The Lombardi Law Firm Blog

Yet another confined space work accident!

Welding in a Confined Space can be deadly.

Glaring sun blinds driver, hits and kills flagman

Another flagman at an I-80 accident narrowly escapes being hit

Construction Site Trench Collapses - Lack of Support

Building Collapses in Rockwell City, Iowa

Was it the wind that caused this construction site wall to collapse and injure the worker?

Field Tile Collapse - Another Danger in Farming

Another Collapsed Construction Site Ditch Death, This One in Texas

Newton, Iowa Construction Site Wall Collapse Injures Three Workers

Three construction workers were injured on a job site in Newton, Iowa as a wall collapsed and causing the scaffolding to do the same. KCCI news reporters watched a videotape taken by a security camera from across the street at Dave’s Wholesale. The security camera footage shows the collapse, to what degree isn’t known or disclosed. The men worked for Boucher Masonry Co. from Boone, Iowa. IOSH is investigating the incident.

Illinois Highway Construction Worker Backed Over

A highway construction worker was struck and killed in Morrison, Illinois. The worker was identified by the Quad City Times as Michael S. Holloway, 44 or Rock Falls, Illinois. The worker killed was working as the flagger. He was run over by a dump truck backing up. The dump truck driver is 75 years old.

This is a situation I’ve blogged on several times on The Verdict. Just today we posted on older drivers and how old is too old to be driving.

Hit and Run that kills Bicyclist spurs debate on the impact of age on driving privileges

In other posts I’ve talked about road construction worker safety and traffic risks.

The Verdict, Construction Site Accidents

Highway Workers are at risk of being killed while repairing the nations roads - be careful

And in other posts I’ve discussed backing-up accidents that kill workers and pedestrians.

Truck Accident Prevention: Garbage truck backing over woman may be an accident but it is preventable.

Construction Accidents - Backing up and rear warning devices.

Safety should never go on break.

John Deere foundry worker electrocuted - Is this a lock-out-tag-out safety issue?

It appears the worker who was electrocuted at the John Deere Waterloo facility has died. The man, Daniel Gerdman, 22-years-of-age died on Tuesday while working at the foundry. Working on some lighting he was electrocuted. OSHA is investigating the incident. Gerdman was found at around 11:30 a.m.

Most people probably wonder why did this happen?  There is a simple answer that we've effectively advanced in may litigated cases. We just posted another blog about an electrician from Des Moines who died from being electrocuted on a job in Cedar Rapids. He was 24-years-old. Here is my article on the Injuryboard.com.

What might have prevented this 24-year-old Des Moines electrician from being killed by electrocution?

What caused the death of a 24 year old Des Moines electrician? That was the question surrounding the death of Chris Turney but now the autopsy has revealed that it was in fact caused by electrocution. Mr. Turney was standing on a metal scaffold working with electrical wires at the Hy-Vee under construction at College Square Mall in Cedar Rapids when it happened. OSHA is currently investigating and one has to ask how does something like this happen? The company Mr. Turney worked for; Kline Electric of Ankeny, was hired to install the new wiring for the store. Was this caused by a mistake of a co-worker, did Mr. Turney have proper training to be working in the area he was, or was this just a freak accident? Whatever the reason this is another regrettable example of the preventable loss of a young man in the workplace.

These are all preventable. Like the Turney electrocution, Gerdman’s dependents are also entitled to work comp. benefits and should investigate a third-party case.

See also my post on the Lombardi Law Firm website blog.  My news item contains a different video on lock-out tag-out safety rules.

Did this 24-year-old Iowa electrician die needlessly?

Did this 24-year-old Iowa electrician die needlessly?

What caused the death of a 24 year old Des Moines electrician? That was the question surrounding the death of Chris Turney but now the autopsy has revealed that it was in fact caused by electrocution. Mr. Turney was standing on a metal scaffold working with electrical wires at the Hy-Vee under construction at College Square Mall in Cedar Rapids when it happened. OSHA is currently investigating and one has to ask how does something like this happen? The company Mr. Turney worked for; Kline Electric of Ankeny, was hired to install the new wiring for the store. Was this caused by a mistake of a co-worker, did Mr. Turney have proper training to be working in the area he was, or was this just a freak accident? Whatever the reason this is another regrettable example of the preventable loss of a young man in the workplace.

A review of the Iowa Industrial Commission decisions did not turn up an arbitration case against Kline Electric.

The Iowa Secretary of State’s website shows a Kline Electric, Inc. as corporation number 291108 from 2785 N ANKENY BLVD. , Ankeny, Iowa active since March 3, 2004. Filings with the Secretary of State are as follows.

