Myanamar/Burma Many killed in Yangon warehouse explosion At least 17 people have died and more than 80 were injured when fire broke out in an explosives warehouse in Mingalar Taung Nyunt, east Yangon, which led to a massive explosion. 30th December 2011 Malta Unwell seaman airlifted to Gozo An Air Force helicopter airlifted a seaman to hospital yesterday from the cargo ship Auriga Leader which was 15 miles west of Gozo, the man was listed as having severe chest pains. 30th December 2011 India 10 workers killed in firecracker unit explosion More than 10 workers may have died in 2 separate explosions at firecracker production units in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In one on a rubber plantation in the remote Athani area 6 have died and a further 6 have severe burns injuries. While 4 died and 2 were injured in an explosion in a unit in Madurai. 29th December 2011 Canada Worker injured in fall at Alberta rig platform Occupational Health and Safety has been advised of an accident on Boxing Day in which a worker of Ensign Canadian Drilling sustained serious head injuries in a fall from unspecified height from a rig platform at a drill site 220 miles northwest of Edmonton, Alberta. 29th December 2011 Argentina Santa Fe explosives factory explosion At least 1 worker died and 3 others were injured in an explosion yesterday at the Foti Manufactura Argentina de Polvora explosives factory in Rafaela, Santa Fe. Four workers were at the locus when the explosion occurred, the most seriously injured has 80% burns. A similar explosion there 4 years ago claimed 4 lives. 28th December 2011 Canada BC shop worker shot dead A retail employee working the Christmas Day shift at Ken's Grocery store in Surrey, British Columbia, was allegedly shot dead by an assailant on the premises on Sunday. 28th December 2011 Switzerland Rocket launcher explodes and kills worker during controlled avalanche work A shoulder held explosive charge launcher(vollpanzerrakete 89), 8.3cm calibre, misfired during the controlled explosion of an avalanche at Madrisa, above Klosters, killing the 54-year worker who bore the full force of the recoil and flying shrapnel. 24th December 2011 France Worker's hand crushed in dough machine A worker's hand was crushed in a machine used to cut dough at a biscuit factory in Bohain-en-Vermandis, north of Saint Quentin, it was not initially clear whether he had been trying to clear a blockage when a piston crushed his hand. 24th December 2011 Argentina Patagonian worker electrocuted installing lighting standard On Thursday morning an employee of Oriente Construcciones was electrocuted and a colleague severely injured in an accident in the San Francisco 1V district of San Carlos de Bariloche during the installation of a street lamp post. They were subcontracted to the Cooperative de Electricidad Bariloche for the work, but during the raising of the post it either contacted an overhead power line or electricity arced downwards at the locus under the power lines. The injured worker was listed in critical condition in Zona Hospital. 23rd December 2011 Australia Mining company fined over ore chute death At Perth Magistrates' Court Barrick Gold was fined $140K(£90,487) over an accident at the Kanowna Belle gold mine, Kalgoorlie, where a 26-year old worker died in a 25-metre fall down an ore chute on August 7th 2009. The company had tendered an early plea of guilty to a charge under the Mines Safety Act of failing to maintain a working environment where employees were not exposed to hazard, the early plea reduced the fine for which the maximum penalty could be $400K(£258,560). 23rd December 2011 Peru Ancash bridge collapse leaves workers dead and missing Four workers have died and another is missing, feared drowned in the Santa river, where a section of bridge collapsed at the site of the Quitaracsa civil engineering project for utility Enersur. The victims worked for subcontractor JME, 17 other workers were injured, work has been suspended pending investigation of the accident. 22nd December 2011 Croatia Boy atop wagon sustains electrical burns A 13-year old boy has been hospitalised with serious burns injuries when electricity arced from a 25K-volt overhead power line as he rode atop an agricultural wagon in Karlovac. It was initially unclear whether a raised metal pole caused the arcing. 22nd December 2011 Japan 7-year prison for crane accident driver with epilepsy history At Utsunomiya District Court a 26-year old mobile crane operator received a 7-year jail sentence over a fatal accident in Kanuma, Tochigi, where 6 children walking to school were killed when he lost control of his vehicle during an epileptic fit. It was alleged that he had hidden his condition in order to obtain his mobile crane driving license and concern was expressed that earlier incidents involving his epilepsy had failed to lead to withdrawal of his license. 21st December 2011 Argentina Falling wall kills demolition worker A 47-year old worker has succumbed to severe head injuries when he was struck by the masonry of a falling wall during demolition work at a site in the La Cantera zone of Iguaza Cue. 21st December 2011 India Andhra Pradesh chemical plant explosion At least two workers died when an electrical malfunction caused a reactor to explode and fire to break out at the Rantus Pharma chemical plant in Pashamylaram, 30 miles from Hyderabad. 20th December 2011 USA Paper bale kills Pennsylvanian recycling worker A fatal accident occurred on Monday morning at the B&R Recycling plant in Bullskin, Pennsylvania, where a falling paper bale weighing almost a tonne struck a worker. 20th December 2011 Antarctic Rescue mission for Russian trawler holed by iceberg The South Korean icebreaker Araon is on its way to the Russian trawler Sparta, stricken in the Ross Sea with a hole in its hull below the waterline after striking an iceberg. The rescue mission which has set off from New Zealand will take 8 days to arrive but the Sparta's 32-man crew are well and are well supplied. The ship has developed a 13° list and cargo has been redistributed around ship. An emergency air drop of an additional pump was made but they do not have the capacity to work flat-out every day. 19th December 2011 Argentina Roofer killed in fall from height, worker's artery severed in grinder A roofer died in a 15-metre fall from the roof of a warehouse at the Plasti Nort premises on an industrial estate in Salta where he was working to install a roof light sheet. Elsewhere, in the Bella Vista barrio of Pocito, Mendoza, a 44-year old worker died of massive blood loss after severing a major artery while working with a grinder during renovation of a house. 19th December 2011 Russia Ice breaker fire kills 2 seamen Two crew men of the nuclear-powered icebreaker Vaygach were killed when fire broke out in the seamen's quarters yesterday as the ship was east of Kata Gate in the Barents Sea sailing from Dudinka to Murmansk. Another seaman was injured and was airlifted to hospital, initial speculation of the accident suggested an electrical short circuit. 16th December 2011 USA Woman crushed in New York lift accident A woman died in a crush accident in a lift shaft in a  28-storey building at 285 Madison Avenue, New York. She had partially entered the lift when it began to ascend, pinning her between the lift cage and the shaft wall between the 1st and 2nd floors. The building has 13 lifts, the lift in question passed a safety inspection in June. 16th December 2011 Canada Reversing lorry kills Toronto food plant worker Early on  Wednesday morning a fatal transport accident occurred at Fiera Foods on Marmora Street, Toronto, where a 69-year old man, believed to be a worker, died when he was struck by a reversing lorry. 15th December 2011 USA Crush accident unloading pipes at oil site  A worker of Rainmaker Sales has died in a crush accident during the unloading of piping at an oil field site in Logan, Oklahoma, when a large section became unstable and rolled on to him. 15th December 2011 Sweden Arrests following attack at Kristianstad school Police in Skane have made 2 arrests in connection with the stabbing of a 19-year old youth in the student's lounge of the Osteranggymnasiet college in Kristianstad. Another 19-year old has been charged over the alleged attempted murder of the victim and a 40-year old male has been charged under suspicion of being an accessory to or accomplice in the act. The victim's condition is not life-threatening. 14th December 2011 USA Worker injured at Boeing factory in Washington A contract worker of Sequoyah Electric has died in an industrial accident, details of which were unknown, at the Boeing Everett factory in Everett, Washington. 