday evening, a fire official said. The unidentified man died after getting trapped in a box forming machine at Mid-Atlantic Packaging on the 100 block of Commerce Drive, said David Vasconez, deputy chief of the Fire Department of Montgomery Township.

Town Mourns Officer Struck, Killed On Job

August 28, Boston, Massachusetts - Family and friends will gather in Weymouth on Saturday to pay their final respects to a police officer who was killed on the job earlier this week. Michael Davey, 34, dies Monday after he was pinned against a National Grid truck by a pickup truck being driven by Ronald Gale, 79, of Weymouth. Gale has been charged with motor vehicle homicide and his license was revoked. Davey, a married father of three, had served on the Weymouth police force for five years. He also was an Iraq veteran.

Work Related Firefighter Death - 2 firefighters killed in NY deli blaze!

August 27, Buffalo, NY – Hundreds of New York firefighters responded to the scene of a roaring fire blazing at the New York Deli on the east side of the city, which took the lives of two noble firefighters Monday morning, announced Buffalo News. The fire broke out early morning at 1815 Genesee Street. A neighbor, who lived upstairs from the Deli, noticed smoke and called 911 to report it. Two firefighters who went into the burning building were reported to have heard someone screaming for help. There has not been any proof that there was someone in the building at the time...The Buffalo Fire Department has suffered a grave loss, the worst in 26 years, stated Rescue Officials. After the blaze had died down, the bodies of the two brave firefighters were carried out of the dilapidated two-story building with American flags draped over them. The firefighters were identified as Lt. Charles McCarthy and Jonathan Croom. The Erie County Medical Center chaplain declared the two dead in the mid-morning.

PENDLETON: Accident claims life of farmer dedicated to craft

August 26, Pendleton, New York — A 54-year-old town man was found dead Tuesday night after being pinned underneath his tractor. Sheriff’s deputies say John E. Bayer was using a John Deere Model A tractor to remove another tractor that was stuck in the mud behind the 4697 Tonawanda Creek Road farm he and his wife Judie ran together for the past 14 years. Somehow, in the process, the machine flipped over backward, crushing Bayer, a lifelong resident of Pendleton.

Man found dead at Roseland Knight's Inn

August 27, A man was found dead in a crawlspace at the Knight's Inn in Roseland on Wednesday. Clay Fire department received a call around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday that an unresponsive man was trapped in a crawl space. When the fire deparment arrived, the 43 year old man was already dead. Police say it looked like he was in a construction accident. An employee at this hotel said the man was working on plumbing and no one had seen him for at least three hours. She said when she went to check on him, she found the victim unresponsive and that's when she called 911.

Crash kills log truck driver

August 25, La Pine, Oregon - A log truck driver died when his truck went off the road and overturned, smashing some of the loaded logs into the cab of the truck. Zane Leroy Culbertson, 53, of Bend, Ore., was pronounced dead at the scene. Culbertson was northbound on Highway 97 about 4 miles south of La Pine at 6:15 a.m. Wednesday when his truck went off the right shoulder and hit some trees, according to state police. Investigators do not know what caused Culbertson's truck to leave the road.

Worker dies after collapsing inside Chartiers silo

August 25, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - A Somerset County man died yesterday when he suddenly collapsed while repairing part of a grain silo in Chartiers. William C. Wright, 40, of Stoystown, was part of a crew of three men from Somerset Barn Equipment Co. who were working on the farm at 419 Brigich Road, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. Two of the men were fixing an unloader 40 feet inside the silo when Mr. Wright collapsed onto a platform and was unresponsive.

Construction Worker Dies in Accident on New York City Bridge

August 25, New York, New York — A worker is dead after a construction accident on New York City's Throgs Neck Bridge. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the worker was struck by the boom of a small crane mounted on the back of a truck. The Fire Department initially said the worker was killed in a fall. No other details are immediately available. The northbound lanes of the bridge that connects Queens to the Bronx were briefly closed, but have since reopened.

2nd NYC cab driver killed in a week

August 23, New York, New York — For the second time in a week, a New York City cab driver has been shot and killed in the Bronx, creating a panic among cabbies, a taxi drivers' advocacy group said Monday. Jose Pena-Seguira, 42, was shot once in the head inside his cab late Sunday, and was pronounced dead at a hospital about half an hour later, police said. A 31-year-old man seen running from Seguira's cab was arrested in a nearby park shortly after the shooting, police said. Investigators say a .25-caliber handgun was recovered.

The Gift of Life

2009-09-01T18:46:00.006-05:00

I know this topic is tough to think about and I have written about it before (I can not seem to find the other must have been in a newsletter Give The Gift Of Life and
Will it to be Done) but it is worth the talk.

I have been a life long donor because it just seems like the right thing to do. Why not give some time to someone else when yours is gone. I have often thought of how it would have made me feel if we could have done so for my brothers but there was not the opportunity.

Imagine the feeling you have when you bring a new life into the world. What a wonder to still be able to after you are gone. A little more time so a father can give away a bride, granting time for a mother to hold her child, time for a child win the little league game or a teen to go on their first date.

Many of you already know the value of this time, we have lost much with our loved ones. So please pass this along and bestow life. Every gift makes a difference.

David Lee Spends much of his time and effort on this passionate cause. He does it for no other reason than he believes in the value of every life.

"The Waiting List has launched a new campaign -- http://www.yesiamanorgandonor.com/. By re-focusing the attention to those of you have already made the decision to say YES I AM AN ORGAN DONOR.

The Waiting List believes we can help encourage those who are hesitant by demonstrating other people's commitment to organ donation. If you're not already an organ donor, http://www.yesiamanorgandonor.com/ directs you to where you can register online. Please take a few minutes and sign our list.

Share the campaign with your family and friends; help us spread the word -- we will not succeed without your help. Together, we can make a difference. The over 100,000 Americans currently waiting for an organ transplant, their family and friends all say thank you.

When you're done, take a few minutes and visit the waiting list (http://www.thewaitinglist.org/); meet Larry, Todd, Celeste, Carol, Kathy, Xavier, and Wade -- all of whom are waiting for the gift of life."

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-09-01T08:00:00.018-05:00

A 49-year-old man who worked for Waste Management Inc.

Septemter 4, Fenway Park, Massachusetts - A 49-year-old man who worked for Waste Management Inc. was killed in an accident this morning involving a garbage truck at Fenway Park, police said. The incident was reported at about 8:35 a.m. at 24 Yawkey Way, at the back of Fenway Park. Police, fire, and emergency medical services personnel responded to the scene, said Officer Joe Zanoli. Zanoli said the 911 caller told police he was with Waste Management, which had two trucks on the scene, and one of the trucks had struck one of his employees.

Landscaper dies in Washington Twp. when branch falls on his head

September 4, Parsippany, New Jersey - A landscaper died this morning at a home in Washington Township after a tree branch fell on his head, police said. Police responded to a home in the Port Murray section of the township at about 10 a.m. after receiving a 911 call with CPR in progress, according to Lt. Art Adams, a department spokesman. Adams said the 41-year-old Dover man -- whose name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin -- was on the ground, assisting with cutting down a tree when a branch fell from 50-feet above. The branch was about six to eight inches in diameter. "The victim sustained massive head trauma, resulting in his death,'' Adams said.

Window washer dies in fall in St. Louis Park

September 4, St. Louis, Missouri - A window washer died and another was seriously hurt Thursday afternoon when they fell three stories while working at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Authorities were called about 3 p.m., said city spokesman Jamie Zwilling. When rescue personnel arrived, they found one man dead. The injured window washer was alert and talking, Zwilling said.

Falling crane crushes worker in Georgetown

September 4, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - A Bucksport man, whose brother said he liked "everything outdoors," was killed Thursday when part of a crane boom he was disassembling fell and crushed him, said Georgetown County Coroner Kenny Johnson. Thomas "Tommy" Grainger died at the scene around 12:22 p.m., Johnson said. Grainger was working on a new boat landing in Georgetown for Carolina Marine Construction Inc. when the incident happened.

Worker Dies After Clairton Coke Works Explosion, Fire

September 4, Clairton, Pennsylvania - Sky 4 flew over a part of the Clairton Coke Works where flames were seen coming through the roof of one building. Flames could be seen coming through the roof of one building at the plant along State Street in Clairton. Two workers told WTAE Channel 4's Bob Mayo that they heard the explosion and that it happened in a section called the "control room" -- an area that controls byproducts of the coke-making process...The injured worker -- Nick Revetta, 32, of Pleasant Hills -- was taken to a hospital and later died. His identity was confirmed by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office.