A general search shows Kline Electric, Inc. an electrical contractor, at a different address: 502 N Ankeny Blvd Ste 20, Ankeny, Iowa.

Hy-Vee is a large grocery store chain that together builds its own stores. Like many corporations they have found access to capital through selling stores to investors at a price determined on a low capitalization rate of the annual lease payments. One way to increase the net profit on the sale end is to lower your construction costs. There are various ways to accomplish lower costs, labor being one. Are these electrical workers union trained workers with stringent electrical safety training or workers who have learned the trade here and there? We have no way of knowing Mr. Turney’s background, but the news items from Radio Iowa and KITM fail to mention any union hall affiliation. Safety training is an important tool for your tool box. It’s not something you reach in and grab to show someone; it’s just something that may save your life.

So what might have caused this electrician to get electrocuted? My guess is that it’s a failure for the construction site workers to follow lock-out tag-out procedures. I could be wrong, but many times that is the breakdown or failure that kills a working electrician on the job site. I’ve got a section on the Lombardi Law Firm website dedicated to proper lock-out tag-out protocol. Essentially this is what LOTO is about. We’ve included blogs, video and helpful resources for you to learn more. Remember, safety first. I’ve personally handled these types of cases and I’m sorry to say the workers usually died and I represented the widows and children. I’ve included examples of other workers who have died when others on the construction site fail to follow the LOTO procedure.

On the Injuryboard I’ve covered this subject and also others have as well. See the following posts.

Construction Safety and Trial Lawyer Skills: LOTO or Lockout ...

Yesterday we covered Lockout/Tagout safety rules in a very general way. Today we look at it as lawyers are required. What is the law of Lockout/Tagout? ... 101k

Construction Safety: Video Training of LOTO or Lockout/Tagout ...

... Miscellaneous. Miscellaneous. Construction Safety: Video Training of LOTO or Lockout/Tagout Procedures for Electricians. Email Member. ... 99k

Construction Safety: The risk of being electrocuted | InjuryBoard ...

... The rules are known as the “lockout/tagout” procedure rules. ... 1. Define what is meant by Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO or Lockout/Tagout) and when it is used. ... 101k

"Worker Error" Hides Poor Management | InjuryBoard Tampa Bay

... It's called the "Lockout-Tagout" standard, technically known as the "Control of Hazardous Energy" standard, and is used to protect workers who may be repairing ... 101k

InjuryBoard Des Moines Archives | January 2009

Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer | January 2009 Archives | InjuryBoard Des Moines. 101k

Being an electrician is dangerous. A good working knowledge of safety is essential.

When working on the electrical system of any job site all electricians and other workers involved must disconnect the power at the main box, then place a lock with their name tag on the electrical junction box door so no one is able to turn the power back on while they are touching the otherwise live wires. If another worker at the same time wishes to work on the electrical system, he too places his lock and tag on the first lock. That signals the first guy that someone else is working on the electrical system and needs to contact before the electrical juice is turned back on.

So what happens that makes this system not work? Well, people don’t follow the LOTO procedure. The general contractor in charge of the site doesn’t enforce the rules, things get slack and pretty soon you have a safety culture that is corrupted and it can lead to the death of a worker.

Did it happen in this instance? We don’t know. I’m sure IOSH along with OSHA are investigating and will get to the bottom of it.

Peosta, Iowa trench collapse (Zimmerman) is why construction workers need to protect themselves

I’ve written before about trench safety and how to avoid trench collapses. It’s obvious to me that some employers just don’t practice trench safety or trench collapse prevention. That means the workers need to be aware of how to stay safe while digging or being in a trench.

It’s being reported about a construction worker digging at a construction site in Peosta, Iowa that needed to be rescued after being buried up to his neck in soft dirt that collapsed onto him. His name is Adam Zimmerman of Monticello, Iowa. The crew he was working with was digging a trench to install geothermal heating system at a house. He was working for Kraus Plumbing and Heating of Monticello, Iowa.  The dug him out and took him to the hospital in Dubuque.

Workers need to know how to protect themselves and if you say no to get into a trench and you employers fires you call IOSH and a lawyer. They can’t ask you to do something that could kill you when they are guilty of violating the safety laws of this state. That’s called retaliation and it too is illegal.

Here is the list of articles previously posted dealing with trench safety.