14th December 2011 South Korea Coast guard stabbed to death boarding Chinese fishing boat A 41-year old South Korean coast guard was allegedly stabbed to death by the 42-year old captain of a Chinese fishing boat yesterday 50 miles off Socheng island where an attempt was being made to arrest the crew over illegal fishing. The 66-tonne Chinese boat had been boarded by coast guards but was subsequently rammed by another Chinese boat. Apart from the fatal stabbing, another coast guard was injured in the fracas. Almost 500 Chinese boats have been seized over illegal fishing in these waters this year. The last coast guard fatality in such incidents occurred in September 2008 when a coastguard drowned during the boarding of a fishing boat. 13th December 2011 USA Michigan roads worker's arm severed in auger A Michigan roads worker of the Kent County Road Commission is recovering in hospital after an accident in which his arm was severed when his clothing snagged in an auger during the unloading of salt at a road site. 13th December 2011 India Arrests follow hospital fire in which 89 died Six directors have been arrested and face charges of culpable homicide following a fire at the AMRI private hospital in Kolkota(Calcutta) in which 89 people died. The fire broke out in the basement of the 5-storey building and the wards became smoke-logged rapidly, with most of the 160 patients asleep at the time. 12th December 2011 Italy Worker electrocuted washing lorry at garage in Sicily A 29-year old Sicilian worker washing a lorry at a garage on Marici Street in Serradifalco has died after experiencing an electric shock from the equipment. He was transferred to hospital in Caltanisetta but could not be resuscitated. 12th December 2011 China Roof collapse kills 7 northeast China miners A 4-metre section of roof collapsed yesterday at the privately owned Huatai Coal Mine in Liaoning, trapping 7 miners. They were rescued from the rubble and transferred to hospital but none survived the severity of their injuries, the mine's owner was arrested. 9th December 2011 Australia Forklift severed worker's leg at mail centre The Australian Postal Corporation has been fined $160K(£105,042) over an accident at its Toowoomba mail centre where a contractor's leg was run over by a forklift truck, necessitating amputation of the lower leg. The company was deemed to have failed to properly manage traffic at its mail centre. 9th December 2011 Japan Worker killed in lifting operation at Tokyo station A worker was killed and 3 others were injured when a lifting operation went wrong yesterday at Toyosu Station on Tokyo Metro Company's Yarakucho Line where a 15-metre long rail switch weighing 4.5 tonnes became unstable during lifting and swung against the workers. 8th December 2011 Luxembourg Worker injured in fall from petrol station roof Late on Wednesday afternoon a worker was badly injured in a 4-metre fall from the roof of a Shell service station at Rombach-Martelange close to the Belgian border. 8th December 2011 India 4 killed in Tamil Nadu dyeing plant boiler explosion A boiler explosion on Tuesday killed 4 workers at the Kavi Colours dyeing plant in Sellandipalayam, Tamil Nadu, initial speculation of the explosion suggests a safety valve failure in the 3-tonne boiler. It was alleged that power to the plant was due to be cut off today(Wednesday) as a result of a previous infraction and that the plant had stepped up production ahead of this deadline. 7th December 2011 New Zealand Gun saw accident led to severed fingers New Zealand Sawn Products Mill, run by Green Crow Corporation and Ribbonwood Sawmilling, has pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety law in a case brought by the Labour Department under the Health and Safety in Employment Act. On March 16th, a worker using a semi-automatic coarse cutter saw(gun saw) trying to remove off-cuts lost his balance and his hand caught in the blade, severing 3 fingers and partially amputating another. A supervisor had shown him how to operate it but without mentioning the safety features. The company admitted a failure to show him how to properly remove the off-cuts. Sentence was deferred until February, maximum fine is $250K(£124,878). 7th December 2011 USA Worker badly injured in tow rope snap whiplash A whiplash accident left a Washington worker with critical injuries when a rope being used to haul a large log up a gradient snapped and struck him on the neck and chest. He was admitted to intensive care in North Spokane but has been making progress. 6th December 2011 Germany Fatal fall dismantling scaffold in Stuttgart A 46-year old scaffolder has died of head injuries sustained in a 6-metre fall during the dismantling of scaffolding at a site on Joringelweg in the Mohringen district of Stuttgart. 6th December 2011 USA Cable whiplash decapitates NJ worker A New Jersey worker died in a whiplash accident at the weekend in which he was partially decapitated while working on a site on 84th Street in North Bergen. He was in the cab of his lorry which was pulling a dumpster by cable but the latter snapped and recoiled through the rear windscreen of his vehicle.  5th December 2011 Austria Boy falls under Bummelzug wheels Hospital staff in Klagenfurt are optimistic over the survival prospects of a 12-year old boy run over by the wheels of  Bummelzug(slow train) at the weekend. He and another boy were standing on a small platform between the 2 carriages when he lost his balance and fell under the wheels. 5th December 2011 France 3 rail engineers killed during test run Three rail engineers of Alstom were killed yesterday after being struck by a train at Bar-le-Duc during the test run of a Regiolis train. Alstom has taken a 15-year lease from Reseau Ferre de France of an 8-mile stretch of track between Loxeville and  Willeroncourt in the Meuse for the purpose of test runs. Around 20 engineers were involved in the test, apart from the fatalities another 5 were injured. 2nd December 2011 Japan Flight cancelled after pilot's blood/alcohol test An investigation is ongoing into an incident this week in which an ANA flight from Fukuoka to Haneda was cancelled 90 minutes before take-off after the pilot allegedly failed a blood/alcohol test, giving a reading of 0.34mg/ltr alcohol(Japanese drink/driving limits are 0.15mg/ltr alcohol). There have been allegations of shochu drinking some hours earlier.  2nd December 2011 China Lift crash at Jiangxi mine kills 6 workers Six miners died when a lift fell at the privately owned Xinshan coal mine in Ouli town in Xinyu, 1 miner on the lift survived the accident and is listed in stable condition in hospital. 1st December 2011 China Utility contract worker killed in explosion while digging trial pit The Hong Kong Water Supplies Department and the Labour Department are investigating a fatal accident  in which an explosion occurred during the digging of a trial pit on a pavement at New Clear Water Bay Road. Five contract workers were on site trying to locate a water main when the accident happened, a 59-year old worker died and the others were injured. 1st December 2011

Russia Fire on submarine at Roslyakovo yard Fire broke out yesterday on the Yekatarinburg, a K-84 class nuclear submarine, during maintenance work at Ship Repair Yard No 82 in Roslyakovo, northeast of Murmansk. The fire appeared to have spread from a timber scaffold adjacent to the submarine, igniting its outer shell. No injuries were initially reported. 30th December 2011 Germany HGV trainee crashes during lesson A trainee HGV driver lost control of his vehicle during a lesson on Thursday on the motorway in the St Magnus area of Bremen. The lorry crossed through the central reservation barrier but a collision was averted as there was no oncoming traffic at the time. The driver, instructor and another pupil were uninjured. 30th December 2011 Germany Worker injured felling tree at landfill site A 51-year old  labourer at a waste disposal and landfill facility in Forst, Brandenburg, was hospitalised in Cottbus on Wednesday with head injuries inflicted during a tree felling operation he was undertaking there. 29th December 2011 The Netherlands Morgue error led to exhumation of Brit Details have emerged of a mix up at the morgue of Kennemer Hospital, Haarlem where a British national died and the body was later exhumed after burial and repatriated to Britain after being mixed up with a resident from Bloemendal. The error was identified in Britain and the hospital then informed the Health Care Inspectorate and commented that it was "very regrettable that this could have happened." 29th December 2011 Germany Hessen motorway worker hit by skidding car A motorway maintenance worker from the Kirchheim Autobahn depot, Hessen, was badly injured yesterday when he was struck by a skidding vehicle as he and a colleague were repairing a crash barrier on the motorway between Gerstungen and Wommen.  28th December 2011 USA Falling glass section kills Wisconsin worker A heavy 3m² section of glass became unstable during handling and fell and killed a worker at Cardinal Glass Industries in Portage, Wisconsin, during preparation for recycling. 28th December 2011 Italy Parma utility worker killed in electrical accident A utility worker of Iren has died in an electrical accident involving 15K-volt equipment in a chamber on via Emilia Lepido in Parma, paramedics managed to stabilise him initially but he died later in Maggiore Hospital.  24th December 2011 Germany Stoke's Basket rescue on Neckar site A Stoke's Basket rescue was required by fire crews of Neckargemund to bring down an injured worker who had fallen from the roof of a building under construction on to scaffolding at a site in Kleingemund, 8 miles from Heidelberg.  