Farm worker killed when tire ruptures

September 3, Buffalo, New York - A 37-year-old farm worker was killed this morning when a tire ruptured and he was hit in the head by the rim, Chautauqua County sheriff's deputies reported. The accident at 8814 Onthank Road, Portland, was reported at about 7:20 a.m., deputies said. Michael T. Cettell apparently was filling a tire with air when the tire ruptured and the rim hit him in the head, deputies said. Cettell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tree trimming incidents kills 1, injures 2

September 2, Tucson, Arizona - Two separate tree trimming incidents Tuesday has left one worker dead and two others injured. The first happened this morning at a home near Wilmot Rd. and Broadway Blvd. Firefighters say the man was trimming old palm fronds when they fell on him. The man slid about 20 feet down the tree. The man was wearing protective gear and a harness. He was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The cause of death is being investigated.

Man Killed in Accident with Wood Chipper

September 2, Atwood, Indiana - An employee of a northern Indiana tree trimming company was killed Tuesday morning when he was apparently pulled through an industrial wood chipper. The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department says 37-year-old James Vician of Plymouth was feeding tree limbs into the chipper at a job site in Atwood. His co-worker walked away briefly, but when he returned he couldn't find Vician. After briefly searching the area, he discovered that Vician's body had been shredded into the hold of the truck.

Worker killed at base gate

September 2, Lexington Park, Maryland - A civilian construction worker was killed Monday night at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, authorities report, while he was working on the Gate 1 reconstruction project. Ronald Halgerty, 45, of Waterloo, Ind., was killed at 9:50 p.m. Monday, according to Charles Rossi, the project manager for Bob White Construction Co., the general contractor on the gate project.

Road worker killed in rural Ingham County

September 2, White Oak Township, Michigan - A 32-year veteran of the Ingham County Road Commission was killed Tuesday while doing shoulder repair work on a rural road, authorities said. Ingham County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Sopocy said Road Commission employees had just finished spreading asphalt on a section of the road, and 54-year-old Thomas James Doyle was run over by the truck as it was backed up to begin leveling the asphalt.

Sheriff's employee killed in crash

September 2, Belle Glade, Florida - Authorities say a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office employee died after veering off the road and flipping into a canal. The sheriff's office reports that the 58-year-old community service aide, who has not been identified, was driving from his Belle Glade home Tuesday morning when his marked cruiser went off the road. The car flipped and he became trapped upside down underwater. Several witnesses tried to help the man, but the water was too deep and the roof had been crushed. He wasn't freed until rescuers were able to pull to vehicle out of the water. The man was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

2 cops shot in Georgetown, 1 killed

September 1, Georgetown, Delaware - Georgetown officer Chad Spicer was killed and another officer wounded Tuesday evening when they were shot as they chased three men wanted in a shooting near the McDonald’s restaurant on U.S. 113. The officers followed a car suspected in the restaurant shooting to a spot near Kimmey Street and Rosa Street in the Kimmeytown neighborhood on the town’s northeastern side. Three men bolted out of the car and started to run and the officers gave chase. Shots were fired and both officers were hit, according to Cpl. Bruce Harris, a spokesman for Delaware State Police. Spicer, 29, was killed, and Cpl. Shawn Brittingham was struck by a bullet fragment, according to Police Chief William Topping. Both were taken to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes. Brittingham remains in good condition.

Climbing Accident Kills Yosemite Worker

September 1, Yosemite, California - A Yosemite National Park wildlife biologist who previously taught at University of California, Davis, died in a climbing accident in the east end of the park, officials said Tuesday. Jeff Maurer, who was knowledgeable about birds of prey, died on Sunday after falling from the Third Pillar, a technical rock climbing route on 13,061-foot Mount Dana, which sits southeast of Tioga Pass. Maurer, 47, has worked in the park for the past three years. Prior to that, he worked at the Yosemite Institute and did research for many conservation organizations.

Powder Plant Employee Dies After July Explosion

August 31, Columbus, Ohio — A female powder plant employee died early Monday from injuries she suffered in an industrial explosion more than a month ago. Marletta Betts, 43, died at 2:11 a.m. Monday from complications of burns, according to the Franklin County coroner. Betts had been at OSU Medical Center since the Tuesday, July 28, incident at the Vinton County Austin Powder Company. Ten employees were injured, and three were seriously or critically injured in the explosion, including Betts, Becky Castor and Debbie Hagerty.

Worker dies after fall in Taunton warehouse

August 31, Taunton, Massachusetts - A 51-year-old Stoughton man was killed Monday morning in a work-related accident after he fell off a forklift and struck his head, police said. The victim, Alan Forsyth, of 45 Meadowbrook Lane, was pronounced dead at approximately 11:30 a.m. at Morton Hospital and Medical Center, roughly one hour after the mishap.

Caldwell farmer struck by train dies

August 31, Monroe, Louisiana - A Caldwell Parish farmer who was struck by a train on Aug. 15 died from his injuries on Sunday at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, his daughter said. Leobardo Guerrero, 59, of Bosco, was pulling a trailer with his John Deere tractor on Sugar Farm Road near Bosco about 6:15 p.m. when he was hit by the train at the crossing, which is marked by what is known as white cross bucks. State police issued Guerrero a citation at the hospital for failure to yield.

Covington construction worker dies from fall in Ohio

August 31, Cincinnati, Ohio - A construction worker from Covington who fell off a scaffold in Ohio last week died from his injuries on Sunday, according to his family and authorities. Edmond Gourdon, 45, fell Wednesday while painting the underside of an overpass along Interstate 75 in Liberty Township, Ohio, north of Cincinnati, Ohio State Highway Patrol officials said. He suffered a serious head injury and was hospitalized at University Hospital in Cincinnati, authorities said.

Water Dept. Worker Hit, Killed By Minivan

September 1, Boston, Massachusetts - An Attleborough Water Department worker was hit and killed by a minivan as he was working to close a gate on a broken water main Monday morning, police said. Jeffrey Burgess, 35, was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital where he died of his injuries, the Attleborough Sun Chronicle reported. He was working in the Dodgeville section of town on the side of South Main Street, also known as Route 152, when the collision occurred about 8 a.m.

Fourth NYC-area cabbie shot, killed in 4 months

August 31, Yonkers, New York — A cab driver has been shot and killed in Yonkers, the fourth fatal cabbie shooting in the New York City area in four months. Yonkers police Capt. William Cave says his department is consulting with the New York Police Department to determine whether the shootings could be linked. Pericles Salas was found with a gunshot wound to the head early Sunday. The 32-year-old was a driver for Mexicana Taxi Service in Yonkers. He died at a local hospital.

Two firefighters killed battling 'out of control' California blaze

September 1, Los Angeles, California - RAGING wildfires in Calfifornia have claimed the lives of two firefighters - as state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the blazes were "still totally out of control". More than 6000 firefighters have been battling the infernos - which are being fuelled by record high temperatures - since last week. Residents of 10,000 homes near Los Angeles have been told to evacuate the area. The men who died have been named as fire captain Tedmund Hall, 47, and firefighter Arnaldo Quinones, 35. They were killed when their vehicle rolled off a mountainside as they battled a blaze in the Angeles National Forest.

Philadelphia man dies in industrial accident

September 1, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A 23-year-old Philadelphia man died in an industrial accident at a packaging plant in Montgomery Township on Friday, police said. Still, the circumstances surrounding Peter Uon's death remained mysterious Saturday as authorities were not immediately releasing details on what occurred at Mid-Atlantic Packaging's facility on the 100 block of Commerce Drive. A fire official said that the man died after getting trapped in a box forming machine. The Fire Department of Montgomery Township was dispatched around 4:50 p.m. to help retrieve the man's body from the unit. They left the scene after 7 p.m.

Rest in Peace Senator Edward Monroe Kennedy!

2009-08-28T19:28:00.012-05:00

SENATOR EDWARD MONROE KENNEDY

There have been many things said about Senator Kennedy over the last few days. I really feel the best can be said by his family. Family Statement"

“Edward M. Kennedy—the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply—died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port. We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him.”

The definition of a hero is: anyone who finds the strength to overcome extreme conditions. Senator Kennedy has had a very public life so we know he has overcome odds most couldn't dream of.

Senator Kennedy left many families with hope when they were hopeless. When families felt no one was listening Senator Kennedy was. Senator Kennedy was definitely a can do man and was certain that he could help other families from suffering while he himself was fighting cancer. I am always amazed when I see someone battle to beat cancer and still wrestle with the family's needs.

