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France
Farmer's wife dies in slurry tank accident
A 38-year old woman was killed on Thursday after falling into a slurry tank on Surville farm at Castilly in Normandy, her husband tried but failed to rescue the woman whose body was recovered later in the day by fire crews. 28th November 2008.
France
Airbus crashes during test flight
An Airbus A320 of Air New Zealand crashed on Thursday during a test flight from Perpignan Airport, the wreckage was located 4 miles offshore. There were 7 people on board, 5 New Zealand staff and 2 German pilots of XL Airways Germany who had chartered the aircraft. By early evening 2 bodies had been recovered, with little hope of finding the others surviving the accident. The aircraft was delivered in July 2005 and had completed 2,800 flights over 7K miles.   28th November 2008.
Philippines
Worker killed in fall from improvised ladder
The use of an improvised ladder led to the death of a 28-year old maintenance worker on Wednesday at the Manila Ocean Park where he was installing a closed-circuit television camera. He fell 4 metres while working at the marine recreation centre, striking his head in the fall and becoming impaled on a sharp feature. 27th November 2008.
Vietnam
Surge in electrocutions and underreporting concern Labour Department
The Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Labour is expressing concern over a surge in workplace electrocutions this year, and this against a backdrop of general underreporting of workplace accidents.
During the first 9 months of this year, of 63 workplace fatalities reported, 28 involved electrocutions, a 33% increase against the same period in 2007. Failure to deactivate power, using improvised electrical equipment, such as welding pincers, and old undermaintained machinery are regarded as the main causes.
The Department is also keen to address the scant regard for safety by management at many small and medium-size companies, who traditionally have recruited unskilled and seasonal workers and fail to provide them with appropriate safety training.
With regard to underreporting, only 200 of the 10,000 registered firms have returned accident statistics in the first half of this year. 27th November 2008.
China
4 killed by falling pipes at Shenzhou Dockyard
A load of steel pipes fell during hoisting by crane on Tuesday morning at Shenzhou Dockyard in Xiangshan county, Zhejiang, killing 4 shipyard workers, all work at the yard has been suspended. 26th November 2008.
Austria
Worker's arm severed at waste facility
The lower arm of a 58-year old waste process worker was severed on Tuesday in an accident at a facility in St Margarethen an der Raab, Weiz, when his clothing snagged as he was attempting to clean a machine, he has undergone emergency surgery in Graz. 26th November 2008.
USA
Unstable crane accident at Virginia site
A worker of J & J Paving has been hospitalised in Lynchburg, Virginia, following an accident on Monday at the Bojangles site in Campbell County after a crane became unstable and knocked over a utility pole which inflicted head injuries on the worker. 25th November 2008.
China
Student survives panda encounter
A 20-year old student is recovering from bite injuries to his limbs after scaling a 2-metre high fence and entering a panda's pen at Qixing Park in Guilin, workers managed to calm the 80Kg panda prior to effecting the intruder's rescue. 25th November 2008.
India
 Delhi Metro worker killed in fall from height
A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation worker was killed on Sunday in a fall on to the track at an elevated section in the Mundka area, west Delhi, he lost his balance and struck his head on metal bars at the track construction site. 24th November 2008.
France
 CO incidents in north Paris
In separate carbon monoxide poisoning incidents on Sunday in north Paris suburbs 1 person died and 21 were poisoned. A defective underfloor heating system claimed the life of a 40-year old man and left 19 others injured at Arnouville-les-Gonesse, while at Ezanville a couple were also hospitalised with CO poisoning, the woman listed in critical condition. 24th November 2008.
Scotland
Tractor fatality at Moray quarry
The HSE has been advised of a fatal accident on Friday afternoon at a quarry in the Dufftown area of Moray where a tractor driver has died in a workplace accident. 22nd November 2008.
Singapore
Shipyard forklift death ruled misadventure
A coroner's court has recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the case of a shipyard worker killed in a forklift accident in June 2006 at Jurong Shipyard. A 30-year old marine trades worker of Red Lotus Marine Services had opted to take his break out of doors and was sleeping in a dimly-lit area of the yard when he was run over by the forklift moving bricks. The court ruled that he was sleeping in an operational area and not in the designated rest area, contrary to staff instructions. 21st November 2008.
New Zealand
Solvent fireball during flooring laying
The Department of Labour is investigating an accident this midweek in which a flooring contractor sustained 3rd degree burns over 30% of his body when a solvent being applied to soften adhesive for linoleum laying exploded after contacting a gas water heater's naked flame at a dwellinghouse in Queenwood, northeast Hamilton. 21st November 2008.
USA
Fatality at Iowa steel plant
A 21-year old construction worker of S & L Construction was killed by a falling beam section while working at Centre Fresh Egg Farm in Le Mars, northwest Iowa. 20th November 2008.
Germany
Suspended jail sentence for flawed calculations in fatal roof collapse
A retired engineer has received an 18-month suspended jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter after admitting in court in Traunstein failing to calculate accurately the weight-bearing load of the roof of an ice rink in Bad Reichenhall which collapsed under a weight of snow, leading to 15 deaths.
The 68-year old man admitted that his design was probably "careless" as he chose roof beam standard different to that being used in the 1970's when it was constructed. He also admitted 6 counts of bodily injury caused by neglect. An architect and co-defendant engineer were acquitted, the Bavarian state prosecutor is considering appealing these acquittals. 19th November 2008.
New Zealand
Goods train hits track maintenance vehicle
Ontrack and KiwiRail are conducting a joint investigation into an accident at McNab, northeast of Gore, Southland, where a goods train struck an Ontrack line maintenance vehicle from which 4 workers engaged on sleeper replacement had to leap to safety upon hearing the horn of the advancing train. It would appear that "caution" signs had been placed on both sides of the track about 1 mile ahead of the accident spot on a bend. Ontrack manages the New Zealand rail network on behalf of the government. 19th November 2008.
China
Rescuers hopeful of reaching 34 trapped miners
Cautious optimism was being expressed late on Monday that 34 miners trapped in the flooded Gaomendong coal mine in Pindingshan, Henan, could be rescued from their location 250 metres underground and 800 metres from the pit's entrance. Holes were being bored at a rate of almost 100 metres every 2 hours, optimism hinges on the fact that prevailing gas density was low and water ingress was not believed to be substantial. 18th November 2008.