24th December 2011 Serbia Trench collapse kills Vranje site workers Two construction workers of GP Meteor were killed and 2 others were injured when an excavation became unstable and collapsed on them at a house building site in Vranje. 23rd December 2011 Japan Trench collapse kills worker at US air base A 42-year old Japanese construction contractor has died and another was injured when an unstable excavation collapsed during work at the US Kadena Air Base(Kadena Hikojo) on Okinawa. 23rd December 2011 USA Recoiling power tool leads to worker's 30m-fall An accident involving a recoiling power tool has led to the death of a 32-year old female maintenance worker at the Ameren Missouri power plant in Labadie, Missouri. She was undertaking maintenance work on a boiler on a platform at a height of 30 metres when the power tool kicked back against her head, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. 22nd December 2011 Canada Transport fatality at Ontario mushroom farm A construction worker of E & E Seegmiller, subcontracted to Ball Construction, has been killed in a transport accident at the Monaghan Mushrooms Ltd's farm in Milton, Ontario. The site has been busy with a mixture of agricultural and construction workers and it seems that the victim emerged through a fence into a lane and was struck by an approaching farm vehicle. 22nd December 2011 Sweden Tourist killed as car hits dog sled A tourist has died and 5 others were injured when a dog sled driven by a guide was struck by a car on an official dog sled crossing on the outskirts of Jukkasjarvi. The accident occurred in the gloaming  and saw the car overturn and land on top of 2 of the tourists, a woman is being treated for serious injuries in hospital in Umea. The dog team was uninjured. 21st December 2011 Italy Olive harvester dies in fall from tree A 49-year old Romanian agricultural worker has died from head and internal injuries in a fall from a tree while harvesting olives in a grove in Rossano, Cosenza. 21st December 2011 Italy Boiler explosion kills Brescia steel worker A worker died yesterday when a boiler exploded at the Ariotti foundry on via Enrico Fermi in Adro, he was working in close proximity to it when the explosion occurred and the  force blew him against a wall. 20th December 2011 Australia Faulty hook spring implicated in cargo transfer accident An inquest yesterday into the death of a 67-year old worker who died at the Port of Brisbane last week when a heavy crate fell during transfer from the British Beech ship to a barge heard that a hook connected to the crate had a faulty spring, preventing secure locking. The inquest heard that the transfer of cargo in this manner was regarded as a common job without a written safety procedure and the activity was normally preceded by a shout from ship to barge prior to transfer. The inquest will resume next year, with areas of focus expected to include the adequacy of crew training, the crate rigging to the crane and the lowering process. 20th December 2011 Turkey Worker killed in dome collapse at new mosque site A worker was killed and 9 others were injured yesterday when the dome of a mosque under construction collapsed at a site in Acigol in the province of Nevsehir. 19th December 2011 Italy Fall from height accidents in Brindisi and Turin A 62-year old workman was lying in a coma in Antonio Perrino Hospital, Brindisi, with severe head injuries after falling 2 metres from the beam structure of a gazebo being built at a house in via Muscogiuri. In Turin a 62-year old worker died during surgery for abdominal injuries yesterday after falling from a platform at 1st floor level of a property in the Susa area of the city, he was working on an external wall. 19th December 2011 Dominican Republic Asphalter run over by reversing grader A 38-year old roads worker has died after being struck by a reversing grader vehicle of Compania Acero Estrella. He was unsighted by the reversing driver and died of head injuries and shock. The accident occurred in the Santiago Rodriguez province at the area known as Laguna de la Ceiba, near Los Quemados. 16th December 2011 Pakistan Printing machine falls on workers The shaft of a printing machine broke at premises on Sammundri Road, Faisalabad, causing heavy beam member sections to fall on 5 workers, one of whom has died. 16th December 2011 Australia Victoria tree felling fatality A Victoria forestry worker was killed by a falling tree during felling work at a site 1 mile south of Gellibrand. This was the 5th state death of the month and the 25th of the year. 15th December 2011 USA Colorado arboreal fatality A Colorado arborist has died in an accident in a garden at Hunter Court, Fort Collins, where The Pruner tree services were removing 3 large trees. The victim was working at a height of 15 metres when a heavy cut branch struck him on the head. Fire crews had to deploy a MEWP(mobile elevating work platform) to recover him as he was restrained in his safety harness and suspended at height. 15th December 2011 Mexico Machine chain strangles worker A 38-year old worker was strangled at premises on the Logistik Industrial Park in San Luis Potosi when machinery chain linkage of a conveyor system detached and wound itself around his neck. 14th December 2011 Nicaragua Coffee plantation quad bike accident A 39-year old agricultural engineer of the Santa Fe coffee plantation at Jinotego died in a quad bike rollover accident 4 metres down an embankment, he died of severe head injuries and had not been wearing a helmet. 14th December 2011 South Africa Patient faces charges over stabbing of Limpopo nurse A 38-year old man faced charges of attempted murder at Tzaneen Magistrates' Court following the alleged stabbing of a 38-year old nurse with scissors in Letaba Hospital after she attempted to intervene in a dispute between the accused and another patient. The nurse is reported to be responding well to treatment. 13th December 2011 Bangladesh Dhaka construction site accidents  In the Dhanmondi district of Dhaka a 55-year old construction worker was killed yesterday when he was struck by a crane unloading material on to the 5th floor at a newbuild site. In the Kamrangirchar district of the city a 17-year old worker at a tailor's premises was electrocuted as he assisted construction workers move rebar next to his shop. A rod he was carrying contacted an overhead power source. 13th December 2011 Philippines 13 killed in Manila plane crash At least 13 people have died when a Beechcraft Queen Air 8-seater aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Manila to Mindoro Island. The flight came down at the F. Serrano Elementary School in the suburbs in Paranque City. 12th December 2011 Switzerland Ski lesson boy died in avalanche A 6-year old Spanish boy died in hospital in Lausanne after being buried in an avalanche while taking part in a skiing lesson in the Saas-Fee region. A female instructor with him survived the accident. 12th December 2011 Canada Falling material hits Ontario worker A worker was hospitalised in Toronto yesterday in a concussed state after being struck on the head by heavy equipment which fell from, a crane at premises on Cottrelle Road, Brampton. 9th December 2011 Canada Company and foreman fined over crush accident At Ontario Court of Justice in Kitchener, Delta Truck Equipment was fined $100K(£62,846) and a supervisor was fined $15K(£9,427) over a fatal accident at its Breslau premises. On 9th June 2010, a worker was maintaining a hydraulic crane and had mounted it on a lorry in order to drain hydraulic fluid. In the course of the work the crane boom swung and pinned him against the lorry's control panel. Ministry of Labour investigation found that he had left the crane's hydraulics engaged and the lorry engine running. The company pleaded guilty to breaches of the Occupational Health & Safety Act Sections 25(2)(h) and 27(2)(c), having failed to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring the lorry engine was off and/or the crane hydraulics disengaged before draining the hydraulic fluid. The supervisor pleaded guilty to the same charges. 9th December 2011 USA Texas worker's legs severed in crane accident A Texas worker has died in hospital in Pasadena after his legs were severed in an accident when he was struck by a crane at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal in Morgan's Point. 8th December 2011 Italy Sardinian farmer killed in tractor accident A 43-year old Sardinian farmer was found dead yesterday morning at Monti Oi in the San Giorgio area of Iglesia where he died in an apparent tractor rollover accident, having lost control of the vehicle which came off the road into a ditch. He had been missing for a number of hours, causing family members to raise an alarm.  