France
Gas explosion kills fireman in
central Lyon
A major gas explosion on Cours Lafayette in the 6th arondissement in
central Lyon killed a fireman and left 26 other people injured on
Thursday.
It is believed that road work crews struck a gas main which triggered
a gas alarm, the explosion occurred 45 minutes later while fire crews
were evacuating a building and assessing the situation, gas is likely
to have entered the basement.
29th February 2008
|
Bangladesh
Collision leaves dozens of ferry
passengers drowned
Dozens of ferry passengers drowned when a freighter struck the ferry
as it sailed near Dhaka, more than 100 passengers were on board, many
were feared trapped in lower decks.
29th February 2008
|
Chile
Police aircraft crashes in
Santiago stadium
A police aircraft has crashed into the Villa el Mirador stadium in the
Penalolen suburb of Santiago on Wednesday leading to the deaths of at
least 8 people, the 6 occupants of the plane and 2 persons among a
group of 30 taking part in gymnastics training.
The Cessna Centurion 210 flight had left from Tobalada airfield before
shortly encountering technical problems.
28th February 2008
|
Germany
Ammonia issue at poultry plant
Around 40 people were injured on Wednesday when ammonia leaked at the
Wiesenhof poultry plant in Lohne, north Germany, 12 of the injured
were in serious condition, 4 were initially believed to be in
life-threatening condition.
28th February 2008
|
Italy
Fire crews discover bodies of
missing children
Fire crews in Gravina in Puglia made the grim discovery of the corpses
of 2 missing children when they were rescuing a 13-year old boy on
Monday who had fallen into a 22-metre deep chamber while playing with
a ball near a derelict property. The 11 and 13-year olds had been
missing since June 2006, it is not known whether they fell or were
pushed into the chamber at the abandoned house, the children's mother
will attempt to make an identification on Wednesday at the University
of Bari Forensic Dept.
27th February 2008
|
China
Lion tears off boy's arm through
cage bars
The arm of a 10-year old visitor to a zoo in Mengcheng, in the eastern
province of Anhui, was torn off a by a lion, the gaps between the bars
being sufficiently wide for the animal to access someone approaching
too close.
27th February 2008
|
South Africa
Tremors lead to fatal accident
at Kloof gold mine
Earth tremors on Monday morning measuring 3 on the Richter Scale
produced a rock fall which killed a stoping worker at the Goldfields'
Kloof mine 40 miles southwest of Johannesburg.
The accident occurred at level 37, 3,000 metres underground, in an
area not in production where a small crew was performing cleaning and
safety work in a narrow aperture in the rock wall.
26th February 2008
|
Switzerland
Refrigerant leaks at Zurich
plant
An issue of fluid or gas in the refrigeration area of the Migros plant
on Pfingstweid Street in Zurich on Monday saw 4 workers hospitalised
and 250 others evacuate the premises, the incident happened during
audit work, it remains unclear whether ammonia was involved, fire
crews were attending through the afternoon.
26th February 2008
|
South Africa
Quadruple fatality at minerals
factory
An explosion and fire at furnace 6 of the Assmang minerals plant in
Cato Ridge, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, killed 4 workers at
furnace 5 on Sunday, 4 other workers are being treated for serious
burns.
The minerals factory, a subsidiary of African Rainbow Minerals Ltd, is
currently subject to an inquiry into a fatal accident in December
involving an issue of molten manganese from a furnace.
25th February 2008
|
Russia
Hope fades for seamen missing in
Sea of Okhotsk
An intensive search of the Sea of Okhotsk off Kamchatka took place on
Sunday for 2 seamen missing from the vessel Sadovsk, although the
weather is fine sea temperatures are around zero, diminishing survival
prospects.
25th February 2008
|
North Atlantic
American aviator en route to
Scotland missing in NE Atlantic
A search has been launched for an American aviator and his Cherokee
Piper aircraft which disappeared from radar in the North Atlantic
midway between the Faroe Isles and the Hornafjordur area of southeast
Iceland, where the flight, headed for Wick in north Scotland, had
stopped in Reykjavik due to icing.
Icelandic coastguards have been scouring the area where 9m high waves
were prevailing.
23rd February 2008
|
Brazil
Hope fades for missing Amazon
ferry passengers
There appears little hope of finding further survivors following the
sinking of the ferry Almirante Monteiro which sank following a
collision with a barge laden with fuel tanks at Itacoatiara in the
Amazonas region of Brazil.
The twin-deck ferry was carrying more than 100 people, 9 bodies have
been recovered, 10 others are missing, all the remaining survivors
have been taken to Novo Remanso.
22nd February 2008
|
South Korea
Early demise of tyre workers
probed by Korean OSH
The Korean Occupational Safety & Health Agency has commented that the
deaths of 15 workers of the Hankook Tyre plant in Daejeon between May
2006 and October 2007 could "possibly" be linked to working
conditions, speculating that high working temperatures and a heavy
workload and shift pattern could have been contributory factors in
early demise from heart disease.
The Agency regards the death toll as unusually high, given that the 15
fatalities involved workers in their 30's and 40's.
21st February 2008
|
Germany
WW2 Ankertau mine fished out of
Lake Constance
A 1.3m large WW2 mine was recovered close to the island of Mainau on
Lake Constance on Wednesday, initial checks suggested that it was
empty and could be disposed of in the special furnace at Sindelfingen.
It was of the Ankertau type deployed mostly in the North and Baltic
Seas during the war, the Germany army had a test unit on Lake
Constance.
21st February 2008
|
Indonesia
Boat sinks off Papua, 7 feared
drowned
A boat sailing from Waren on Papua to Serui on Yapen, an island off
Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, has sunk, 7 of the 12
persons on board are missing, feared drowned.
20th February 2008
|
Japan
Fishermen missing after
destroyer hits trawler
A search was ongoing yesterday for fishermen missing from the tuna
trawler, Seitokumaru, which sank after a collision early on Tuesday
with the Japanese destroyer Atago 25 miles southwest of the Nojimazaki
Cape in Minamiboso, off Chiba.