Malta
British diver's body recovered from Gozo ferry wreck
Specialist technical divers of the Spider volunteer group of the Civil Protection Department recovered the body on Monday of the 49-year old British diver missing for 2 weeks at the site of the Xlendi wreck (see story 4th November). The depth of the wreck and its overturned position called on the skills of the technical diving crew who recovered the body from the silted cafeteria of the former Gozo ferry. 18th November 2008.
India
Kashmir bridge collapses after load testing
At least 24 people died on Sunday when a bridge under construction collapsed at Paranpeela, north Kashmir, where Guptu Industries Chandigarh are constructing a bridge to span the river Jhelum for the National Hydro Power Corporation. Load testing, involving 3,500 cement bags, had taken place on Saturday and these were in the process of being removed when the collapse occurred on Sunday morning. 17th November 2008.
Burkina Faso
Bus/HGV collision leaves 60 dead
At least 60 people died when a bus collided with an HGV west of Ouagadougou, the bus driver, who survived the accident, has suggested that there may have been in excess of 80 passengers on the bus. Overloading is a feature in many such accidents in Burkina Faso with passengers and goods also riding on bus roofs. 16th November 2008.
Guinea
Collapse at SAG mine kills 13 illegal gold miners
At least 13 miners working clandestinely have been killed in an earth collapse at the Societe Aurifiere de Guinee (SAG) open-cast gold mine in Siguiri, northeast Guinea, numerous illegal diggers work at the SAG mine which is operated industrially. 14th November 2008.
Japan
Hot work fire at Onagawa reactor
A 43-year old welder is being treated for burns injuries following a fire on Thursday afternoon at a building of the No 1 reactor of Tohoku Electric Power Company's Onagawa nuclear reactor in Miyagi, it is speculated that a spark from hot metal work ignited a filter in the air conditioning system. 14th November 2008.
India
6 killed in Mumbai house collapse
A section of a 4-storey building in south Mumbai (Bombay) collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 6 people, a fireman attending the accident close to Crawford Market was also injured. Piling work had been ongoing adjacent to the 70-year old structure. 13th November 2008.
Australia
Maritime death investigation at Manly
Queensland police are indicating that the death of a man on a boat moored at Royal Esplanade, Manly, is being treated as an industrial accident, no details of the incident are yet available. 13th November 2008.
Atlantic
Trawlerman killed in whiplash accident
A crewman of the Spanish fishing boat Pescaberbes Tres was killed on Tuesday in a whiplash accident when a shackle cable broke free in gale force conditions 147 miles southwest of the Scilly Isles, he died during transfer to hospital by coastguards. 12th November 2008.
USA
Railyard derailment kills Texan points worker
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a derailment fatality which has killed a worker at the Rescar railway maintenance facility at Channelview, east Houston, the accident occurred as he was engaged in points work switching wagons onto other tracks. 12th November 2008.
Taiwan
 18 trawler crew missing, 1killed by shark
Of the 28-man crew of the Taiwanese trawler, Fu Chi Hsiang 767, only 9 have been rescued, some after spending 16 hours in the water after their boat sank 50 miles south of Kaohsiung. Apart from the  18 missing crew, 1 is known to have died after being attacked by a shark. 11th November 2008.
Tanzania
Kilimanjaro plane crash leaves 4 Italians dead
Four European tourists undertaking a sightseeing tour of Mt Kilimanjaro died when their Cessna 206 6-seater aircraft crashed on the mountain's Mawenzi peak at an altitude of 4,333m, the Kenyan pilot survived the accident and is hospitalised in Moshi. The Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority has indicated that the weekend flight departed from the Kyulu hills base on the Kenyan side of the mountain, the victims are believed to be Italian tourists. 10th November 2008.
Russia
20 killed in Pacific Fleet submarine accident
More than 20 Russian sailors and shipyard workers were killed when a firefighting system activated during sea trials of a nuclear-powered submarine of the Russian Pacific Fleet off the eastern Primorye Region on Saturday, the accident occurred in the submarine's nose area away from its nuclear components, 21 injured personnel have been transferred to another vessel, the Admiral Tributs. 9th November 2008.
Haiti
Dozens of children killed in school building collapse
More than 30 schoolchildren died on Friday when sections of the College La Promesse in the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince collapsed, several hundred children were at lessons when the upper floors of the 3-storey structure collapsed. Medecins sans Frontieres indicated later on Friday that they had rescued 90 children from the rubble but half are listed with life-threatening injuries. The church-run school is located on higher ground above the capital and access is not easy on poor highways. It is thought that the upper floor was still undergoing recent construction/renovation work. 8th November 2008.
USA
 Fall from roof at Illinois steel plant
A steel worker has been killed in a fall through a fragile section of roof at Alton Steel, Alton, southwest Illinois, where he was working on a new section of roofing. 7th November 2008.
Spain
 Scaffold collapse and fall accident
A scaffold collapsed on Musica Perez Laporta Street in Alcoy, causing the death of a 25-year old worker and serious injury to a 32-year old colleague, both were working at 5th storey level.
A fall from the roof of a unit on the Arroyo de la Miel industrial estate south of Malaga has left a worker with critical injuries, fracturing his skull and ribs in the 10-metre fall. 7th November 2008.
Mexico
13 killed as government Learjet crashes in Mexico City
The crash of a Learjet saw all 8 occupants killed, including the Minister of the Interior and prominent anti-narcotics officials, as well as 5 people on the ground in Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca Street in the Lomas de Chapultepec district of Mexico City. The Transport Secretary said that sabotage should not be assumed but given that the Mexican Army immediately sealed off San Luis Potosi airport from where the flight departed suggested that this line of investigation is being pursued. 6th November 2008.
USA
Youth survives experience in recycling compacter
A 14-year old youth has survived being trapped and transported inside a Waste Management recycling compacter in Milwaukee. The youth, who was absconding from a detention centre, had been hiding in a cardboard recycling bin and found himself tipped into the collecting wagon which continued its run, making further collections. He was discovered at the Germantown depot in semi-conscious condition having been tipped on to a conveyor belt for a baler and was rushed to hospital where his injuries are not life-threatening. 6th November 2008.
