Germany
10 killed in single-track rail collision
The HarzElbeExpress(HEX) regional train collided with a chalk-laden
Peine-Salzgitter goods train on a single-track line near Hordorf on
the Magdeburg-Halberstadt line, killing 10 people and leaving 23
others injured.
The accident occurred in dense fog and freezing conditions on
Saturday, initial investigation speculated neither human error nor
technical failure. Deutsche Bundesbahn has automatic braking installed
on parts of the line in the event of a SPAD(signal passed at danger)
incident but not on this section. The train operator also noted that
track work was undertaken on the line on the day of the accident. 31st
January 2011
|
USA
Ricocheting bullet hits Utah smelter worker
A hot metals worker at the Kennecott Copper smelter in Magna, Utah,
sustained a ricochet bullet wound to the lower leg during work to
clear ore-processing sediment using an industrial pellet gun. The
procedure using an 8-gauge shotgun is standard in the industry, the
flying fragment pierced a steel inspection cover before lodging in his
leg. 31st
January 2011
|
Philippines
Glaziers killed as platform lift fails
Ten glaziers of EM Pinon Glazing died when the cable of a platform lift on which they were
riding failed and it fell 25 storeys at the new Eton Residences
Greenbelt
development in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati, Manila. One worker
survived the fall but is listed in critical condition with multiple
fractures. Initial speculation was that the lift
was overloaded and unable to bear their weight. 28th
January 2011
|
Austria
Warehouseman crushed by reversing lorry
Charges of causing death by negligence have been made against a Polish
lorry driver over an accident on Wednesday in Grieskirchen, Upper
Austria, in which a reversing lorry
pinned a 43-year old warehouse worker between a door frame and the vehicle as it
negotiated the warehouse entrance.
28th
January 2011
|
Colombia
Methane explosion at Sardinata mine
A methane gas explosion killed 4 miners, injured 4 others and left 13
trapped at the La Preciosa coal mine of Sardinata in San Roque,
northwest Colombia.
Four years ago 31 miners died in a similar accident there. 27th
January 2011
|
Sweden
Contractor falls 7 metres at iron ore mine
A 20-year old contract worker has been hospitalised in Gallivare with
serious injuries following a 7-metre fall from a gantry at the KAI
iron ore mine of LKAB(Luossavaara-Kiiranavaara) in Kiruna.
27th
January 2011
|
Belgium
Diver drowns in search for missing girls
A diver of the Crisnee civil protection team drowned in an accident on
Tuesday at Engis on the Meuse river when the strong current carried
him into a bridge pillar and he lost his mouthpiece. He was rescued
from the river and taken to the hospital de la Citadelle where he was
later pronounced dead.
A Liege fireman was also injured in the attempted rescue, the divers
were participating in the search for the missing girls, Alison(12) and
Amelia(6). 26th
January 2011
|
Australia
MEWP topples at NSW site
A maintenance worker has died in a fall from a mobile elevating work
platfrom(MEWP) which became unstable and toppled at Meadow Crescent
car park in Meadowbank, New South Wales.
26th January 2011
|
India
Mine explosives discharge prematurely
A 21-year old miner died and 2 others were injured when explosive
charges placed in drilled holes exploded prematurely in the Mine-1
area at the Neyveli Lignite Corporation's opencast mine in Cuddalore,
Tamil Nadu. 25th January 2011
|
Serbia
Doctor killed attending crash victim
A doctor attending a highway accident victim in a car accident on the
Belgrade-Nis motorway was killed by a passing vehicle yesterday, the
Hungarian accident victim was later transferred to hospital in
Belgrade. 25th January 2011
|
USA
Ethanol fumes confined space accident
A confined space accident involving ethanol fumes killed 1 worker and
left 2 others seriously injured at Baxter Healthcare in Atwater
Village, northeast Los Angeles, where blood plasma was being cleaned
inside a container.
The victim had alerted the
emergency services prior to returning to the tank to assist his
stricken colleagues, only to be fatally overcome by the fumes. 24th January 2011
|
Canada
BC warehouse forklift death
A worker died in a forklift rollover accident at the Summit Logistics
food warehouse in Burnaby, British Columbia.
The unit is in the process of decommissioning and 2 workers were
operating separate forklifts to lift a piece of equipment when one of
the forklifts became unstable under the load and overturned, pitching
the driver out. 24th January 2011
|
Russia
Helicopter crash lands in Leningrad
One person died and 3 others were injured when an AS-55 helicopter of
Corporate Helicopters of the Northwest made a rough landing yesterday
on the shores of Lake Sukhodolskoye near Priozyorsk in the northwest
of Leningrad region. 20th January 2011
|
The Netherlands
Rail contractor killed in Haarlem
An investigation has been launched into the death of a worker
subcontracted to Nedtrain whose body was discovered beside the track
in the Haarlem area. 20th January 2011
|
USA
Utility worker killed in gas main explosion
A Philadelphia Gas Works employee has died and 5 others were injured,
3 of whom are listed in critical condition, following an explosion as
they were attending a reported broken gas main and leakage in
Torresdale Avenue, Tacony, northeast Philadelphia.
20th January 2011
|
USA
Pennsylvanian farmer
killed in silo auger
A Pennsylvania farm worker has died in an accident after being caught
in an auger at the bottom of a silo bin at premises on Warm Spring
Road, Hamilton Township.
20th January 2011
|
Chile
Cave-in at Atacama mine
A roof cave-in has killed a miner aged 74(seventy four) at the Sonia
III mine owned by Armando Campos in an area known locally as Cordones
in the Socavon Sierra Jesus Maria near Copiapo, 500 miles north of
Santiago.
He was working alone 15 metres underground
when the accident occurred. 19th January 2011
|
Brazil
4 died in confined space accident at Sao Paulo nickel plant
Four
workers have died and 3 others were
injured in a confined space accident, succumbing to sulphuric and
muriatic acid toxic fumes during the cleaning of tanks at a
nickel-processing plant in Jardin
Santo
Amaro, Sao Paulo. 18th January 2011
|
Russia
Children drown in Sea of Azov
Three children, aged 3-5, missing in Neklinovsky from the village of
Komarovka on the Sea of Azov have been found drowned in Taganrog Bay
some 400 metres from the shore and in open water beyond the ice.
18th January 2011
|
Austria
Roofer breaks arms in fall
A roofer broke both arms in a 5-metre fall at a business in
Hallen, Tannrengau, at the weekend when a gusting wind blew 10m² metal
sheets against him, causing him to lose his balance.
17th January 2011
|
USA
Zoo handler crushed by elephant
A 26-year old female animal handler died in a crush accident at
Knoxville Zoo, Tennessee, the incident was not deemed to have been an
attack by the 26-year old elephant, rather a crush accident as animal
and handler were in close proximity in a stall.
17th January 2011
|
Brazil
Children drown at flooded tourist park site
Four Argentinian children aged 6-11 years drowned in a water feature
under construction at the new Parque Turisto Ambiental de Integracion
which lies on the border between Brazil and Argentina, extending over
2 miles between Bernardo de Irigoyen and Barraco y Bom Jesus do Sul.