8th December 2011 Austria Supervisor killed by train after clearing track for traffic An OBB(Oesterreiche BundesBahn) rail track supervisor was killed on Tuesday in Fentsch at St Lorenzen where he was struck by a goods train as he and a colleague walked along the track just 10 minutes after he had cleared the line for traffic following the completion of points work. Both men were apparently unaware of the approaching train, but his colleague just managed to jump clear in time. 7th December 2011 Ukraine Demolition site wall fell on Kiev pedestrian An investigation is ongoing in Kiev into an accident which occurred at a demolition site at 24 Panasa Myrnoho Street in the city where a pedestrian was seriously injured when a wall fell at the site where a 2-storey unoccupied property is being demolished. 7th December 2011 Mexico Fatal accident unloading blocks from lorry A worker of Cothesa has died from head injuries during the unloading of concrete sections at a site on Oreinte Street in El Progreso, Tuxtepec, Oaxaca. It appears that the lifting mechanism struck him on the head and he began to lose a lot of blood. 6th December 2011 Germany Felled tree pivots and hits workers Two workers have been hospitalised, one with head injuries, the other with a shoulder injury, after being struck by the crown of a 27-metre tall tree in Feldheim. The 2 workers were standing 20 metres from the tree being felled but it turned 90° on its axis towards the end of the felling and came down in their direction. 6th December 2011 Colombia Utility contractor electrocuted in substation An employee of Postratar, subcontracted to Electricaribe, was electrocuted in an accident in a substation chamber in La Castellana, Monteria, where he was attending to a power cut. 5th December 2011 Argentina Live cement mixer electrocutes site worker A worker of contractor Ramon Ledesma was electrocuted when he and a colleague were moving a cement mixer which became live at the site of the new Hipolito Yrigoyen school in Chubut. His colleague survived the accident but is being treated for electrical burns. 5th December 2011 Australia Lab technician drowns in sewage tank A 52-year old Melbourne Water lab technician has drowned at the Bangholme Eastern Treatment Plant in Dandenong, southeast Melbourne, where he fell into a 1.5mio. litre sewage tank as he was taking samples. Specialist divers attended the accident and his body was recovered after 4 hours from the drained tank. 2nd December 2011 Australia Falling heavy stone section kills Perth worker A falling heavy section of stone has killed a worker at Australian Counter Top, a kitchen bench manufacturer on King Street, Perth. It is speculated that a forklift truck struck pallets, causing the stone to fall from one.  2nd December 2011 USA Roads worker killed on Oklahoma highway site An Oklahoma Department of Transportation worker was killed on Wednesday at a roads site on highway 75 a mile north of Ramona where he was struck by a car as a maintenance crew was preparing the site. 1st December 2011 Australia Street sweeping vehicle kills man on Melbourne site A man died on Wednesday on a work site on Canterbury Road, Bayswater North, east Melbourne, where he was struck by a street sweeping vehicle. 1st December 2011

Belgium Brussels policeman injured A Brussels policeman underwent surgery yesterday for a severe leg injury sustained while trying to apprehend 2 alleged thieves at the Le Macaron restaurant on the rue du Mail, Ixelles. He and a colleague pursed the suspects towards another building and when he wedged a leg into a partially opened glass door, one of the suspects repeatedly banged it against his leg. The policeman is expected to be off work for 3 months. 30th December 2011 France Boy,8, drowns in swimming pool An investigation was launched into an accident in which an 8-year old boy drowned in a swimming pool at a birthday party with friends in Moulins in the Auvergne. 30th December 2011 Belgium Oud Turnhout CO incident A mother and her 2 children were hospitalised on Wednesday with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning following an incident at their home in Molenbergen, Oud Turnhout, which appears to have involved a defective heating appliance in a bedroom. 29th December 2011 Serbia Worker killed in jewellery shop raid A female worker in the Pajic goldsmith's shop on Milosa Obrenovica Street in Obrenovac, 20 miles southwest of Belgrade, was shot dead during an armed robbery there, it was initially unclear whether she was the proprietor's wife or an employee. 29th December 2011 Italy Piedmont farmer killed in tractor accident; Tuscan site accident A 72-year old Piedmont farmer was killed yesterday in a tractor accident on his land on via Gallorate, Oleggio. The Servizio Prevenzione Sicurezza negli Ambienti di Lavoro was investigating the accident, it was unclear whether it involved a rollover accident or it rolled back over him after he had alighted. Also on Tuesday, 2 workers, an Italian and a Colombian, were hospitalised with head and shoulder injuries when a 30-metre metal section fell 3 metres on to them at a construction site in San Giovanni, Valdarno, Tuscany.  28th December 2011 Malaysia Excavator driver killed in fall at quarry An excavator operator died in hospital from injuries in an accident at the Bukit Batu quarry in Kulaijaya. It was speculated that subsidence occurred as his vehicle neared the edge of the quarry but he managed to jump out of the cabin. However, he could not maintain his grasp on ground at the rim of the quarry and fell 30 metres, sustaining critical internal injuries. 28th December 2011 USA Falling granite kills Arizona worker A worker has died in a crush accident at Stone Burg Marble and Granite in Tempe, Arizona, where a large section of granite became unstable and fell on him. 24th December 2011 England Reversing lorry accident driver lacked HGV A verdict of accidental death was recorded by a Carlisle inquest jury in respect of the death of a 20-year old employee of M & M Scaffolding who was crushed by a reversing lorry he was guiding at a site on North Road, Aspatria, on 7th May 2010. The court heard from certain witnesses that it was common practice for employees without an HGV license to drive lorries on site, this was refuted by the company who claimed that this would lead to instant dismissal. The 29-year old lorry driver, a trainee scaffolder, admitted that he did not have an HGV license. 23rd December 2011 China Worker missing in explosion at CNPC gas exploration well A worker was reported missing and another was injured when an explosion occurred at the wellhead of the Qionglai 1 gas exploration well of the China National Petroleum Company in Sichuan. The accident occurred during drilling at a depth of 2,100 metres, it was reported that no release of hydrogen sulphide occurred. 23rd December 2011 Wales CO fatality in South Wales A 63-year old man has died in a house in Llanttwit Fardre, Rhondda Cynon Taf. The accident, suspected to be carbon monoxide poisoning, also left his 2 sons affected, one is in stable condition but the other is listed critical in Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant. 22nd December 2011 USA Paramedic has fatal seizure subduing patient A  42-year old Star EMS paramedic had a fatal seizure after struggling to subdue an allegedly aggressive 19-year old patient who was being taken to Havenwyk Hospital, Auburn Hills, Michigan. The patient absconded from the scene but was subsequently arrested. 22nd December 2011 Germany Teenage worker's fingers severed in press An 18-year old worker has had 4 fingers severed in an accident while working at a press in premises at Unterelchingen, Neu-Ulm. He was trying to release a mould which had become jammed between 2 punches when his hand was caught, inflicting severe crushing to his fingers. 21st December 2011 USA Volunteer worker killed at Texas rail museum An accident at the Texas Transportation Museum near San Antonio International Airport has claimed the life of a 56-year old volunteer worker who died from injuries in a fall while working as a conductor at the Santa's Railroad Wonderland event. It appears that when he fell he became trapped between a handrail on a ramp and the moving train, sustaining critical internal injuries. 21st December 2011 Rep Ireland Triple CO fatality in Sligo house A carbon monoxide accident would appear to have been the cause of a triple fatality in a bungalow at Moygara, Sligo, where a 52-year old man, a 12-year old girl and a 9-year old boy were found dead in circumstances consistent with CO poisoning. Two family dogs were also found dead in the property which had a gas container in a separate room connected to a heater. 20th December 2011 England Fisherman's hand severed in wire rope A Dutch crew man of the trawler Artvelde underwent surgery in Brighton yesterday to re-attach his hand which severed in a wire rope, Solent Coastguard and the RNLI attended the incident which occurred 10 miles south of Shoreham.  20th December 2011 UAE Fall from height death at New York University site A subcontract worker was killed yesterday in a fall from height at the site of the New York University-Abu Dhabi campus being undertaken by Mubadala Development on Saadiyat Island. 