Philippines
Masbate ferry sinking leaves 40 drowned
In excess of 40 passengers and crew are feared drowned following the sinking of the inter-island ferry MV Don Dexter Cathlyn some 2 miles off Branagay Magcaragit on Masbate island. The ferry, designed for short crossings, left Dimasalang for Bulan in fair weather but encountered squalls and wind and may have been overcrowded. The authorities confirm the rescue of 76 people but ship manifests locally can be unreliable, although a figure of 119 has been mentioned. Late on Tuesday the crew were still listed missing, and other passengers were unaccounted for. 5th November 2008.
USA
Scaffold collapse at Mississippi Power plant
A scaffold collapsed during internal boiler maintenance work at the Daniel Plant of Mississippi Power in Escatawpa, southeast Mississippi, on Tuesday morning, 7 workers of New Iberia fell more than 50 metres. Rescuers had a difficult task reaching some of the injured whose condition remains unknown. The boiler was not in service at the time of the accident. 5th November 2008.
Malta
British diver missing at Xlendi wreck site
The Armed Forces Malta (AFM) and the Civil Protection Department are searching for a British diver missing near the site of the Xlendi wreck at Xatt I-Ahmar, Gozo. He failed to surface, a colleague who was also diving there is now undergoing decompression treatment.
The Xlendi is a former passenger/car ferry which plied the waters around Gozo and was purposefully sunk 8 years ago for recreational diving. The intention was for it to lie in 30-35 metres of water, however prevailing winds produced a drift and it came to rest between 35 and 42 metres, posing a more challenging dive. 4th November 2008.
New Zealand
Taranaki worker's legs pinned by pipes
A worker is listed in stable condition in hospital  after his legs were pinned by drilling pipes in an accident at the GMP Environmental Ltd's site in Taranaki. 4th November 2008.
Serbia
Radioactive train halted at border post
Officers at the Dimitrovgrad railway station customs post alerted radiology inspectors to a potentially radioactive goods train in transit from Bulgaria to Macedonia at the weekend. Findings by the border radiology tests confirmed radioactive material 3K times higher than permitted levels, surface levels even being 300 times higher. The train was prevented from travelling on. 3rd November 2008.
Austria
Piper Seneca crashes near Graz, 3 dead
A Piper Seneca PA34 light aircraft of the Steirisch Motorflugunion crashed on Sunday evening while attempting to land at Thalerhof Airport in Graz. It lost altitude rapidly as it prepared to land and came down in a heavily wooded area between Windschuh and Zwaring. Initially access to the crash site was only possible on foot, all 3 occupants died in the crash. 3rd November 2008.

 

  
Philippines
Shipyard painter killed by unstable duct
A subcontract worker of Philnorkor was killed in a midweek accident at the Redondo Peninsula shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation when he was struck by a 250-Kg services duct which he was removing from its shackles prior to painting. 28th November 2008
Austria
Farmer survives 6m fall
A 58-year old farmer has survived a 6m fall from a roof with only bruising and grazes at St Georgen am Fillmansbach when a piece of squared timber he was throwing down had a hook on it which caught on his jacket and caused him to lose his balance. 27th November 2008
Japan
Fatal explosion at Yamaguchi shipyard
An explosion occurred on Tuesday in a vessel under construction at a shipyard in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi, 1 worker has died and 4 others were injured. 26th November 2008
USA
Fatal crush accident at Georgia yard
A 24-year old employee of the Golden Peanut Company has died after becoming pinned between a railway wagon and a tractor trailer at the company premises in Ashburn, south Georgia. 26th November 2008
Canada
 Miner injured in Bisset mine derailment
A Manitoba miner is recovering in hospital after being pinned by an ore locomotive which derailed in a  tunnel 1/2-mile underground at San Gold Corporation's Rice Lake mine in Bisset, 100 miles northeast of Winnipeg. 25th November 2008
New Zealand
 Concern over Maori and Pacific Islanders workplace accident rate
Three years into the Department of Labour's 10-year Workplace Health and Safety Strategy aimed at boosting productivity, raising workplace health and safety awareness and reducing workplace death and accidents, a report on Monday expressed concern that workplace accident rates among Maori and Pacific Islanders remains disproportionately higher than other groups, no statistics were released to expand on the matter. 25th November 2008
Australia
 Weir water bladder burst, girl swimmer washed away
The search resumed at first light today (Monday) for a 4-year old girl swept away down Queensland's Mackenzie River when a water bladder ruptured on Sunday at the Bedford Weir near Blackwater. A designated area for public swimming is located below the weir, the girl was with a number of swimmers when the 6K megalitre bladder burst and flooded the river. 24th November 2008
Belgium
 Lights structure collapses at Bruges market
A metallic structure illuminating an outdoor skating rink in Bruges collapsed onto adjacent busy market stalls injuring 2 people, 1 is in a serious condition. 24th November 2008
Fiji
Extensive search for 29 missing fishermen
An extensive sea search over 55K km²  of the Pacific is underway for 29 Taiwanese fishermen whose burnt-out long-liner was picked up in Fijian waters. The boat's 3 life rafts and a rescue boat were missing, raising hope that the crew, whose last contact was on 28th October, may still be alive.