Heavy rains had caused the site to swell with water to a depth of 2
metres in places. 14th January 2011
|
Sudan
3 aviation workers abducted
Three East European workers of an aviation company engaged in the
provision of humanitarian aid were abducted on Thursday from their
helicopter at
a landing strip in Um Shalaya, 40 miles southeast of El Geneina, West
Darfur. 14th January 2011
|
Argentina
4 killed in Buenos Aires lightning storm
Four people were electrocuted in separate incidents during a violent
lightning storm in Buenos Aires. Two children aged 8 and 11 were
electrocuted at the Florencia Varela sports club swimming pool, having
just left the pool and were walking under trees, and a
25-year old worker died in a farm in the same locality. In Lujan the
masseur of Racing Club FC was struck by lightning as the team trained
on a hotel playing field. 13th January 2011
|
USA
Electrocution in Mississippi substation
A 29-year old electrician was electrocuted in an accident during the
testing of transformers at a Howard Industries substation in
Ellisville, Mississippi. 13th January 2011
|
Turkey
5 killed in military helicopter crash
An instructor and 4 trainees on night-flight training were killed when
their UH-1 military helicopter crashed in fog at Polatli, west of
Ankara. 12th January 2011
|
France
Nursery child scalded by hot coffee
A Nantes police tribunal has condemned a nursery as causing injury by
negligence over an accident in June 2008 in which a child received 2nd
degree burns to the face and arm when a cup of hot coffee overturned.
The nursery was fined €1,000 (£831-45), the owner stated that all
refreshments are taken in the kitchen area and never in the play area. 12th January 2011
|
India
6 killed in improvised service lift crash
An improvised service lift fell 19 storeys at
the newbuild Rustomjee La Sonrisa site in Matunga,
Mumbai(Bombay). The workers, engaged in interior finishing work and
subcontracted to M/S Success Developers Pvte Ltd, were on the 21st
floor and had gone down to the 19th floor to access the service lift.
Five workers are thought to have died in the accident, as well as
another person on the site.
11th January 2011
|
South Africa
Fatal accident at Limpopo platinum mine
Operations were suspended yesterday at Northam Platinum's Zondereinde
mine in Limpopo Province pending investigation of a worker's death
1,480 metres underground in a tramming accident.
11th January 2011
|
Iran
Boeing 727 crashes in
snow near Orumiyeh
A Boeing 727 aircraft of IranAir crashed near Orumiyeh on Sunday, of
the 103 people on board it is believed that more than 70 died.
The flight from Teheran to Orumiyeh had been an hour late in taking
off, heavy snow conditions were prevalent at Orumiyeh.
10th January 2011
|
France
Breton fishing boat crew rescued
The fishing boat Amandhelo came to grief on rocks as it approached
Beg-anTour on Sunday, beginning to take on water as it approached the
harbour on Finnisterre. All 4 crew were safely rescued, spending some
time in the water,
which left 1 fisherman in a state
of advanced hypothermia.
The harbour master closed the port later on Sunday as
the boat posed a hazard
to
shipping.
10th January 2011
|
China
Tour driver killed by tiger
A Heilongjiang tour bus driver was killed by a tiger at the
Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Centre in Hailin City after alighting when
his vehicle became stuck in snow.
7th January 2011
|
France
CO incident
Five staff at the B'Plast home improvements showroom in rue de la Liberte,
Avranches, were
treated for carbon monoxide sickness yesterday morning, fire crews who
arrived at the locus reported CO levels of 200ppm instead of the
tolerated levels of 30ppm.
7th January 2011
|
Malta
Fall from height
An accident on Wednesday on a construction site in Triq San Guzepp(St
Joseph Street), Zabbar, has left a 44-year old Maltese worker with
critical injuries after a 3-metre fall.
6th January 2011
|
Russia
Trawlers stuck in Sea of Okhotsk
The 135-metre long ice-breaker Admiral Makarov yesterday managed to
reach and free the trawler Mys Yelizavety and its 78-man crew which
was trapped in ice in Sakhalin Bay in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The St Petersburg trawler Anton Gurin remains stuck, in all 500 seamen
are trapped in the ice, including 340 on the factory ship
Sodruzhestvo. 6th
January 2011
|
Argentina
Drilling triggers trench collapse
A Bolivian construction worker died and another has been injured when
a sewerage excavation collapsed during drilling at the junction of
Riestra and Lacarra Streets in the Fatima district of Soldati,
southwest Buenos Aires.
5th January 2011
|
USA
New Hampshire worker's foot amputated
A worker's foot was amputated following an accident in Claremont, New
Hampshire, where he was cutting a steel beam which gave way and he
subsequently fell 5 metres into Sugar River, some material may also
have fallen on him from a wall on which he was sitting.
5th January 2011
|
Malaysia
Construction death in Kuala Lumpur
A construction worker died yesterday when a floor collapsed during a
concrete pour at the Bank Rakyat building in Jalan Ang Seng,
Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.
4th January 2011
|
|
Russia
Hospital roof collapse
A section of roof of the municipal hospital in Belovo, Kemerovo,
collapsed on Saturday. Patients were transferred to other clinics or
sent home, garret beams managed to support much of the roof's weight.
The structure may have been weakened by heavy snow which had
accumulated on the roof in recent days but had been removed. 31st January 2011
|
USA
Rod pierces machine man's midriff
A Wisconsin machine operator became impaled on a 3-metre long metal
rod at Parker Hannifin Corporation in
Manitowoc. The 1.2cm diameter rod
came through his midriff, his condition in hospital was unknown. 31st January 2011
|
Austria
Dementia patient lay overnight in snow
An investigation has been launched after a 92-year old patient from a
care home in Haslach died from hypothermia after spending 8 hours
outside overnight in sub-zero temperatures. The dementia patient had
gone out in slippers and was discovered in the snow in the morning by
a sniffer dog. He was briefly revived but died later in hospital in
Rohrbach.
28th January 2011
|
USA
Wisconsin farmer died in grain mixer
A 39-year old Wisconsin female farm worker died in an accident in
Sterling where she apparently fell into a grain mixer, an accident
which is now under investigation.
28th January 2011
|
South Africa
Scrap worker killed by exploding ordnance
A scrap metal worker was killed by exploding ordnance which he had
heated and was striking with a hammer at the Metal Connection scrap
yard in Benoni, Gauteng.
27th January 2011
|
Australia
Crane toppled at Queensland abattoir
Workplace Health & Safety Queensland is investigating a fatal accident
at the John Dee Warwick abattoir where a worker operating a crane to
lift concrete sections was killed in a crush accident when it became
unstable and overturned, the accident occurred in the abattoir's
maintenance area.
27th January 2011
|
China
Shanghai demolition accident
A worker died and another was hospitalised with broken ribs when a
2-storey building collapsed on them yesterday during demolition work
on Jinzhong Road, Changning, Shanghai.