The impact broke the Seitokumaru, which fishes out of Katsuura, in
two, visibility was around 12 miles at the time, with 2-foot high
waves. 20th
February 2008
|
USA
Overturning plant fatality on
Wisconsin oil pipe site
A heavy plant operator of Welded Construction of Perrysburg, Ohio, was
killed when his vehicle overturned on the Enbridge Energy site in
Columbus, Wisconsin, the accident occurred on a section of the
pipeline to carry oil from Saskatchewan. The worker was attempting to
move a heavy concrete weight used to stabilise the pipeline in wetland
conditions when his vehicle overturned. 19th
February 2008
|
France
Anti-alcohol drive locks on
school buses
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has announced that a rolling
programme between now and the end of next year will see all school
buses fitted with locks preventing them being operated by alcohol
impaired drivers. 18th
February 2008
|
New Zealand
Mid-air collision at regional
airfield
The mid-air collision of a helicopter and a light Cessna aircraft near
Paraparaumu Airfield on North Island's Kapiti coast killed 3 people on
Sunday, the Cessna pilot and the instructor and pupil in the
helicopter which came down in a local timber yard.
The collision occurred in uncontrolled airspace, main traffic uses
Wellington, local traffic relies on visual flight rules and radio
contact. 18th
February 2008
|
Italy
1 dead, many injured in Milan
bus/tram collision
The collision of a bus and tram in Milan's Porta Vittoria on Thursday
has left 1 woman dead and 26 other people seriously injured, another
woman has had a leg amputated. It is alleged that a car intruded into
a bus lane, the bus involved was a Line 60 service to Central Station,
the tram was on Line 12 to Roserio. 15th
February 2008.
|
India
Wall collapses during excavation
on Bangalore site
A wall collapsed on a building site in Bangalore on Thursday killing 1
worker and injuring another. Founds were being dug for concrete
columns in a 12-metre deep excavation when an adjacent wall became
unstable and collapsed. 15th
February 2008.
|
Australia
Tractor runs over driver in NSW
orchard
An agricultural worker has died after being run over by his tractor on
Wednesday in an orchard in Old Tumbur, southeast of Wagga Wagga, New
South Wales. The tractor had been towing a trailer with containers of
apples, other workers caught sight of it rolling forward without the
driver. 14th
February 2008.
|
The Netherlands
Boats collide in dense fog
The Rijkswaterstaat reports that a ferry and a freight ship collided
on the Maas between Waalwijk and Drongelen on Wednesday, dense fog had
reduced visibility considerably at the time of the accident in which
no injuries have been reported although both craft were noticeably
damaged. 14th
February 2008.
|
Switzerland
Painter succumbs to burns
injuries
A 47-year old painter of a tank maintenance company died on Tuesday
from burns sustained in an explosion on Monday while he was painting a
tank at premises in Malters, Lucerne, a colleague is recovering from
his light injuries. 13th
February 2008.
|
Slovakia
School bus hits lorry in dense
fog
Slovakian police are investigating a traffic accident which occurred
in dense fog on Tuesday when a school bus hit a stationary lorry just
outside Sala, the driver sustained multiple fractures and 17 children
were injured. 13th
February 2008.
|
The Netherlands
Pensioner with walking aid
killed crossing railway line
A pensioner was killed on Monday crossing the railway line at Heiloo,
she was attempting to make the crossing with a walking aid but was
struck by an Amsterdam-bound train. 12th
February 2008.
|
USA
Tiger bites female handler
during training exercise
A female zoo keeper's fingers were bitten by a Malayan tiger during a
training exercise at West Palm Beach Zoo in Florida, the incident
occurred during feeding time after the zoo had closed to the public.
12th
February 2008.
|
Indonesia
Crush claims 10 lives after rock
concert
At least 10 people died in a crush accident at the end of a rock
concert in Bandung, west Java, at the weekend, initial reports suggest
that overcrowding was not an issue but for some reason panic gripped
the crowd trying to leave, many others fractured limbs in the
accident. 11th
February 2008.
|
Germany
WW2 bomb found on north Hannover
site
Work was halted at the weekend on a construction site in Hannover when
a 113Kg WW2 bomb was uncovered by a digger, sections of the motorway
between Hanover East and West were closed and 12K residents, including
a care home, were evacuated while the ordnance, lacking a detonator,
was dealt with.
Original reports referred to 3 bombs but 2 proved to involve harmless
scrap metal. Hannover was subject to more than 100 air attacks during
the war, experts reckon that a tenth of all bombs failed to explode.
11th February 2008.
|
Austria
11 die in retirement home fire
A major fire on Friday evening at the Vinzenz retirement home in Egg
in the Bregenz forest of Vorarlberg has killed 11 elderly, mostly
handicapped, residents.
The locus appears to have been a first floor room, the cause remains
unknown. A serious risk of the building collapsing forced fire crews
back for some time. Although the building is 140 years old its fabric
was in good condition and its fire exits also were in operable
condition. 9th
February 2008.
|
England
Worker's award for milling
machine amputation
A 38-year old Midlands worker has been awarded £42K in respect of an
accident in September 2004 which resulted in 2 of his fingers being
amputated after his gloved hand became caught in a milling machine at
Hydro Aluminium Extrusion in Warwick, the rotary cutter and
grinder being deemed to have been inadequately guarded and the worker
untrained in the use of the machine.
8th February 2008.
|
Ireland
Quarry accident fine
Kilkenny Limestone has been fined €4K (£2,800) in respect of an
accident at a quarry in Paulstown in August 2006 when a bandsaw wire
snapped and inflicted injuries to a worker who was standing 6 metres
away, the machine being inadequately guarded.
8th February 2008.
|
Italy
Fireworks factory explosion
kills 4
An explosion at a fireworks factory and store on Wednesday in San
Egidio de Madonna delle Macchie, Orvieto, has killed 4 people,
believed to be the proprietor and 3 family members, one other person
is listed in critical condition, the premises were licensed by Terni
municipal authority.