In recent weeks 4 fishermen missing since October were found on Papua New Guinea where their life raft came ashore. 21st November 2008
Canada
Load handling death at Manitoba steel works
Binding retaining a large spool of steel snapped as it was being loaded on to a cutting machine at Steel Plus in Brandon, Manitoba, where it led to the death of a 44-year old worker who was handling the spool. 20th November 2008
Sweden
International coach hits gritting vehicle
The collision of a Swebus Express and a Vagverket (Swedish Road Administration) road gritter on the E4 motorway 40 miles south of Jonkoping left 6 people injured on Tuesday, the accident occurred at 4am as the bus was travelling from Stockholm to Copenhagen, local reports suggest that the highways were not particularly icy at the time. 19th November 2008
Indonesia
2 killed at hospital site excavation slippage
An unstable excavation claimed the lives of 2 workers on Monday evening at the site of the new Permai Hospital at Tampoi, Johor Bahru, a third worker managed to escape. The trench was in excess of 3 metres deep, it took the authorities 2 hours to recover the bodies. 18th November 2008
New Zealand
Falling crane load accident at New Plymouth
Department of Labour officials were at McCurdy Engineering in Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth, on Monday where a worker died when material fell during hoisting by a crane. 18th November 2008
Germany
Helicopter crash on Dutch border
A 45-year old Dutch helicopter pilot was killed when his helicopter crashed at Nordhorn shortly after take-off from the Klausheide airfield near the German/Dutch border. Another helicopter with a flight instructor and 2 passengers took off at the same time but eye witness reports suggest no collision occurred. 17th November 2008
Romania
12 killed in double explosion at Petrila mine
Two explosions at the Petrila coal mine in the Jiu Valley of southwest Romania left 12 people dead on Saturday, mining company CNH Petrosani has indicated that 8 miners were killed in a methane explosion at a depth of 950 metres, a secondary explosion 4 hours later killed 4 rescuers, 8 other workers are being treated for burns injuries. The Petrila mine, like many in nearby Ukraine, is a particularly deep one. 16th November 2008
France
Farmer falls through barn roof
A 50-year old Breton farmer was admitted to Cavale-Blanche hospital in Brest with very serious injuries after falling 6 metres from the roof of a barn at Taule where he was maintaining a cement fibre roof, one of whose sections failed. 14th November 2008
USA
Pipe crushes worker
A 1-metre heavy pipe rolled into an excavation at the Sneddon Construction site in Grand Junction, Colorado, killing a 21-year old construction worker in the trench. 14th November 2008
USA
 Bulldozer operator drowned at Florida land reclamation site
A 53-year old construction worker of Moretrench Contracting died when a bulldozer he was operating slid down a 7-metre embankment into a water-filled ditch in Mulberry, east of Tampa, where land reclamation work has been undertaken for Mosaic Mine off County Road 640.
The bulldozer had remained upright and was virtually immersed under the water, divers had to recover the victim from the submerged cab. 13th November 2008
Japan
 Sodium hypochlorite error at swimming pool
Human error is being indicated as the cause of an accident at a school swimming pool in Yamagata yesterday in which 16 students experienced exposure to chlorine, 7 requiring hospital treatment, after a staff member mistakenly put sodium hypochlorite into a filtration tank. 13th November 2008
Brazil
Widow killed by coffin in hearse accident
A 67-year old woman travelling in the front passenger seat of a hearse was killed when the coffin bearing her husband's body shot forward when the hearse was involved in a minor accident in Rio Grande do Sul, the woman's neck was broken by the impact, 2 others in the car escaped with minor injuries. 12th November 2008
Mexico
Zoo handler killed by tiger
Police have announced that the tiger which mauled a handler after escaping from an unlocked cage at the Bioparque Estrella zoo park outside Mexico City has been located and put down. Animal security at zoos and circuses has been problematic for authorities in recent months. Last week a tiger escaped from a circus and was successfully captured in northwest Mexico, while 2 months ago an escaped elephant was killed by a bus on a highway, an accident which claimed the driver's life. 12th November 2008
South Africa
 2 miners killed in CO accident
The Department of Mines and Energy is investigating a double carbon monoxide accident at the Xstrata Witbank South coal mine where a CO build-up occurred after drilling breached a closed section of the mine and gas from there filled their working area.  11th November 2008
Namibia
 Abattoir worker severed main artery in boning accident
A 34-year old abattoir worker died at the Witvlei Meat plant in Witvlei when his boning knife slipped and severed a major artery in his thigh, causing him to go into shock and die within an hour. 11th November 2008
Australia
Crush accident at east Melbourne transport depot
A fatal crush accident investigation is underway at a transport depot on Maroondah Highway in the Ringwood suburb of Melbourne where a worker was crushed under a lorry, he is believed to have been working on the tray section of the vehicle which became unstable and fell, pinning him between it and the vehicle's chassis. 10th November 2008
Mexico
17 killed in Oaxaca bus crash
The Secretario de Seguridad Publica in Oaxaca has said that mechanical failure caused the bus crash on Friday in which 17 people died and 5 were injured, the accident occurred outside Santa Lucia Miahuatlan, 75 miles from Oaxaca. 8th November 2008
Germany
 Explosion in Ruhr chemical warehouse
Three workers have been badly injured on Thursday in an explosion in a warehouse storing chemicals in the Klasserfeld suburb of Duisburg, a lorry is believed to have exploded and 2 warehouses were ablaze. 7th November 2008
England
 Driver fell down stairwell at Runcorn depot
At Halton Magistrates' Court TDG UK Ltd has been fined £10K plus £2,400 costs after pleading guilty to  breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
On November 30th 2007, a driver at the Runcorn depot fell down an unprotected, unlit stairwell lacking the lights and railings of other stairwells on the site.