26th January 2011
|
South Africa
9 mining deaths already in 2011
Mining fatalities for this year reached 9 this week with the death of
a miner in a fall of ground at the Samancor Millsell Chrome mine in
Rustenburg, and the death of a surveyor trying to clear a blockage in
an ore-pass shaft at Anglo Platinum's Thembalani 1 mine.
26th January 2011
|
USA
Worker killed in tortilla machine
A worker was killed yesterday after falling into a dough mixing
machine at Tortilleria Chinantla in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn,
becoming pinned by a metal blade in the mixing tub.
25th January 2011
|
Russia
White Sea naval base fire
Two civilian workers were hospitalised with burns injuries following a
fire on the MNS-3500 fuel tanker at the Belomorsk naval base in
Karelia.
The 52-year old tanker transfers fuel from one pier to another at the
base, an electrical malfunction was speculated as the cause of the
fire. 25th January
2011
|
Russia
Mall fire kills 2 construction workers
Two workers died and 13 people were injured when fire broke out at the
5-storey Europa shopping mall in Ufa, Bashkortostan. It is believed
that the locus was the 3rd floor and that a construction worker was
using a gas-powered heat gun to dry cement when a leakage developed
and an explosion occurred. 24th January 2011
|
England
Fatal accident in Mansfield
A man in his 50's has died at the scene of an industrial accident at
the Forest Town, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, premises of Rettenmaier UK
(Manufacturing) Inc. on the Crown Farm Industrial Estate on Friday
afternoon. 24th January 2011
|
Germany
Staff bus runs into airport workers
An airport worker died and 5 were injured yesterday when a Frabus
subcontracted to transport airport staff ran into a group of workers
at a bus stop at Gate 25 near the Lufthansa Cargo entrance of
Frankfurt Airport. 20th January 2011
|
South Africa
6th mining death of 2011
In the first 3 weeks of this year 6 mining deaths have been reported.
This week a worker died in a 70-metre fall in a shaft at Gold Fields
Ltd's South Deep mine and a winch operator's body was recovered from
under rock on Thursday at Harmony's Bambanani mine where a fall of
ground occurred 2,913 metres underground in a stope panel. 20th January 2011
|
Australia
Worker's arm severed in auger
A worker's arm was severed at the elbow at the Mi-Feed stockfeed
company in Yandina, Queensland, when it became caught in an auger
which transfers grain between storage bins, it is speculated that he
was attempting to clear a blockage when the accident occurred.
20th January 2011
|
Canada
Rescue at Saskatchewan gold mine
A gold mine worker was rescued, apparently uninjured, after being
trapped for 8 hours
between rock and a machine in the crushing room at the Jolu gold mine, 450 miles north of
Regina. 20th
January 2011
|
Australia
Tasmanian fisherman injured
A 39-year old Tassal Salmon fishing boat crew man has been admitted to
Royal Hobart Hospital with a serious head injury after being clouted
by a pipe.
The boat was working in the Derwent estuary near Strathblaine when the
swell caused a pipe linking the boat with a fishing pen to become
dislodged and swing free. 19th January 2011
|
Turkey
Miners' bodies recovered from deep well
A team of Chinese mining specialists have recovered the bodies of the
last 2 Turkish miners missing since an explosion last May at the
Karadon mine in Zonguldak. The bodies were in a 735-metre deep well
filled with water. 19th January 2011
|
USA
Ohio MEWP accident
A 45-year old construction worker was killed on Monday in a 12-metre
fall from a mobile elevating work platform(MEWP) at Cuyahoga Community
College in Highland Hills, Ohio. 18th January 2011
|
USA
Worker injured at anthracite mine
An industrial accident was reported on Monday morning at a Reading
Anthracite Company strip mine in Pennsylvania, where a worker
became
trapped under heavy
machinery.
18th January 2011
|
Pakistan
Aircraft stowaway falls on house roof
Investigation was ongoing over the weekend into the death of a
presumed stowaway whose body fell from an aircraft in flight to Dubai
and landed on the roof of a house in Lahore. 17th January 2011
|
India
Rail worker killed in vehicle accident
A Metro Rail worker was killed by a fall of bricks in an accident near
Byappanahalli junction, Bangalore, where he was sitting atop the
bricks which were struck by a reversing lorry. 17th January 2011
|
France
Mechanic crushed under bus
A mechanic died in a crush accident in Le Pape garage in Le Pertre
yesterday when a bus under which he was working on the brakes came
down on him when the jacking failed.
14th January 2011
|
India
Mining work cave-in
A cave-in during roof work has killed a contract worker and
left 2 others in critical condition at a mine in Kumbharkhani,
Maharashtra. The
contractors had just begun the work at the Western Coal mine
when a large boulder came down on
the
workers.
14th January 2011
|
Uruguay
Pair survive 24 hours on upturned hired yacht on River Plate
A father and son were rescued from the River Plate after spending 24
hours clinging to the upturned hull of a Hobie Cat catamaran which
they had hired from a sailing club on Mansa beach, Punta del Este.
They had headed off for Isla Gorriti and were eventually found 20
miles southeast of Montevideo. The yacht was equipped with life
jackets but this was the only safety measure at their disposal. They
were brought to Montevideo yesterday and required to brief the
authorities prior to meeting the media.
13th January 2011
|
Canada
Tractor gear malfunction killed farm worker
A faulty transmission shift cable is speculated as the cause of a
fatal accident which claimed the life of a farm worker in Harmon
Valley, northwest Alberta. The worker had alighted from a tractor
which subsequently reversed over him.
13th January 2011
|
Scotland
Forestry worker killed in
accident
It is reported that a workman died yesterday when a tree being felled
dropped on him in the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfriesshire. 12th January
2011
|
Belgium
Flanders swimming pool roof cracks
Around 150 children were evacuated from the swimming pool in
Sint-Genesius-Rode(Rhode-Saint-Genese) yesterday when large cracks
were spotted in concrete roof members and there was a risk of
structural collapse. 12th January
2011
|
Austria
Steel worker falls into boiling water
A steel worker sustained life-threatening burns in an accident
yesterday at the Marienhutte steel and rolling mill in Graz where he
fell
into a vessel of scalding hot water. He
was operating a remote control system of vessels into which the molten
steel is deposited but lost his balance as he stepped from a gantry
and fell into one, almost his entire body with the exception of his
feet and face sustained burns. He was listed in critical condition in
a special treatment chamber in the hospital burns unit.
11th January 2011
|
New Zealand
Coroner urges fresh quad bike regs
A coroner has urged the Labour
and Transport Ministry to launch an investigation with a view to
mandatory wearing of helmets, lap belts and installation of roll bars
on quad bikes following his examination of the circumstances of a
fatal accident in which a worker of beekeeping company PA & SC Steens
Ltd was killed in a rollover accident at a beehive farm in Masterton,
the company was fined a total of $138K(£67,618) over this accident.
11th January 2011
|
Japan
Chemical tanker sinks, captain missing
The captain of a 500-tonne chemical tanker is missing in the Sea of
Japan off Niigata after the ship sank in rough conditions yesterday.