The last labor bill that Senator Kennedy introduced was the Protecting America’s Workers Act, although I am delighted and very emotional about this bill I don't want to make the main focus of this tribute to the PAWA just point out that with all his own distress he still managed to honor our loved ones and fight for the families right to a fair and transparent investigation. We are grateful for Senator Kennedy's efforts and admire his strength.

Our Hearts go out to Senator Kennedy's family and we hope you find the stenth and support to get through this tough time.

Rest in Peace Senator Edward Monroe Kennedy!

We know Senator Kennedy loved politics and all it involves, so although this is not normal for a loss, I think he may haved liked this one.

Weekly toll: Death In the American Workplace

2009-08-19T12:00:00.001-05:00

Construction Worker Dies In Fall From Roof

August 15, North Strabane, Pennsylvania - A construction worker died on the job Saturday morning after falling off a roof in North Strabane Township. According to the Washington County Coroner's Office, Carl Beck, 29, of Butler fell 42 feet from the roof of the work site beside the Candlewood Suites on Meadownlands Blvd. The accident occurred around 10:37 a.m. and Beck was transported to Canonsburg Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:20 a.m.

West Allis store employee shot, killed in robbery

August 15, West Allis, Wisconsin — A store employee was shot during a robbery Saturday and later died, West Allis police said. West Allis Police Capt. Charles Padgett said that an employee of the sports and urban clothing store Dame's Spot, 1031 S. 60th St., was shot Saturday afternoon inside the store. The employee then exited the store and collapsed on the sidewalk outside, Padgett said. Police received the call at 1:23 p.m. When authorities arrived, Padgett said, they transferred the victim to Froedtert Hospital, where the employee was pronounced dead.

Employee Found Dead in KCMO Cell Phone Store

August 15, Kansas City, Missouri - Police in Kansas City are investigating after an employee was found dead at a Cricket Cellular store in the 5100 block of Bristol on Saturday afternoon. According to police, officers found the employee in the back room of the store. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released the cause of death, but they say that it appears that a robbery may have taken place. A witness stated that a small red truck was seen leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.

KCMO Parks Worker Killed in Apparent Mower Accident

August 15, Kansas City, Missouri - A Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation employee was killed after the mower he was operating apparently tipped over in south Kansas City on Saturday morning. Officials say that the worker, identified as Charles Grant, 56, of Kansas City, Missouri, was found by a park visitor at Jerry Smith Park at 137th and Prospect. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say that they are still investigating the cause of death, but foul play is not believed to be involved.

Pizzeria employee dies after shooting in restaurant

August 5, Harrisburg, North Carolina – The Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office searched for two men Saturday who they believed to be involved in the shooting death of a restaurant employee in Harrisburg. Deputies say Lalo Reyes was shot and later died after two robbers entered the closed Capriccio Pizza and Italian Restaurant through a back door, demanded money and a fight broke out.

Drunk driver kills construction worker

August 15, Booneville, Missouri - A Boonville woman has been charged in a fatal accident involving a highway construction worker. The Missouri Highway Patrol says Karen Redfern, 45, was driving on Highway 5 in Boonville Friday morning when her vehicle ran off the right side of the highway and struck 56-year-old Gregory Glover of Eureka. Glover was working on a road widening project at the time.

Woman Sentenced for Crash That Killed Cab Driver

August 13, Cedar Rapids, Iowa - A Cedar Rapids woman will spend 30 years in jail for causing a crash that killed a cab driver.Connie Gates, 36, said before being sentenced she would take back what she did if she could. During the trial a police videotape of a March 25 chase was shown to jurors in which Gates, driving a stolen car, fled from police, ran through red lights and rammed into a yellow Cab driven by Richard Dankert, 76, of Cedar Rapids

Worker dies in fall at Monessen plant

August, 14 Monessen, Ohio - An Ohio man died this morning after he fell about two stories while working at a site in Monessen. Michael Grinder, 40, of Warren, was pronounced dead at 10:44 a.m., Washington County Coroner S. Timothy Warco said in a press release. Mr. Grinder, who worked for Eastern Industrial Services Inc. of West Elizabeth, had been working on a project at Arcelor Mittal Holdings Inc. on Donner Avenue in Monessen when the accident occurred. He had been on a scaffold, 20 to 25 feet high, when he fell at 9:26 a.m., Mr. Warco said.

Wood chipper accident kills one, injures one in Ironwood

August 13, Bessemer, Michigan - A 39-year-old Bessemer, Mich., man was killed and another man injured in a wood chipper accident Wednesday evening in Ironwood. According to the Ironwood Public Safety Department, the accident occurred just before 6 p.m. as a work crew cleared brush along a trail between Lake and Luxmore streets. The injured person was a 25-year-old Ironwood man; he is being treated at Grand View Hospital. The names of the victims have not been released pending notification of family.

Area farmer dies in grain bin accident

August 13, Kennet, Missouri - A 61-year-old Stoddard County man, David Dowdy, died in a farming accident off County Road 65 north of Highway H, near Pyletown Wednesday morning. Dowdy was reportedly working around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at a grain bin near his farm where he had corn stored. Reports state that he suffocated after falling down into the grain while attempting to loosen a top layer of crusted corn within the bin. It is believed that the auger was in use at the time of the accident and was quickly shut off when Dowdy dropped into the bin.

Worker dies after furnace mishap at Steel Dynamics

August 13, Jeffersonville, Indiana - One of two employees injured during an apparent nitrogen leak at the Jeffersonville, Ind., operations of Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has died as a result of his injuries. A spokeswoman for the Jefferson (Ky.) County Coroner's Office confirmed that Shay C. Fanase Jr., 21, of Peking, Ind., died several days after the Aug. 5 incident at the flat-rolled steel galvanizing plant.

Worker crushed to death at South Salt Lake stone business

August 13, South Salt Lake, Utah - A 20-year-old worker was crushed to death by a slab of marble at a stone business in South Salt Lake on Thursday. The worker was moving 6 by 8-foot marble slabs when a piece of marble broke off and crushed him, according South Salt Lake Police Captain Gary Keller. The incident happened at Stone Depot near 3072 South 300 West. The accident is under investigation.

Vermilion airport worker dies fulfilling life's ambition

August 12, Danville, Illinois – A fixture at the Vermilion Regional Airport died doing one of the things he loved best – working on airplanes, authorities said. Mike Burgett, 67, of Milford, was pronounced dead at 6:52 a.m. Tuesday at the airport on North Bowman Ave- nue, north of Danville, Vermilion County Coroner Peggy Johnson said. An autopsy is scheduled for today. Johnson and Vermilion County sheriff's officials said Mr. Burgett's death appears to have been caused by a medical problem, and that it is not suspicious.

Worker dies on Woodbridge construction job

August 12, Woodbridge, New Jersey — An Edison man was fatally injured in an industrial accident Tuesday afternoon while working on new bridge construction at the Conrail crossing on Blair Road. Luis C. Tavares, 26, who was working for Lucas Construction Group Inc. in Morganville, was killed when a 1,500-pound steel plate, being lowered by a back hoe, slipped off the chains

Worker Killed in Chesterfield Crane Accident

August 12, Richmond, Virginia - Chesterfield County Police are investigating an industrial accident that killed a Harbor Dredge & Dock employee. The accident occurred around 11 a.m. at 1300 Willis Road. Police said the victim, 46-year-old Ronald R. Well, was killed when a crane collapsed during the dismantling process.

Worker Killed In Lawnmower Accident

August 12, Annapolis, Maryland - Howard County Police say an employee of a landscaping company was killed today, when he lost control of a riding mower. Just after 2 p.m. worker from a nearby business found 27-year old Cerelino Valtazar pinned beneath the mower. Police say the victim had been mowing the lawn of a commercial building in the 9000-block of Junction Drive in Annapolis Junction.

Florida Waste Management worker dies after hit by pickup truck driver

August 12, Orlando, Florida - Florida Highway Patrol officers respond to fatal accident after a pickup truck driver slams into a Leesburg garbage truck worker on U.S. 41 in Dunnellon. Waste Management truck worker was rear-ended in pickup truck wreck while loading trash into garbage truck. Florida employment law attorneys information-Waste Management garbage truck worker after being struck by pickup truck driver in Dunnellon. Ocala, FL–Marion County Fire Rescue and Dunnellon Fire Rescue teams responded to a fatal accident on U.S. 41 in Dunnellon around 6:30 a.m., Monday morning. As reported by Ocala.com, 43 year-old Waste Management worker, Luis Ponce-Rizzo of Leesburg, was killed when a pickup truck driver struck him while he was loading trash into the back of a garbage truck.