The HSE inspector prosecuting opined:" This incident would not have happened had proper monitoring and maintenance been carried out on site." 7th November 2008
USA
Roofer killed in electrical accident at West Virginia site
A fatal accident investigation is underway in Fairmont, West Virginia, where a roofer was killed when a ladder being deployed contacted a high power source at a dwellinghouse site, a colleague was also injured in the accident. 6th November 2008
Luxembourg
Falling steel amputates site worker's toes
A construction worker has had several toes amputated when a steel section weighing several tonnes slipped during hoisting by a crane and hit his foot on a site in Diekirch, although he was wearing safety boots, they were unable to withstand the pressure. 6th November 2008
Germany
20 dead after motorway bus fire
A technical defect is being speculated as the cause of a fire on Tuesday evening on a bus on the A2 motorway just south of Hannover which saw 20 passengers killed and 12 others injured. The coach had been travelling from the Ruhr to Hannover when the fire broke out, the driver managed to pull over but many passengers were unable to escape the incident. 5th November 2008
Serbia
Worker with critical burns after Belgrade plant explosion
An explosion at the ED-PRO plant in the Lestane district of Belgrade has left 1 worker in intensive care with 2nd degree burns extending over 60% of his body, 2 other workers are listed in less serious condition. The accident is being attributed to machine failure which saw  manufacturing material explode. 5th November 2008
Spain
CO incident at Catalonian tourist home
Carbon monoxide poisoning has killed a 57-year old male at tourist accommodation in Torrelles de Foix, in the most mountainous section of the Alt Penedes, 10 miles from the Catalonian town of Vilafranca. A 47-year old female, believed to be the victim's spouse, is receiving hyperbaric treatment at Dos de Maig hospital, 7 others with lesser symptoms were hospitalised at Vilafranca de Penedes. A very old boiler in the 6-room premises in the centre of the village is speculated as the cause of the accident, a French woman and her son cut short their stay last week when the latter became ill, but no link was made with a CO incident. 4th November 2008
Canada
Fatality at Ontario steel plant
An operative working in the material reprocessing facility at the Essar Steel Algoma plant in Sault Ste Marie died in hospital as surgeons tried to save his life following an accident at the plant. 4th November 2008
China
Explosion at highway tunnel site
An explosion in a tunnel at a construction site on the Dianjiang-Linshui highway in Chongqing, southwest China, killed 2 workers and left more than 20 others injured at the weekend. 3rd November 2008
Austria
Fire kills 550 sheep in large hall
A defective timber-burning heating system caused a massive fire which destroyed a 60-metre long farm building in Petzenkirchen, Melk, where around 550 sheep died in the blaze. 3rd November 2008
 
England
Yorks warehouse death investigation
Kirklees Council's Health and Safety Unit is pursuing an inquiry into the death of a 41-year old assistant warehouse manager who died in an accident at the Mamas and Papas warehouse in Colne Bridge, Huddersfield. 28th November 2008
England
Oldham site death verdict
A jury at Oldham Magistrates' Court has ruled death by misadventure regarding a fatal accident at a site on Athens Way, Oldham, in August 2006 in which a dumper truck driver sustained a fractured skull and brain injuries when his vehicle overturned while negotiating a gradient track on the site while the vehicle's bucket was loaded and raised. He died as a result of the injuries 4 months later. 28th November 2008
England
Forklift death at Notts warehouse  verdict
A verdict of accidental death has been reached at a Nottingham Coroner's Court in respect of a fatal accident on 27th September 2007 at the Raleigh warehouse in Eastwood where a forklift driver was killed by a falling steel section.
He was negotiating a door when his vehicle struck the frame, he sustained a fractured spine and acute internal haemorrhaging. The court heard that a similar accident had occurred at the same spot previously but it was decided not to proceed with structural alterations. 27th November 2008
England
Enhanced safety after crush death at Essex recycling yard
An inquest jury has ruled that the death of a workman at a Dagenham recycling yard on February 7th this year was caused by a reversing lorry and that he died of multiple organ failure caused by multiple injuries. He was crushed against a concrete pillar by the lorry and died 6 days later.
At the Hunts Recycling Yard a one-way traffic system was in operation whereby lorries entered via a weighbridge, reversed and unloaded at the skip shed under the supervision of a banksman. Since the accident, banksmen wear high visibility vests, lorries are equipped with radios and a 5m gap between vehicles and pedestrians has been established. 27th November 2008
USA
Surveyor killed by bulldozer at Indiana site
A setting-out engineer has died after being struck by a bulldozer at the Dexter Axle site on South 7th Street, Albion, northeast Indiana. He was levelling with a rotating laser when he was hit by the bulldozer of contractor Monarch Development Inc. 26th November 2008
USA
 Worker killed in fall from Kansas elevator
A 25-year old maintenance worker died in a fall from the top of an elevator at Lucas Co-op Elevators in Lucas, 45 miles northwest of Salina, Kansas. 25th November 2008
Serbia
 Parachute death investigation
An accident investigation has been examining a fatal accident in which a male parachutist of the Novi Sad Aero Klub died when his parachutes failed to open on a jump at Cenej, 14 parachutists were taking part in a training course. The victim had previously completed 18 jumps from 1,000m and the accident occurred in ideal weather. The last such accident at the club was in 1964. 25th November 2008
China
 Fatality at building site collapse
A 3-storey building under construction collapsed on Sunday at a site in Shanhe village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, when 9 workers were on site. The rubble buried 2 workers, 1 of whom died, the 8 survivors are being treated for a range of injuries. 24th November 2008
Austria
Worker's ear amputated in flooring machinery
A worker's ear had to be amputated yesterday after he became pinned between machinery and its mooring at a flooring factory in Gussing. The machinery had been constantly tripping out and he had begun to investigate it after deactivating its primary control switch. However, he had disregarded a secondary switch which activated the machine as he conducted tests. He was hospitalised in Gussing on Thursday for the amputation as well as treatment for extensive bruising. 21st November 2008
India
CO incident at Orissa steel plant
A leakage of carbon monoxide at Rourkela Steel Plant in Bhubaneswar left 13 workers injured, 6 in critical condition, after a valve broke in a pipe linking to a blast furnace. The mixture of CO and furnace gas from the cleaning pipe was inhaled by employees in an electrical control room and a rest room. 20th November 2008
France
Quarry electrical accident
A maintenance worker of Corps-Nuds was badly burned on Tuesday in an accident at the Clos Pointu site in Saint-Malo-de-Phily, southwest of Rennes, another worker of the Mont-Serrat quarry who was working with him escaped with lesser injuries. 19th November 2008
Australia
Victoria farmer tractor fatality
An elderly Victoria farmer has died after being run over by his tractor while working alone in a field southwest of Casterton, initial speculation suggests he was run over by the rear wheels. Such unwitnessed accidents prove most difficult for WorkSafe to arrive at definite conclusions of cause. 18th November 2008
USA
Maintenance workers injured at Ohio plant
An electrical accident at the Plating Technology Plant in Dayton, Ohio, has left 2 maintenance workers hospitalised with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over half their bodies while working on a high voltage electrical panel. 18th November 2008
English Channel
Light aircraft missing off Jersey
A search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday after air traffic control in Jersey lost contact with a single-engine SR22 Cirrus light aircraft flying from London to Jersey which may have come down in the English Channel, contact was lost 15 miles north of Jersey. 17th November 2008
Romania
Bodies recovered after Danube tug/barge collision
The authorities recovered the bodies of 2 seamen missing in the Danube following the collision of the Romanian barge Andreea and the Austrian tug Linz 2, the Romanians were missing from the barge which sank on Friday near Calarasi. All 7 Serbian crew members of the Austrian tug Linz 2 were uninjured, initial speculation of the accident points towards the barge's culpability. 16th November 2008
England
Tragic farm accident
A farmer died accidentally, a Lancaster inquest jury has determined.