Four other crew members were rescued but an engineer died later in
hospital.
The tanker was carrying 1,000 tonnes of vinyl acetate monomer and had
left Oita on Thursday but developed a list in 4-metre high waves
yesterday and alerted the coastguard to its plight.
10th January 2011
|
The Netherlands
Psychiatric patient dies in room
fire
A 28-year old man died in a fire on Sunday in his room in the secure
Jan Wierhof unit of the Breburg premises in Tilburg where he had been
admitted on Saturday following a fire in his own apartment on
Alleenhoudersstraat. 10th January 2011
|
Germany
Falling ice kills elderly woman
An 82-year old woman was killed yesterday by a section of falling ice and snow
which came down 10 metres from the roof of a building as she was
walking her dog in Gartenalle in the Linden district of Hannover,
police have launched a criminal investigation of the accident.
7th January 2011
|
Belgium
Thaw destabilises crane
A high-rise building near the cemetery in Evere, east Brussels, had to
be evacuated yesterday when a 30-metre high crane became unstable,
thawing conditions had caused subsidence under and around the crane.
7th January 2011
|
France
Aluminium-phosphorus fire in Lorient
Fire crews in Lorient faced a difficult task controlling a blaze of
150Kgs of aluminium-phosphorus which had just been unloaded in 2
batches from a Ukrainian cargo ship to premises on rue Emile Maresche
in the port area of Lorient. As the product would react easily with
water, dry powder and sand were being used to subdue the fire.
6th January 2011
|
USA
Ohio worker's leg pinned under pipe
A 35-year old worker was hospitalised yesterday with a serious leg
injury after becoming pinned under a 3 tonne pipe which became
unstable during loading on to a lorry at Lally Pipe &Tube in
Struthers, Ohio.
6th January 2011
|
USA
Minnesota demolition accident
A Minnesota demolition worker has died in an accident on a site in
Winona when he was struck by a falling concrete section while using a
torch to cut rebar and a wall partially collapsed on him.
5th January 2011
|
Namibia
Hospital lift accident investigated
The Ministry of Labour is investigating an accident at Katutura State
Hospital in which 2 maintenance workers of Schindler Lifts were killed
when a lift being repaired fell from the 8th floor to basement level,
2 other workers survived the accident with injuries.
5th January 2011
|
South Africa
Durban worker succumbs to chemical burns
A worker died and another has been left with critical chemical burns
following an accident during the replacement of a chemical valve at
the Island View depot in the Port of Durban.
4th January 2011
|
Russia
Surgut crash black box recovered
The Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) has now recovered the flight
data recorders in Surgut following the weekend crash there of a
TU-154B aircraft of Kogalymavia which experienced fire on take-off, 3
of the 124 people on board were killed. All Tu-154B aircraft have been
grounded pending investigation of the accident.
4th January 2011
|
|
Rep Ireland
Limerick farmer killed in machine accident
A 72-year old farmer died in hospital in Limerick from injuries
sustained in an accident involving heavy machinery on his farm in
Coolroe, Kilmallock. 31st January 2011
|
Kuwait
Worker run over by bulldozer
An investigation is ongoing into a accident on a construction site in
Abu Al-Hasaniya, Kuwait City, where a worker died after being struck
by a bulldozer. 31st January 2011
|
Scotland
Tornado pilots eject off Skye
An RAF pilot and navigator from the Lossiemouth base were hospitalised
in Raigmore, Inverness, yesterday when they had to eject into the sea
from their Tornado aircraft which got into difficulties during a
training flight as it passed over Gairloch.
28th January 2011
|
USA
Farmer killed in PTO accident
A 53-year old Minnesota farmer sustained fatal injuries after becoming
caught in the power takeoff driveshaft of a vehicle as grain was being
loaded from a bin, it is believed that he slipped in the snow and fell
into PTO at the farm in Worthington.
28th January 2011
|
Iran
8 workers killed in IKCO transport accident
Eight workers died and others were injured when a lorry struck them as
it entered an Iran Khodro Company(IKCO) car and commercial vehicle
manufacturing plant.
27th January 2011
|
USA
Crush accident at Pennsylvanian works
A Pennsylvanian worker was killed in an accident when he was crushed
against a waste container by the bucket of a heavy loader as he was
trying to attach a chain to the container at Duffy Inc in East
Smethport.
27th January 2011
|
Rep Ireland
Airport responds to bird strike incident
Ireland West Airport(Knock) has amended its safety manual to now
feature bird patrols prior to all aircraft departures and arrivals.
On October 19th 2009, an aircraft flying to Manchester with 127
passengers experienced damage to both engines when it struck a flock
of lapwings and had to divert to Shannon. AAIU(Air Accident
Investigation Unit) investigation found that no bird patrols had been
undertaken in the 2.5 hours prior to the incident.
26th January 2011
|
Singapore
Naphtha spillage ignited at refinery fire
MUN Siong Engineering was fined $100K(£49,380) over a fatal accident
at the Exxon Mobil oil refinery at Pulan Ayer Chawan on Jurong Island
in which 3 workers died in a fire. When a steel plate between 2 heat
exchangers was removed, liquid with naphtha spilled. Instead of using
a drip pan to collect the spillage, water was used and within 10
minutes the flammable liquid ignited.
26th January 2011
|
England
Contractors failed to replace lift shaft guard rails
At Lewes Crown Court Brighton Construction Ltd pleaded guilty to
breaches of health and safety legislation in respect of an accident 14
months ago in which a worker delivering kitchen units at the new Ocean
Height apartment complex in Brighton fractured his spine and pelvis in
a 10-metre fall into an open lift shaft.
Although guard-rails had been positioned around the open shaft, these
had been removed by maintenance workers and had not been re-positioned
after the maintenance work.
Sentence was deferred until 3rd March.
25th January 2011
|
Austria
Piste worker rides into taut cable
A worker engaged on maintenance on snow-making machines has died on a
piste at Nassfeld where the snowmobile he was riding ran into a taut
metal cable which was anchoring machinery on a steep gradient.
25th January 2011
|
England
Four die in Norfolk industrial accident
Four workmen lost their lives in an industrial accident on Friday
afternoon at the premises of Claxton Engineering in Great Yarmouth.
Few details have been made available of the incident but reports
suggest a steel structure may have collapsed or become otherwise
unstable during foundation work being conducted by building
contractors. 24th January 2011
|
USA
Crane collapse kills Florida port contractor
A crane collapse claimed the life of a contract worker at the
Talleyrand Marine Terminal in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday. The
contractor was operating a crawler construction crane to dismantle and
salvage sections of a gantry crane for scrap. However, during the work
sections of the shipping crane fell on the cab of the portable crane,
killing the operator. 24th January 2011
|
Rep Ireland
Lobster fisherman missing off Cork
A search was ongoing yesterday afternoon for a fisherman missing in
Ringabella Bay, Cork, when their lobster boat capsized south of
Roche's Point, another fisherman managed to swim ashore. 20th January 2011
|
Austria
Child killed by piste machine
A 5-year old boy was killed by piste -preparing machinery in Russbach,
Salzburg. He and 6 other children had been in the company of an
instructor whose attention was taken up by a girl who had fallen from
a ski lift. The boy had been waiting beside the lift but curiosity
caused him to wander on to the piste area. 20th January 2011
|
England
Black Country worker's fingers severed in power press
JKL Industrial Services of Goscote, Wwest Midlands, were fined £5K plus
£2,534 in costs after pleading guilty to breaches of health and safety
legislation over an accident in which a 19-year old worker lost finger
sections in a power press on his first day at work.