7th February 2008.
|
Romania
Driver falls under wheels of
runaway engine
A train driver has died after falling under the wheels of a runaway
locomotive which he had left unbraked in Odorheiu Secuiesc station in
central Romania, the locomotive ran on for a further 8 miles prior to
being halted. 7th
February 2008.
|
Canada
Youth killed on Vancouver site
WorkSafe British Columbia is investigating a fatal accident at the
Escada condominium development in Guildford, Vancouver, where a
13-year old youth became pinned between unstable sheets of drywall at
the site where his father was working. Although the youth was not an
employee, WorkSafe's mandate is to ascertain the safety of the
workplace. 6th
February 2008.
|
Cyprus
Girl swallowed cleaning fluid
A 2-year old girl is listed in stable condition after drinking a
mixture of orange juice and detergent prepared unwittingly by a hotel
barman. The girl was on a ventilator for 48 hours in Makarios Hospital
after sustaining mouth and oesophageal burns, the detergent,
speculated as nitric acid, was allegedly kept in a plain plastic
bottle by the serving area.
6th February 2008.
|
South Korea
Commercial collisions off
Incheon and Jeju
The collision of a 600-tonne freighter and a 270-tonne tug off Incheon
on Monday has left 2 seamen dead and another missing, 3 others were
safely rescued.
At the weekend a similar collision east of Pyoseon on Jeju island left
1 fishermen dead and 2 missing.
5th February 2008.
|
Japan
Trans-Pacific balloonist missing
Concern is being expressed over the safety of a missing 58-year old
balloonist, an official of Kawajuna Municipal Government, with whom
contact has been lost during his trans-Pacific crossing since his
departure last Thursday from Tochigi. His fuel would be exhausted by
now (Monday), last contact was made 500 miles south of the Aleutian
Islands.
5th February 2008.
|
India
Ahmedabad hotel collapse
kills 12
The collapse of the Hotel Shagun in the Kalupur district of Ahmedabad
has left at least 12 people dead and scores injured. It is speculated
that adjacent construction works undermined the integrity of the
3-storey hotel's foundations, the hotel was busy with applicants
attending a railway recruitment exam.
4th February 2008.
|
China
Repeat of rail station crush
accident
A woman passenger died in a weekend mass crushing accident at
Guangzhou railway station, last month a station deputy manager and a
platform worker were dismissed when a similar accident occurred at a
station in Wuhu, Anhui province.
4th February 2008.
|
USA
Fatal collision at Atlanta
airport
A 19-year old worker was killed in a vehicle collision on the tarmac
at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, on Thursday
night, the impact with a catering vehicle saw him thrown out of the
open-cab vehicle he was driving which provides in-flight toilet
facilities.
2nd February 2008.
|
Turkey
Unlicensed Istanbul fireworks
factory explosion kills 20
A fire and explosion in an unlicensed fireworks factory in Davutpasa,
in the Istanbul suburb of Zeytimburnu, killed at least 20 people on
Thursday, many others have been listed in serious condition. The
explosion occurred on the 4th floor of the 5-storey building, the
authorities may have been unaware of its operation, although a
bleaching company also operating there had been ordered to close but
was continuing to operate in the 19-year old building, which itself
was allegedly built without planning permission.
1st February 2008.
|
|
Belgium
Explosion kills steel plant
worker
A worker was killed in an explosion on Thursday at the ArcelorMittal
Chertal steel works in Oupeye, it is speculated that an abnormally
high build-up of oxygen caused the explosion after a supply line had
been breached or cut.
29th February 2008.
|
Kazakhstan
Helicopter comes down in
Kyzylorda
The crash of a Kazkhstan Emergency Situations Mi-8 helicopter on
Thursday has killed 5 people when it came down in the Zhalagash
district of Kyzylorda, 13 others were injured. The flight was
surveying flood damage in the area where principal occupations are
agriculture and livestock.
29th February 2008.
|
Scotland
Hebridean fish farm death
Searchers have recovered the body of a fish farm worker in Loch na
Creige Fraoich, Lewis.
He and 3 colleagues were turned into the water when their boat
capsized on Tuesday afternoon in high winds, the survivors swimming to
shore.
28th February 2008.
|
Japan
Lorry container falls from
trailer
The entire container of a 38-ton lorry fell from the vehicle on
Wednesday morning as it was driving towards Tokyo on Yokohama's
Metropolitan Expressway Bay Route, the accident happened in the
Tsurumi district, the driver of the lorry was unhurt.
28th February 2008.
|
The Netherlands
Hospitals less hygienic than in
1900
Speaking on a Dutch radio channel on Tuesday, an inspector of the
Health Inspectorate, IGZ (Inspectie voor de Gezondheitszork), claimed
that hospitals operated more hygienically in 1900, he was especially
critical of a failure by staff to observe regular hand washing, 1,700
patient infections annually are deemed avoidable.
27th February 2008.
|
Russia
Gas explosion at property in
Lipetsk
A gas explosion in a 5-storey residential building in Gryzevo,
Lipetsk, left 6 people injured, fire crews were at the scene
throughout Tuesday.
27th February 2008.
|
Cyprus
Worker killed during hotel
refurbishment
An east European construction worker was killed yesterday when an
internal wall fell on him during work at a hotel on Demosthenis Mitsi
Street in Larnaca.
27th February 2008.
|
Germany
Gas explosion in Porsche factory
paint dept
A gas explosion occurred on Monday in a paint-drying chamber at the
Porsche production unit in the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart, 2
workers were injured in the incident which will restrict production of
the 911 model in the coming days given the water ingress from the
firefighting.
26th February 2008.
|
Austria
Dash 8-Q400's emergency landing
in Vienna
A Dash 8-Q400 aircraft with 67 passengers and 4 crew flying from
Nuremberg had to make an emergency landing at Vienna-Schwechat airport
on Monday with problems apparently linked to its landing gear, a
technical problem was signalled but then it appeared to refunction
normally.
A similar incident last October in Copenhagen involving a Dash 8-Q400
of SAS led to the company grounding its fleet pending investigation.
26th February 2008.
|
Germany
Sack of hot potatoes
A worker grading potatoes for supermarket supply in Neuenkirchen came
across a British WW2 hand grenade in extremely rusty and dangerous
condition which had to be removed and detonated in an open area, the
potatoes had been harvested in northeast France.
25th February 2008.
|
Cyprus
Fatal plant accident at
desalination site
A fatal accident has been reported from the site of the desalination
plant refurbishment on the Dhekelia coast where a 57-year old worker
was struck by a bulldozer.