19th December 2011 Russia 4 dead, 49 missing in oil rig sinking Forty nine oil workers are missing, feared drowned, in the Sea of Ohktosk where the Kolskaya oil rig of Murmansk company Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka sank in stormy conditions 120 miles off Sakhalin Island while under tow after performing test work at the Pervoocherednaya deep-sea oil well. Four workers were confirmed dead and 14 others were saved and are being treated for injuries in Nogliki. The 25-year old rig, built by Finnish company Rauma-Repola, was hit by a large wave, leading to water ingress and it sank in less than half an hour at a depth of 1,000 metres.  19th December 2011 Rep Ireland €550K award over worker's crush death A family has received a total award settlement of €550K(£461,659) in respect of a fatal accident in which a mechanic died in a crush accident between 2 diggers at O'Brien's Hire in Kilcullen, County Wicklow. The company had denied the charge, claiming that the worker had failed to apply training he had received in relation to the operation of the mini-digger and had failed to lock the safety lever before leaving the cab. After he alighted he became pinned between his digger and another one. His family and partner expressed satisfaction with the outcome, a deduction was made on the figure because of a "contributory negligence issue." 16th December 2011 Germany Accidents in Stuttgart and Brandenburg A Stuttgart worker sustained life-threatening injuries in a 3-metre fall from a hinged ladder, losing his balance and falling backwards as he worked with plasterboard at a site in the city's Weilimdorf area. At a gas plant in Tietzow a 43-year old worker was badly injured when he receiving  a glancing blow from a 250Kg steel section which fell during a crane lifting operation, initial investigation suggested that a weld had failed. He was hospitalised in Marzahn, Berlin, where his injuries are described as not life-threatening. 16th December 2011 England Cumbrian farmer drowned in quad bike accident An inquest jury has returned a verdict of accidental death in respect of a fatal accident on August 5th at Maidenlands Farm, Tarn Flatt, Marton, where a farmer drowned when his quad bike went into a water-filled ditch while rounding up stock. When an alarm was raised over his safety, he was found with his head under water and under the bike. 15th December 2011 South Africa Worker charged over farmer's death A 17-year old farm worker is due to appear at Leeu Gamka Magistrates' Court today to face a charge of the alleged murder of his 35-year old employer who was shot dead at Kaffirskraal Farm in Merweville earlier this week. 15th December 2011 Romania Escaped zoo tiger shot in Sibiu A tiger was shot dead in Sibiu, Transylvania, on Tuesday after escaping from Sibiu Zoo earlier in the day. The initial search was focussed on local woodland but it was soon sighted in the town. A tranquiliser dart proved ineffective and was leaving the vet in attendance at risk and in the interest of public safety a police marksman had to shoot the animal.14th December 2011 Germany Insecure log breaks forester's leg A Bavarian forestry worker's leg was broken at a work site in Kottendorf when strapping restraining large cut timber sections failed and one of them rolled down against the worker's leg. 14th December 2011 Germany Stuttgart university library fire Two workers were hospitalised yesterday with unspecified injuries when fire broke out on the top floor of the 3-storey library at Hohenheim University in the Plieningen area of Stuttgart. The library has just been completing extensive renovation and was due to re-open next month. 13th December 2011 Italy Worker breaks thigh in scaffold collapse Three workers were injured, one sustaining a broken thigh, when a scaffold collapsed yesterday during refurbishment work at the Maggazzino 42 in Molo Bersagliere, Trieste. 13th December 2011 Austria CO exhaust gas blown back into care home air vent A care home in Pottendorf in Lower Austria had to be evacuated and ventilated by fire crews after patients became unwell and carbon monoxide levels rose when exhaust gases from an exhaust flue began to be drawn back into the building through an adjacent air vent. The incident at the 10-year old building was being attributed to an unusual weather pattern and wind direction. 12th December 2011 Norway Foreign nationals disproportionally killed/injured at work A breakdown of workplace deaths  this year shows that 11 non-nationals were among the 47 fatalities, although foreign workers represent just 10% of the workforce. Of the 230 serious injuries, 90 were sustained by Polish workers. 12th December 2011 England Explosion injures 4 An industrial accident on Thursday at the premises of Filtration Services Engineering Ltd in Oldington, Kidderminster, has seriously injured a worker in his 40's and his 3 colleagues. Accounts of the accident state it involved an exploding compressed air canister, the worker's condition  is listed as critical, his colleagues sustained minor injuries. 10th December 2011 Honduras Worker electrocuted as steel touches power line A construction worker was electrocuted yesterday when a steel section he was handling contacted overhead power lines at a Lomas construction site in Toncantin, Comayaguela. 9th December 2011 Chile Unsecured worker dies in 5m fall from roof An unsecured worker fell 5 metres from the roof of a building on Balmaceda Street in the centre of La Serena and later died in Coquimbo Hospital. 9th December 2011 England Severe hand injury at Anglian workplace The East Anglian Air Ambulance attended an industrial accident at premises on Beccles Road, Thurlton, where a man in his 70's sustained a serious hand injury. He was transferred to hospital in Norwich where the nature of his injury was described as "life-changing". 8th December 2011 USA Fatal accident unloading MEWP from lorry A 58-year old worker has died at a site on Hollister Street, San Diego, during the unloading of a MEWP(mobile elevating work platform) from a flatbed lorry trailer. It is thought that the victim was operating the MEWP from inside the basket but one of the wheels came off the edge of the lorry and it overturned. 8th December 2011 Rep Ireland Dublin schoolboy injured in train accident Irish Rail is investigating an accident which occurred at Howth Junction, north Dublin, early on Tuesday evening when a 10-year old schoolboy was struck by a DART(Dublin Area Rapid Transport) service and was admitted to the city's Beaumont Hospital with a serious leg injury.  7th December 2011 South Africa Free State farm worker killed by lion A contract worker has been killed by a lion on Leeubank farm in the Free State. He had left a building to fetch water from a standing tap when the animal, which had escaped from an enclosure, pounced on him. 7th December 2011 Rep Ireland Nose wheel of training aircraft collapses An investigation was launched into an accident yesterday at Cork Airport where the nose-wheel of a light training aircraft collapsed on landing, neither person on board was injured. 6th December 2011 Canada Quebec site accidents On Monday morning roof beams fell at a site under construction of Construction Couture in the Saint-Nicolas industrial area of Levis, eastern Quebec. Four workers were injured but none seriously. At Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures in Quebec a young worker of MD Prevost was severely injured in an accident at Environment Sanivac, it was speculated that a drum may have exploded. Two other workers sustained lesser injuries. 6th December 2011 France House founds collapse on workers installing new drains The foundation wall of a house on rue Galt Ouest, Sherbrooke, collapsed at the weekend during work to install new drainage. A worker of the Dujour construction company died under the rubble, a colleague managed to extricate himself. Work had been ongoing at the site for a couple of days. 5th December 2011 Belgium Chemical reaction explosion in food mixer A worker is listed in life-threatening condition in hospital in Louvain following an explosion on Saturday at the Beneo food products plant in Wijgmaal, Louvain, the explosion occurred following a chemical reaction during the mixing of ingredients in an 850-litre container. 5th December 2011 Rep Ireland Kerry sheep farmer died in fall over cliff A Kerry jury has returned a verdict of accidental death in respect of a 71-year old farmer of Eardeen, Bonane, who died of severe head injuries in a 9-metre fall over a cliff in the Kerry mountains on July 13th this year while inspecting his flock of sheep. 2nd December 2011 Kenya British soldier died from gunshot during training exercise An investigation is ongoing into a fatal accident during military training in Kenya in which a 21-year old soldier of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers died from a shot in the neck during a live ammunition exercise. 2nd December 2011 Canada Acid spillage at Montreal brewery Two workers sustained serious acid burns on Wednesday morning at the Molson Brewery on Notre Dame Street, Montreal, where they were cleaning machinery. The spillage occurred when the machinery stopped, one of them has burns over more than 50% of his body. 1st December 2011 Canada Worker falls 30m into Quebec grain silo A subcontract  worker died in a 30-metre fall into an empty grain silo at the Trois Rivieres port where he and a colleague were engaged in cleaning work. 1st December 2011