He was feeding steel strips into the press when his hand became
trapped in an unguarded area, 2 fingers were amputated at the first
joint. 20th January
2011
|
Australia
Shearer killed in equipment accident
Safework South Australia has been informed of a fatal accident at a
sheep farm near Tarlee, north of Adelaide, where a 29-year old shearer
died when his shears recoiled and inflicted a fatal neck injury.
20th January 2011
|
England
Absence of training and risk
assessment led to major injury
A workman has not worked for 18 months following an industrial
accident in which he fractured a leg. The accident victim was working
at Stanley's Quarry in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, removing
scants (pieces of stone pre-cut into a block) during July 2009,
manually removing each piece with a forklift truck to transport them.
The accident occurred because the stones were not adequately
stabilised and a number of scants broke free and fell onto him,
breaking his left leg in two places.
HSE officials deemed that he should have not been working alone. He
was unable to summon help, and resorted to using a hammer to move a
lever on the forklift truck to lift the scants off his body and raise
the alarm using the forklift horn.
Investigation revealed the stones had been inadequately secured. The
accident victim's line-manager
had no relevant health and safety training. Additionally, the task had
not been risk assessed and, as a consequence, no safe system of work
had been devised.
The owner of the quarry admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and
was fined £5,000 plus £8,790 costs. 19th January 2011
|
England
HGV driver trapped by glass load
Poole fire crews had to deploy hydraulic cutting gear to free a lorry
driver trapped in a tight space in the rear of his glass-laden lorry
on the Nuffield Trading Estate where he was delivering to Dorset
Glass.
He had slipped and fallen into the tight space between the vehicle
wall and 6-metre long glass sections, he was transferred to hospital
with a serious back injury. 19th January 2011
|
Rep Ireland
Car salesman almost drowned by suicide driver
A coroner in Howth has ruled a verdict of death by suicide in respect
of a fatal accident at Howth harbour on July 13th last year in which a
car driver drowned when the vehicle was driven off the pier into the
sea.
The driver was purportedly taking the car on a test drive, the
proprietor of Beshoff Ltd Car Sales was in the passenger seat and came
close to losing his life. He struggled to open the door of the
submerged car on the harbour bottom but managed to swim up to safety. 19th January 2011
|
England
Unstable asphalt lorry on Devon street
An asphalt-laden lorry became unstable during an attempt to tip its
load at a site on Boot Hill, Weymouth, where Hanson are engaged on
highway repair work. A wheelbarrow positioned at the rear of the lorry
may have been implicated in the malfunction, a roads worker was
fortunate to escape injury as he was in close
proximity to the accident. 18th January 2011
|
New Zealand
British yachtsman feared drowned
North Island coastguard has abandoned the search for a missing 77-year
old British yachtsman whose boat, Boadecia, was found by divers
submerged in 10 metres of water at Tapotupotu Bay, Cape Reinga. It is
believed that he had set out from Opua marina, Bay of Islands, police
have indicated that the coastguard had not been notified of his travel
nor had he customs clearance, and that, although he was an experienced
sailor, in their opinion the 7.6-metre yacht was not suitable for
prevailing sea conditions off the north of North Island. 18th January 2011
|
England
Builder's death was accident
An inquest jury has determined accidental death after listening to
evidence concerning the
electrocution of a self-employed workman on 6th December 2007 as he
worked within a residential
property in Dedham, Essex.
He was discovered by the occupier of the residential property lying on
the floor next to a live conductor, it was speculated that he had came
into contact with the cable as he
reached for a tool, as his work task gave him no reason to touch the
cable. 17th January 2011
|
Australia
Mill worker killed in timber machine
A 48-year old maintenance worker died in an accident at a timber mill
in Oberon, New South Wales, where he was caught in machinery. 17th January 2011
|
Belgium
Brussels psychiatric unit fire
Fifteen patients were treated for smoke inhalation following a fire in
a patient's room on the 5th floor of the Sanatia psychiatric hospital
in Saint-Josse(Sint-Joost-ten-Node), Brussels.
Brussels-Noord police report that the patient alleged to have caused
the fire has now been transferred to the Fond-Roy centre in Ukkel.
14th January 2011
|
Romania
Ploesti school room stove explosion
Five pupils were admitted to Urgenta Hospital, Ploesti, with burns injuries when a stove
exploded in a room at a secondary school in
Ploesti.
14th January 2011
|
|
Austria
Worker injured in gas explosion
A female member of staff was injured in a gas explosion at a coffee
processing unit of the Grisseman food chain yesterday in Zams, the
unit was just opening after having had gas installation work completed.
13th January 2011
|
England
Armoured truck flattens property
A military vehicle weighing almost 30 tonnes being taken from a low
loader ran out of control from its operators and partly demolished a
residential property in Portland, Devon. The transporter was parked
on the Southwell Business Park, no one was injured.
13th January 2011
|
England
Lifting operation fine for Lincs
company
A workman sustained multiple major injuries when a 3-tonne process
tank fell on him as a temporary lifting bracket welded to it failed as
it was being lifted.
Wefco (Gainsborough) Ltd admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health
and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for which it was fined £15,000 with
costs of £5,000 at Lincoln Crown Court.
An HSE official commented: "This was an incident that resulted in very
serious injuries to a young man which could have been even worse. His
injuries could have been avoided had a safe system of work been
followed. Employers need to ensure that difficult lifting operations
are planned beforehand and that correct lifting equipment is being
used.
An incident like this demonstrates how vital it is that safe working
procedures are communicated to and understood by people who carry out
such lifting tasks. Supervision is also imperative and managers need
to monitor the workplace of employees to ensure that safe working
procedures are being followed and corners are not being cut." 12th January
2011
|
England
System of work was unsafe for
lifting of steel section
A building company had no suitable risk assessment in place for a task that
required a 92kg section of steel to be put in place during the
construction of a house extension.
HSE inspectors observed 4 workmen lifting the steelwork from the floor
onto a scaffold before standing on the platform to place the steel in
position, but no measures were employed to prevent falls, no edge
protection was in place.