25th February 2008.
|
Greece
Piraeus derailment leaves 1 dead
A train derailed during maintenance or cleaning work in Piraeus
Station on Friday, an accident which left 1 person dead and 6 others
injured. The derailment occurred adjacent to a boundary wall, it is
thought that the victim was walking on the other side of the wall.
23rd February 2008.
|
Venezuela
Santa Barbara plane crash
located in Los Consejos
The Venezuelan Aeronautics Institute has announced the location of the
Santa Barbara Airlines plane which crashed on Thursday with 43
passengers and 3 crew on a flight from Alberto Carnevalli Airport in
Merida to Maiquetia. It came down in Los Consejos area at an altitude
of 12K feet, no survivors of the accident were anticipated.
23rd February 2008.
|
France
Unstable forklift kills lorry
driver
A 50-year old lorry driver was killed on Thursday when a forklift
truck fell during the loading of pallets on to the vehicle at
Chevilly-Larue, north of Paris Orly airport.
22nd February 2008.
|
USA
Michigan crush accident
investigation
Investigation is ongoing at Michigan Sugar Company in Monitor Township
into a crush accident this week which saw a worker hospitalised with a
broken pelvis, his condition worsened with a subsequent heart attack.
He was operating a loader at the plant but somehow became pinned
between it and another machine.
22nd February 2008.
|
USA
Falling steel kills Ohio worker
A falling coil of steel killed a 38-year old Ohio worker on Wednesday
at the AK steel plant outside Coshocton, 55 miles northeast of
Columbus, the plant processes flat rolled stainless steel.
21st February 2008.
|
Spain
School bus accident near Toledo
A school bus accident near Talavera de la Reina has left 30 secondary
school children and the driver injured, the latter and 6 of the
children were badly injured as the bus left the road in foggy
conditions, other vehicles were implicated in the accident.
21st February 2008.
|
USA
Crane operator electrocuted at
Pennsylvania highway site
An electrocution has claimed the life of a crane operator at a road
construction site at Harmar, Pennsylvania, where concrete barriers are
being erected. Electricity arced when the crane neared an overhead
high power cable, although the crane operator jumped off the vehicle,
the electricity reached him on the ground.
20th February 2008.
|
Spain
Zaragoza girl hit by ambulance
on pedestrian crossing
A 14-year old girl is in intensive care in hospital in Zaragoza after
being struck by an ambulance while on a pedestrian crossing in the
city's Via de la Hispanidad, it is alleged that the 37-year old
ambulance driver passed through a red light, police are continuing the
investigation.
19th February 2008.
|
New Zealand
Jules Verne crew rescued from
Pacific
Helicopter crews on Monday rescued 10 sailors from the French trimaran
Groupama 111 whose craft overturned 80 miles east of Dunedin during
the Jules Verne Round the World Yacht Race.
The 10 crew members donned survival suits and positioned themselves on
the upturned hull while awaiting rescue, 30 knot winds and 10-foot
swells prevailed at the time.
19th February 2008.
|
USA
Ballistics fatality at
Pennsylvania shooting range
The accidental discharge of a gun during handling by a worker produced
a fatal accident at the Sunset Hill Shooting Range in Pocono, east
Pennsylvania, they were being removed from an area under lock and key
when a loaded 9mm Uzi discharged.
18th February 2008
|
Sweden
Woman killed in 3m well fall
A 63-year old woman died in a 3-metre fall into a well on a
smallsteading in Dalsand at the weekend, it is believed that she was
attempting to retrieve a fowl which had fallen into the well.
18th February 2008.
|
Canada
Worker killed at Alberta drill
site
A. 32-year old worker of Bronco Drilling Services has succumbed to
head injuries sustained in an accident 15 miles east of
Wabasca-Demarais where they are working on a site with the Big Stone
Cree Nation, 140 miles north of Edmonton. 15th
February 2008.
|
Switzerland
Chlorine poisoning at swimming
pool
A defective chlorine gas cylinder in the control room of a hotel
swimming pool in Crans Montana saw 9 people hospitalised on Thursday,
2 children were detained overnight for precautionary observation. 15th
February 2008.
|
Canada
6-metre fatal fall at New
Brunswick works
A 48-year old New Brunswick worker has died from head injuries in a
6-metre fall after a scissors lift he was working on overturned in
Caraquet, northeast of Bathurst. 14th
February 2008.
|
Canada
Lorry boom electrocution in
Alberta
A 33-year old oil worker was electrocuted when the overhead rig boom
of a lorry contacted overhead power lines south of New Dayton,
Alberta, the incident occurred when he made physical contact with the
lorry. 13th
February 2008.
|
Russia
Clinic fire investigation
Investigation is ongoing into a fire at the weekend in a
psycho-neurological unit in the village of Petelino in Tula, the
annexe roof collapsed in the accident, no serious injuries were
reported of the 164 patients and staff.
13th February 2008.
|
Japan
CO poisoning claims ice
fisherman
An ice fishermen has died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his tent
at Tsubetsu on Lake Chimikeppu, Hokkaido, he had introduced a gas
burner into the tent but failed to provide adequate ventilation.
12th February 2008.
|
New Zealand
Maintenance worker killed on
Auckland ferris wheel
Health and safety inspectors are due on site at the Rainbow's End
fairground in Auckland today (Monday) to investigate the weekend death
of a 21-year old maintenance worker who sustained fatal crush injuries
after becoming pinned between a carriage and the frame of the 8-metre
high junior ferris wheel.
11th February 2008.
|
USA
NJ track welder killed by train
A 58-year old track welder of New Jersey Transit Corporation was
killed at the weekend after being struck by a train in Ridgewood, the
circumstances of the accident are under investigation.
11th February 2008.
|
Bulgaria
Cigarette led to chemistry lab
fire
The fire which occurred in a chemistry classroom at a secondary school
in Kalofer, central Bulgaria, on Thursday is being attributed to the
careless disposal of a cigarette, initial investigation suggests no
electrical malfunction.
8th February 2008.
|
Germany
Heart patient burned in
operating theatre
A 75-year old patient sustained second degree burns to his face and
throat during heart surgery in Coswig, Sachsen-Anhalt, when a tongue
of flame licked out from equipment in the operating theatre and
ignited cloths and swabs.