In April this year, the deceased's grandson was reversing a tractor and slurry tanker when it struck the 75-year old who worked as a farm labourer at the farm at Wray. 15th November 2008
New Zealand
Quad bike death on South Canterbury farm
The Department of Labour is investigating a quad bike fatality at a South Canterbury farm where a 35-year old worker was killed riding the bike at Waihaorunga, 15 miles west of Waimate. 14th November 2008
Australia
Finger severed in lathe
Work Cover is investigation an accident in which a worker's finger was severed in a lathe at Brake Pro Unda car in Wollongong. The 21-year old's hand was drawn into a pulley, efforts were being made yesterday to reattach the finger to the worker whose condition is stable. 14th November 2008
The Netherlands
 IC train driver 4 times legal alcohol limit
KLP (Korps Landelijke Politiedienst) has indicated that the driver of an Intercity express train travelling between Schipol and Groningen has allegedly given a positive blood/alcohol test, the reading of 2 promille being 4 times the permitted limit of 0.5. The train was stopped at t'Harde station where a replacement driver took over. 13th November 2008
Malta
 Structural collapse incident in Zebbug
A partial collapse at a house site on Dun Karm Psaila Street in Zebbug injured 2 construction workers on Wednesday, the extent of their injuries remains unknown. 13th November 2008
England
Industrial accident at BAE systems
It is reported that a workman died at BAE Systems premises in Brough on Monday following an industrial accident. One account states he was involved in a maintenance activity when equipment activated unexpectedly. 12th November 2008
Germany
Cologne runaway coal train
Brake failure saw a 600-tonne Deutz DG 1000 coal train run unmanned for 3 miles through the suburbs of Cologne before crashing through the doors of a warehouse and then crashing against a firewall in the middle of the structure. The 31-wagon train stretching to 300 metres had left the Wachtberg coal bricket factory in Frechen for Cologne Marsdorf and passed 2 level crossings in its run through a residential/ industrial area. Both engineers managed to jump off the engine when they became aware of the brake failure, 2 other workers managed to get clear of the flying debris when it breached the Marsdorf warehouse.
The 45-year old locomotive is the oldest of RWE Power. 12th November 2008
Germany
 Elderly farmer run over by tractor
An 84-year old Black Forest farmer was killed on Monday after being run over by his tractor on his land at Hattingen, near Immendigen. He had started the tractor's engine from the ground with a view to attaching equipment to the vehicle which then began to move and ran over him. 11th November 2008
Egypt
 Woman killed by bulldozer at demolition site
A woman was killed in a bulldozer accident on Monday at the site of a dwellinghouse demolition in the southern town of Qena where a court order had been granted for the demolition of the property which had been illegally constructed. 11th November 2008
Malaysia
Improvised vehicle fuel tank explodes at petrol station
An electrical contractor  was killed and a colleague injured when a gas cooker unit which had been converted into a natural gas kit exploded when fuel was being introduced to their van at a petrol station in Batu Berendam, Malacca, they had been operating with the adapted vehicle for about one month prior to the accident. 10th November 2008
UAE
Crane collapse at Dubai metro station site
A crane working on the Dubai Metro track collapsed on to scaffolding on Sunday near the Emirates Towers, no injuries have been reported. 10th November 2008
Atlantic
 Search for 5 crew of long-liner, 6 rescued
The Jose Almunia long-liner which fishes out of Pontevedra, Spain, sank on Thursday morning after dispatching a mayday 1,000 miles east of Bermuda. Six of the 11-man crew which comprises of 8 Indonesians and 3 Spaniards, were rescued fit and well from a liferaft, the other 5 are still missing. Maritime rescue in Norfolk, Virginia, is directing the search and rescue operation. 7th November 2008
England
 Fuel spillage and spark led to scrap yard burns' accident
Phoenix Autoparts 2000 Ltd have been fined £2K plus £2,394.96 costs at Nottingham Magistrates' Court in respect of a burns accident in which a spark from an oxyacetylene torch ignited a fuel spillage at its yard where cars were cut for scrap. The employee sustained severe burns to his legs. Fuel was drained from vehicles into a retriever unit prior to vehicle cutting, the court deemed that the company was negligent in not identifying this risk or conducting a suitable risk assessment.
The judge indicated that the leniency of the fine reflected the company's parlous financial state. An HSE inspector said: "This accident could have been prevented if the cutting operation had been separated from the handling of petrol." 7th November 2008
Australia
Melbourne woman lost hair in rotating spindle machinery
Bazmac, trading as Omni Bedding, has been fined $360K(£154,506) following an accident at its premises in Braybrook, Melbourne, in April 2007 where a 37-year old female worker lost 40% of her hair in an unguarded carding machine. The worker had stooped to inspect the machine which combs out fibre from cotton bales when her long hair caught in the rotating spindle, she has since undergone 5 operations following the accident.
The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain plant that is safe and without risks to health and safety and failing to provide the necessary information, instruction, training or supervision as well as 3 counts of failing to ensure a risk was eliminated or reduced. The company has been in liquidation. 6th November 2008
China
Fatal fire at Xinjiang Uygur furniture factory
A fire in the privately owned Yingjia Furniture Plant in the Shuimogou District of Urumqi killed 3 workers and a 4-year old child who was asleep in a dormitory at the small factory, some other staff members were injured, initial police investigation has encountered no indication of arson. 5th November 2008
Kuwait
Worker killed at petrochemical plant
An investigation has begun into a fatal accident involving a migrant worker at the Kuwait Paraxylene Production Coy on the Shuaiba Industrial Area in south Kuwait, no details of the accident are yet available. 4th November 2008
England
Blackpool food purveyor fined over finger amputation
At Preston Crown Court the proprietor of Fresh Bite, Blackpool, was fined a total of £10K, including £4K compensation to a 15-year old youth who lost a section of a finger in an accident involving an unguarded potato chipper at the premises on Central Drive.