England Hospital death A 57-year old man has died after police were called to assist staff at the Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Berkshire, in the early hours of Tuesday. The man, a patient at the hospital, died some time after he was required to be restrained by 2 police officers attending a disturbance. 30th December 2011 England Female worker scarred undertaking seemingly innocuous task A 30-year old woman has visible scarring to her face as a result of a seemingly innocuous task allocated to her by her employer, the proprietor of a Sussex hotel. On 26th April 2011 at the Castle Hotel in Bramber she was directed to wash drinking glasses by hand to remove a cloudy staining which had appeared on them. She was instructed to use a solution of water and beer-line cleaner to get the glasses clean, and advised to wear a pair of rubber gloves, but some of the solution got onto her face, causing an immediate burning sensation. Officials of Horsham District Council investigated and deemed the injury entirely preventable and foreseeable because the beer-line cleaner was not intended to be used to clean glasses and that the company had failed to satisfy the required duty of care owed to its employees by not adequately assessing the risks. It instigated a prosecution and at Horsham Magistrates' Court the hotel proprietor was found guilty under S.2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and fined £2,500 plus £2,200 costs and a victim surcharge of £15. 29th December 2011 Scotland Fisherman's body recovered at Ullapool Divers have recovered the body of a 32-year old Donegal fisherman from the water at Ullapool harbour where he had been reported missing from his boat, the Heather K, since late on Christmas Day. 28th December 2011 England Major injuries a legacy of inadequate planning Two workmen sustained major injuries in an industrial accident on 20th April 2009 at the Workington premises of steel maker Tata Steel UK Ltd. (formerly Corus). The 2 maintenance fitters in their 50's were given the task of repairing a steel roller shutter door after it had been damaged by a forklift truck and was jammed. As they attempted the repair they first removed nuts from the supporting pillar but it detached and the 0.3 tonne warehouse door collapsed on them breaking their legs. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to make sure a suitable risk assessment was carried out for the work, putting the lives of its staff in danger. HSE deemed the company's risk assessment to be inadequate and it lacked systems of control and confirmation that its maintenance staff were planning and carrying out work safely. Tata Steel UK Ltd of Millbank, London, admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of the 2 workers and it was fined £13,300 plus £11,631 in prosecution costs. 28th December 2011 England Teenager dies in grain silo An 18-year old man has died after, it is believed, falling into a silo at a farm in Brockton, Shropshire. He was discovered on Wednesday evening where he was confirmed dead by paramedics. 24th December 2011 Scotland Worker dies on Skye A forestry worker in his 60's has been killed in an incident near the A87 between Broadford and Kyleakin yesterday afternoon. Accounts state he was driving a forestry harvester when contact was made with overhead power cables. The vehicle subsequently caught fire. 23rd December 2011 Wales Roofer's fatal fall It is reported that a 46-year old roofing worker fell to his death from the roof of Senior Flexonics premises on the Penyfan Industrial Estate in Crumlin, Gwent, last Thursday. 23rd December 2011 England Lifting equipment missed 6-month examination The importance of the requirement to examine lifting equipment periodically has been illustrated by an industrial accident in which a worker fractured his neck in a fall from height during November 2009. The 44-year-old employee of City and County Signs Ltd was using a vehicle-mounted lift when he fell from its basket whilst removing a sign from a commercial property in Hucknall High Street. One of two levelling rods designed to keep the basket horizontal failed and the basket tipped backwards. The resultant injury from the 1.5-metre fall placed him in hospital for 6 days. Inspection of the rods after the period of time prescribed by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 would have discovered the cracks in the rod and prevented the accident. At Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court City and County Signs Ltd of Bingham, Nottinghamshire, admitted breaching r.9(3)(a)(i) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £10,000 with costs of £8,032. 23rd December 2011 England Recycling company used dangerous equipment An inspection by HSE officials at the Universal Recycling Company site in Mexborough in May 2010 revealed what they termed a "blatant disregard for safety." The extent of the failings justified 3 Prohibition Notices and 2 Improvement Notices. They discovered no, or inadequate, safeguards in place to prevent access to dangerous or moving parts of machinery. Defects in this respect featured in chopping, shredding and crushing machinery, conveyors, pulleys, chain drives and belts and rollers. The London Wiper Company Ltd of Kettering, Northants, trading as Universal Recycling Company, failed to comply with 2 of the Improvement Notices despite being granted an extension and, as a consequence, was prosecuted and fined a total of £8,000 plus £5,000 costs. An HSE official commented: "Universal Recycling Company has shown a blatant disregard for the law and for the safety of their workers. The company was given every opportunity to comply with the requirements of the Improvement Notices and they did not do so. They were provided with detailed verbal advice, a letter and photographs highlighting areas requiring improvement, given an extension of time and further advice. Enforcement notices are issued for a reason and HSE will not tolerate non-compliance - we will prosecute. Failure to guard machines to acceptable standards results in disabling and even fatal incidents every year." 22nd December 2011 England Lax safety at packaging company A supervisor cleaning the rollers of a gluing machine lost the tips of 2 fingers when they became trapped in the rollers in March this year. She had been using paper to clean the machine while the rollers were moving, contrary to stated policy. However this unsafe act was standard practice at the premises of CBT Packaging Ltd’s manufacturing plant in Basildon. HSE investigation established that employees were inadequately trained for the task, additionally the fitted guard did not prevent access to the rollers. CBT Packaging Ltd of Edgware, Middlesex admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined  £12,000 with costs of £4,971. An HSE inspector commented: "The employee was failed by the company’s lack of proper training, inadequate assessment of risks, an absence of safe working practices and preventing access to dangerous equipment." 22nd December 2011 England Fisherman dies after  sinking A commercial fisherman died in hospital after he and his colleague were rescued from the water by another fishing vessel in Gerrans Bay, 4 miles east of Falmouth, last night. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency  is unaware why the 11-metre long vessel, the Heather Anne, sank. 21st December 2011 Scotland Trench death of 30-year old worker was tragic and unnecessary A construction worker died after he fell into a 3-metre deep trench at Cranhill Park, Glasgow, on 3rd April 2008 after which he became buried by both the soil from the trench wall and spoil dangerously deposited too close to the trench. The work involved the laying of a sewage pipe by project subcontractor Cameron and Stephenson (Scotland) Ltd who no longer trade. A written judgement by the Sheriff presiding at the fatal accident inquiry concluded that his death might have been avoided if he and his colleagues had: used one or both of the trench boxes provided by their employer; used the plastic edge protection barriers on site to prevent him falling into the trench; and deposited the spoil at least 3 metres from the edge of the trench wall, reducing both the pressure on the trench wall and, on collapse, the volume of unsupported earth entering the trench. During the inquiry a difference of opinion was expressed by HSE inspectors regarding the adequacy of site supervision. The Sheriff opined that Cameron & Stevenson (Scotland) Ltd were, on balance, not at fault for not providing permanent supervision on site to such an experienced team. The excavator operator had previously pleaded guilty to a contravention of S.7 of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, having failed to follow instructions and failed to ensure the health and safety of his fellow employees. The Sheriff summed up, saying "Unfortunately, this event is one more example of health and safety practice, training and procedures being ignored in the interests of expediency with lethal results." He described the deceased's widow's and family's loss as "'tragic and unnecessary". 