7th February 2008.
|
South Africa
Patients' lives lost in bus
crash
Police are investigating a case of possible culpable homicide in the
circumstances in which a bus carrying 27 hospital patients from
Siyanda to Kimberley has crashed at Delportshoop, 12 patients died in
the incident.
6th February 2008.
|
Germany
Fire controlled at Krummel
reactor
A fire broke out in a ventilation chamber of the Krummel nuclear
reactor on Monday, the reactor had been switched off since a fire
there on 28th June last summer. The smouldering fire was safely
controlled, it is speculated that it occurred in a filter.
5th February 2008.
|
The Netherlands
Deep-sea tugs try to float
stranded freighter
A joint operation was underway on Monday involving Smit of Rotterdam
and German deep-sea tug company Harms of Hamburg to refloat the
300-metre long freighter Zhen Hua 10 which ran aground off the Maas in
storm conditions, the freighter is carrying 3 very large container
cranes.
5th February 2008.
|
Sweden
Subcontractor killed at LKAB
mine
A subcontract worker on a vehicle was killed in a weekend rock slide
caused by an earth tremor at the Swedish government's Luossavaara
Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag mine in Kiruna, 70 workers were underground at
the time, after an 8-hour search the victim's body was recovered at a
depth of 700 metres.
4th February 2008.
|
Australia
Aussie Rules teen dies at
training camp
A 19-year old teenage player of Cranbourne Australian Rules Football
Club has died at a training camp at Jamieson, 125 miles northeast of
Melbourne, the teenager collapsed during a training run at the
Sideling ground and could not be resuscitated.
4th February 2008.
|
Bulgaria
Children ill after consuming
sedatives at nursery
An investigation in Sofia is studying how 2 children at a nursery in
the Lozenets district in the south of the city managed to consume
lexotan sedative pills this week, after hospital treatment the 5-year
olds went home but are receiving ongoing treatment.
Lexotan's use was discontinued in the UK 6 years ago.
2nd February 2008.
|
South Africa
Snake bites tournament golfer
A night adder, a nocturnal snake which is norrnally passive, has
bitten a 24-year old competitor at the Nashua Masters golf tournament
in Port Edward, the snake inflicted the bites in his upper arm while
he was searching in bushes for a lost ball. His arm is swollen and
very painful, with the fang marks visible 2cm apart, its venom is less
toxic than other adders.
1st February 2008.
|
Malta
Workers compensated for docks
accident
2 workers have been awarded €105K(£73,500) and €81K(£57K) respectively
following court action in respect of an accident at Malta Dry-docks 15
years ago which was deemed to have been caused by inadequate
maintenance of a hydraulic platform on which they were working, the
Dockyard having failed to provide the shipwrights with a safe place of
work.
1st February 2008.
|
|
South Africa
Double fatality at Harmony gold
mine
A seismic event has produced a rockfall at Harmony Gold's Elandsrand
mine near Carletonville in which 2 workers have died.
29th February 2008.
|
China
Unstable explosive material
accident in Shanghai
A Shanghai warehouse worker was killed on Thursday in an explosion
during the unloading of ammunition caps for toy guns from a van at a
store in the Nanhui Industrial Zone in Pudong.
29th February 2008.
|
England
West Sussex construction site
death
A 48-year old roofer has died from injuries sustained in a 15-metre
fall from scaffolding at the Crest Nicholson site at Folders Keep,
Burgess Hill, he was employed by a roofing sub-contractor.
28th February 2008.
|
Ireland
HSA investigates Dublin Airport
accident
A construction worker died on Wednesday morning in an accident during
the refurbishment of Dublin Airport's old Central Terminal building,
the accident occurred on the apron in front of the building, it is
believed he was struck by a bulldozer.
28th February 2008.
|
Egypt
Tourists rescued after falouka's
mast snaps
Seventeen European tourists were safely rescued on Wednesday after
their boat's mast snapped as it crossed the Nile near Aswan and
subsequently sank.
28th February 2008.
|
USA
Rochester Mine Safety Bureau
investigates Wisconsin quarry
death
A Wisconsin plant operator died when his backhoe fell through ice at
Park View Sand and Gravel Pit in Rochester, the 62-year old driver was
trying to free a cable frozen into a pond at the quarry when the
accident occurred. His body was recovered 6 hours later some 2 metres
from the backhoe.
Given that the plant features a water-tight cab he was either pitched
out or attempted to leave it.
27th February 2008.
|
Canada
Unspecified accident at Nova
Scotia workplace
OSH in Nova Scotia is investigating an accident at premises on
McGregor Avenue Extension in Stellarton which saw a 38-year old worker
injured, he is listed in stable condition in Aberdeen Hospital.
27th February 2008.
|
Australia
Irish diver's accident
investigated
Workplace Standards Tasmania has been asked by police to investigate a
weekend accident in which an Irish tourist lost consciousness during a
dive at Eaglehawk Neck and was resuscitated by the Eaglehawk Neck Dive
Centre dive boat crew prior to transfer to Royal Hobart Hospital where
she is listed in critical but stable condition.
26th February 2008.
|
Dubai
Wall collapse kills site worker
A wall collapse killed a construction worker at the weekend on a site
close to the Dubai Investment Park, 9 other workers in the crew
managed to escape without injury.
25th February 2008.
|
Canada
Company fined after apprentice
left paralysed
Cooling Tower Inc of Edmonton has been fined $150K(£75,903) after
pleading guilty to charges under the Occupational Health and Safety
Act in respect of a fall accident in which an apprentice joiner was
left paralysed.
On 22nd July 2005, the apprentice was traversing a work platform at a
site in Whitby, Ontario, when he fell 6m on to a concrete surface,
sustaining spinal injuries which left him paralysed.
Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation found that although he was
wearing a safety harness it was unattached to a fixed support, the
worker having been inadequately trained in safety procedures.
Investigation also established that the site had been inadequately lit
for the hazard to be visible.
25th February 2008.
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Bulgaria
Exceedingly drunk banned driver
arrested
Police in Vidin on the Danube in northwest Bulgaria have arrested a
driver with a blood alcohol reading of 4.92 promille after his car
struck a wall and burst into flames, he was also found to be driving
while banned. 25th
February 2008.
|
USA
Auger fatality in Washington
orchard
An orchard worker has died in an accident involving an auger at Esport
Fischer Orchards in Sunnyside, south Washington, the 39-year old
worker's clothing became snagged in the machinery while he was
excavating to erect posts.