DA Cook (Builders) Limited of Winchcombe admitted breaching S.2(1) of
the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £2,000 with
costs of £3,800. 12th January
2011
|
England
Fall from roof at Lancs stable
A 49-year old Lancashire worker was admitted to Royal Preston Hospital
with back injuries after falling from the roof of a stable at Bashall
Hall. 11th January
2011
|
England
HSE investigates Irish Sea wind farm accident
HSE has an investigation ongoing into an incident last August at the
Walney Offshore Windfarm off Barrow-in-Furness, where an 18-tonne
section of turbine fell into the sea. The blade broke loose from its
lifting frame as a crane was lifting it from a support barge at the
Danish Dong Energy site.
11th January 2011
|
|
Rep Ireland
Hotel guest dies of suspected CO poisoning
A woman in her 30's died in Cork University Hospital on Sunday after
having been admitted with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. She had
been occupying a room at the Trident Hotel, Kinsale, her roommate has
also been hospitalised in serious condition, 5 people in all are
believed to have been affected.10th
January 2011
|
USA
Worker killed in manhole confined space accident
A construction worker, believed to have been an employee of J Ramey
Construction, died in a confined space accident in a manhole at Salem
Lake in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, during maintenance work on
valves. Some colleagues who were either working with him or attempting
a rescue were also injured in the oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
10th January 2011
|
Serbia
2 Nisava children killed by train
Two children aged 9 and 17 were killed yesterday when they were struck
by a train on the railway bridge spanning the Morava River in
Doljevac, the Presevo-Nis line was closed pending investigation of the
accident. 7th
January 2011
|
Austria
Timber handling accidents
A 64-year old worker was hospitalised with 3rd degree burns yesterday
after falling into a brazier at a site where he was cutting timber in
Markt Neuhodis.
In Neumarkt a worker's thigh was broken when a felled tree came down
on his leg, and in Piringsdorf a worker sustained a broken shin during
the loading of wood on to a lorry.
7th January 2011
|
Rep Ireland
HSA to double farm visits
The HSA has announced that it will make in excess of 3,000 farm safety
inspections this year in response to last year's figures which saw 25
farm deaths, up from 11 in 2009. There will be a focus on farms being
compliant with the mandatory Farm Safety Statement.
Of last year's figures, 10 involved machinery or vehicles, 4 falls
from height, 4 arboreal accidents, 3 involving stock and 2 involved
level crossing incidents.
Farm fatalities have fluctuated during the last decade: 22 in 2008; 11
in 2007; 18 in 2006; 18 in 2005; 13 in 2004; and 20 in 2003.
I6th January 2011
|
Poland
Polish fire crew's unusual rescue
A Polish fire master has been describing an unusual rescue to the
media, involving a fire crew rescuing a deer stranded on an ice floe
some 400 metres off Kolobrzeg, a rescue which posed serious risks for
his men but which was accomplished safely. The firemen had to twice
pull the animal on to their small motorboat and tie its legs together
to keep the traumatised animal still.
6th January 2011
|
Japan
Missing doctor's plane recovered
Rescuers were believed to have reached the site of a crashed light
aircraft on Tuesday on the 942-metre high Mount Yago where a search
was focussed for a missing doctor and his wife whose flight from
Kumamoto to Kitakyushu was lost from radar shortly after departure
from Kumamoto Airport.
5th January 2011
|
USA
Fatal trench collapse on Pennsylvania bridge
An excavation collapsed yesterday on Linden Street Bridge in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, killing a worker of J D Eckman Inc and
injuring another.
5th January 2011
|
China
Contract helicopter hits power lines
CLP Power has suspended all helicopter winching work after an accident
yesterday in which a contract worker sustained fatal burns to 40% of
his body and another was injured when they contacted an overhead
high power line during work in Hong Kong.
4th January 2011
|
|
England
Soldier killed in accident
A 30-year old soldier sustained fatal head injuries on a training
exercise in Wyke Regis, Dorset. The incident occurred as he and other
53rd Field Squadron Royal Engineers dismantled a support bridge on
Thursday. 31st January 2011
|
England
Steeplejack fell 50 metres
A 40-year old steeplejack fell
to his death from an old disused Bolton chimney when the scaffolding
he and a colleague were dismantling failed. His colleague survived on
a section of ladder on the outside of the chimney.
The work involved the repair of brickwork on the chimney in the Swan
Lane Mills in Great Lever in 2007, and on 4th June both were atop the
chimney when the scaffolding failed.
It emerged through investigation that the deceased's employer, Bailey
International Steeplejack Company Ltd of Macclesfield, was aware that
the brickwork at the top of the chimney was in poor condition, but it
had not made available sufficiently
strong anchor fixings to attach the scaffolding to the chimney.
Additionally, it failed to check the scaffolding design and to test
the fixings before they were used.
The scaffolding used was in a damaged condition and this was repaired
by Ken Brogden Ltd of Heywood, but instead of grinding out the joints
and welding them back together, the company welded over the weakened
joints.
Both companies were prosecuted for these failures, Bailey
International Steeplejack Company Ltd admitted breaching S.2(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £75,000 with
£80,000 costs at Manchester Crown Court.
Ken Brogden Ltd admitted breaching S.3(1) of the same Act and was
fined £10,000 with costs of £16,000.
An HSE official commented: "If the work had been properly managed,
and carried out to industry standards, then the deceased would still
be alive today. Our investigation found that the most likely cause
of the scaffolding collapsing was the weak anchor fixings. But we
could
not rule out the poorly repaired joints on the scaffolding as a
possible cause of his death. Working as a steeplejack is
a potentially dangerous job, and they need to be able to rely
on their employers to provide equipment that keeps them safe.
Unfortunately, the scaffolding and fixings that were provided
simply weren’t up to the job."
31st January 2011
|
England
Injury led to amputation
A 23-year old workman eventually required
to have a lower leg
amputated after an accident in
which he fell through the floor of a property being refurbished in
South Kensington in 2007.
He was working on the project managed by Howper 291 Ltd (formally
known as Urang Ltd) and was working on the first floor when it
collapsed, after which he fell more than 3 metres and was pinned to
the floor by materials.
Urang Ltd was contracted to manage the refurbishment and assigned a
project manager who had no health and safety training and who visited
the site for only 2 hours every other day. Neither she nor her manager
were experienced in construction, and the first floor was incorrectly
built by sub-contractors, who had departed the site.
Howper 291 Ltd, of Hammersmith, London, admitted breaching S.3(1) of
the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at the City of London
Magistrates’ Court and was fined £10,000 with costs of £4,172.
28th January 2011
|
England
Young worker fell 6 metres through roof
A 26-year old self-employed man fell 6 metres from a cow shed roof he
and a colleague were dismantling at a farm at Corston outside Bath.
The roof sheeting he stood on failed to bear his weight and he fell
and sustained such injuries that he now requires a wheelchair for
mobility.
No fall prevention measures were in place, and HSE deemed that the
work could have been accomplished without the need to venture on to
the roof.
The accident victim was sub-contracting for CW Pearce of Martock who
was subcontracted to DB Gibbons (Construction) Ltd of Bristol.
CW Pearce admitted a breach of S.3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974 and was fined £12,000 with £500 costs.
DB Gibbons (Construction) Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of
S.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined
£14,000 with £3,500 costs.