21st December 2011 England Retail violence A shopworker is reported stable in hospital after being stabbed by an assailant in a shop in Wallsend, Tyneside. Three men have been arrested in connection with the attempted robbery on Saturday. In Epsom, Surrey, a post office worker was left shaken but uninjured in a robbery on Friday afternoon. The men threatened him to obtain access to the safe and escaped with a sum of money. The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers 'Freedom from fear' campaign seeks to prevent such violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers in the United Kingdom. 20th December 2011 Wales Train crashes into lorry The driver of a lorry involved in a crash on the permanent way at a level crossing at Llanboidy, Whitland, Carmarthenshire, has been arrested. The lorry pulling a trailer of hay collided with the Milford Haven to Manchester train yesterday morning, 7 persons were injured, 5 were taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries. 20th December 2011 England Pilot killed in mid-air collision An investigation is underway into the mid-air collision of 2 light aircraft in Great Stretton, Leicestershire, on Sunday afternoon, a pilot died and 2 others were injured. It is thought that one of the aircraft had just taken off from Leicester Airport, the former Stoughton Aerodrome, and the other plane was arriving from Nottinghamshire. 19th December 2011 England Fatality at Suffolk docks A worker was killed in an industrial accident on Friday evening and a colleague seriously injured at the Port of Ipswich docks. Accounts state the incident occurred during a lifting operation  which went badly wrong. 19th December 2011 England Roof fall death It is reported that a man died following a roof fall accident which occurred last Monday at the premises of Aramex Delivery Unlimited on the Ringway Trading Estate in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester. 19th December 2011 Scotland Worker, 69, killed in Ayrshire accident An elderly man has died at the premises of Corrie Skip Hire at the Loreny industrial estate in Kilmarnock. One account states he was crushed underneath an industrial gate which toppled over on Monday. 16th December 2011 England Recycling industry fatality A worker who was trapped in machinery at a Hertfordshire recycling centre at the Ivory Industrial Estate in Radlett has died. The man, in his 20's, died on Wednesday afternoon at the scene. 16th December 2011 England Multi-million compensation package for worker A 57-year old former demolition worker is to receive a package of compensation for an industrial injury which could exceed £4m, depending upon the number of years of life he will achieve. He is to receive an immediate £1.75m plus £0.13m every year. He sustained an injury in October 2008 which resulted in severe brain damage. He was struck in the face by a bar of steel as he worked with an excavator for Euro Dismantling Services Ltd on a Sheffield site. His employer admitted 90% liability. 15th December 2011 England 4 deaths in 18 months at UK Coal Mining Ltd An HSE mining inspector has described as 'shocking' the loss of 4 lives in preventable industrial accidents over an 18-month period. The safety failings permitted the 4 separate incidents to occur at 2 collieries in Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands. UK Coal Mining Ltd of Harworth, Notts, pleaded guilty to all 7 breaches of health and safety legislation involved: 4 breaches of S.2(1) and 3 breaches of S.3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in connection with the deaths. UK Coal was ordered to pay a fine of £112,500 and £187,500 costs for each fatality, totalling £1.2m. 15th December 2011 England Fatal forklift truck accident in Bristol A woman in her 40's has been struck and killed by a forklift truck at the premises of Booker cash and carry in Avonmouth, Bristol. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon, the deceased was an employee who was trapped under the forklift. She died later in hospital.  14th December 2011 England Fatal ladder fall cause inconclusive The death of a 65-year old construction worker who fell from a ladder as he worked on a property in Newport, Shropshire, has been recorded as an accidental death, a Stafford inquest jury has determined. A post mortem examination could not determine whether his fall was caused by sudden illness, the deceased had a history of stroke, or if he had a stroke as a result of his fall. 14th December 2011 England 14-tonne bus fell on apprentice's face The Yorkshire Traction Company Ltd of Stockport, Cheshire, has been fined a total of £15,000 with £8,473 in costs following an industrial accident at Stagecoach Yorkshire’s garage in Wakefield Road, Barnsley, on 7th September 2009. The teenage apprentice was working with a fitter on a braking fault on a bus on the garage floor and not over an inspection pit. Whilst the apprentice was under the bus the air suspension failed suddenly and the bus dropped on his face. His colleagues had to then raise the bus to extricate him. His face was badly crushed and he has undergone restorative plastic surgery to his nose and eye socket. The investigating HSE inspector commented: "When employing young people, it is crucial that firms take particular account of their obvious lack of experience and lack of awareness of risks. The risks involved when working on buses and coaches with air suspension systems are well known in the motor industry. The latest guidance has warnings about never going underneath unless the buses are properly supported. There have been incidents in the past, including deaths, when air suspension systems have failed catastrophically while someone was underneath. Yorkshire Traction fell well below a reasonable standard. It failed to take basic precautions such as looking at all the risks involved and specifying a safe system of work for their employees, including close supervision. Young people are more vulnerable. The purpose of assessing the risks they may encounter is not to produce paperwork but to protect them as best you are able." The company pleaded guilty to breaches of S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and r.3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. 13th December 2011 England Council criticised at inquest An inquest jury has determined a verdict of accidental death after considering testimony concerning the road traffic accident of a 19-year old teenage girl struck by a vehicle after she stepped on to the carriageway without looking to avoid overgrown trees and bushes on the verge of the A38 near Burlescombe in Devon in February this year. The coroner expressed concern about the level of maintenance carried out by Devon County Council at the scene and stated he would be contacting it. The car driver was absolved from blame. 13th December 2011 England Widows alarm workers A pair of black widow spiders have been discovered within an imported car at the premises of Damax Ltd in Bicester, Oxfordshire. Employees discovered the venomous spiders as they worked on the vehicle after it arrived from  United States. Only the female black widow bites, but these are rarely fatal because of the limited quantity of venom they are capable of injecting. The venom affects the nervous system and where some people are minimally affected, a severe response is possible, leading to vomiting, faintness, chest pain and respiratory difficulties. The spiders are now at Bristol Zoo. 12th December 2011 England Incident at bus depot A worker at the First bus depot in Worcester sustained upper body injuries last Tuesday morning when he was crushed under a bus which had struck a boundary fence. He was taken to hospital after being freed by emergency services. 12th December 2011 England Young worker killed at Sunderland docks A 19-year old worker died on Thursday morning in an industrial accident at the Port of Sunderland. He was struck by what is described as a section of steel machinery,  sustaining serious chest injuries and was dead on arrival at hospital. He was employed by the Wear Dock and Engineering Company. 10th December 2011 Scotland Schoolgirl falls down lift shaft A 15-year old girl has fallen 5 metres down into a lift shaft at Liberton High School in Edinburgh. She is being treated in hospital for back injuries. Accounts state that a number of children were in a lift at the time it was stationary between floors and the girl fell as the carriage was being evacuated. 9th December 2011 England Steel sheeting falls on Essex worker A worker was admitted to Basildon Hospital on Thursday evening with a serious leg injury after steel sheets fell on him at an industrial site on Russell Gardens, Wickford. 9th December 2011 England Worker's serious head injury after fall A 33-year old worker fell from a stepladder at the site of the new Furness College in Barrow on Monday morning. He was transferred from a local hospital to the Royal Preston Hospital for specialist treatment of his serious head injury. 