23rd February 2008.
|
Germany
Electrical fire at BW piggery
Fire at a piggery in Tuningen, Baden-Wurttemberg, has left 2 farmers
hospitalised with burns injuries and smoke inhalation, a considerable
number of stock died in the blaze which police are attributing to an
electrical malfunction.
22nd February 2008.
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England
Fatal accident at Dorset
confectioners
A 33-year old machine operator was killed in an accident early on
Wednesday at the Tangerine Confectionery plant in Poole, Dorset, it
appears that the starch room operator's leg became trapped in a
depositing machine.
21st February 2008.
|
Japan
Unsecured snow clearer killed in
40m fall
A worker in his 40's has died in a 40-metre fall from the roof of a
building in Atsubetsu, Sapporo, where he and a colleague were
contracted to remove snow, neither was wearing a security line.
The authorities in Hokkaido have recorded 26 separate instances of
accidents during snow clearing in 2008, 6 of which proved fatal.
21st February 2008.
|
Argentina
Scaffold collapse at Buenos
Aires site
A scaffold collapsed at a building under construction on Tuesday
between Roque Perez Street and Crisdogo Larralde in the Buenos Aires
district of Saavedra, 3 workers were injured and taken to Hospital
Pirovano but their injuries are not thought to be serious.
20th February 2008.
|
USA
HGV fatality at Kansas City
quarry
The driver of a 50-ton HGV has died after losing control of his
vehicle while depositing rocks at a quarry in Carefree Industrial Park
at Sugar Creek on Missouri Highway 291, Kansas City, he was reversing
at the time, the lorry fell down a 100-metre embankment.
20th February 2008.
|
Malawi
Lorry driver jailed for 3 years
At a court in Dedza a lorry driver has been jailed for 3 years after
pleading guilty to charges of dangerous driving which led to the
deaths of 28 members of a 62-party of political workers of the
Alliance for Democracy who died when the lorry in which they were
travelling crashed as it was travelling to Lilongwe. The lorry driver
admitted to having consumed a lot of alcohol the previous night, an
initial charge of manslaughter had been withdrawn.
19th February 2008.
|
Serbia
Novi Sad cafe fire kills 7
Fire in the early hours of Sunday in the Lounge Cafe on Zmaj Jovina
Street in Novi Sad, 50 miles north of Belgrade, killed 7 people and
left 3 others badly burned, 1 person is listed in critical condition.
18th February 2008.
|
USA
Kentucky woodworker's fingers
amputated
A Kentucky worker lost 4 fingers while operating a saw at Kentuckiana
Wood Products in Jeffersonville, 30 miles east of Lexington, he was
transferred to the Jewish Hospital in Louisville for further
treatment. 18th
February 2008.
|
Moldova
Gas cylinder explodes in
Chisinau cafe
At least 13 people were injured, a number in serious condition, after
a cooking gas cylinder exploded in a cafe in the Jumbo supermarket in
Chisinau on Thursday. 15th
February 2008.
|
USA
Unstable timber kills HGV
delivery driver in New York
Falling timber killed a delivery driver of LJ Kennedy on Wednesday at
Blue Linx in Yaphank, Long Island, the accident occurred during
unloading. 14th
February 2008.
|
France
Pilots eject from Mirage jet
into the Gironde
Both pilots of a Mirage fighter jet were safely rescued from the sea
when they had to eject from their aircraft which experienced technical
problems during a training flight, a fishing boat and a coastguard
vessel rescued them in the Gironde estuary. 14th
February 2008.
|
South Africa
Fatal crush accident at foundry
engine press
A fatal crush accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Atlantis
Foundries premises, 30 miles north of Cape Town, where a subcontractor
became caught in machinery which produces automotive castings for
vehicles. 13th
February 2008.
|
Belgium
Brussels tram derailment linked
to incorrectly set points
A tram derailed on Tuesday afternoon on Line 82 in the Boulevard du
Midi, Brussels, the driver was hospitalised with a head injury and a
passenger with a back injury. Maintenance work had been undertaken
earlier on the line, it is alleged that the points had been
incorrectly reset.
13th February 2008.
|
Bahrain
Falling crane jib kills painter
An employee of Turk Heavy Transport Company has been killed when a
crane jib fell on him while he was preparing to paint it in Mameer, 2
colleagues also sustained multiple fractures in the accident.
12th February 2008.
|
Canada
Sodium hydroxide leakage at CN
Ontario yard
The Ministry of Labour in Ontario is investigating an accident early
Monday at the Canadian National railyard in Vaughan, north of Toronto,
when a leakage of sodium hydroxide occurred from a lorry carrying
1,000's of litres, 4 people required hospital treatment for non-life
threatening injuries.
12th February 2008.
|
Austria
Helicopter hits mountain cable
in Steier
Pilot error is being speculated as the cause of the weekend accident
in which a Bell 206 helicopter struck the cable of a mountain cableway
in Obersteiermark, the burned out helicopter was recovered on Saturday
at an altitude of 1,600 metres having been reported missing after
take-off from Wels on Friday, both pilots died in the accident.
11th February 2008.
|
South Africa
Sky diver's parachute fails
A skydiver's parachute failed in a weekend accident which claimed the
life of the 35-year old female jumper whose body was recovered on a
smallholding in Kenilworth, outside Bloemfontein.
11th February 2008.
|
Scotland
Roofer breaks leg
Fire crews in Livingston deployed a scissors lift to rescue a roofer
who broke a leg on Thursday while working on the Iron Mountain
building on the Houston Industrial Estate, the worker is recovering in
hospital in Edinburgh, the circumstances of the accident are under
investigation.
8th February 2008.
|
Fiji
Hazards of sealing fire exits
The sealing off of fire exits has become a health and safety issue at
Lautoka Hospital in the west of Viti Levu, Fiji's principal island,
the hospital's general manager has indicated that this exigency
measure was in response to a spate of theft of patients' belongings
although this would cause a major problem if fire prompted a speedy
evacuation of the hospital.