28th January 2011
|
England
Mine worker killed in accident
A 58-year old miner has died
following an incident on Tuesday at the National Coalmining Museum at
the former Caphouse Colliery in Overton, Yorkshire.
Reports state he was working on plant underground at the time and was
employed by a contractor.
27th January 2011
|
England
Faulty machine chopped worker's fingers
off
A worker lost parts of two fingers to a
faulty bagel dividing machine as he attempted to clear a blockage at
premises in Park Royal, NW London. The employee of Ixxy's Bagels Ltd
was permitted to work at the machine even though the rotating blade
that severed his fingers continued even when the rear doors were
opened. The employer was aware of the fault.
Ixxy’s Bagels Ltd, of Harley Street , London, pleaded guilty to
breaching r.5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998 and was fined £2,250 with £9,719 costs.
27th January 2011
|
England
Man killed by HGV
It is reported that a man in his 40's died on premises on the Astmoor
Industrial Estate in Runcorn on Saturday afternoon.
One account states he was crushed between two HGV's and there is
speculation that he may have been attempting to stop one of the
vehicles rolling forwards.
26th January 2011
|
Scotland
90 year-old woman fell down open
access hatch
West Lothian Council has been
fined £80,000 after it pleaded guilty to breaching S.3(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Livingston Sheriff Court in
connection with an accident in which an elderly lady later died when
she fell through an access hatch in the hallway floor of her home in
East Calder as she made her way to the toilet.
The hatch had been left uncovered by the council's employees working
on the central heating.
26th January 2011
|
England
Worker was run over by
telehandler
A partner of J&C Handley, a Nottingham construction company, was fined
£5,000 plus £4,000 costs after he admitted breaching S.3(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in connection with an
industrial accident in which a worker suffered major leg injuries.
A consignment of breeze blocks,
that were not packaged in a way that they could be easily lifted by a
telehandler with forks, required to be transported from one part of
the site to another. The partner used a telehandler with a hydraulic
grabber attachment, but this meant the blocks were swaying as they
were being transported. He asked a sub-contractor to walk alongside
the vehicle to steady the load with his hands, but the helper slipped
and fell under the front wheel of the telehandler.
An HSE official commented: "In an ideal world the breeze blocks should
have been delivered to their intended destination on the site but this
wasn’t possible. When this didn’t happen, a rope should have been
attached to enable the sub-contractor to steady the load at a safe
distance. Had time been taken to think through a safe system of work
then a man may not have suffered such serious injuries." 25th
January 2011
|
England
Laundry incident in London
Emergency services had to work to free a man trapped by the arm by a
sheet folding machine on Saturday.
The man was taken from the Sunlight Laundry in Deer Park Road, Merton,
London, to hospital with unspecified injuries.
25th January 2011
|
England
Worker dies following HGV
incident
A man who sustained head
injuries last Thursday evening when he became trapped under an HGV at
the H&L garage premises in Henry Boot Way, Hull, has since died in
hospital. 24th
January 2011
|
Scotland
Farm roof fall
It is reported that a man in his 40's suffered serious head and back
injuries on Thursday afternoon when he fell from the roof of a farm
building near Drumblade, 5 miles northeast of Huntly, Aberdeenshire.
He is described as having critical injuries, one account states he was
repairing the roof of the building.
24th January 2011
|
Scotland
Accident at Borders abattoir
A workman died following an industrial accident on Wednesday at the
Scottish Borders Abattoir in Galashiels.
20th January 2011
|
Scotland
Work wasn't properly planned
A worker sustained multiple major injuries
when the mobile elevating work platform he was on was struck by an
overhead crane.
The steel erector was positioned on the scissor lift to drill holes in
the roof at BHC Ltd's steel fabrication paint workshop in Carnwarth,
Lanarkshire. The accident victim did not hear the crane approach until
it struck the platform, causing him to fall 5.5 metres.
At Lanark Sheriff Court the company admitted breaching r.4 of the Work
at Height Regulations 2005. It had failed to ensure the work was
properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a
reasonably practicable safe manner, for which it was fined £20,000.
20th January 2011
|
England
Roof fall death in Kent
A workman in his 50's has fallen to his death from the roof of Sun
Alliance House in London Road, Bromley. His body was discovered in the
car park of the property on Tuesday.
It is reported that the deceased was contracted by Orange for work in
Bromley. 20th
January 2011
|
England
Elderly care home resident died of
strangulation
A 74-year old resident of Amberley Court Nursing Home in Edgbaston was
strangled by the lap belt on her wheelchair which she was strapped
into overnight. She had slipped from the seat of the wheelchair and
the lap belt had gone around her neck. Birmingham Crown Court learned
that staff at the BUPA care home did not properly check on the
deceased resident on the night of 27th October 2005, leaving her in a
wheelchair in her room rather than helping her to bed.
An HSE investigating inspector described the death as "a preventable
tragedy caused by a shocking case of mismanagement."
She added that "the home’s managers were not given appropriate
monitoring or supervision and as a result the staff were not being
properly trained or monitored."
Other hazards were discovered during the investigation, including
excessive water temperature and an absence of window restraints.
BUPA Care Homes (BNH) Ltd of Horsforth, Leeds, admitted 2
breaches of S.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for
which it was fined £150,000 in total with £150,000 costs.
20th January 2011
|
England
Care home neglected to ensure
lifting equipment examination
The Catholic Blind Institute, operator of the Christopher Grange
Nursing Home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, has been fined after HSE
decided to instigate a prosecution after investigating an accident
that occurred on 4th December 2008
in which an 81-year-old woman fell as she was being lifted out of bed
in a sling to a wheelchair. She sustained a broken shoulder, back, and
arm injuries to which she succumbed the following day.
The Institute had failed to carry out regular checks of the lifting
sling required by r.9(3) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting
Equipment Regulations 1998, a breach it admitted in court.
The HSE investigating inspector said the fall would have been
prevented if the Catholic Blind Institute had complied with the law.
She said: "There should have been regular checks of the sling and it
should have been thoroughly examined at least once every 6 months.
Sadly this did not
happen."
At Liverpool Crown Court The Catholic Blind Institute was fined
£18,000 plus £13,876 costs. 19th January 2011
|
England
Excavation incident in Kent
It is reported that a workman was airlifted to hospital following an
incident yesterday morning involving an excavation near Benenden
Girls' School, Kent. He was freed by the County urban search and
rescue team, his condition is unreported. 19th January 2011
|
England
Council failed to protect
peripatetic worker
An employee of Mansfield District Council fell 6 metres down a dry
well while working with 2 colleagues collecting litter in April 2009
in White Lion Yard.
Litter had collected between a metal grid and a mesh cover over the
well, and after his colleagues removed the grid, the worker stood on
the mesh which failed to bear his weight. He fell, dislocating his
elbow and sustaining cuts which rendered
him unable to work for 6 months.