UPDATE: Man Killed in Industrial Accident

August 12, Ector County, Texas - A man is dead after an industrial accident in Ector County. It happened Wednesday morning around 9:30 at SMC Incorporated on the Kermit Highway. The Ector County Sheriff's Office says a 48-year-old man was dead when medical crews arrived on the scene. The man has now been identified as Nelson Ty VanZandt of Odessa.

Toll Plaza Shooting Suspect May Be In Sacramento

August 12, Richmond, California - A domestic dispute appears to have led to the shooting deaths of a man and a woman at the toll plaza of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Tuesday evening, a Richmond police sergeant said. Meanwhile, investigators said the suspect might be in or headed to Sacramento. The shooting happened shortly before 6 p.m. when a man shot and killed 51-year-old Deborah Ross, a toll collector inside a booth, and a man in his 40s who was in a car in the parking lot of the toll plaza.

Arrest made in tow truck driver's death

August 11, Newport News, Virginia - A young boy is without his father, and a mother is without her son and best friend. Newport News Police say a drunk driver hit and killed 36-year-old Andy Starmer while he attempted to tow another man's van. The Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney charged the driver that hit him, William Charles Burns, with Aggravated Involuntary Manslaughter. He was arrested Monday night.

Man killed in salon robbery

August 11, Kansas City, Missouri - A man was fatally shot Monday night when he tried to fight back against three young robbers at a West Side hair salon. Three men between the ages of 18 and 25 entered Tina’s Hair Salon in the 900 block of West 24th Street about 6:45 p.m. with a gun and said they were robbing the business, witnesses said. A male employee fought with the men. They shot him once and ran away. The victim, in his early 30s, was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to police.

Worker killed when pickup backs into him

August 11, Fort Wayne, Indiana - A contracted cement layer was killed Tuesday after a co-worker – the man’s relative – backed a pickup into him, fatally pinning the man against a garage. Three family members were working on a driveway at 1813 W. State Blvd. around noon when, while taking up the old concrete, the victim instructed a relative to move the backed-in Ford pickup forward in the driveway, according to Officer Michael Joyner of the Fort Wayne Police Department.

Supermarket Fined $90,000 After Worker Killed

August 10, Toronto, Ontario - Tuong Phat Supermarket, of Toronto, was fined $90,000 on August 6, 2009, for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was killed. On December 27, 2007, a worker at the Finch Ave. W. store was using a lifting device to move a shopping cart from the main floor to the basement storage area. The device's forks tipped backwards, causing the machine to fall, fatally crushing the worker.

HP: Construction worker hit and killed in crash

August 10, Jacksonville, Florida - Authorities say a construction worker has been killed in Jacksonville in a traffic crash while painting stripes on an Interstate 95 ramp. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Bill Leeper says a construction worker was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle heading up the ramp on Tuesday morning. The names of the victim and the driver have not been released.

Texas contract worker killed by tire

August 10, Lewisville, Texas — A road crew worker is dead after a 200 pound tire came off a tanker truck and struck him. Lewisville police Capt. Todd Taylor identified the victim as 52-year-old state contract worker J. Pedro Garcia. The accident happened Monday when a truck carrying flammable liquid lost its first right rear wheel just after crossing the I-35 southbound bridge over Lewisville Lake.

Disney performer dies days after performance fall

August 10, Orlando, Florida - A performer at Walt Disney World and theater-community mainstay died Monday, four days after he was injured during a show at the Magic Kingdom. Mark Priest, 47, fell Thursday while playing in "Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial," an interactive show in which actors lead guests through a series of pirate-skills tests, a Disney spokeswoman said.

Worker mowing in Nacogdoches found dead in basin

August 10, Dallas, Texas - Services are pending for a Nacogdoches (na-kuh-DOH'-chis) city employee found dead in a wastewater basin along where he had been mowing. Police Sgt. Greg Sowell said the basin had to be drained before searchers located the body of 28-year-old Ezekiel D. Wallace of Nacogdoches. The mower was also found in the water.

Man killed in industrial accident near Myerstown identified

August 10, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania - State police on Sunday identified the man who died in an industrial accident in an old alloy plant near Myerstown in Jackson Township, Lebanon County. Curtis B. Fink, 42, of York died after a piece of steel fell Friday morning in the former Quaker Alloys plant at 200 E. Richland Ave., troopers said. According to state police: Fink was about 30 feet above the floor in a lift truck welding when the accident occurred.

Metro Worker Struck, Killed by Piece of Machinery

August 10, Washington, DC - A Metro worker was struck by a piece of machinery and killed while doing repairs Sunday night on the Orange Line. The incident happened just before 10 p.m. between the Dunn Loring-Merrifield and Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro stops. The transit agency said the worker was struck by a piece of equipment called a ballast regulator, which spreads gravel onto the track bed. Michael Nash, 63, of Silver Spring, Md., was part of about 10 to 15 employees working to replace cross-ties under the track.

Man Working On Water Tower Dies In Fall

August 8, Epping, New Hampshire - A man working on Epping's water tower on Friday fell about 70 feet to his death. The 21-year-old man from North Carolina landed on his back at about 6:15 p.m. while working with a Bullins Painting Inc. crew that was sand-blasting the tower on Pleasant Street. Epping police and fire crews administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and took the man to Exeter Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Officials: Lee Alan Bryant employee shot coworker, killed self

August 8, Terre Haute, Indiana - Parke County officials have termed Friday’s shooting at the Lee Alan Bryan health care facility a drug-related “murder-suicide.”...Clark’s coworker, Kenneth A. Godfrey, 30, of Rockville, was also reported missing, but was found dead on the floor, near a work bench, in a nearby maintenance building. He reportedly had one gunshot wound in the chest. According to the report, investigators believe Clark went into the maintenance building, shot Godfrey, then went back to the boiler room, where he took his own life. The report also mentions “a dispute between the two,” although no further details are given. Parke County Sheriff Michael Eslinger could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-08-18T08:28:00.014-05:00

Two men may face charges in death

August 22, Lincoln, Maine — Two Lincoln men might face charges for their confrontation with a Tennessee truck driver just before his fatal heart attack in a downtown parking lot, Police Chief William Flagg said Friday. An autopsy conducted Friday showed that Brian Steven Isdell, 55, of Mountain City, Tenn., died of natural causes brought on by heart disease, but the two persons of interest, unnamed men 18 or 19 years old, might still face charges, Flagg said. He said they would not be homicide charges.

Accident kills Blockbuster employee Saturday

August 23, Jamestown, North Dakota - An accident at Blockbuster Saturday evening left one woman dead, according to Lt. Robert Opp, Jamestown Police Department. Opp said a Blockbuster employee between ages 55 and 60 was working an outdoor sale at the store, 702 First Ave. S., when a passenger car driven by a teenager pinned her to the building. The woman died at Jamestown Hospital about an hour later, Opp said. The names of the woman and the driver have not been released.

August 22, Charleston, South Carolina - John Edward, 68, of Brunson, a farmer and husband of Audrey M. Crosby Jarrell, died Thursday. Arrangements by Peeples- Rhoden Funeral Home of Hampton.

Man killed while working on Nacimiento pipeline is identified

August 21, San Louis Obispo, California - The construction worker who died Thursday morning while working on the Nacimiento Water Project in the North County is Timothy Nelson, 29, of Ojai, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. This is the third death linked to the construction of the 45-mile pipeline. Nelson was killed during work at Camp Roberts when a dump truck backed up and ran him over. The back-up alarm on the truck was working, according to the Sheriff’s Department. It is not known why Nelson did not move out of the way.

Man killed at industrial brick yard

August 21, West Jordan, Utah - A man was found dead at the Interstate Brick yard on 5200 West Old Bingham Highway on Friday. South Jordan Police say 40-year-old Leonard Maez's wife reportedly came to the brick yard to pick him up at work. His co-workers went looking for him and found his body trapped under a kiln door weighing approximately 2 to 3 tons. West Jordan Assistant Fire Chief Marc McElreath said Maez was pinned under the overhead door made of brick which is 25 feet wide and ten feet high.

Houston-area police officer dies in shootout

August 21, Dallas, Texas - A Houston-area police officer has been shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call in a trailer park. The Houston Chronicle reports the 29-year-old Pasadena officer died at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston Friday morning from a head wound. The suspect was also seriously injured in a shootout with police. Assistant Police Chief Bud Corbett said the suspect's mother informed the officer that her son had a gun. Corbett says the gunman opened fire a few moments later, wounding the officer in the head.