8th February 2008.
|
Croatia
Turkish freighter fire in
Adriatic
A major fire broke out on Wednesday on the Turkish freighter, Und
Adriyatik, which was sailing from Istanbul to Trieste with a load of
200 lorries and 9 tonnes of hazardous chemicals, all 22 crew and 9
passengers were safely evacuated by a Greek ship, attempts were being
made to control the fire on the 193-metre long ship some 15 miles west
of Rovinj.
7th February 2008.
|
Iceland
Unsecured load falls from HGV
A heavy load of metal pipes weighing almost 1 tonne fell from a lorry
of GG-flutningar in transit in Hafnarfjordur, southwest Iceland,
although the load was being restrained by chains and side walls it is
believed that it was projecting over the rear of the lorry, no
injuries ensued.
7th February 2008.
|
USA
Connecticut arborist killed
A 47-year old arboreal worker of Davey Tree Service sustained fatal head
injuries during the trimming of tree canopy near power lines for
Connecticut Light & Power Company in Tolland, northeast Connecticut.
6th February 2008.
|
Switzerland
Forestry worker killed by
rolling timber
A 44-year old Zurich forestry worker was killed on Monday at a site in
Marchtobel, between Saas and Klosters. He was stripping branches from
a felled tree when a large section of felled trunk became unstable and
rolled over him.
5th February 2008.
|
Spain
Butane cylinder explosion in
Murcia
A 33-year old woman was fortunate to survive an explosion when a
butane gas cylinder exploded in her apartment in Murcia where
extensive damage has occurred in both storeys.
5th February 2008.
|
USA
Crush fatality at San Diego
dry-dock
A fatal crush accident has killed a machinist in the dry-dock at the
BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair unit at Bell Street, San Diego,
where he was pinned between a crane and a post.
4th February 2008.
|
Somalia
Pirates seize Sakhalin-bound
boat
The Switzer Korsakov and its 6-man crew have been kidnapped by Somali
pirates during its voyage from St Petersburg to the DAO Gazprom's
Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project on Sakhalin island where an LNG plant
is being built. It is understood that the captain is a British
national.
4th February 2008.
|
Japan
Defective heater and neglect
claim infants' lives
A defective electrical heater is speculated as the cause of a fatal
fire in an apartment block in Tokyo's Katsushika district which
claimed the lives of 2 infants. The children's mother had left them
alone in the flat to run an errand but was unable to rescue them
herself from the smoke-logged flat, the children died in hospital on
Thursday.
1st February 2008.
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|
England
Carbon monoxide incident
A female in her 20's has died
and a male in his 30's remains in critical condition after they were
discovered in their flatted property in Hounslow, London.
It is suspected that they have been poisoned by carbon monoxide.
29th February 2008.
|
Northern Ireland
Belfast industrial accident
It is reported that a building worker died following an industrial
accident at the site of the new Ormeau Bakery project in Belfast, one
account states a forklift truck was involved.
28th February 2008.
|
England
Companies fall foul of work at
height laws
HSE warns that companies who fail to implement safe systems for work
at height will be prosecuted. Team Q Maintenance Limited of Chestnut,
Hertfordshire, and Schawk UK Limited of Hackney, were each fined
£20,000 with costs of £3,098 at City of London Magistrates' Court,
both found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act
1974.
During July 2005, an employee of Team Q Maintenance fell just over 2
metres while carrying out repairs on air conditioning units at the
premises of Schawk UK Limited. He borrowed a step ladder from Schawk
UK to access the roof which was neither suitable nor safe for the
task, as a direct result of which he suffered a serious head injury.27th February 2008.
|
England
Mowing equipment killed its
operator
An inquest has determined accidental death after hearing accounts of
the circumstances of an accident last August involving a monk in the
grounds of the Peace Pagoda in Milton Keynes as he cut grass there.
An onlooker described how the deceased ran to stop the tractor and its
cutters as it moved down an incline but fell underneath its blades
which inflicted severe injuries. Inspection of the tractor found it to
be in a very poor state of maintenance.
26th February 2008.
|
Northern Ireland
Workman fell 4m
McAloon Construction of Enniskillen has been fined £4,000 plus costs
for breaching Northern Ireland's safety legislation in connection with
a site accident in September 2005 in which an employee fell almost 4
metres from a first floor of a structure being built in the town's
High Street.
The necessary steps had not been taken by the company to prevent falls
from height as part of a safe system of work, the workman sustained a
major injury when he landed on a concrete surface below.
25th February 2008.
|
England
Workman crushed by earthmoving
equipment
A man died accidentally last June at a gravel quarry site near Colney
Heath, a Hatfield coroner's Court has decided. The deceased Lee
Brothers employee was operating a bulldozer with a vibrating roller
when it moved off while he stood by it. He attempted to arrest its
movement down an incline but ended up being crushed by it.
Opinions differ as to whether it slid or rolled because the brake was
not fully engaged.
22nd February 2008.
|
England
Council fined for gas safety
management lapse
Local Magistrates have fined Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council a
total of £10,000 with costs of £6,830 for gas safety lapses that
obliged it to plead guilty to breaching S.3(1) of the Health and
Safety Work etc. Act 1974.
An incident at Crookhill Primary School in Ryton on the 14th November
2006 led to 25 pupils and 2 members of staff requiring evacuation from
a classroom when they were overcome by carbon monoxide, a result of
carbon monoxide being produced by an inadequately maintained boiler in
the boiler plant room and leaking into the classroom above.
An HSE inspector observed: "This incident resulted from a combination
of factors. HSE's investigation showed that the failure by Gateshead
Metropolitan Borough Council to operate an effective gas safety
management system was the most significant matter."
21st February 2008.
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Wales
Safe system was not enforced
Corus UK Ltd, trading as Corus Packaging Plus, has been fined £0.25m
plus costs of £42,965 at Swansea Crown Court for safety failures that
permitted an industrial accident to occur on 4th January 2004 which
killed an employee at the Trostre Tin Plate works in Llanelli.
The deceased was working in an area where rollers squeeze and stretch
steel strips, making them thinner, and while assisting in a roll
change he walked through a gap between the rollers as a deflector
plate descended, striking him on the head.
Investigation found there were serious shortcomings in the systems of
work in place to manage risks.