HSE commenced prosecution of the Council, alleging that it had failed
to ensure that the work was properly planned or carried out safely and
at
Mansfield Magistrates' Court it admitted breaching r.4(1) of the Work
at Height Regulations 2005 for which it was fined £5,000 plus £5,700
costs.
An HSE inspector opined that "although it appeared to be quite
straightforward, workers cleaning
the well were clearly at risk from falling into it. This worker was
extremely lucky to survive but he was quite seriously injured." 18th January 2011
|
England
Welfare issues at window
manufacturers
TLC Glazing Ltd of Willow Lane
Industrial Estate, Mitcham, Morden, has been prosecuted at the City of
London Magistrates’ Court after it failed to respond to the terms of 2
Improvement Notices concerning employee welfare facilities.
On 20th May 2010 during a routine inspection of the factory, an HSE
inspector found the toilets in a poor state of repair, very dirty,
with no supply of hot water or soap for hand-washing and no means of
hand-drying. The area where employees rested and ate during breaks was
not properly equipped, and covered in workshop dust and debris.
Two Improvement Notices were served requiring a remedy to be effected
within a month. On expiry of the month period the inspector returned
and found no satisfactory improvement.
An HSE Inspector commented: "Failure to provide decent facilities or
to comply with enforcement notices are serious matters.
TLC Glazing showed complete disregard for the welfare of its employees
and for the law."
TLC pleaded guilty to breaching S.33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at
Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £5,000 plus £1,968 costs.18th January 2011
|
England
Fatal construction accident in Cheshire
It is reported that a 22-year old man died
from crush injuries sustained in an industrial accident involving a
pallet loaded with bricks on a building site in Wilmslow.
17th January 2011
|
Northern Ireland
Farm accident claims life
A woman in her 60's has died following a crushing accident last Monday
as she tended a calving cow on a farm in Fivemiletown, Fermanagh.
17th January 2011
|
Scotland
Refuse collector seriously
injured
A refuse collection operative has sustained injuries which have left
him in a critical condition following an incident involving the
side-loading equipment of a glass recycling vehicle.
The incident occurred yesterday morning at St Leonards, East Kilbride,
it required over an hour for the emergency services to free him.
14th January 2011
Scotland
Crossing patrol employee injured
A 79-year old lollipop lady has
been critically injured after being struck by a bus as she worked
yesterday morning in Hillfoot Road, Ayr.
14th January 2011
|
|
England
Driver crushed by load
The driver of an HGV has died
after a load of concrete panels fell on to him from a flat-bed trailer
in Derbyshire.
Tuesday afternoon's accident occurred in the car park at Tibshelf
Services on the M1.
13th January 2011
|
England
Refuse collection worker killed
A refuse collection operative, reported to be an employee of SITA UK,
has died following an incident on Tuesday as he worked on a round in
Eastry, Kent.
13th January 2011
|
England
One dead, colleague injured in
Yorkshire explosion
A man has died and another seriously
injured in an explosion at the Sterecycle recycling facility in
Rotherham.
The explosion yesterday afternoon damaged the building, several
accounts speculate that a pressure vessel failed.
12th January 2011
|
England
Employee's arm almost severed
Machine Hire Ltd of Burnham has been fined
£12,500 plus costs of £3,000 in connection with an industrial accident
in which a furniture assembler almost severed his arm.
The injured worker had been inadequately trained to operate the cross
cut saw, the company failed to ensure only properly trained employees
had access and authorisation to use the saw.
Instruction was not given on guarding and HSE inspectors are of the
opinion that a properly adjusted nose guard would have prevented the
accident.
The company was in breach of r.9(1) of the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. 12th January
2011
|
Scotland
Fisherman critically ill
A 21-year old commercial fisherman is critically injured following an
incident last Thursday on board the fishing vessel Blue Angel in which
he was dragged overboard by the leg as he operated a creel shooter. He
was submerged for a 'significant' time says the Coastguard before
being retrieved from the water and airlifted to hospital in
Kilmarnock.
11th January 2011
|
England
Worker treated for smoke inhalation
A man in his 20's was airlifted to hospital around midday on Sunday
following an outbreak of fire at a commercial property in Tamworth,
Staffs. He was rescued from the first floor of the property and was
described as having severe breathing difficulties.
11th January 2011
|
England
3 roof fall incidents at same premises
A caretaker fell through a fragile rooflight of an industrial unit in
Warrington while cleaning guttering, fracturing his ribs. A colleague
taking photographs of the scene then fell through a different
skylight, escaping injury.
Three weeks after this, a 62-year old worker repairing a rooflight
also fell, but he sustained severe injuries and is paralysed from the
waist down.
Employer of the first two men, Bizspace Investments Ltd of Finchley,
London, and owner of the property was fined £5,000 with costs of
£9,000.
The third accident victim admitted breaching S.3(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974, receiving a conditional discharge as he
is a bankrupt.
10th January 2011
|
England
Company disabled machine's sensor
An employee working on a laminator
producing absorbent pads was injured when he was pulled into the
equipment's rollers. The resultant burns he sustained required skin
grafts.
His employer, Elliot Absorbent Products Ltd of Deansgate, Manchester,
disabled the laminator's infra-red sensor which stopped the machine
when someone approached, this being done because of nuisance dust
triggering. After the incident at its Littleborough, Rochdale,
premises the company installed a pressure mat. These stop the machines
working when someone steps on them. HSE had served 3 enforcement
notices following a visit to the company’s Rochdale factory in 2008.
Elliot was fined £27,500 plus £4,389 costs having breached r.11(1) of
the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
10th January 2011
|
England
Northants worker dies in incident
A man in his 50's working from a ladder at a lighting standard has
died of injuries sustained in an incident in which it is believed he
was first electrocuted and then fell from height.
Wednesday's incident occurred at Blisworth Arm and was witnessed by a
colleague. 7th
January 2011
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England
Joiner suffered amputation
A joiner amputated his thumb and forefinger as he shaped a piece of
timber at J Bream & Son Ltd's premises in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
The piece of timber caught in the cutter and drew his hand in to the
moulding machine, he was not using the correct work holders, known as
‘jigs’, designed to keep workers’ hands clear of the cutting machinery.
The company admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work
etc. Act 1974 and was fined £10,000 with £4,026 costs, it had not
assessed the risks for the work adequately and did not supervise or
train staff sufficiently for work with dangerous machinery.
7th January 2011
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England
Motocross event accident
A participant in a motocross event on Sunday at Hapton, Lancs,
sustained a serious back injury in an accident. He was airlifted to
hospital in Preston.
6th January 2011
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UK
MEWP alert
The Health and Safety Executive has issued an alert concerning JLG
500RTS and 400RTS scissor lifts and those with similar interlock
systems.
They wish to warn those who use or lease these lifts that they should
ensure that safety critical components are working correctly.
The advice follows 3 incidents in which 5 people died.
6th January 2011
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Scotland
Fatal accident on Orkney farm
It is reported that a farmer in his 40's has died of injuries
sustained as he worked on an item of equipment at a property in
Rendall, Orkney, on Monday.
5th January 2011
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