Corrections Officer Collapses and Dies

August 21, Tallahassee, Florida - A local corrections officer dies after exercising at an area prison. The warden of Valdosta State Prison says 39-year-old Jack Cannon died Thursday (8/20/09) after collapsing at the prison. The warden says Cannon had finished an exercise a few minutes earlier and was standing around with some colleagues when he fell to the ground. Workers tried to resuscitate him but could not. He was taken to the hospital and declared dead just before noon.

Construction worker dies in accident at Nacimiento pipeline

August 21, San Louis Obispo, California - A construction worker on the Nacimiento Water Project died Thursday morning in an industrial accident at Camp Roberts in the North County, making his the third death linked to the water pipeline’s construction. His death was not related to any military work at the base, officials said, but instead was directly tied to the county-run project to construct a $176 million, 45-mile pipeline from Nacimiento Lake to San Luis Obispo.

Employee of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest killed on the job

August 20, Pendleton, Oregon - This morning at 10:30 a.m. a Wallowa-Whitman National Forest employee was accidentally killed, according to the forest's office of public affairs. The forest service employee was struck by a falling snag while assisting the Baker County Narcotics Enforcement Team with the eradication of an illegal marijuana garden on the forest. The incident occured south of Unity near the West Fork of Bull Run Creek. The victims name is being withheld until the next of kin are notified. Wallowa-Whitman National Forest public affairs said the incident is under investigation my federal, state and local authorities.

Tampa police officer killed; suspect arrested

August 21, Tampa, Florida - An arrest has been made in late Wednesday's shooting death of Tampa police Cpl. Mike Roberts. Humberto Delgado, 34, who gave his address as 324 Country Club Drive in Oldsmar, was arrested and charged shortly before 5 a.m. today with first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and carrying a concealed firearm.

Worker run over by front-end loader, killed in Newport News

August 20, Hampton Roads, Virginia - A worker who was riding in the scoop of a front-end loader was killed Thursday when the loader ran over him, police said. Police identified the man killed as Kirk Patrick Giezey, 34, of Hampton. He was working at a home construction site near 237 Eastwood Drive, police said. The accident was reported at 10:57 a.m.

Murdered Greensboro Cab Driver was a Published Author, Former Diplomat

August 21, Greensboro, North Carolina - "He lived everyday as if it were his last, so I know he's with the Lord," said Anire Adefolalu, talking about Joseph, her husband of 23 years, who was killed while working as a Greensboro United Cab driver. Police said someone shot Adefolalu around 11:30 in the 1200 block of N. Raleigh St. After being shot, police said he crashed his cab and later died from his gunshot wounds.

Rebar column collapse at Highway 75 bridge kills one worker, injures two

August 19, Kingsport, Tennessee — One construction worker is dead and two others injured following the collapse of a rebar column at a Tennessee Department of Transportation bridge project — throwing them into the Holston River. The accident occurred about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Highway 75 bridge in Sullivan County, between Tri-Cities Regional Airport and Highway 36. Simpson Construction out of Cleveland, Tenn., was contracted to build the new bridge, which runs parallel to the current structure... The body of Frangel Garcia was recovered by the Kingsport Lifesaving Crew Dive Team about 11 a.m. after a helicopter, dive teams and boats searched the river.

Trinity Yachts worker dies

August 19, Gulport, Mississippi — An electrician at Trinity Yachts Inc. died in an apparent work-related accident Monday. Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said Luong Huynh, 46, of Biloxi, was working on a yacht at the site off Seaway Road when he apparently got trapped between a hoist and the vessel he was working on. Gulfport police received a 911 call about the accident at 9:27 a.m. Hargrove said he pronounced Huynh dead at the scene at 9:41 a.m. Monday, and an autopsy showed blunt force trauma to the head.

Masonry worker dies after falling 13 stories from Downtown building

August 19, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - A worker fell 13 stories to his death Tuesday on the last day of a renovation project at a Downtown apartment building. The 53-year-old man from Plum, identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner as Roy Pfoertner, was doing masonry work with a project foreman on the roof of The Pennsylvanian on Liberty Avenue when he lost his footing about 11 a.m., Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard said.

Lewis County deputy dies from injuries

August 19, Lewis County, Washington - The Lewis County deputy who was injured in a collision with an elk on Monday has died as a result of those injuries. Deputy Stephen "Mike" Gallagher, 34, of Adna, had worked for the Sheriff's Office since September of 2007. Previously, he worked as a Corrections Officer at the Lewis County Jail.

Worker's body recovered from Ind. grain bin

August 19, Lapel, Indiana - Firefighters have recovered the body of a worker who became trapped inside a central Indiana grain elevator. Town Council President Gary Shuck tells WTHR-TV in Indianapolis that the victim of Wednesday's accident was 50-year-old Jim Leach. Officials say the man fell into a three-story elevator at Farmers Grain in the Madison County town of Lapel. Several hours after arriving, crews tore a hole in the bin to drain thousands of bushels of soybeans.

1 dead in S. Loop construction accident

August 18, Chicago, Illinois - A construction worker was killed in an accident at a work site in the 2400-block of South State Street. The victim, who is in his 30s, was pinned in the equipment after it crashed to the ground around 9:30 a.m. Emergency crews extricated him, but he did not survive the fall. The construction worker was in a Bobcat that fell seven stories at a Chicago Housing Authority demolition project in the 2400-block of South State Street. That project started approximately three weeks ago.

Construction worker killed when water fills tunnel

August 18, Dallas, Texas - A construction worker died this afternoon after rainfall quickly filled a tunnel he and others were drilling in Conroe. The workers were drilling north of Gladstell Road, south of Texas 105, when a drill bit became stuck, said Trey Spikes, Justice of the Peace Precinct 2. The men had to enter the tunnel to free the bit. As they did, a downpour erupted about 3:15 p.m., quickly filling the tunnel, he said. The area filled within eight to 10 minutes, he said, trapping at least three men. Two were able to escape. The body of the third man was recovered at about 6:55 p.m.

Family of Idaho trucker crushed by silage sues

August 19, Twin Falls, Idaho – The widow and father of a trucker crushed to death when a pile of silage fell on top of him is accusing the Idaho dairy where the accident occurred of negligence. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Chad Thompson, 30, who was killed March 7, 2008, when part of a silage pile at least 40 feet high fell on top of his truck. The lawsuit filed recently in 5th District Court contends the owners of 4-Bros Dairy, northwest of Shoshone, were negligent in stacking and maintaining the pile.

Burned utility worker dies from injuries

August 19, North Hanover - A Jersey Central Power & Light employee who was badly burned last week in an explosion at a utility substation has died, officials said. Timothy Utzat, 38, of Toms River, Ocean County, died Sunday night at the burn center at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. Utzat had been undergoing treatment for severe burns he sustained to more than 80 percent of his body during an electrical explosion Aug. 10 at the substation on Cookstown-New Egypt Road.

Worker Dies in Park Slope Scaffold Collapse

August 19, New York, New York - A 42-year-old construction worker died Tuesday while resurfacing the bricks of a Park Slope building after the scaffold he was on collapsed. Police identified the victim as 42-year-old Henyrk Siebor, an employee of Nova Restoration, Inc., of Brooklyn. Officials say Siebor, of Brooklyn, was repairing the facade of the six-story building with three other workers using two scaffolds.

Electrical Worker Killed at Bus Garage

August 19, Washington, DC - A subcontractor doing work for Metro was electrocuted Tuesday morning while installing wiring at the Bladensburg bus garage in Northeast Washington, transit officials said. About 8:40 a.m., an employee of a subcontractor was installing the wiring for a new air compressor, Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato said. First aid was administered by Metro employees, and a defibrillator was used, she said. The man, whose name has not been released, was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he died at 9:25 a.m., Asato said.

Disney resort stunt performer dies

August 18, Miami, Florida - A stunt performer at the Walt Disney World resort in Florida has died after an accident while rehearsing for a show. A Disney spokeswoman said the stunt performer was rehearsing on Monday night for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and was hurt while doing a tumbling roll. He was taken to the hospital and later died. The performer's name has not been released.

Livery cab driver killed in Bronx

August 17, New York, New York — A livery cab driver has been shot and killed in the Bronx. Police say 46-year-old Ndiaye (Nuh-DIA'-Aye) Amadau was shot once in the chest early Monday. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators are looking into the possibility that a passenger killed the driver during a robbery. No arrests have been made.

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-08-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

NY operator of heavy machinery killed at construction worksite

August 7, Amenia, New York — In Amenia, New York, Police officials are heavily investigating the construction accident where an operator of an asphalt machine happened to fall to his death when working, as reported by the Associated Press. The construction worker was on site in Amenia when he suddenly fell off of the large piece of equipment pouring asphalt and landed on the ground which claimed the employees life. Authorities received news of the accident Wednesday morning. The man from upstate New York has been identified as 23 year-old Donald Flood, a resident of Wassic, which is a small town of Amenia, New York.

Fatal industrial accident reported at Lebanon County recycling center

August 7, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania - A man was killed Friday afternoon in an industrial accident at the Quaker Alloy Plant in Jackson Twp. Emergency crews responded to calls for a man who had fallen from a high lift just after noon at the East Richland Road site. A message left for the company's owner at the York offices was not returned. The incident remained under investigation. No information about the man's identity was released by the Lebanon County Coroner's Office because next of kin had not been notified.

Farmer killed when tractor overturns

August 7, Jonesboro, Arkansas - The body of a Jonesboro area farmer has been found in a tractor that overturned into a water filled ditch. Craighead County Sheriff Jack McCann says the body of 45-year-old William Todd May was found Wednesday afternoon. May's wife had reported him missing about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. McCann says it appears May was mowing when the tractor overturned into the ditch.

DEATH: Worker electrocuted at Benton City farm

August 6, Benton City, Washington - A Benton City farm worker was electrocuted this morning when a pipe he was carrying hit an exposed power line, authorities said. The incident happened at Judkins Family Farm on Truhlicka Road in Benton City, said Benton County sheriff’s Capt. Steve Keane. The worker was carrying a 4-inch aluminum pipe that came into contact with an exposed power line, Keane said.

PHA Worker Dies From Shooting Injuries

August 6, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A Philadelphia Housing Authority carpenter has died from his injuries nearly two weeks after being shot while on the job. Police said 46-year-old PHA worker Rodney Barnes died Wednesday after being shot while working in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia on July 25. Barnes, a father of four, was working on weatherization and maintenance at Raymond Rosen Manor near the corner of North 24th and Norris Streets when he was shot once in the back of the head. Police said the gunman fled the scene after the shooting.

Construction Worker Dies From Heat Stroke

August 6, Corpus Cristi - The extreme heat has claimed the life of construction worker. Guadalupe Liscano, 32, was working with a crew building homes on Westridge Wednesday in the Flour Bluff area when he collapsed. Co-workers found him slumped over, lying in the sun around 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon. He was taken to an area hospital where he later died. The medical examiner says he died from a heat stroke.

Arlington man killed by falling 5,000-pound metal plate

August, 5, EULESS, Texas - An Arlington man was killed Tuesday night when a heavy steel plate that he was cleaning fell on him at a manufacturing plant, police said Wednesday. No other injuries were reported. Royce Bunkley, 53, was pronounced dead Tuesday night at Camtech Precision Manufacturing in the 1400 block of Westpark Way, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office. Bunkley died shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Worker Electrocuted on Queens Roof

August 5, New York, New York - A man working on a roof in Queens was electrocuted when the ladder he was using came into contact with power lines, PIX News has learned. According to police, the incident occurred around 9 a.m. as 27-year-old William Barrett was leaning against a two-story home on 117 Street in College Point. Witnesses told fire officials Barrett had been replacing shingles on the roof when he suddenly fell two stories from the ladder. Officials said Barrett suffered cardiac arrest after being electrocuted. He was rushed to New York Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

PHA Carpenter Shot While at Work Has Died

August 5, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A Philadelphia Housing Authority carpenter, shot on the job last month, has died. Rodney Barnes was making repairs and improvements to a unit in Raymond Rosen Manor in North Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, July 29th. He went out to his truck for some tools and was shot in the back of the head, in a drive-by that police believe was a case of mistaken identity.

Customers find employee dead at Waxahachie pawn shop

August 5, Waxahachie, Texas - Two women walked into a Waxahachie pawn shop Tuesday to find a worker dead on the floor, police said. Investigators said they believe the employee, whose name has not yeat been released, was killed during a robbery at the store, which is located at Highway 77 and Interstate 35.

Official: Pillsbury plant employee kills co-worker

August 5, New Albany, Indiana — An employee crashed his car through a Pillsbury plant's security gate during a shift change Wednesday morning and then fatally shot a co-worker as others watched in horror, authorities said...Floyd County Coroner Leslie Knable, however, told The Tribune that the shooting involved a "love triangle" between a woman who lived at the home, the suspect and the victim, whom police identified as Christopher J. Trowell, 48, of Louisville, Ky.

Progressive Protein cited after forklift accident kills worker

August 5, Tulsa, Oklahoma - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Progressive Protein LLC of Omaha, Neb., for alleged safety and health violations following a fatal accident. An employee died after a forklift overturned and pinned the employee under the overhead protective cage. OSHA's inspection found three alleged serious and one alleged other-than-serious violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Man dies in Staten Island industrial accident

August 5, Staten Island, New York - A man was fatally injured by a piece of heavy machinery during an industrial accident yesterday in an Elm Park construction yard. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. in Perfetto Enterprises, located at 2319 Richmond Terr. The unidentified victim -- in his 50s -- was apparently crushed by a backhoe, according to a source, and rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton, where he was pronounced dead.

Waynesville man dies in landfill accident

August 5, Waynesville — A Waynesville man died after he was run over by a large dump truck in what authorities called a freak accident at the Haywood County landfill. The truck pushed James M. Huskey's pickup truck for some 200 feet before the driver realized there had been a collision and stopped, said Mark Mease, a detective with the Haywood County Sheriff's Office. Authorities provided this version of events: Huskey, 54, of Garland Street, went to the landfill about 11 a.m. Monday with his neighbor, Ronald Demers, to dump some trash.

UPDATE: Worker found unconscious at Deere Foundry dies

August 4, Waterloo, Iowa — A worker has died after being found unconscious Tuesday at the John Deere Foundry in Waterloo. The worker, an employee of an electrical contractor working at the Deere & Co. Foundry, was taken to a local hospital shortly after noon, said Ken Golden, spokesman for Deere. Golden said the company would not disclose the worker’s identity. “The cause of death is unknown but is expected to be determined by autopsy,” Golden said via e-mail. “The individual was found unconscious in the workplace and was transported to the hospital by ambulance.”

Dubuque man killed in skid steer accident

August 4, Dubuque, Iowa - A Dubuque man was killed at his home Friday when he was pinned by a piece of machinery he was working on, police said. Merlin J. Merfeld, 76, of 380 Cedar Cross Road, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police arrived at his home at 10:40 a.m. Friday to find him pinned underneath a skid steer loader, a small excavator. He was working under the left arm with the bucket in the raised position when it somehow dropped and fell onto him.

Truck driver killed in southern Utah crash

August 4, Panguitch, Utah - A female truck driver was killed in a crash on S.R. 20 near Panguitch Monday evening when the semi she was driving rolled over. UHP troopers say the semi was traveling eastbound on SR-20 at about milepost 11 near Panguitch in Iron County. Troopers say it appears the driver was traveling too fast around a curve and lost control of the vehicle, which rolled onto its right side and hit a guardrail....The victim was later identified as Janine M. Koons From Stage Coach, Nevada.

Tips sought in Apple Valley cabdriver's stabbing

August 3, St. Paul, Minnesota - Apple Valley police are appealing for help from the public after a 41-year-old man who seems to have been living in his own taxi in the shadows of Apple Valley's downtown died in a stabbing over the weekend in his cab. Michael Allen Palm, known to some as "Cabbie Mike," was found on Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of an office building not far from the city's main business artery, Cedar Avenue.

Worker Crushed When Truck Gives Way

August 3, Huntsville, Alabama - A mechanic was killed this morning when he was pinned under a dump truck. The incident happened around 1o a.m. at a subdivision construction site on Hardiman Road in Madison. Madison Police tell us 31 year old Daniel Duplechain was crushed when the bed of the dump truck he was working under suddenly gave way.

CSB & University Labs

2009-08-11T08:56:00.001-05:00

Hello all,

We are wrapping up a letter to call for University Lab investigations by the CSB. If you are interested in signing on please let me know and I will send out the finished product for you to view before we add your names and send it out. It would be nice to get an idea of who would like to be added so please send your reply to tammy@usmwf.org.

As of right now if the state plan does not cover these universities there is no oversight or accountability, I firmly believe that the CSB involvement can change many Universities safety culture, bring it to the forefront and save lives.

Best Regards
Tammy Miser

Roll Call for Our Faces

2009-08-07T17:46:00.008-05:00

Back in April USMWF prepared posters (Thanks to Celeste Monforton's help) based on our faces campaign for Workers Memorial Day. The posters were amazing and the families that came were as well.

Our loved ones faces must have made an impact in places we would have never imagined and a few years ago may not have.

Jordan Barab, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety recently asked to have them placed in the OSHA office headquarters in DC.

How exciting is that? Not only an honor but a tribute and reminder of why OSHA was established and continues today.

I am so proud of my families they have courage, passion and the desire to help other families that are in their position. I know there is little in return and this is a great start. If this is any indication as to how families will be treated then life can be good!

The posters are placed as follows:

In Jordan's office, from left to right:

TRAVIS WAYNE KOEHLER; CHARLES MORRISON; JEREMY FOSTER; SHAWN BOONE; DONALD WILCHER SMITH

In OSHA conference room, from left to right:

TOP ROW: RAYMUNDO GONZALEZ; KEVIN SCOTT NOAH; JOSE TORRES, SR.; BOB SHONKWILER; GREG MARTIN; CRAIG BAGLEY; MARIO PAUL CABOT; WILLIAM KNORR

BOTTOM ROW: ROBERT FINCH; STEVEN LILLICRAP; PATRICK KELLEY; TYLER KAHLE; SCOTT SHAW; MATTHEW JOHN FORD; ROBERT AUGER;

BEING HUNG IN CONFERENCE ROOM:

ERIN SPERREY; GARY PULEIO; DENNIS
(LOUIE) STENNER)

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

2009-08-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Safety Crew Worker Dies In Fire Truck Fall

August 2, Kalamazoo, Michigan - A Lawrence man has died from injuries he suffered in an accident while working as a safety crew member at the Hartford Motor Speedway. Thirty-six-year-old Harold Curtis died Saturday at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He had been seriously injured Friday night when he fell from the back of a safety crew fire truck onto the track. Curtis was taken to Watervliet Community Hospital and then transferred to Borgess. He was a lieutenant at the Lawrence Township Fire Department in Van Buren County.

Chapel Hill postal worker killed in crash

August 2, Chapel Hill, Michigan - Rudy Tempesta stood outside the Estes Drive Post Office as customers slipped mail into slots beside a wreath of flowers in the lobby. "I used to call her 'Julie, Julie, Julie.' I got that out of the movies: 'Judy, Judy, Judy,' " the 83-year-old letter carrier said. "She got a laugh out of it." No one was laughing last week, as coworkers of Julie Hatch, 31, mourned the young woman's death and learned her partner, Jonel Hoogterp, 26, was being taken off life support in a Michigan Hospital.

Marina Worker Drowns In Miami River

August 1, Miami, Florida - A Miami marina worker drowned Saturday morning after he apparently fell into the Miami River. Miami police say they have ruled out foul play. Rescuers recovered the body at Hurricane Cove Marina on the Northeast 18th Avenue entrance. Ana Guevara, a CBS4 viewer, sent in pictures of Saturday morning's dramatic rescue. Police have not revealed the man's identity.

Chinese food deliveryman dead; Lawrence police suspect foul play

August 1, Lawrence, Massachusetts — A deliveryman for a Chinese restaurant died yesterday from a skull fracture suffered during an apparent attack while trying to make a delivery, police said. Detectives said they believe Evergreen Restaurant employee Thu Nguyen, 59, of 9 Birch Hill Drive, Methuen, was lured to the housing projects by Veterans Memorial Stadium with a fake food order. Once he was out of his car, someone likely knocked him to the ground and took off with the food. He was found unconscious, his skull fractured, on an Osgood Street sidewalk late Thursday night.

Worker dies from injuries at Garfield Alloys Inc.

July 31, Cleveland, Ohio - A worker at a Garfield Heights magnesium processing plant died Thursday night after suffering severe injuries in an industrial accident, according to Cuyahoga County Coroner's spokesman Powell Caesar. Edward Dashko, 52, of Bedford, was taken from Garfield Alloys Inc. at 12205 Broadway Avenue in Garfield Heights to Marymount Hospital after the accident. He arrived at the hospital at 3:14 p.m., said Caesar. From there, he was taken by helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. He was suffering from facial fractures, as well as second and third-degree burns. He was pronounced dead at 10:27 p.m., Caesar said.

Harvard Man Killed By Falling Forklift

July 31, Elk Grove Village, Illinois - A forklift fell on a worker at a forklift repair factory Thursday morning causing his death later that afternoon in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village. Carl Muehlfelder, 51, of 1410 Orchard Ln. in Harvard, died after a forklift accident at 651 E. Devon Ave. in Elk Grove Village, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. Muehlfelder was pronounced dead at 1:06 p.m. at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, according to the medical examiner's office. Muehlfelder died of multiple injuries from a forklift falling from a jack, according to the medical examiner's office, which declared the death an accident.

2 killed in NM industrial accidents

July 30, St. Vrain, New Mexico - Authorities say a Roswell man who was operating a piece of heavy equipment as part of a highway improvement project in eastern New Mexico has died Thursday after being run over by the machine. In a separate accident, a flagwoman was struck and killed on a bridge interchange project on Interstate 40 near Prewitt, N.M. The victim wasn't immediately identified. State police say Steve Vigil was spreading gravel with a chip spreader on N.M. 224 north of St. Vrain when the first accident occurred. The 38-year-old worker was leaning forward, monitoring the spreading, when the machine shifted gears and jerked.

Funeral arrangements for two workers who were electrocuted

July 30, Lake Charles, Louisiana - The family members and loved ones of two workers electrocuted in Beauregard Parish prepare to say their final goodbyes today. Funeral arrangements for 35-year-old William Bailey and 41-year-old Michael Brister are set. Brister's (pictured to the right) visitation is today at the Hixson Funeral Home in DeRidder from 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM, then again tomorrow from 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM.

Construction worker dies in 300-foot plunge

July 30, Dallas, Texas - A construction worker fell 23 stories to his death Thursday after the scaffolding on which he worked gave way. The fatal plunge happened at the Saint Ann Court high-rise office building project. Witnesses say the man was installing hardware on the facade of the 23rd floor of the 26-story, 333-foot structure when he took the fatal plunge about 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Dallas fire-rescue spokesman Jason Evans tells KDFW-TV of Dallas and Fort Worth reports that the 35-year-old man was the only one on the scaffold. His identity hasn't been released.

Sun employee killed in Sunday's violence

July 30, Baltimore, Maryland - An 18-year-old, one of two men killed Sunday night in a wave of violence, was an employee of The Baltimore Sun, working out of its Sun Park production plant. Gary Martin of the 3000 block of McElderry St. was shot along with Darvin Jones, 19, about 10:20 p.m. Sunday in the 200 block of N. Conkling St. He was pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital.

Wassaic man killed in construction accident

July 30, Amenia, New York – A 23-year-old Wassaic man was killed in an industrial accident on Wednesday afternoon, State Police at Dover Plains reported Thursday. Preliminary investigation indicated Donald Flood, III of Wassaic was operating an asphalt roller at a construction site at 41 Benson Road in the Town of Amenia when he fall from the machine and was struck and killed. The investigating into the cause of the accident is continuing.

CalTrans worker from Modesto struck, killed in Lodi

July 30, Lodi, California -- A CalTrans employee from Modesto was struck and killed while working on Highway 99 this afternoon, authorities said. The accident happened at 2:08 p.m. on the highway south of Victor Road, the Lodi News-Sentinel reported. Southbound traffic was disrupted as the California Highway Patrol investigated. The victim was Donald Lichliter, 53. The governor's office said he was a tree maintenance leadworker assigned to special crews.

Truck driver killed on Tri-State while tending broken semi

July 30, Chicago, Illinois - A truck driver was killed after being hit by a van during a 1 a.m. accident Thursday after his semi broke down in the southbound lanes of the Tri-State Tollway near Hinsdale. Kenneth A. Brown, 41, of Crest Hill, was hit by the male van driver as he was outside of his truck on the tollway trying to reattach his semi-trailer to the cab of the vehicle, Illinois State Police officials said.

Big Rig Driver Killed After Crashing Into Two Homes

July 29, Redding, North Carolina - The driver of a big rig was killed after losing control of his truck and running into two homes near Marysville. It happened Tuesday night around 8:30 on Highway 70 near Bettencourt Lane. The CHP says the driver, 54-year-old Michael Angerer of Red Bluff, was thrown from his cab after running off Highway 70 and hitting two mobile homes.

Update: Construction worker in fatal Des Moines accident is identified

July 29, Des Moins, Iowa - A construction worker has died after an accident on the city's south side. Andrew Russell Clarke, 32, of Des Moines, died after being hit by a falling utility pole. It was knocked over by construction equipment operated by a co-worker. The driver of the Bobcat was identified by police as Paul Maple, 57, of Johnston. Maple told police Clarke was his daughter's boyfriend.