20th February 2008.
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England
Workmen plunged through fragile
roof.
During May 2006, 2 men working on a derelict farm building fell
through its fragile asbestos cement roof, suffering multiple fractures
and spinal injuries. The employers of the pair, Environmental
Reclamation Ltd (ERL) of St Albans, Hertfordshire, had been contracted
to demolish and clear farm buildings in Oving, Buckinghamshire.
ERL was fined a total of £30,000 with £21,360 costs for breaching
S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and r.4(1) of the
Work at Height Regulations 2005. Clarks Construction Ltd of Luton,
Bedfordshire, the Principal Contractor for the project, was fined
£7,500, and ordered to pay £9,388 in costs, having breached S.3(1) of
the Principal Act.
The injured men were permitted to walk on the fragile roof of the
unstable building, falling around 4 metres onto a concrete floor.
19th February 2008.
|
England
Reversing refuse lorry struck
girl
The importance of a safe system of work for reversing refuse
collection vehicles as they operate in public places has been
illustrated by a tragic accident and subsequent prosecution.
On 4th April 2006, an 11-year old girl was on her way to school when
she was struck and killed by a reversing Coventry City Council refuse
collection vehicle in the Stoke area of Coventry.
The Council was fined £125,000 with costs of £40,000 at Coventry Crown
Court after pleading guilty to breaching s.3(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
18th February 2008.
|
Scotland
Man loses arm in accident
It is reported that a man in his 20's has had surgery to re-attach his
arm which was severed in an industrial accident on Tuesday.
The accident occurred at the Rammerscales Sawmills in Lockerbie,
Dumfries and Galloway. 15th
February 2008.
|
England
Quarry death in Somerset
It is reported that a man in his 20's, believed to an employee of a
contractor, died in a workplace accident at Whatley Quarry on
Saturday.
One account states that he was cleaning out a large storage bin when
he was buried under limestone. 14th
February 2008.
|
England
Boy dies following incident at
Council swimming pool
An 8-year old boy has died following an incident in the swimming pool
at the Wolverhampton City Council's Swimming and Fitness Centre in
Wednesfield.
The incident occurred on Sunday, the centre is operated by DC Leisure
on behalf of the City Council.
13th February 2008.
|
England
Reversing lorry killed workman
Coventry Crown Court has fined Easco (Midlands) Limited £200,000 with
£55,000 costs, it having admitted breaching the Health and Safety at
Work etc Act 1974 in the circumstances of a June 2005 fatal scrapyard
accident in which an employee was struck by a reversing skip lorry.
An HSE Inspector commented: "Scrapyard owners need to ensure that they
make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the movement of
vehicles and pedestrians on site and, identify and implement
appropriate control measures to prevent people being struck by moving
vehicles. In this case, particularly between March 2004 and December
2005, there were inadequate precautions in place to segregate
pedestrians from vehicles, despite previous warnings from HSE at other
sites within the Easco group."
12th February 2008.
|
Wales
Fatal fall at Welsh college
A 27-year-old man has died following an accident at Bala College,
North Wales, after apparently falling down a stairway in the early
hours of Saturday morning.
It is reported that he fell a distance of nearly 10 metres at the
youth centre owned by the Church of Wales.
11th February 2008.
|
Scotland
Fall from height death in
Lanarkshire
A roofing worker fell to his death on 25th January as he worked on a
roof in East Kilbride.
It is reported he fell more than 10 metres onto a public footpath and
died some time later in hospital.
8th February 2008.
|
Scotland
Farmer killed in Aberdeenshire
It is reported that a farmer, aged 84, has succumbed to injuries he
received while out using a tractor to feed his livestock.
The accident occurred on Wednesday near Rothes, the deceased was
discovered by a neighbour.
8th February 2008.
|
England
Fine for unguarded machine
Pilkington Tiles Ltd of Manchester has been fined £18,000 with costs
of £7,500 by Trafford Magistrates following an industrial accident in
which a maintenance engineer lost part of his finger when a conveyor
started unexpectedly. The failure to have guarding in place enabled
the man to access a dangerous part as he carried out adjustments.
7th February 2008.
|
England
HSE inspector watched workman
raised on forks of truck
The timely arrival of an HSE inspector at the premises of Dick
Thompson and Co (Cumbria) Ltd of Carlisle last year allowed her to
witness an employee being lifted nearly 3 metres into the air on a
pallet on a fork lift truck to fit a company sign to their own
premises.
She issued a Prohibition Notice, and a subsequent court appearance led
to a fine of £2,835 including costs for the company after it admitted
a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
6th February 2008.
|
England
Workmen regularly carried 50kg
bags
East End Foods plc of Wolverhampton has been prosecuted and fined
£53,000 including costs for failing to meet duties owed to its
employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. An
accident in June 2006 brought to light a failure to control the manual
handling risks when a 50kg bag of rice fell on an employee's neck.
Investigation established that large consignments of bags of rice were
routinely being manually offloaded from containers without mechanical
aids. Access to containers and retrieval of initial sacks of rice was
also being carried out by employees being raised and lowered on a
pallet placed on the forks of a forklift truck.
It was also disclosed that East End had also failed to heed advice
given by both the HSE in 2002, including an improvement notice during
2002, and the company's own health and safety consultant in 2005.
5th February 2008.
|
England
Inquest into girl's equestrian
death
An inquest has been opened and adjourned to establish the
circumstances of the death of a 12-year old girl who died last week in
a horseriding accident at the Milton Keynes Equestrian Centre, she
fell from her mount as it tackled a jump.
4th February 2008.
|
Northern Ireland
Death at farm
It is reported that a man has died as a result of the outbreak of fire
last Thursday at an outbuilding on a farm at Lisbellaw in County
Fermanagh.
4th February 2008.
|
England
Body found on Teesside building
site
A man, said to be a self-employed worker, has been discovered dead on
a Miller Homes construction site at Ingleby Barwick.
No further details are yet available.
2nd February 2008.
|
Scotland
Workman killed working on
tractor
It is reported that a man working on a tractor at the Humax Peat Works
Ltd's Nutberry Moss, Dumfriesshire, site has died in an industrial
accident. The report states that he died from crush injuries.
1st February 2008.
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