The proprietor pleaded guilty to 10 breaches of health and safety legislation, including failing to provide training, instruction and supervision, failing to maintain the chipper in working order, failing to report an accident and failing to have adequate First Aid equipment on the premises. 4th November 2008
USA
Machinery fatality on New York farm
A 40-year old farm worker has died after his clothing became snagged on harvesting machinery he was lubricating at the Thomas Smith farm in Springport, New York state. 3rd November 2008
France
Farmer gored by bull
A farmer has been hospitalised in Alencon with multiple fractures after being attacked by a bull on his farm at Pre-en-Pail. 3rd November 2008
 
England
Site death in Gloucestershire
It is reported that a worker in his 40's died in a construction site accident near Frampton-on-Severn. The accident occurred on Wednesday, the account states that he died when a vehicle overturned. 28th November 2008
England
Disabled teenager died after scolding immersion
The jury at an inquest into the death of an 18-year old resident who was badly scalded after partial immersion into a bath at a Community Care facility in Cowley, Oxfordshire, has determined a narrative verdict. Questions were raised about the adequacy of the training given to carers allocated the task of bathing the deceased woman and no functioning thermostat was fitted to ensure that water could not be delivered at an excessive temperature.
Crucially, the equipment had not been commissioned by the manufacturers. 27th November 2008
England
Yorkshire site death
It is reported that a construction worker died last week in a fall from height accident on a sewage treatment plant project in Leeds. 26th November 2008
England
Work method changes had tragic consequences
The requirement to control risks associated with method changes in the progress of works has been illustrated in the circumstances of the January 2003 death of an employee working on the decommissioning of one of the pile chimneys on the Sellafield site in Cumbria. He was removing steelwork inside the chimney when he fell approximately 95 metres to his death.
Sellafield Ltd (then British Nuclear Fuels Ltd) of Warrington was fined £150,000 for a breach of S.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc, Act 1974 with £50,500 costs. PC Richardson & Co (Middlesbrough) Ltd of  Stokesley was fined £100,000 for a breach of S.2(1) of the above Act plus £25,000 costs.
An HSE Principal Inspector commented: "This tragic accident need never have happened. A safe working method had been prepared for removing the steelwork in the chimney. If this had been followed, the deceased would not have had to leave the safety of the working platform that had been built inside the chimney. As often happens on construction projects, however, the proposed method was changed as the work progressed. These changes took place over a period of time and resulted in workers, including the deceased, having to work on an unprotected ledge inside the chimney approximately 95 metres above ground level. At the time of the accident, he was trying to remove a girder from the ledge. The girder tipped upwards, sliced through his safety lanyard, and caused him to fall through the gap between the ledge and the working platform.
Ongoing monitoring of the work in progress should have identified the changes and the increased risk. If this had been done it is almost certain that a way could have been found to do the work without leaving the safety of the platform. As this case sadly illustrates, any changes to planned work methods must be identified and properly assessed to ensure that they are safe."25th November 2008
England
Man, 62, fell through fragile roof surface
On 20th April 2007, an employee of Kundi Electrical working under the direction of another party fell 6 metres, sustaining fatal injuries, while undertaking roof work at industrial premises in Smethwick.
The roofs under repair and those being used for access were totally unprotected, there had been a failure to undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to identify the risks associated with the work which should have been carried out by those with duties to do so.
Wolverhampton Crown Court fined the man responsible for directing the work on behalf of Kundi £15,000 with £2,800 costs, West Bromwich Magistrates fined the proprietor of Kundi Electrical of Oldbury £25,000 with £2,301 costs for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. 24th November 2008
England
Plymouth Council fined over crush death at depot
Plymouth Crown Court has fined the local council £75K following its guilty plea to failing to provide a safe workplace in respect of a fatal crush accident at its Prince Rock Depot in Cattedown in February last year. A 22-year old agency worker on a temporary contract was unloading wheelie bins when he became crushed between a forklift truck and a lorry at the depot in the town. 22nd November 2008
England
Repair of trailer led to death
A farm worker died when the tow-bar of the trailer he was working with failed and impaled him in the tractor he was pulling it with during July last year at a farm near Attleborough, Norfolk.
Investigation found that an inadequately welded repair of the trailer's tow-ring by a party unknown had permitted it to fail as the deceased attempted to tip its contents. An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death. 21st November 2008
United Kingdom
Tradesmen warned of asbestos danger
The Health and Safety Executive's 'Asbestos: The Hidden Killer' campaign continues to warn tradesmen of the danger they face from asbestos as they tackle their everyday jobs.
Every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and this number will increase, HSE says that annually 1,000 of the 4,000 now dying are tradesmen, while the number of deaths in traditional industries has plateaued.
The campaign message is that asbestos presents a real and relevant risk to plumbers, joiners, electricians and many other maintenance workers. 20th November 2008
England
Machine removed worker's fingers
Knauf UK GMBH of Sittingbourne, Kent, has been fined £4,000 with £3,204 costs for breaches of safety legislation that permitted an industrial accident in which an employee severed his fingers. He was cleaning the rollers on a plasterboard production machine with the guards removed and the machinery turned on with the rollers rotating at production speed. The employee's fingers became trapped and as a result he sustained serious injuries to his hand.
An HSE official commented: "If a proper health and safety risk assessment had been carried out and acted upon this incident could have been avoided. They ignored basic health and safety rules ". 19th November 2008
England
Haulage contractor crushed by load
A self-employed haulage contractor later succumbed to multiple injuries sustained in an industrial accident in April this year as he and others handled a heavy conveyor on a trailer at premises in Hanley, Staffs. The equipment fell from a ramp as it was being manoeuvred off the vehicle, a Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Coroner's Court inquest determined accidental death. The inquest heard that a safe system of work had not been followed for the task. 18th November 2008
England
CO death was accident
An 80-year old resident died in his home during June 2007 when the throat plate of a solid fuel fire became blocked by ash allowing carbon monoxide to fill his house. An inquest determined it had been an accidental death, the appliance had been checked only weeks earlier and found to be functioning normally, after which heavy rainfalls may have contributed to the blocking of the throat plate. 17th November 2008
England
Workman was killed by baler
The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd of Godalming, Surrey, has been fined £80,000 with costs of £19,962 at Sheffield Crown Court in connection with a fatal industrial accident at its premises at Stainforth Moor Peat Works at Thorne, Yorkshire, on 2 March 2006.
