The 21st Century Jungle
Every once in a while I do a search for workers who have died in the past days. It's depressing and it's infuriating. Look at the list below. There's barely one that isn't readily preventable and an obvoius violation of an OSHA standard. So what does it take? More guidelines and legislation to get OSHA off the backs of smal employers?Bad year for miners
Coal Mine Deaths Increase
The 20 fatalities so far for 2003 have occurred at a somewhat faster rate than in recent years, according to federal Mine Safety and Health Administration records. Kentucky leads the country with seven coal mine deaths this year — continuing a pattern in which the state has led the nation in mine fatalities for most of the past decade. Indiana has had one fatality this year.
Worker is killed in dock accident
By RAY HENRY, Standard-Times staff writer
NEW BEDFORD -- A 25-year-old worker was crushed to death by a falling metal cage near a waterfront loading dock off Hassey Street Monday morning, police and witnesses said.
Luiz Garcia Gomez of Viall Street, a worker at Nebula Foods Inc., was repairing a pothole around 11:45 a.m. with his cousin and another man when a forklift at Big G Seafood on the loading dock above them hit a cable attached to a metal cage, said Lt. Richard M. Spirlet, a spokesman for the New Bedford Police Department
Worker dies in 40-foot fall
Man is 4th killed at a construction site
By Dave Gustafson
The Sun News
A construction worker died after falling about 40 feet at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in North Myrtle Beach.
Alfonso Morales, 41, of Loris, was taken to Seacoast Medical Center in Little River, where he was pronounced dead at 12:05 p.m., said Horry County Coroner Robert Edge.
Every hear of fall protection?
Three other Myrtle Beach construction workers have been kiled on the job since December: Oscar Barojas, 23, Chad Edward Steffey, 18, and Juan Vazquez, 31.
Note the percentage of hispanic surnames.
Kankakee County man dies in ditch collapse
July 15, 2003 (Kankakee) — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a Kankakee County man in a workplace accident.
Coroner James Kelly says 22-year-old Nathan Barber died yesterday after he was buried when a ditch collapsed while he was working inside.
Some "accident." I wonder how deep the ditch was.
Here's another stupid, pointless death.
Welder dies after explosion
By Norman Miller / News Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
FRAMINGHAM -- Christopher Lyon's family left a Boston hospital Monday night happy because a doctor told them the Connecticut welder injured in an explosion two weeks ago looked as if he was going to make a full recovery.
Early yesterday morning, the Lyon family received a call from Massachusetts General Hospital telling them Lyon, 31, had died from injuries he suffered in the explosion on July 3 at the Triram Corporation at 721 Waverley St.....
Lyon was welding on top of a 28-foot, 15,000-gallon asphalt container on the afternoon of July 3 when the heat from the welding torch caused the fumes in the tank to explode.
Fire officials said he was thrown to the ground, and suffered serious injuries. He was taken by a medical rescue helicopter to Massachusetts General, where he remained until his death.
400-Foot Drop Kills Radio Tower Worker
GREENE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A man died Tuesday morning after falling about 450 feet from a radio tower while he was repairing an antenna, WTAE's Sheldon Ingram reported.
Clifford T. Williams, 26, of Paducah, Ky., was pronounced dead at the scene in a remote area of Greene, Beaver County.
Every hear of fall protection?
Meanwhile, stay away from those paving jobs in Denver.
Worker dies after falling under wheels of truck
A 53-year-old man died Monday morning in the 4400 block of South Yosemite Street when a dump truck full of asphalt backed over him.
The man's identity was withheld pending notification of relatives.
The victim, who worked for Cutler Paving, was marking manhole covers about 10 a.m. when the dump truck owned by Pronto Trucking Co. backed up to load a hopper on an asphalt spreader. The victim attempted to stand up, but slipped and fell under the rear wheels of the truck, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.
Road Worker Run Over By Road Grader
DENVER -- A city road-paving crew worker was seriously injured Tuesday when he was run over by a road grader while working in downtown Denver. Witnesses said the worker was hit by a 50-ton road grinder
The victim, identifed as Robert G. Romero Jr., 32, was later listed in serious condition at Denver Health Medical Center.
It was not known why Romeroa didn't see the machine before he was hit.
Man Electrocuted In Gainesville
POSTED: 11:36 a.m. EDT July 14, 2003
A welder was apparently electrocuted while working on a metal balcony at a construction site in Gainesville, authorities said.
Javier Gonzales, 37, of Norcross, Ga., died in Sunday's accident, said Sgt. Keith Faulk, an Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
Workers told authorities that Gonzales, an employee of Allen Steel Products of Arlington, Tenn., was installing a metal subfloor on a balcony using an 8,000 watt welding machine.
Although detectives are awaiting the results of an autopsy, authorities believe he was electrocuted by the welding machine, Faulk said.
Fall from Skyway kills man
A construction worker died Wednesday night after falling about 50 feet from the Chicago Skyway. Dennis P. McNamara, 63, of Wood Dale had been working above the eastbound traffic side near I-90 and 77th. He was pronounced dead at Northwestern Hospital.
Every hear of fall protection? Hello. Anyone paying attention out there?
