The Death Toll: August Edition
On average, about 16 employees are killed on the job each day.
“With every one of these fatalities, the lives of a worker’s family members were shattered and forever changed. We can’t forget that fact.”-Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor
Veteran worker dies on loading dock
A forklift driver who’d worked at a Seneca, ID food-processing plant for 40 years was killed when he was hit by a truck at the facility’s loading dock.
Thomas Walker, 59, Payette, ID, was backing up a forklift on the loading dock when a semi hit him and pinned him under the truck. Heart-breaker: Local news reports indicate the truck driver was a friend of Walker’s.
Walker, scheduled to retire in November, died at the scene. OSHA and state police are investigating.
Source: KTVB-TV, Boise, ID.
Employee went beyond work’s scope
There’s nothing wrong with initiative – as long as safety’s taken into account.
A maintenance worker was tasked with repairing stairs in a Hackensack, NJ, apartment complex. However, at some point, the worker chose to repair metal railings in a nearby walkway.
Apparently the worker lost his balance and fell 30 feet to his death.
The worker, whose name was not released by press time, was found by a resident.
Lesson for safety directors: Make sure workers know, when taking initiative for a “quick repair,” to do a quick hazard-analysis, too. If work is strictly limited in scope, as in this case, supervisors should notify workers.
Source: Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ.
Reminder: lives are worth more than stuff
This tragedy is in the retail world, but the idea is transferable anywhere – maintain a sense of proportion when it comes to material goods.
A drug-store manager in Kent, WA, saw a thief shoplifting two cartons of cigarettes. Broderick Koga, 52, chased the thief across the store’s parking lot.
Koga chased the thief over a six-foot retaining wall. The manager tripped and tumbled over the wall. He was knocked unconscious and later died at a local hospital.
Lesson: In industrial and construction settings, there may be times where thieves take something and try to run away, such as tools from a pickup truck. Remind workers to keep in mind that their lives’ are worth more than what’s being stolen.
Source: Seattle Times.
Worker pulled into construction drill
Workers need to remember that some safety equipment can present snare hazards. In Aspen, CO, a 39-year-old was killed when his safety cord became entangled in a construction drill used to make hole in hard rock.
The worker, whose name was not released, was pulled into a spinning auger and died at the scene.
Source: Denver Post.
You can get our blog posts delivered for free by email - simply add your email address to the box below and click the "Subscribe" button.
Subscribe to Workplace Safety Network
Get the blog sent to your inbox free by entering your email address:
