USA
Kentucky miners killed by roof collapse
Two miners were killed when a section of roof collapsed at the Dotiki
mine of Alliance Coal near Providence, west Kentucky, rescuers
recovered their bodies yesterday, trapped 5 miles from the entrance of
the mine which has a chequered safety record.
30th April 2010
|
Austria
Train hits fallen crane
A woman was seriously injured and 17 other people were injured when a
train struck a track maintenance crane beside the track yesterday
between Mitterberghutten and St Johann in the Salzburg area.
30th April 2010
|
Czech Republic
Taxiing aircraft's tyres burst
Two tyres of a Dornier chartered aircraft flying from Prague to
Helsinki burst as the plane was moving from the terminal to the
runway, the Austrian Foreign Minister was on board after meeting his
Czech counterpart and travelling on to Scandinavia. 29th April 2010
|
Czech Republic
Taxiing aircraft's tyres burst
Two tyres of a Dornier chartered aircraft flying from Prague to
Helsinki burst as the plane was moving from the terminal to the
runway, the Austrian Foreign Minister was on board after meeting his
Czech counterpart and travelling on to Scandinavia. 29th April 2010
|
Serbia
Girl killed during tree felling
Charges of criminal negligence are expected to be made following the
death of a 17-year old girl killed by a falling tree during arboreal
work in woodland near Cacak, central Serbia. 29th April 2010
|
USA
Colorado worker rescued from manhole
At the junction of 8th Avenue and Logan Street, Denver, fire crews
were called to rescue an employee of FibreNet who had fallen from a
ladder and was trapped in a manhole during subcontract work for Quest
Communications. A tripod was set up over the manhole to winch the
injured worker up.
The extent of his back injuries was
unknown.28th April 2010
|
UAE
Utilities fined after safety inspections
The Department of Economic Development in the northern emirate of Ras
Al Khaimah has fined 13 gas suppliers following safety inspections
throughout the emirate on Monday.
Six utilities had vehicles which failed to meet standard safety
requirements, 7 were operating without commercial licences or with
expired ones. The companies were warned that further breaches could
lead to closures.
28th April 2010
|
USA
Worker electrocuted on Queens elevated rail
On Monday morning an MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
worker was electrocuted after apparently losing his balance and
falling on to the elevated line of the A-line tracks at Beach 90th
Street station in Rockaway Beach, New York.
27th April 2010
|
Canada
Fatal accident at Yukon zinc mine
A 54-year old worker died in a mine shaft collapse at the Wolverine
mine of Yukon Zinc Corporation, 250 miles northeast of Whitehorse. Two
mechanics and a machine operator were working there at the time of the
accident. 27th
April 2010
|
India
Worker killed in fall at steel works
A 33-year old contract worker of Subhash Enterprise died in a 20-metre
fall at the weekend at the Steel Melting Shop-11 of Bokaro Steel Ltd,
Jharkhand. He was working on a platform, initial speculation suggests
that a safety harness failed. Investigators are also studying an
accident there at the end of last week when 3 workers were badly
burned in an acid spillage during unloading from a lorry. 26th April 2010
|
USA
West Virginia mine accident
The 33rd national mining death of the year occurred at the Beckley
Pocahontas mine of the International Coal Group near Eccles, West
Virginia, where a 28-year old worker was pinned against the coal face
by a continuous mining machine. 26th April 2010
|
Norway
Policeman killed by psychiatric patient
A policeman has died from knife wounds while attempting to enter the
home of a 62-year old male psychiatric patient in Mo i Rana, 450 miles
north of Oslo.
Reinforcements and tear gas were required before the patient could be
taken into custody.
23rd April 2010
|
New Zealand
Vineyard worker crushed in machine accident
A 42-year old worker has died in a crush accident at Greenhough
Vineyard in Hope, in the far north of South Island, after becoming caught
in machinery which removes netting from grapes.
23rd April 2010
|
Colombia
Fears for survivors of helicopter crash
The 4 survivors of the collision of a Vertical de Aviacion Bell 222
helicopter and a Colombian Air Force Hugh helicopter shortly after
take-off from the Caicedo Battalion base in Chaparral, Tolima, are
listed in intensive care with multiple injuries and 80% burns. The
collision claimed 7 lives. 22nd April 2010
|
South Africa
Luxury train derailment near Pretoria kills 3
The derailment of 17 carriages of a Rovos Rail train during switching
from an electric to a steam locomotive near Pretoria yesterday killed
3 people and left 14 others badly injured, 5 of whom are in critical
condition.
The luxury train was travelling from Cape Town to Pretoria with 59
mostly European and American tourists, the carriages rolled away
during the uncoupling. 22nd April 2010
|
New Zealand
Roofer killed in fall through skylight
A 35-year old roofer of Allroof Services died yesterday in a fall
through a fragile roof light during work at McGrath Industries in
Kelston, West Auckland.
22nd April 2010.
|
China
Worker crushed in Hong Kong lift accident
A worker was crushed to death after falling from a lift under repair
and being crushed between the lift cage and shaft wall at Hui Ming
Court in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong.
He and a colleague were conducting maintenance on the lift between
floors 4 and 5 of the building currently undergoing refurbishment, but
the introduction of a trolley into the lift caused instability and led
to the worker losing his balance and falling. 21st April 2010.
|
India
Worker falls into power plant boiler
One worker died and another was seriously injured yesterday in a fall
into a coal-fired boiler at Plant B of Bokaro Thermal Power in
Jharkhand. 21st April 2010.
|
USA
Fatal accident at Texas refinery
On Monday a contract worker of Becon Construction was killed in an
accident in the expansion area site at Motiva Enterprises LLC refinery
in Port Arthur, Texas. The nature of the accident was not immediately
available but falling equipment, thought to be a crane counterweight,
is believed to be the cause.
20th April 2010.
|
USA
Woman's arm caught in food machinery
OSHA is investigating an accident at the Ready-Pac plant in Florence,
New Jersey, where a woman was injured when her arm caught in
machinery. 20th
April 2010.
|
France
French sailor killed in fire-fighting drill
The Ministry of Defence has indicated that a 26-year old quartermaster
has died during a fire-fighting exercise on the French warship BPC
Mistral currently in the North Sea participating in the NATO exercise
"Brilliant Mariner" running from the12th until the 22nd April.
19th April 2010.
|
Germany
Door flies off speeding train
A door came off carriage
25 of an Intercity express train travelling between Limburg and
Montabaur at the weekend. The incident occurred as trains passed at
high speed, 6 passengers in a dining car were treated for injuries
from broken glass. 19th April 2010.
|
Germany
Woman's body found in paper compacter
The body of a woman aged around 60 was discovered by staff in a waste
paper compaction unit in Lohne, Lower Saxony. The body was in a
sleeping bag and initial investigation suggests she was alive prior to
a paper container being decanted into the compacter and that she was
living as a rough sleeper.
16th April 2010.
|
Germany
Ski jumper killed in fall on artificial slope
A 37-year old skier has died in a 3m fall while practising a jump at
the Snow Dome in Bispingen, south of Hamburg. At the end of the jump
he overshot and failed to land on an air-filled Jumpbag.
16th April 2010.
|
USA
Georgia worker drawn into heavy machinery
A worker has been killed in an accident at AP Specialty Metals in
Cumming, Georgia, where he was drawn into machinery which polishes
heavy gauge metal.
16th April 2010.
|
Mexico
Cargo aircraft crash in Nuevo Leon
At least 5 people died when an Airbus A300 cargo aircraft of AeroUnion
flying from Mexico City crashed 500 metres from Monterrey's Mariano
Escobedo airport after aborting a landing attempt.
15th April 2010.
|
Belgium
Fitter killed by exploding tyre
A tyre fitter has been killed by an exploding tyre during its
inflation at tyre fitting premises in Hasselts.
15th April 2010.
|
Australia
Sydney track cleaner killed by train
An investigation has been launched into the death of a worker of
Swetha International who was killed by a train early yesterday while
clearing rubbish from the track at Kogarah station, south Sydney. He
was 1 of 4 track workers, the others managed to scramble on to the
platform as the train approached, it would have been expected that the
track crew would have a supervising protection officer in attendance.
14th April 2010.
|
New Zealand
Worker died on dangerous gradient at council site
Wellington City Council has been fined $60K(£27,670) and a
$50K(£23,062) compensation in respect of a fatal accident in December
2008 in which a lorry driver,55, died when his vehicle slid down the
steep gradient of a temporary access road at a landfill site in Happy
Valley, Wellington.
The company pleaded guilty to failing to take all practicable steps to
ensure the safety of its employees at work. The court heard that
earlier on the day of the accident, other drivers had been told that
work was to be suspended after some lorries had slipped in the wet
conditions, a direction which failed to reach the victim. It was also
found that the temporary road's gradient exceeded industrial
guidelines. 14th
April 2010.
|
Italy
11 killed in Merano train derailment
It is speculated that a drainage pipe may have failed, leading to a
rockslide which derailed a SAD(Societa Automobilistica Dolomiti)
regional train between Castelbello and Laces on Monday, killing 11
people and injuring 28 others. The accident occurred on a single-track
section in Merano, the train travelling from Trentino to Alto Adige
struck 2 pine trees after derailing which prevented it from rolling
down into the Adige river.
13th April
2010.
|
Australia
Driver killed in fall at nickel mine
A worker driving a vehicle to transport materials died in an 18-metre
fall down a shaft at BHP Billiton's Perseverance nickel mine, 550
miles northeast of Perth. 13th April
2010.
|
China
6 feared drowned in manganese mine pond accident
A rapid issue of manganese mining residue from a retaining pond at Fengyun Manganese Company Ltd in Huayuan County, Hunan, has killed 1
worker and left 5 others missing, in all 35 workers were engaged in
decommissioning the pond when the accident occurred. 12th April
2010.
|
Russia
Aviation accidents at Smolensk and Kamchatka
The crash of a Tu-154 aircraft at Pechorsk, near Smolensk, on Saturday
morning killed 97 people, including Polish president Lech Kaczynski
and a host of leading military officials. The flight from Warsaw
appears to have struck trees in foggy conditions. The aircraft had
been refurbished as recently as December 2009 at the Aviakor factory.
In Kamchatka 9 people died when an avalanche struck a landed Mi-8
helicopter some 45 miles from Yelisovo, 14 German tourists were on
board. 11th April
2010.
|
France
Mirage F1 crashes on training flight
A French Air Force pilot of the 2/33 Savoie squadron ejected safely
from his Mirage F1 CR aircraft after encountering technical problems
on a training flight from his Reims base on Thursday. He had hoped to
land at Bricy but he managed to fly away from a built-up area, the
aircraft crashing into a field in Gidy, 2 miles north of Orleans.
9th April 2010.
|
Malta
Workers critically injured in falls
A worker is listed in life-threatening condition after falling several
metres from a ladder on Thursday at premises on the San Gwann
industrial estate. Further north, in Burmarrad a 33-year old worker
was critically injured in a fall from a crane's ladder.
9th April 2010.
|
China
3 die in Shanghai ship fire
Fire broke out on a Liberian cargo ship berthed at the China Shipping
Company shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai, killing 3 workers and
injuring 6 others who were admitted to the city's Ruijin Hospital with
2nd degree burns.
The ship has been berthed there for a couple of months.
8th April 2010.
|
Panama
Worker killed by falling crane load
Falling metal tubes killed a worker during their movement by crane at
the Star Bay site on Avenida Balboa, Panama City.
8th April 2010.
|
Ukraine
Pump house explosion kills Crimean water worker
A worker died in an explosion on Tuesday morning at the central
pumping station of the Baturyn reservoir, owned by the Yalta water and
wastewater treatment plant in Yalta, it is not known if it was an
electrical incident or a gas explosion in the single-storey building.
7th April 2010.
|
India
Mine roof collapse during pit prop work
Two mine workers died yesterday in a roof cave-in accident at a
Central Coalfield Ltd mine in Bhurkunda. They were removing timber pit
props at pillar 27 to move forward along the shaft when the collapse
occurred, 100 miners were underground at the time.
7th April 2010.
|
USA
Worker's hand severed in paper cutter
Attempts were being made in a San Francisco hospital to reattach a
worker's hand which was severed on Monday while operating a large
paper cutter at Grafix Screen Printing, a graphics store in Cotati,
California. 6th
April 2010.
|
Australia
Chinese coal ship aground outside shipping lane
Maritime Safety Queensland is monitoring closely the condition of the
Chinese vessel Shen Neng 1 which ran aground 45 miles east of Great
Keppel Island within the southern zone of the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park. The ship, carrying 65K tonnes of coal and 975 tonnes of
fuel oil, was 10 miles outwith the shipping lanes.
6th April 2010.
|
Switzerland
Worker killed in press at waste facility
On Thursday a worker at a recycle and waste disposal facility on
Grundholz Street in Hefenhofen, Amriswil, was killed in an accident
involving an industrial press.
2nd April 2010.
|
Indonesia
Falling welding gear sparks gas explosion
Three workers were injured yesterday in a gas explosion at a factory
in the Medan Industrial Zone in the Medan Labnham district of North
Sumatra.
An employee doing hot metal work fell from a plank and his welding
equipment struck a gas pipe which fractured and exploded.
2nd April 2010.
|
South Africa
Painter killed in scaffold collapse
A scaffold collapsed yesterday during painting work on a building in
Echo Park Boulevard Mall, Centurion, south of Pretoria, killing 1
worker and injuring another in a 5-storey fall.
1st April 2010.
|
Indonesia
Tourist's body recovered from Bali volcano
The body of a Scandinavian tourist was recovered yesterday from the
inside of the technically active volcano on Mount Batur, Bali, where
he had fallen 170 metres into the crater while negotiating its rim
with a tour party. 1st April 2010.
|
|
Serbia
Worker killed in unshored trench
An unshored excavation collapsed yesterday at a site outside Ecka,
Vojvodina province, killing an employee of GIK Banat who had been
digging in the 3-metre deep trench when the instability occurred.
30th April 2010.
|
China
Crazed assailant attacks kindergarten
A school guard and 28 children sustained knife wounds when a 47-year
old male assailant broke in to the Zhongxin nursery school in Taixing
City, 2 teachers are also believed to have been injured in the attack.
30th April 2010.
|
Finland
Faulty points probed in Helsinki derailment
Investigation is ongoing into the derailment of a commuter train
entering Helsinki station, the points, installed 6 years ago, serviced
1 month ago and checked weekly, have been inspected following the
accident but it remains unknown why they failed. More than 300 such
points systems feature in the rail grid in the greater Helsinki
network zone.
In Norway on Monday a locomotive and 2 carriages of an Oslo- Stavanger
train with 170 passengers derailed in Kristiansand but no injuries
were reported. 29th April 2010.
|
Canada
Ontario company fined over machine accident
Sandvik Canada has been fined $115K(£74,954) after a worker's hand was
badly injured in the rack and pinion gears of machinery at its
Arnprior, Ontario, plant on May 14th 2008. The machinery shapes steel
tubes, the company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the moving
parts were stopped and blocked before the worker began changing the
die used to form the tubes.
29th April 2010.
|
USA
Electrocuted Michigan worker revived by AED
A worker was revived by automated external defibrillator (AED) after
being electrocuted while working on machinery at Royal Sheet Metal
Finished Metal Tech in Holland, Michigan.
28th April 2010.
|
Australia
Qantas ground crew worker failed breathalyser
A Qantas ground crew worker at Alice Springs Airport was suspended for
a month after failing a breathalyser test during a random test by the
Civil Aviation Safety Authority. The worker, who exceeded the
0.02 limit by an unspecified amount, was engaged on baggage ramp
duties, including loading and closing storage compartments.
28th April 2010.
|
Russia
Moscow gas explosion kills passer-by
An explosion during construction work on a large diameter gas pipe in
Dmitrovskoe Highway, north Moscow, killed a passer-by struck by a
falling advertisement hoarding and injured 2 others on Monday, a
partial evacuation of nearby premises was undertaken as a
precautionary measure.
27th April 2010.
|
USA
High-pressure hose accident on rig
A large valve on a high-pressure hose blew out, causing it to flail
wildly at the Helmerich & Payne drilling rig 217 in Morris Township,
Pennsylvania. The hose struck 1 worker in the face, inflicting fatal
injuries, a colleague was knocked off a ladder and hospitalised in
Morgantown, West Virginia.
27th April 2010.
|
Pakistan
Karachi sewerage workers die in confined space accident
A confined space accident has claimed the lives of 3 workers of
Karachi Water and Sewerage Board who died in a manhole during cleaning
with automated equipment. The 3 who died had entered the manhole in a
an attempt to rescue a stricken colleague, the latter survived the
accident and is receiving ongoing hospital treatment. 26th April 2010.
|
Denmark
Crew rescued from sinking fishing boat
Two naval patrol boats and a helicopter rescued the crew of a fishing
boat which ran aground off Hjelm in the Kattegat Strait. The hull was
badly holed and the engine room flooded rapidly. 26th April 2010.
|
Canada
Municipal worker dies in fall at water plant
Quebec's Workplace Health and Safety is investigating a fatal accident
involving a Montreal municipal employee who has died in a 12-metre
fall into an empty underground tank at a water filtration plant in
Pierrefonds. It is believed that he was stepping backwards and was
unaware of an open trap door.
23rd April 2010.
|
USA
Driver's head crushed by tractor shovel
A construction worker operating a tractor has died from fatal head
injuries in a crush accident at a baseball ground in Douglasville,
Georgia.
He had climbed out forward from the tractor's caged cabin, but the
vehicle's raised shovel then descended and pinned his head against the
cabin. 23rd April
2010.
|
Ukraine
Falling steel kills worker at Kiev stadium
Falling steel frames killed a construction worker and injured another
yesterday at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev where Kievgorstoi is the
general contractor for the stadium's refurbishment for Euro 2012.
22nd April
2010.
|
India
Lioness kills National Park worker
A 45-year old worker was killed by a lioness at the Sanjay Ghandi
National Park, Mumbai (Bombay). He was opening an inner gate to allow
passage for a lion safari bus and was unaware that the lioness had
escaped from an enclosure.
22nd April 2010.
|
USA
Tug skipper drowned in WV river
A salvage operation begins today (Wednesday) to raise the 22-metre
long Kentucky tugboat Misty Dawn which sank near Winfield on the
Kanawha River in West Virginia where it had been pushing a crane-laden
barge. The latter sank near Poca, the Coast Guard is treating both
sinkings as separate incidents. One of the 2-man crew of the Misty
Dawn managed to swim to safety, the other's body has been recovered
from the wheelhouse of the sunken tug.
21st April 2010.
|
Canada
Company fined for unsafe reversing manoeuvre
In court in Windsor, Ontario, Excel Heavy Haul Transportation Inc was
fined $50K(£32,607) after pleading guilty to a breach of Regulation
851, Section 56 of the Occupational Health & Safety Act over a
transport accident at its Tecumsah depot on 24th April 2008. A worker
was attaching rigging to a machine for loading on to a trailer when a
lorry reversing the trailer backed into him, a protruding handle of
the machine pierced the worker's leg.
Investigation established that the lorry had reversed into the bay
without full view of the area, and without a signaller or guide.
21st April 2010.
|
France
Floating container may have holed Asgard
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board has prepared a draft of its
investigation into the sinking of the sail training ship Asgard II on
11th September 2008 12 miles off Belle-Ile, France, and considers that
the ship was holed by a ship's container. The vessel has not been
salvaged but underwater footage indicates that planks on either side
of the bow caved in, with the keel bearing the brunt of the impact.
The draft has been submitted for comment to all crew and trainees of
the ship, all of whom were safely rescued, although it was noted that
a floor of a life raft failed during the evacuation. It was also noted
that the ship was constructed as a cargo vessel rather than a
passenger ship.
20th April 2010.
|
Japan
Hair iron ignited in suitcase during baggage handling
A passenger's suitcase caught fire at Narita Airport during the
stopover of a Dallas-Bangkok flight, it is speculated that a
battery-powered hair iron switch activated during robust baggage
transfer handling.
20th April 2010.
|
USA
Arborist killed in palm tree accident
On Saturday an arborist died of asphyxiation in a crush accident while
trimming foliage 15 metres up a palm tree in Mesa, Arizona. The dead
weight of cut fronds, estimated at several hundred kilos, crushed him, by the time fire
crews reached him he was already unconscious. The Mesa fire master
reports usually one such casualty annually, last week a similar accident
occurred in Phoenix. 19th April 2010.
|
Austria
Farmer dies in byre fire
A 61-year old farmer died in a fire in a large cattle byre at his farm
in Albendorf, Upper Austria, at the weekend. He was desperate to get
his herd of cattle out of the burning building but the fire spread
rapidly and trapped him. He was pulled out with severe injuries and
died later in hospital in Linz. 19th April 2010.
|
Australia
Worker's arms broken in conveyor accident
A worker is listed in stable condition in Royal Melbourne Hospital
following an accident at the Broadmeadows tyre factory, north
Melbourne, where he broke both arms after tripping and falling on to a
conveyor belt, along which he was dragged.
16th April 2010.
|
Canada
Forklift runs over worker's foot
A worker was injured yesterday when a forklift truck ran over his foot
during clearing up work at a site on Pitt Street, Windsor, his
condition was unknown.
16th April 2010.
|
South Africa
Trench collapse kills sewage worker
An unstable excavation collapsed on Wednesday in Landsdowne Road,
Mobeni, where sewage installation work is taking place. One worker
died but a colleague survived the incident although he had been buried
under the ingress of fine tilth soil for a few minutes. 15th April 2010.
|
Romania
Train/lorry collision
A lorry driver was killed on Wednesday when his vehicle was struck by
a Bucharest Nord-Constanta express train as he negotiated a level
crossing in Lehliu. 15th April 2010.
|
USA
Woman killed after forklift collapses wall
A 37-year old woman was killed yesterday when an internal wall
collapsed in Matt's Supreme Cones in Waynesboro, Virginia, after it
was struck by a forklift truck driven by an 18-year old.
14th April 2010.
|
England
Company fined for fatal fall at Bristol Airport
At Bristol Crown Court Rubb Buildings of Gateshead was fined £100K
plus £48,795 in costs over an accident at Bristol Airport where a
30-year old worker died in a 10-metre fall during the dismantling of
Bryman Hangar. The worker had been cutting through a PVC tarpaulin
roof but fell through a section as he attempted to return to his MEWP
(mobile elevating work platform).
HSE investigation revealed a lack of protective measures in place,
especially to prevent him having to go on to the roof. The company
pleaded guilty to a breach of S.2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work
etc Act 1974. 14th
April 2010.
|
USA
Falling granite kills Maryland lorry driver
A heavy granite section became unstable and fell during unloading on
Monday at American Countertop, Hanover, Maryland, killing a lorry
driver. 13th April
2010.
|
Peru
Bus crashes into Lake Titicaca
A San Roman bus travelling from Cusco to Juliana left the road at
Conima in Puno region and rolled 100 metres down into Lake Titicaca,
15 people died and 20 others were injured.
13th April 2010.
|
USA
Crane signalman killed in fall through roof
A signalman for a crane has died in fall through an opening in the
roof of a building of Kansas City Municipal Works & Public Works in
Kansas City where Kierber Roofing were stripping out old decking and
replacing it with new material.
12th April 2010.
|
USA
Elephant kills Pennsylvanian circus worker
An animal handler was killed by an African elephant at the Irem Shrine
Circus in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, prior to the attack it is
believed that the animal had received a shock after contacting a live
electrical source.
11th April 2010.
|
The Netherlands
Tanker and yacht collide
An investigation was launched into the collision of a tanker and yacht
yesterday on the Merwede between Papendracht and Dordrecht. Both boats
were heading for Rotterdam, the yacht crew were hospitalised with
hypothermia. 9th April 2010.
|
Serbia
Zoo visitor injured by elephant
An elderly man was undergoing surgery last night after sustaining
broken ribs and internal injuries in an attack by an elephant at
Belgrade Zoo where he had entered the enclosure beyond a wall and
ditch to rescue his grandson who had fallen in. The boy was uninjured
in the incident. 9th April 2010.
|
Gaza
Man killed in contraband tunnel collapse
A man has died in a tunnel collapse under the Yebna refugee camp near
the Salah Al-Deen Gate in Rafah, 6 other people are believed to have
survived by making for the Egyptian side of the excavation.
8th April 2010.
|
Singapore
Record shipyard fine over confined space accident
A record fine of $150K (£70,432) for a shipyard accident has been
levied against Prime Marine for a failure to ensure the safety of
workers under the Workplace Safety & Health Act in respect of a fatal
accident on December 15th 2007 in which 2 workers died in a confined
space accident.
Workers were required to enter a ship's tank to clean it at Western
Anchorage. A supervisor sent 3 workers in, having failed to wait for
clearance from a chief officer over fears of high concentrations of
hydrogen sulphide.
The supervisor, who failed to ensure that the workers had gas
detection equipment and breathing apparatus, was fined $50K (£23,477)
for committing a reckless act.
8th April 2010.
|
USA
High methane levels restricts mine rescue
Dangerously high concentrations of methane gas were restricting rescue
efforts to reach 4 trapped miners at the site of the explosion at the
Upper Big Branch coal mine of Massey Energy Company, 30 miles south of
Charleston, West Virginia. Twenty five miners died in the explosion
1.5 miles from the pit's entrance, attempts were ongoing yesterday to
drill through to reach the 4 trapped miners.
7th April 2010.
|
Greece
Firework fatal accidents
A 17-year old youth has died in hospital after his hand was blown off
by a firework during Easter festivities in Voroi, south Crete.
Elsewhere, a 21-year old died when a firework exploded in a warehouse
in Karterados, Santorini.
7th April 2010.
|
France
Farmer killed in tractor accident
A 51-year old farmer died in a tractor accident on Monday on his farm
in Geveze, he was discovered under the vehicle, the nature of the
accident remains unclear.
6th April 2010.
|
USA
Teen's legs crushed at Oklahoma works
An 18-year old worker is listed in critical condition after his legs
were crushed by a falling roll of heavy material at the weekend at
tubing and pipe manufacturer Webco in Sand Springs, west of Tulsa,
Oklahoma. 6th April
2010.
|
Singapore
Shipyard charged over fire accidents
In court on Thursday Kreuz Shipbuilding and Engineering pleaded guilty
to breaches of health and safety law in respect of 2 accidents at its
Tuas premises in 2008.
In April, a fire broke out in the OBT Alpha ship during the
installation of hydraulic pipes which injured 4 workers. Compressed
oxygen was used to test the pipes but the reaction of the oxygen with
the oily, rusty interior generated heat and an explosion.
In June, 3 workers died and 6 were injured in a flash fire during the
spray painting of the inside of water tanks on the Rainbow Star
vessel. Sentence will be delivered later this month.
2nd April 2010.
|
Turkey
Grenade exploded in soldier's hand
A soldier was killed yesterday when a grenade exploded in his hand at
a military base in Gaziantep, southeast Anatolia. 1st April 2010.
|
USA
Unstable forklift accident
A 56-year old Louisiana man, believed to have been the proprietor of
ArkLa Recycling, was killed in a forklift accident during unloading
work at the former Ramsey's Trailways bus station in Monroe, the
stand-up forklift became unstable and pinned the worker. 1st April 2010.
|
|
Rep Ireland
Plant accident on Clare site
A worker was killed on Thursday in an accident involving a
track-digger near Derryfadda, northeast of Limerick.
30th April 2010.
|
USA
Falling tree kills work detail prisoner
A prisoner of St Clair County jail in Emmett, Michigan, on a work
detail for the St Clair County Drain Commissioner's Office was killed
by a falling tree during the felling of trees at the Emmet Drain.
A felled tree struck a second tree, and subsequently a third tree, in
diseased condition, struck the prisoner, who died later in Port Huron
Hospital. 30th
April 2010.
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England
Narrative verdict in Lancs mechanic's death
A narrative verdict was
recorded at Burnley Coroner's Court in respect of the death of a
mechanic who died in Royal Preston Hospital following an accident in
Reedley.
On 6th October 2009, the mechanic of Farnworth's Motor care was
testing a motor bike purchased by a customer on the internet but which
had a recurring problem. Oil was not lubricating the engine which
would seize up, causing the back wheel to lock. The mechanic was
thrown from the bike and sustained severe head injuries. 29th April 2010.
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Rep Ireland
Tractor crush accident
A 31-year old Polish worker is listed as in serious but stable
condition in Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, following a crush
accident while he was working under a tractor. 29th April 2010.
|
Northern Ireland
Company fined over shipyard death
An HSENI prosecution at Antrim Crown Court saw F G Wilson of Larne
fined £90K plus costs after pleading guilty to 2 breaches of health
and safety legislation in respect of a fatal accident at its Larne
shipyard in October 2008.
A 55-year old maintenance fitter's head was crushed in an 11cm gap
between a roof beam and the top of a moving crane being operated by a
colleague at ground level. The company was deemed to have not
sufficiently assessed the risks involved in the activity and had
neither developed a safe system of work nor supervised the activities
of employees.
28th April 2010.
|
England
Sweet company fined over crush accident
At Bournemouth Crown Court Tangerine Confectionery was fined £300K
plus £72,901 in costs over the death of a worker crushed in machinery
at its plant in Branksome, Dorset. A blockage had occurred in a
2-metre high jelly bean machine and a worker had climbed over the top
and was attempting to clear the blockage but became trapped when the
machine reactivated. In attempting to help, a colleague inadvertently
pressed the wrong switch.
Although the machine displayed a warning notice, HSE investigation
found that there was no safe system for dealing with blockages and no
written risk assessment. The machine was neither switched off nor
isolated.
28th April 2010.
|
Turkey
Record free diver injured in training
A female free diver was hospitalised in Antalya on Monday after
experiencing possible cerebral hypoxia during a training dive at Kas.
Medics were concerned over possible damage to her lung function, she
already holds a 105-metre free dive record and has been targeting 125
metres this weekend.
27th April 2010.
|
USA
California orchard worker killed in fall
A worker has died in a fall down a steep gradient in a kumquat orchard
on Cotharin Road, Ventura, California.
27th April 2010.
|
England
Oil platform electrical accident
HSE is to investigate an electrical accident on the Dunlin Alpha
platform in the North Sea 85 miles northeast of the Shetland Isles
where an oil worker sustained a shock and was airlifted to Gilbert
Bain Hospital in Lerwick then transferred to Aberdeen. 26th April 2010.
|
England
Gas incident at Eastbourne hotel
Two East Sussex contract workers required hospital treatment after a
gas leak ignited in the basement of the Cumberland Hotel on Grand
Parade, Eastbourne. 26th April 2010.
|
Turkey
Girl killed in fall into septic tank
An 8-year old girl has drowned in a septic tank in Antalya when she
stumbled and fell into the tank whose lid had allegedly been removed
and not replaced after the application of pesticide. It took an hour
to drain the tank and recover her body.
23rd April 2010.
|
South Africa
Gold miner killed
A miner was struck and killed yesterday by a snatch block in a gully
at the TauTona mine of AngloGold Ashanti in Carletonville, Gauteng.
23rd April 2010.
|
Rep Ireland
Boy,2, killed by falling farm gate
A falling farmyard gate has killed a 2-year old boy at a farm in
Keshcarrigan, County Leitrim.
22nd April 2010.
|
Germany
Customer left locked in bank vault
A 62-year old bank customer found himself locked in the safety deposit
vault of a Sparkasse branch in Muenchengladbach for a couple of hours
after closing time. He was eventually able to use a telephone in the
vault to raise the alarm.
22nd April 2010.
|
England
Worker's fingers broken in unguarded machinery
At South Tyneside Magistrates' Court European Metal Recycling was
fined £8K plus £5,506 costs in connection with an accident in which a
worker broke 4 fingers while trying to clear a blockage in machinery
at its Tyne Dock site in South Shields. A colleague had reactivated
the machine, which had not been properly shut down and lacked
protective guards.
21st April 2010.
|
England
Electrical explosion in Coventry street
Two pedestrians required treatment for minor burns following an
underground cable explosion in Fairfax Street, Coventry.
21st April 2010.
|
England
Yorks company fined over roofer's fall
At Beverley Magistrates' Court TMN Fabrications Ltd has been fined
£22,500 plus £7,103 in costs after pleading guilty to breaches of
S.2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, r.3(2) of the
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
1995 and r.6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. On 28th
January 2009, a worker fell 4 metres from the roof of Park Farm,
Everingham, York, while fitting fibre-cement roof sheeting.
The company, now in liquidation, failed to provide adequate edge
protection and nets or suitable work platforms for its employees
during the roof work. It also failed to report the worker's fall until
17th March. 20th
April 2010.
|
England
Company fined over unsafe roof work
Westwise Demolition Ltd was fined £6K plus £13,483 in costs at
Leicester Crown Court after pleading guilty to breaching S.3(2) of the
Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure that people
not in its employment were not exposed to risks to their safety. While
removing roof tiles from the former Manvers Arms public house in
Lincoln, a worker in the upturned bucket of an excavator was being fed
tiles by another worker on the roof. When the bucket was filled, the
worker joined his colleague on the roof and re-entered the empty
bucket when it was raised again. No scaffolding was present, nor was
there anything to prevent injury below from falling or dislodged roof
tiles. 20th April
2010.
|
India
Girl,6, dies in lift accident
On Sunday a 6-year old girl died of multiple fractures in a lift
accident in a building in Dharavi, Mumbai (Bombay), after becoming
trapped between the door and gate of the lift which descended from the
5th floor to the ground floor and then re-ascended with her body still
trapped. 19th April 2010.
|
Canada
Worker's fingers crushed in unguarded pulley
Canadian BBR Inc was fined
$55K(£35,442) in court in Burlington, Ontario, after pleading guilty
to a breach of the Occupational Health & Safety Act in respect of an
accident on 1st August 2008 in which a worker's fingers were crushed
in machinery at a new bridge site in Oakville.
The company was subcontracted to work on the project spanning Sixteen
Mile Creek, the worker's fingers were caught in an unguarded pulley
system as he was using a machine to draw wire through a duct.
19 April 2010.
|
England
Derbyshire farm accident
HSE is investigating an accident at a farm in Mapperley, Derbyshire,
in which a worker was critically injured yesterday while working with
machinery. 16th
April 2010.
|
New Zealand
Farmer killed in tractor rollover
A farm worker has died in a tractor rollover accident while towing a
roller on a gradient at a farm south of Seddon, Marlborough, in the
northeast of South Island.
16th April 2010.
|
The Netherlands
Unbraked tractor kills Gelderland farmer
A 76-year old farmer died on Wednesday afternoon after being run over
by his unbraked tractor after alighting from it in a field at his farm
in Scherpenzeel, Gelderland, the tractor ran on down a gradient into a
ditch. 15th April 2010.
|
The Netherlands
Unlicensed pilot fined
At a court in Oude Meer a 41-year old Swedish pilot who flew passenger
aircraft for more than a decade without an upgraded pilot's
license(see story 5th March) was fined €2K,
one third of the maximum fine, the prosecution had sought a 3-month
prison sentence. 15th April 2010.
|
Rep Ireland
Elderly patient dies after hoist failure
Dublin City Coroner's Court has returned a verdict of death by
misadventure in respect of the death of a 104-year old lady who died
in St James's Hospital, Dublin, after falling from a hoist at Belvilla
nursing home on 29th January 2009.
The inquest heard that an error in the attachment of the lower loops
of the sling to the bar of the hoist caused the lifting operation to
fail, the patient fractured 3 ribs and a collarbone in a 1-metre fall.
At Accident and Emergency she was treated for a suspected head injury
and was cleared for discharge prior to her sudden death there. The
coroner highlighted the risk factors, including the use of a medium
sling rather than a small one and a failure to identify her injuries
at A & E.
The coroner also indicated he would write to the hospital regarding
treatment of elderly patients following the complaints of the victim's
relatives. 14th
April 2010.
|
England
Driver at risk of electrocution at council site
At Leeds Magistrates' Court Leeds
City Council was fined £10,500 plus £2K costs over an accident in
which electricity arced to the raised tipper of a lorry at its Red
Hall Estates landscape construction storage site in Shadwell. The
lorry's tyres blew out and the driver was at risk of electrocution if
he left the cab.
The site was found to lack signs and barriers to prevent the incident
occurring, the council pleaded guilty to breaches of S.2(1) and 3(1)
of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
14th April 2010.
|
Austria
Train hits ambulance on Steier level crossing
A Graz Koflach Bahn train struck an ambulance at the Krottendorf level
crossing in Steiermark on Monday, killing the ambulance driver who was
driving to Graz to collect patients. The ambulance was propelled 280
metres along the track. The ambulance appears to have crossed against
a red light in heavy rain conditions.
13th April 2010.
|
Indonesia
Worker killed in media tower collapse
The 60-metre tall Bali Beach Channel media tower fell in Kutuh, Bali,
killing a worker who was on top of it.
13th April 2010.
|
Italy
Crush fatality at Rome waste-disposal unit
A 47-year old Sardinian worker died in a blunt force trauma accident
at the Ecosistem waste-disposal facility in Pomezia, Rome, where he
was struck in the thorax by a piston in the machinery, it remains
unclear whether he was attempting to clear a blockage.
12th April 2010.
|
Austria
Danube ship collision
Two female passengers were injured when the Bulgarian-flagged
passenger ship Rousse collided with a Ukrainian freighter at
Brigittenau on the Danube in Vienna yesterday, rescue teams had
trained for just such an exercise as recently as late March at
Freudenau. 11th
April 2010.
|
Scotland
MAIB critical of tug practice
Last June, the Dutch tug Ijsselstroom of Van Wijngaarden Marine
Services sank while assisting as brake vessel at the stern of Tak Boa
1, a stone laden-barge, near the entrance to Peterhead harbour, all 3
crew members were rescued.
The MAIB report was critical of the Ijsselstroom operator for not
having a staff training programme in place and being reliant on the
knowledge and experience of the skipper which were never assessed. The
skipper was not trained in the use of the emergency brake lift
control, had not tested it and did not operate it when the tug
encountered difficulties. April 2010.
|
Rep Ireland
Kayakers drown at Waterford weir
Two kayakers drowned but a third survived to raise the alarm after the
trio got into difficulties on the River Clodagh near Portlaw, County
Waterford, on a very difficult stretch of water featuring a weir and a
fish path by an old factory.
9th April 2010.
|
Philippines
Firewall collapse at Cebu mall site
A firewall collapsed at the 3-storey Gaisano Capital Mall site in
Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, killing 5 workers and injuring 6 others of
CYC Construction Company. The site has been operating to meet a tight
opening deadline at the end of the month.
8th April 2010.
|
USA
Arborist killed in 12-metre fall
A Washington arborist, believed to have been the proprietor of Allstar
Tree & Landscape, has died in a 12- metre fall from a tree in Poulsbo,
northwest of Seattle.
8th April 2010.
|
New Zealand
Worker killed during glass unloading
The Department of Labour is investigating a fatal accident which
occurred on Tuesday at Sharpeye glass products on the Wairau Valley
industrial zone, north Auckland, where falling glass killed a worker
during unloading. He was inside a container when the glass fell, 4
other workers were injured in attempting his rescue.
7th April 2010.
|
England
Rubber company disregarded machine maintenance
On 19th February 2008, an inadequately maintained autoclave exploded
and a flying metal section inflicted serious injuries to a worker at
another work station at the Moseley Rubber Company factory in
Manchester.
At Trafford Magistrates' Court the company was fined £10K plus £8,153
in costs after pleading guilty to breaching r.9(1)(a) and r.12 of the
Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 by failing to arrange routine
inspection of the machine and failing to maintain it. HSE issued a
total of 12 Prohibition Notices on machinery during an investigation,
an inspector added: "It’s shocking that the Moseley Rubber Company
appears to have had such little concern for the safety of its workers,
allowing them to work with potentially dangerous machinery for several
years. The company failed to service the machine for more than a
decade, after cancelling its annual shutdown for routine maintenance.
It also ignored its legal duty to make sure a routine inspection was
carried out by a qualified inspector. This case demonstrates how
important it is for manufacturing companies to take their health and
safety responsibilities seriously. It simply isn’t acceptable to cut
back on safety to try and make short-term gains.”
7th April 2010.
|
Malaysia
Steel worker dies after arm severed
A worker has died in Sarawak General Hospital following an accident
yesterday at a steel works on Bintawa Industrial Park in Kuching where
his arm was severed while feeding scrap metal into a machine. He had
also sustained serious chest injuries in the accident and considerable
loss of blood. 6th
April 2010.
|
France
Rail yard electrocution accident
A 23-year old man has died in hospital in Nantes after an electrical
accident at the rail freight yard in the city where it is believed
that he had climbed on to a wagon to take photos, when electricity of
25Kv arced down.
The area is marked out of bounds to the public and displays warnings
of electrical danger but is accessible.
6th April 2010.
|
England
Joiner died in fall from unsafe scaffold
A Lancs joiner died after almost 6 weeks in a coma from severe head
injuries sustained in a fall from an inadequately secured scaffolding
at a site on Altham Industrial Estate 4 years ago. At Hyndburn
Magistrates' Court Glen Mill Group Developments Inc of Nelson and
Howorth Scaffolding Services Ltd of Hapton pleaded guilty to failing
to provide a safe workplace for a worker at height.
Sentencing will follow in the coming weeks.
2nd April 2010.
|
Turkey
Missing schoolboy found dead in sewer
The body of the 10-year old schoolboy missing from a boarding school
(see story 31st March) has been found drowned in a sewer near the
school in Usak.
There have been allegations that the sewer was subject only to a
cursory search and resealed early in the investigation and that the
school security cameras were not operating.
2nd April 2010.
|
Spain
Falling rock kills road site worker
A construction worker was killed yesterday in a crush accident at a
road site near Barranco de la Batella on the A-7 in Alicante where he
was struck by falling rock. 1st April 2010.
|
India
Site worker killed by steel rods
A construction worker died in a handling accident at a site in
Akurdi, Pune, when steel rods slipped during handling and inflicted
critical chest injuries to the worker who died later in hospital.1st April 2010.
|
|
England
Fencing accident proves fatal
The workman injured on 13th April while erecting fencing in Mapperley,
Derbyshire, has since succumbed to his injuries. One account states he
received multiple injuries inflicted by drilling equipment.
30th April 2010.
|
England
Ullswater cruiser passenger overboard
A passenger is missing after going overboard from the Lady of the Lake
pleasure cruiser at Sharrow Bay, Ullswater.
The incident occurred yesterday morning and was witnessed by some of
the other 53 passengers.
30th April 2010.
|
Scotland
Worker crushed at road works
It is reported that a worker was badly injured on Tuesday morning when
he was crushed between a tar spreader and a lorry.
The accident occurred on the Rhonehouse to Tongland road in Dumfries
and Galloway, he is in a serious condition. 29th April 2010.
|
England
Technician fell through rooflight
A man in his 20's fell through an unmarked fragile rooflight in August
2007 as he took a reading from a rain gauge on top of a pumping
station in Willingham, near Cambridge.
The building belongs to Anglian Water Services Ltd, the accident
victim was employed by contractor IETG Ltd to carry out specialist
services on its behalf.
While investigating the accident HSE visited Anglian’s sewage
treatment plant in Angel Drove, Ely, where it discovered some machines
were missing safety guards, and found interlocking devices not
working properly, allowing the machines to automatically start up when
the guards were open.
Anglian, of Huntingdon, Cambs, admitted breaching S.3(1) of the Health
and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, failing to adequately identify the
risks associated with working near the unmarked fragile skylights, for
which it was fined £4,000 with £3,261 in costs. It was also fined a
further £12,000 with £6,286 in costs, after it admitted breaching
S.2(1) of the same Act in relation to a separate issue.
Employer IETG Ltd of Leeds admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974, having failed to ensure the health and
safety of those working near unmarked fragile skylights, for which it
was fined £1,500 with £3,219 in costs.
29th April 2010.
|
England
Waste mix up at Sellafield
Five bags of radioactive waste from the Sellafield nuclear site in
Cumbria have been incorrectly consigned to a landfill site outside
Workington after equipment failed to identify the low-level
radioactive waste content of the bags. The waste should have been
taken to a special repository near Drigg in Cumbria, the Environment
Agency is investigating.
28th April 2010.
|
Scotland
Concrete panel crushed worker
A farm worker died on an East Lothian farm when a concrete panel being
positioned to form a wall toppled and crushed him. No risk assessment
had been carried out for the project.
A telescopic handler with slings, and hooks provided with the concrete
panels were used, but no suitable lifting attachment had been fitted
to the telehandler forks. Unfortunately the slings on the forks were
able to slide, and suspending the concrete panel from slings did not
permit the panel to rotate freely, as it would have if supported by a
crane hook.
Hamilton Farmers (East Lothian) of Garvald admitted breaching S.2(1)
of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Haddington Sheriff
Court. It was fined £20,000. 28th April 2010.
|
England
Forklift truck accident claims life in
Liverpool
An employee of Recresco Ltd has died in an industrial accident at its
Ellesmere Port premises.
The accident occurred yesterday morning, the deceased was in his 20's
and reports suggest a forklift truck may have overturned.
27th
April 2010.
|
England
Worker's horrific augur injury
In January last year a farming company employee lost his toe and part
of his foot when he fell and trapped both feet in a manure
augur.
The equipment proved to be inadequately guarded and the employer, CK
Hanson & Son Ltd of, Tong, Bradford, admitted breaching r.11(1) of the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined
£2,000 with £1,395 costs.
27th April 2010.
|
England
Fatal industrial accident at steel
plant
An electrician in his 20's has died following an industrial accident
at the Corus steelworks in Scunthorpe. One account states he was
working at the continuous casting section of the works on Friday
morning when the incident took place.
26th April 2010.
|
England
Farmer dies in livestock accident
It is reported that a farmer has died following a livestock handling
accident at a farm near Calthwaite in Cumbria on Saturday.
26th April 2010.
|
England
Faulty wiring could have killed
A labourer sustained a serious electrical shock because electrical
equipment was not properly maintained.
The 21-year old man was working at Steel fabricators Hickman
Engineering Ltd in Cannock. He was helping to manually load a saw
before his colleague cut a length of metal handrail. Although the
machine wasn’t switched on at the time, he still suffered an electric
shock.
The saw’s electrical cable had been unsuitably repaired with tape and
it featured corroded earth connections.
An HSE official observed: “The cable was too long, allowing it to
droop onto the workshop floor without any protection, where metal
filings were present. The design of the machine was not suitable for
the conditions of the workshop, and in many respects this was
something just waiting to happen.”
The company was fined £3,000 plus £1,500 costs for breaching the
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
23rd April 2010.
|
England
Worker fell from height at car plant
Ultimate Industries Ltd has been
fined £1,000 plus £2,125 costs at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates'
Court after pleading guilty to breaching r.6(3) of the Work at Height
Regulations 2005 in connection with an industrial accident in August
2008
The injured man, with colleagues, was roofing a 'lean to' building
that they had fabricated in a compound at Toyota Motor Manufacturing
(UK) Ltd's car manufacturing site in Burnaston, Derbyshire. Whilst
fixing sheets the man fell 3.7 metres from the roof, seriously
injuring his back.
The work had not been properly planned and precautions necessary for
safe work at height had not been taken.
23rd April 2010.
|
England
Incident claims life on Cumbrian
farm
It is reported that a man in his 40's died on Tuesday in an incident
at Whinbank Farm in Distington, Cumbria.
One account states that he sustained head injuries in the incident
that involved a trailer.
22nd April 2010.
|
England
Gate crushes boy in Kent
A boy aged 6 has sustained serious upper body injuries in an incident
involving a power-operated gate at residential properties in Dental
Street, Hythe.
He is listed in critical condition following yesterday morning's
incident. 22nd
April 2010.
|
England
Leeds bin man killed in crash accident
HSE is investigating a fatal accident in Beeston Park Terrace,
Beeston, Leeds, where a 55-year old Leeds City Council refuse
collector was killed by a falling telegraph pole which was struck by a
reversing bin van, police arrested a 51-year old man in connection
with the incident.
21st April 2010.
|
England
Skylight fall at Midlands factory
A director of Steven Walker and
Sons Ltd has been held responsible for an industrial accident in which
an employee injured his back when he fell through a skylight during
repair work on a roof at Cradley Heath.
The director, along with the employee, had been attempting the repair
without the benefit of a risk assessment or specific safety equipment.
The director was fined £10,000 with £5,000 costs after pleading guilty
to breaching S.37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
21st April 2010.
|
England
Biffa fined £280,000 over man's death
On 10th September 2007, a member of the public was depositing garden
waste at Biffa Waste Services Ltd's civic amenity site in Newbury when
he was crushed by a loading shovel bucket being used to flatten and
drag waste away from the tipping area.
Investigation found Biffa had failed to carry out a suitable and
sufficient risk assessment of the garden waste tipping area of the
site to ensure people other than employees were suitably protected,
the loading shovel being permitted to work in close proximity to
members of the public.
At Reading Crown Court Biffa was fined £280,000 with costs of £54,906.
20th April 2010.
England
Company and directors fined after
marble slabs killed worker
A worker was killed when unrestrained marble slabs toppled from their
position on a trailer, 2 other men were injured in the incident. The
6-tonne load was parked on a slope on the road outside the premises of
Marble City Ltd in Wandsworth, causing the stone slabs to lean towards
the kerb. They fell shortly after the 3 men entered the trailer.
MCL had operated an unsafe system of work for unloading deliveries for
several years. They should have insisted on deliveries being unloaded
on flat level ground and ensured that the slabs were restrained at all
times. One director failed to establish the delivery driver's
competence or brief him on the unloading operation, it was company
policy to let only competent drivers be involved with unloading, but
the driver was permitted to participate by claiming to have years of
experience.
Marble City admitted breaching S.2(1) and S.3(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for which it was fined £100,000 with costs
of £47,564.
Two directors also each pleaded guilty to 2 breaches of S.37 of the
same Act 1974 by allowing their company to commit breaches due to
their negligence for which they were fined £10,000 each.
20th April 2010.
|
|
England
Hospital waste illegally dumped
A quantity of hospital waste, perhaps as much as several tonnes, has
been illegally dumped at the former airfield at Beccles, Suffolk. The
Environment Agency is investigating.
19th April 2010.
|
England
Worker was badly scalded
A temporary worker at FMC Chemicals Ltd was badly scalded while using
steam to unblock pipes containing lithium chloride at Wirral
International Business Park in Bromborough on 5th June 2008.
Investigation found the accident victim was working in an area for
which he was not trained, significant risks were not identified nor
were
adequate control measures in place.
FMC was fined £13,485 plus £8,926 costs.
19th April 2010.
|
England
Excavation collapse worker has serious
injuries
A 33-year old worker was rescued from a 2-metre deep trench after it
collapsed on Wednesday.
Emergency services eventually freed him from the excavation in Main
Avenue, Heysham, and he was airlifted to Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
16th April 2010.
|
Wales
Metal bale killed driver at scrapyard
A 50-year old man delivering a load of metal to a scrapyard left his
cab and opened the doors of his trailer just as a 1.5t metal bale
became unstable and crushed him.
Scrapyard owners Sims Group UK Ltd admitted breaching S.3(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £200,000 with
£57,500 costs at Cardiff Crown Court. The deceased had not received
any site safety induction from Sims UK Ltd and was following
instructions given by its operatives when he was killed.
An HSE official commented: “This tragic incident arose because it was
custom for the loading of scrap onto the stockpile even though
delivery drivers were in the immediate vicinity of it. The size and
nature of the stockpile, combined with the method used to feed it
meant that it was highly likely that materials would fall.”
16th April 2010.
|
England
Inquest opened into death fall
The inquest into the death of a company director, who died after
falling through a roof of industrial premises on the Valleyside
Industrial Estate in Wymondham, has been opened and adjourned.
The accident occurred on 6th April, the deceased was with his brother
at the time, repairing the roof.