Worker Dies After Fall From Scaffolding

July 29, Tulsa, Oklahoma - A man has died after falling from a scaffolding at a construction site near 42nd and Memorial. It happened Wednesday afternoon. We're told the 43-year-old man was rushed to a Tulsa hospital, but died from his injuries a short time later. The details about what the man was doing before he fell were not immediately available.

Bank fund set up for Port St. Lucie garbage worker crushed between trucks

Port St. Lucie — A fund has been set up at Bank of America to help the family of a man who was crushed between the garbage truck he was working on and a parked pest control truck. Christopher J. Casciano, 30, of Port St. Lucie was seriously injured July 17 as he was riding on the running board of the garbage truck and it backed into an unoccupied, improperly parked pickup truck on Netherby Avenue, a street off Indian River Drive in St. Lucie County just north of Jensen Beach.

NOPD: Construction worker killed in freak accident

July 29, New Orleans, Louisiana - Investigators say a young construction worker died this afternoon when the bucket of a front-end loader crushed him against the pump he was working on while doing street repairs. Police say the a 21-year-old construction worker was killed when the bucket of a front end loader pinned him against a pump while he was working on street repairs Wednesday afternoon.

Sanitation worker killed in Adams Co.

July 28, Adams County, Ohio – A sanitation worker was struck and killed by a passing motorist after exiting a dump truck Tuesday. Larry D. Lowery, 43, of Chillicothe died at the scene of the 12:45 p.m. crash on Ohio 41 in Meigs Township. Lowery had been standing at the rear of the truck when, according to reports from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, he was struck by Justin Unger, 19, of Peebles. Unger had been operating a 1993 Ford Ranger.

Trumbull Co. man dies when tractor overturns

July 28, Johnston Township, Ohio — A Trumbull County farmer died July 27 in Johnston Township in a tractor accident. According to the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department, Allen D. Stewart, 28, died after the tractor he was driving overturned, pinning him and then catching fire. He was reportedly using the tractor to pull large logs from a wooded area. The tractor reportedly flipped backward when a log apparently dug into the ground.

Dairy worker shot and killed in Brooks County

July 29, Brooks County, Georgia - A Dairy worker was shot and killed in a home invasion in Brooks County. 62-year old Alberto Lemus moved from Honduras to South Georgia six years ago. Now, he'll be sent back to Honduras for burial as police try to figure out who killed him and why. Lemus was shot to death in his home at 2950 Monument Church Road northeast of Quitman Saturday night. Deputies say it was a single gunshot to his chest.

Worker in Springtown killed by falling pieces of forklift

July 29, Spingtown, Texas - A 69-year-old man was killed Monday when pieces of a forklift fell on his head as he another employee were repairing it. The death of Jesse Lewyn Thorton, an employee of David's Patio Limited, was ruled an accident by the Tarrant County medical examiner, who said Thornton died of crush injuries due to impact by a falling object. The Parker County sheriff's office investigated Thornton's death, which occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Monday at at the firm in the 4000 block of East Highway 199.

Man dies after industrial accident

July 28, Wichita, Kansas - A man in his 40s was killed in north Wichita Monday afternoon after he fell from a boom lift, authorities said. The man was in the bucket of the crane at Johnson Controls, 811 E. 33rd North, when he fell just after 4 p.m., a Sedgwick County dispatch supervisor said. He was taken to Wesley Medical Center, where he later died.

Worker killed at Samples mountaintop-removal mine

July 28, Charleston, West Virginia - A contract employee at a mountaintop-removal mine near Cabin Creek was killed Tuesday when his truck overturned into a pond, state and federal officials said. The name of the worker was not immediately released, and mine safety regulators were just getting started on their investigation into the incident. The accident occurred at the Samples Mine, operated by the Catenary Coal Co. subsidiary of Patriot Coal Corp. The worker was employed by the firm Hawkeye Construction of Robinson Creek, Ky., said Amy Louviere, spokeswoman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Worker Killed In Grant County Accident

July 28, Grant County, Kentucky - A worker was killed Monday evening after an accident at a landscaping business. Deputies were called to Show Place Landscaping just after 5:30 p.m. to find Kenneth Tyler Cummins dead at the scene. Investigators said Cummins was helping other employees unload a dump bed truck that was parked under high voltage power lines with the bed fully tilted. Duke Energy said Cummins saw that the truck was moving toward the power lines and ran to try and stop the driver When the bed made contact with the power lines, the energy arced through the truck just as Cummins touched the side of it.

Chatsworth truck driver killed in crash

July 27, Dalton, Georgia - A tractor-trailer driver was killed when his rig crossed in front of oncoming traffic and crashed in a culvert in Chatsworth Monday morning, catching fire, officials said.Randall Townsend, 46, of Chatsworth, was dead at the scene, said Sgt. Josh Etheridge of the Chatsworth Police Department. He said a full report is expected to be available today. “We’re not sure exactly what happened,” said Capt. John Parker of the Chatsworth Fire Department Monday afternoon.

Californian woman killed by robotic arm in industrial bakery

July 27, Los Angeles, California - OFFICIALS from California’s workplace safety agency will investigate the death of a woman killed by a robotic box sorter at Golden State Foods industrial bakery. The state's division of Occupational Safety and Health received a complaint following the death and will investigate the incident, a spokesperson said. The woman was identified as Ana Maria Vital, 40, of the city of La Puente. According to a report filled out by the safety supervisor of Golden State Foods she was attempting to remove a jammed package when she was crushed between a conveyor belt and a robot arm.

Kenosha restaurant worker killed in hold-up

July 27, Kenosha, Wisconsin - Authorities said Monday two masked men entered Shirl’s Drive-In Restaurant, 7943 Sheridan Road, through a back door around 9:39 p.m. Sunday just as the establishment was about to close for the night. One of the suspects was armed with a gun, the other with a knife and they demanded cash from the register, said Kenosha Police Sgt. Hugh Rafferty. The two assailants then shot an 18-year-old clerk identified as Robert W. Wilde of Kenosha and his 43-year-old manager before taking an undisclosed amount of cash and fleeing the restaurant on foot in a southeasterly direction.

Taxi driver killed in 2-vehicle crash in city

July 27, Baltimore, Maryland - A taxi cab driver was killed Sunday night after his car collided with a Ford Crown Victoria in Northwest Baltimore, city fire officials said today. Authorities have not identified the man but said he was likely speeding before the accident, which happened about 11 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Woodcrest Avenue near Northern Parkway, according to fire officials.

Montrose Officer Killed in Line of Duty

July 27, Montrose, Colorado — A Montrose police officer was shot to death Saturday after responding to a domestic dispute at 16915 6450 Road at approximately 8:30 p.m. Two other officers were also shot. Officer David Kinterknecht was shot by a man who was barricaded in a garage behind the house and later died at Montrose Memorial Hospital. Also shot and taken to the hospital were Officers Larry Witte and Rodney Ragsdale According to the news release, city police officers and Montrose County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from the address about domestic violence in progress.

Worker killed in accident at NW Ind. steel mill

July 27, East Chicago, Indiana - Officials say an ArcelorMittal worker died in an apparent accident over the weekend at the company's steel mill in East Chicago. The Lake County coroner's office says 37-year-old Angela Smith of Merrillville died of blunt force trauma early Sunday at the Indiana Harbor East plant. Smith was in the mill's slab yard when she was killed. United Steelworkers District 7 director Jim Robinson said the union and company were investigating and declined to immediately give details of the accident.

USW 2009 Health, Safety & Environment Conference

2009-08-06T20:13:00.006-05:00

2009 Health, Safety and Environment Conferences

Join us in Houston from Aug. 17-21 for the annual Health, Safety and Environment Conference.
Down loadable information or links concerning the conference.

Call Letter - English French

Jordan Barab - Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health

Dennis C. Hendershot - Chemical Engineer

Les Leopold - Executive Director of the Labor Institute and Public Health Institute

Glenn S. Podonsky - Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer

Steven Markowitz, MD - Specializing in Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Peg Seminario - Director of Safety and Health, AFL-CIO

Dr. Michael P. Wilson - Research Scientist with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH)

Mark R. Briggs CSP - OSHA Safety Engineer

Dr. Julie Zimmerman - Assistant Professor - Yale University

Steven Greenhouse - Labor and workplace reporter for the New York Times

Not only do they have a terrific line up of speakers and workshops but it will also feature the wonderful ERT Program

Conference Workshops for the 2009 Health, Safety and Environment Conference
Conference Guest Speakers