A baler operator was fatally injured after becoming trapped by hydraulic equipment within an area used for baling when he apparently entered the enclosure and inadvertently activated a sensor, starting up the machinery.
The baler enclosure had not been properly secured to prevent access.
An HSE official commented: "Employers have a duty of care to their employees and it is not good enough at any time to rely on temporary or makeshift arrangements in the hope that these will be adequate for safe working. When any repair work or new installation is undertaken risk assessments must be updated and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of employees." 15th November 2008
Scotland
Electrical cable severed by worker
A workman in his 60's has sustained serious burns in an electrical explosion at a residential property being developed on Holburn Street in Aberdeen city centre.
Reports state that he cut a temporary supply cable with a hammer. 14th November 2008
England
Fall from height worker's skull injuries
Shopfitters E&F Joinery of Hailsham, Sussex, have been fined £20,000 with costs of £11,895 in connection with an industrial accident in which a worker fell 3 metres from unprotected scaffolding at a new shopping centre in Enfield on 15th September 2006.
The injured person was not working directly for E&F Joinery, they were in control of the work and for planning and supervising it. The tower scaffold did not have the correct edge protection on it, and it was also not inspected before use. Both of these measures would have helped prevent the injured person from falling.
An HSE official explained: "This case graphically illustrates that work should be planned, and that scaffolding should be checked to have the adequate edge protection." 14th November 2008
England
Midlands forklift accident death
A man has died in an industrial accident at the premises of Sigmacast in Tipton, Staffs.
It is reported he was operating a forklift truck when it overturned, inflicting fatal injuries. 13th November 2008
England
Construction death in Essex
A construction worker died on Monday in an incident involving a crane at the Broomfield PFI hospital site in Chelmsford. 12th November 2008
Scotland
Operator failure and poor procedures punished
Nevis Range Development Co plc and one of its employees have been fined for failures that led to the July 2006 accident in which a gondola cable car on the Nevis Range Gondola came off the haul / suspension rope and collided with the car in front before falling 10 metres to the ground, injuring several persons.
The company was fined £2,000, the employee £1,000.
An HSE official explained: "Notwithstanding the individual operator failings, the procedures provided by the company to gondola operators following an emergency stop of the gondola induced by a 'grip gauge fault' were lacking. Good communication must be assured at critical times such as in emergency stop situations and this communication must be reliable and effective, in this instance it was lacking. Latent failures in organisations such as poor communication and people's uncertainties about their roles or responsibilities can pose the same, or even greater potential danger to health and safety as active failures. In an operation like this, it is vital that aerial uplift operators have robust operating systems in place and that these are regularly reviewed." 11th November 2008
Scotland
Inadequate planning led to fall from height
In January 2007, an employee of Berneslai Homes Ltd of Barnsley was carrying out emergency repairs to a council property in the town when he fell 5 metres from its roof.
Berneslai Homes, a housing Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO), manages homes on behalf of Barnsley Council, on this occasion its planning and supervision was inadequate and the work method adopted by the injured man was unsafe. The company had failed to ensure that the risks involved in the work were adequately assessed and controlled, it was fined £2,000 with costs £2,022 for being in breach of  the Work at Height Regulations 2005. 10th November 2008
England
Man killed at Herts site
An incident involving pressurised gas cylinders at a site in the Mundells area of Welwyn Garden City has claimed the life of a workman. Wednesday afternoon's incident also left another man seriously injured at the construction site, one account states that an argon cylinder depressurised and caused others to depressurise, rendering them as missiles. 7th November 2008
England
Teenager crushed by excavator
The proprietor of a skip hire business from Lea, Preston, has been fined £15,000 with £4,631 costs by Preston Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to breaching S.2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in connection with a December 2007 industrial accident in which his 17-year old employee was crushed under a 13-tonne excavator at a waste transfer station at Railway Sidings, Kirkham, Lancashire.
Employees were sorting out recyclable materials from skips on the floor of the transfer station while the excavator and a loading shovel worked close by. The excavator tracked back and crushed the teenager, causing serious multiple injuries. 6th November 2008
England
Fall led to care home resident's death
A 56-year-old man staying at a residential care home in St Albans died following an incident during February last year in which he fell whilst being hoisted from a chair to his bed. He sustained fractures which led to sepsis, contributing to his death. Investigation established that an inadequately trained employee was entrusted to hoist the resident and failed to attach the sling properly to the hoist.
MacIntyre Care of Milton Keynes was fined £10,000 with costs of £2,476, the incident occurred at its home on Crosby Close in St Albans, an HSE official explained: "This was a needless death. I hope it demonstrates to care home employers that they need to take positive steps to identify the risks in their workplaces and manage them. Employers must be sure they adopt safe systems of work and care staff are trained in the use of equipment such as hoists and aware of the potential risks involved." 5th November 2008
England
Two companies fined £130,000 following death of employee
A workman fell 23 metres to his death while helping install 3 industrial boilers at new waste-to-energy facilities under construction in Maidstone, Kent, during July 2005. Each boiler was situated in a steel structure with platforms and walkways and a workman was installing floor gratings to 1 of the 3 boilers. Many of the gratings had not been secured in place and others had been displaced by pipe-fitters who were working on the same boiler, and the deceased fell 23 metres when one of the displaced gratings gave way.
The manufacture and installation of the boilers was sub-contracted to Rafako S.A., who pleaded guilty to breaching r.6(3) and 10 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 for which it was fined a total of £85,000 with costs of £35,000.
Principal contractor, Lentjes UK Ltd was fined £45,000 with costs of £25,000. 4th November 2008
England
Fatal accident at equestrian centre
A 15-year old girl died in a riding accident last Thursday at an equestrian centre in Redmarley, Gloucestershire.
It is reported that she was thrown from the horse which then fell on top of her. 3rd November 2008