8th December 2011 England Farming fatality in Lincolnshire It is reported that an 81-year old man died after an accident on a farm near Coningsby, Lincs, last Friday afternoon. One account states he was struck by an item of plant as cattle were being fed. 8th December 2011 England County Council's machine guarding failure Warwickshire County Council has been fined £7,000 plus £5,235 costs in connection with an industrial accident during October 2009 in which a 64-year old self-employed heating contractor lost the greater part of 2 fingers as he examined a heating pump at Shire Hall, Warwick, where the Council has its Headquarters. The equipment was poorly guarded and because of this his hand was pulled into the running belts of the pump. It amputated the 2 fingers below the first knuckle, the back of the machine was not adequately guarded, exposing dangerous moving parts. He has been unable to return to work. At Nuneaton Magistrates' Court Warwickshire County Council admitted breaching r.11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, an HSE Inspector commented: "Anyone, being an employer or in control of work equipment, must ensure that dangerous parts of machinery are adequately guarded and it is unacceptable that Warwickshire County Council failed to do this. As a result, the contractor has unfortunately suffered serious injuries which have had a permanent effect on him, in an incident that should have been easily avoided if the necessary steps had been taken by the council." 7th December 2011 England Tree phenomenon factor in girl's death A 13-year old girl died on June 30th this year after being struck by a falling Poplar tree branch as she sat with friends on a park bench in the Middleton Road Recreation Ground in Yaxley, near Peterborough. An inquest arrived at a narrative verdict which attributed the incident to the phenomenon of summer tree branch drop. A tree expert explained how, following a dry period of weather, a sudden downpour can cause a tree to quickly absorb water, and how this can cause branches starved of water to fail without warning. In his opinion the tree exhibited signs of being affected by this phenomenon. 7th December 2011 Scotland Electricians injured in Fife incident It is reported that 2 electricians working for contractors on the Glenrothes premises of Raytheon Systems Ltd sustained facial burns in an incident yesterday, their injuries are not reported to be life-threatening but they are in intensive care. 6th December 2011 England Building becomes unstable Part of a building collapsed onto the busy Cumberland Place/Grosvenor Square in Southampton, spreading debris onto the public footpath and road yesterday morning. The building is being demolished and much of the material that fell was retained by scaffolding, no one was injured. 6th December 2011 England Local authority rebuked for endangering lives Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has been rebuked and fined in court for failing to ensure gas safety checks. The failure endangered people's health after carbon monoxide leaked from the gas boiler at a community centre. Those attending a bridge club meeting at Westlands Community Centre in Whitfield Avenue called the fire service to deal with the suspected gas leak on 30th March 2009. The fire fighters who responded recorded extremely high levels of carbon monoxide escaping from the flue in the loft and ordered the  evacuation of the building. Examination of the heating system revealed sections of the flue had detached, permitting  the dangerous gas to accumulate and emerge through an open trapdoor into a storeroom off the main hall. Investigation revealed that the contract for maintenance and annual safety checks of all gas appliances in the Council's 38 properties, including 9 households, had lapsed 12 months previously. The 30-year-old boiler at Westlands Community Centre had not been checked for nearly 2 years. At Fenton Magistrates' Court Newcastle Borough Council admitted breaching S.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and r.5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for which it was fined £20,000 with £25,550 costs. 5th December 2011 England Companies failed deceased worker Two construction companies have been prosecuted for health and safety failures that permitted the circumstances for a fatal accident to occur on 20th August 2006 during work on a dual carriageway section of the A5036 Princess Way in Seaforth, Liverpool. A 61-year old employee of Amey Infrastructure Services Ltd (part of the Amey Mouchel joint venture with Mouchel Parkman Services Ltd) was replacing the lights on the central reservation when the mobile elevating work platform's arm he was using to access them collapsed, causing him to fall 8 metres. He struck the back of the vehicle and sustained injuries from which he died hours later. Investigation found that Amey Infrastructure Services Ltd and Mouchel Parkman Services Ltd had failed to implement adequate systems for checking and maintaining the cherry picker type elevating platform, when it was first delivered or throughout the hire period. Furthermore, it needed to be repaired on several occasions while it was on hire to the companies, and had been subjected to heavy use in all weather conditions for almost a decade. An HSE official explained that given the equipment's heavy usage and regular repair record, it demanded that inspection and maintenance procedures be carried out thoroughly because of the great risks involved in working at height. At Liverpool Crown Court Amey Infrastructure Services Ltd of Oxford admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It had failed to ensure the safety of its employees and was fined £30,000 plus £32,500 in prosecution costs. Mouchel Parkman Services Ltd of Oxford pleaded guilty to breaching S.3(1) of the same act for failing to ensure the deceased's safety and was fined £30,000 with costs of £32,500. 5th December 2011 England Care home fall proves fatal It is reported that the 90-year old resident at the Red Lodge care home in York, who fell from the 2nd floor of a building on 1st November, succumbed to her injuries on the 12th of the month. The City of York Council, the enforcing authority for care homes, is investigating the incident, the Care Quality Commission has also been involved at the home operated by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. 2nd December 2011 England Serious incident at school science laboratory It has emerged that the incident that occurred on Wednesday afternoon at Hazely Academy has resulted in a 35-year old teacher and a 6-year old boy being admitted to hospital for treatment for burns. The teacher's condition was listed as stable after she was airlifted to hospital from the scene of what the school has described as routine work with a flammable substance. The boy sustained only minor injury, the school's own statement explained that "a science teacher was in a prep room rehearsing a routine, tried and tested demonstration, involving a flammable substance, when some of her clothing was ignited." 2nd December 2011 Scotland Roof trusses fell on 8-year old An 8-year old boy, a resident on a partially completed housing project, was seriously injured after he strayed into an unsecured storage area on a construction site in Linwood, Renfrewshire, in April 2009. The construction site was only partially fenced, allowing easy access by members of the public, including children. The boy, while playing in a storage area there, disturbed some roof trusses that were stacked upright, and found himself trapped under them when they fell over and he had to be rescued by neighbours who managed to lever the trusses up off him. The boy had sustained a serious injury to his liver and had abdominal bleeding, and was kept in hospital for 8 days. Housebuilder BDW Trading Ltd was unaware when an HSE Inspector visited the site that there had been an incident and that a young child had been injured. The Inspector served an Improvement Notice to the company requiring them to improve site fencing to prevent unauthorised access. At Paisley Sheriff Court BDW Trading Ltd, of Barratt House, Cartwright Way, Forest Business Park, Bardon Hill, Coalville, Leicestershire, was fined £20,000, having admitted breaching S.3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. An HSE Inspector  commented: "BDW Trading Ltd knew that families were living right next to of the construction site, and as such the safety of children should have been a primary consideration. If the company had taken the straightforward precaution of fencing off the construction site, the children would not have been able to get into the area and this young lad would not have received potentially life-threatening injuries." 1st December 2011 Wales Caravan deaths avoidable A father and son who died in a caravan fire at Sunnysands caravan park near Barmouth, Gwynedd, in June this year, died as the result of an accident, an inquest has determined. A granddaughter was rescued but suffered 65% burns. It is thought that the fire was caused by an extension lead in an awning which had not been fully unwound, permitting it to overheat. It was speculated that this would also have caused a transformer attached to a cool box to overheat. It is believed that a flashover occurred, causing an explosion. A smoke detector was fitted, but it had no battery. 1st December 2011