15th April 2010.
|
England
Workman fell from portable
accommodation roof
Ashtead Plant Hire Co Ltd of Warrington, trading as APlant, has
admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
1974 and been fined £200,000 plus £15,698 costs at Maidstone Crown
Court yesterday in connection with the death on 16th August 2006 of a
55-year old employee in an industrial accident.
The deceased climbed on top of a stack of 2 accommodation units to
help attach lifting chains so that the top unit could be lifted down,
but he fell more than 5 metres and died at the scene.
Ashtead had a written procedure for
work on top of accommodation units in its depots and at customers’
sites requiring the wearing of a safety harness and inertia reel line
and the use of a secured ladder, but the workers at the depot had not
been issued with this equipment or been trained to use it and most did
not know the company had the procedure.
15th April 2010.
|
Scotland
Cherry picker fatal accident
A workman died when his MEWP (mobile elevating work platform)
overturned as he inspected a railway bridge in Stewarton, Ayrshire.
The accident occurred on Tuesday
morning, the deceased was employed by a contractor.
14th April 2010.
|
England
Driver crushed at Corus site
A 22-year old worker died when 3 tonnes of steel plate fell on him.
On 4th January 2007, the employee of A Hingley Transport Ltd was
helping a Corus employee load the steel plate onto a vehicle when one
load being lifted was not level, causing it to fall
and kill the driver.
HSE deemed that the system of work for
loading steel was unsafe. Not all the individual tasks involved had
been evaluated and there was scope for misunderstanding between
workers.
Corus (UK) Ltd was fined £240,000 plus £112,500 costs at
Stafford Crown Court, having admitted breaching S.3(1) of the Health
and Safety at Work Act 1974.
14th April 2010.
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England
Farmer's fatal accident
It is reported that an 81-year old farmer died following an accident
on Saturday afternoon after he became trapped between his tractor and
a gate at a farm near Ulverston.
13th April 2010.
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England
Machine's safety device was not working
A worker reached into a bagging machine to make an adjustment without
knowing that a safety device was not working. The safety cut-out
should have stopped the machine but, coincidentally, the machine had
come to a pre-programmed halt in its cycle. As he tested the tension
on a belt the machine started up, injuring his middle finger.
His employer, Fold Hill Foods Ltd,
of Old Leake, near Boston, admitted breaching r.11(3)(c) of the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined
£1,250 with £1,545 costs.
13th April 2010.
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England
Worker suffered major injury on 2nd day
at work
An employee of AB Waste Management Ltd of Stourbridge fell through a
guard-rail and fractured his spine in a 3-metre fall on 16th June 2009
as he cleaned a crushing machine at premises in Darlaston. HSE deemed
that the guard-rail had not been properly maintained and repaired.
AB Waste was fined £12,000 plus £1,836 costs for breaching r.5 of the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
12th April 2010.
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Scotland
Firefighter stable after training
incident
It is reported that a Lothians and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
firefighter had to be resuscitated following an incident on the River
Tweed in Selkirkshire.
One account states he got into difficulties during water rescue
training and was reported to be in a stable condition in hospital on
Friday. 11th April
2010.
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England
Two injured at disused Sussex factory
Two men have sustained burns in an incident on Thursday afternoon
involving electrical equipment at the former Shep Plastics premises in
Hailsham. One of the injured men is described as having serious
injuries.
11th April 2010.
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England
Worker injured in fall
A scaffolder has been badly injured in a fall at Firby Hall near
Bedale, Yorkshire.
He fell on Tuesday afternoon while working on a refurbishment project
and is listed in serious condition.
9th April 2010.
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England
Workman's fatal fall
A 25-year old employee of Regentford Ltd of Hackney fell from a
scaffolding structure in February 2005. He had been re-pointing
brickwork at a property in Croydon when he fell, sustaining head
injuries from which he died some days later.
HSE maintained that the scaffolding was totally inadequate for the job
and there was no one in effective control of health and safety on the
site.
Regentford was fined £250,000 for breaching S.2(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work Act etc. 1974 and must pay costs of £71,603.
9th April 2010.
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England
Firefighters perish in fire
Two firefighters in their 30's have died while attending an outbreak
of fire at high rise flats in Southampton. Two other firefighters
required treatment for minor injuries, 3 residents were also taken to
hospital from Shirley Towers after the outbreak on Tuesday evening.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service described the fire as 'extremely
challenging'.
8th April 2010.
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England
Care home firm fined for legionella
risk
SJ Care Homes Ltd of Harrow, Middlesex, has been fined £5,000 plus
£3,607 costs for breaching S.33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974 by failing to comply with an enforcement notice.
Upon discovering, during a routine visit, that the care home did not
have the required precautions in place to control legionella bacteria
at its Beech House Nursing Home in Wythenshawe, an HSE official issued
an enforcement notice requiring the company to produce a plan to
manage the level of legionella in its water systems. It failed to do
so within the 6 weeks period stipulated, triggering prosecution.
8th April 2010.
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England
Member of public injured at station
A man is listed as critically ill following an accident on Monday
evening at Newcastle Central Station in which he appears to have
fallen between 2 carriages of a Metro train.
7th April 2010.
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England
Scaffolding incident in Swindon
A scaffolding structure has collapsed on The Parade in Swindon town
centre. The incident did not injure anyone but it has caused
disruption in the immediate vicinity, with streets being closed until
the scene was made safe.
7th April 2010.
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England
Farming death
A farm worker in his 40's has died after being crushed by a bale of
hay being handled mechanically by an item of plant.
The accident occurred last Thursday evening at the farm at Pyworthy,
Devon.
6th April 2010.
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Scotland
Pedicab passenger seriously
injured
A man in his 20's being carried in a pedicab in Edinburgh sustained a
serious head injury when he fell from it in the early hours of Sunday.
He remains in a serious condition in hospital.
6th April 2010.
Update: The man died on Monday.
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England
Derbyshire farmer killed in livestock
incident
It is reported that a farmer has apparently been killed by his cattle
on a farm in Ridgeway. The man in his 60's died on Wednesday
afternoon. 2nd
April 2010.
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England
Equipment guarding failures at Cornwall
engineers
Despite being served with Improvement Notices by HSE, boring equipment
manufacturer Rigibore Ltd of Hayle was fined £3,000 plus £3,420 costs
for breaching r.11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998.
Inspectors from the HSE visited the site at Guildford Industrial
Estate in December 2008 and found machinery without safety guards or a
power cut-off device to automatically stop the machine in the event of
someone getting dragged into it.
An HSE official commented: "It's extremely disappointing that after
complying with an Improvement Notice, Rigibore was again found in
breach of health and safety regulations during a later visit. Rigibore
Ltd put its employees at serious risk of having their hands or arms
caught in machines, which could have caused all manner of horrific
injuries. The company had not managed health and safety as they should
have and standards of machinery safeguarding were completely
unacceptable."
2nd April 2010.
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England
HSE investigates Lancs scaffolding collapse
HSE has been inspecting a scaffolding structure that collapsed in the early hours of
yesterday, falling away from a terraced residential property and
blocking Greenwich Road in Aintree.
1st April 2010.
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England
Corus fined
An explosion in a 75-metre-tall steel
chimney at Dawes Lane Coke Ovens in Scunthorpe on 3rd October 2007
could have caused a catastrophic incident, says HSE, following the
prosecution of Corus UK Ltd of London.
The explosion was caused by a failure to remove flammable gas from the
flarestack. The stack was not adequately isolated from the gas system
when welding took place and the gas ignited during the work,
almost blowing it in half.
Corus was fined £10,000 plus £6,155 costs for breaching S.5(1) and
6(1) of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations
2002. 1st April
2010.
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