1.                  Construction Safety - Trench Collapse | Lombardi Law Firm

Jul 11, 2008 ... Marion, IL worksite saw the untimely deaths of two construction workers this past March when a trench caved in and buried the two men under ...
www.lombardilaw.com/.../construction-safety-trench-collapse.cfm - Cached - Similar -

2.                  Construction Site Safety - A trench box would have saved the ...

Bartow County, Georgia – The construction site in Bartow County off I-75 exit 296 experienced a trench collapse; then a worker fell 20 feet and was buried. ...
www.lombardilaw.com/.../construction-site-safety-a-trench-box-would-have-saved-the-georgian-tunnel-worker.cfm - Cached - Similar -

3.                  Trench Collapses On Pittsburgh Man | Lombardi Law Firm

Trench Collapses On Pittsburgh Man as he visits someone in the apartments. - 515-222-1110 - Three Fountains Office Park 4200 Corporate Drive, Suite 112 West ...
www.lombardilaw.com/.../trench-collapses-on-pittsburgh-man.cfm - Cached - Similar -

4.                  Workers Safety: Trench Collapses on builder worker | Lombardi Law Firm

Workers Safety: Trench Collapses on builder worker - 515-222-1110 - Three Fountains Office Park 4200 Corporate Drive, Suite 112 West Des Moines, IA 50266.
www.lombardilaw.com/.../workers-safety-trench-collapses-on-builder-worker.cfm - Cached - Similar -

5.                  Construction Worker Safety: Trench collapse and rescue operations ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWpk7bZvvcs. Construction Worker Safety: Trench collapse and rescue operations - new sewer line, worker dies. ...
www.lombardilaw.com/.../construction-worker-safety-trench-collapse-and-rescue-operations-new-sewer-line.cfm - Cached - Similar -

6.                  Construction Worker Safety: Trench collapse and rescue operations ...

In this video clip you will how many rescue workers it takes to save the life of one construction worker trapped in a cave-in or collapsed trench.
www.lombardilaw.com/.../construction-worker-safety-trench-collapse-and-rescue-operations-to-avoid-death-of-the-injured-w.cfm - Cached - Similar -

7.                  News | Lombardi Law Firm

He was able to climb out of the trench but took only a few steps before collapsing and died at the scene. The employee of Simmons Co., of Pittsboro was ...
www.lombardilaw.com/news.cfm?page=4&catid=-1 - Cached - Similar -

8.                  Construction Site Accidents | Central Iowa Accident Attorney ...

A construction worker was crushed to death when a trench collapsed in Brooklyn. .... Construction Site Safety – Trench boxes stop collapsing trenches from ...
www.lombardilaw.com/.../construction-site-accidents2.cfm - Cached - Similar -

9.                  Construction Site Safety – Trench boxes stop collapsing trenches ...

At Lombardi Law we make it a point to blog about the issues that affect those who are effected by accidents. Call us for a FREE evaluation of your case ...
www.lombardilaw.com/.../construction-site-safety-trench-boxes-stop-collapsing-trenches-from-trapping-workers.cfm - Cached - Similar -

10.              The Lombardi Law Firm Blog | Lombardi Law Firm

Construction Site Safety - A trench box would have saved the Georgian tunnel ... So why are the rules for safety not followed when it involves trench work? ...

Scaffolding collapse in Texas at Austin's 21 Rio Condo Project points to safety changes needing to be made.

Brooks Schuelke, an attorney from Austin with Perlmutter & Schuelke writes about a scaffolding collapse at Austin’s 21 Rio Condo Project.  Here in the Lombardi Law Firm site we have discussed scaffolding safety on several occasions. We stand by what we’ve stated and what attorney Schuelke writes in his post, Scaffold Collapse At Austin's 21 Rio Condo Project Demonstrates The Need For Fall Safety Systems, June 10, 2009.

Other Readings:

Construction Safety - Construction Accidents: Scaffolding Safety ...

... 1910.28(a)(6). Any scaffold damaged or weakened from any cause shall be immediately repaired and shall not be used until repairs have been completed. ... 101k

Why are construction workers killed from falls when fall ...

Another death resulted in a fall from a swinging scaffold hear Thompson, Iowa. A Minnesota man was working on a construction ... 101k

Construction Safety - Collapsing Scaffolding injures six and kills ...

... Two Indiana construction workers fell 40 feet to the ground when the scaffold they were working on collapsed. The scaffold had a ... 101k

The following law firm is separate from the Lombardi Law Firm, the two are not associated, although we do recommend them for Texas litigation involving construction accidents:

You can contact Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP  at 1717 W. 6th Street, Ste. 375    Austin, Texas 78703  or by telephone at   (512)476-4944  http://www.civtrial.com. (512) 476-4944 or by e-mail at mlp@civtrial.com.

WORKER SAFETY: Saw kickback can cause serious injury and death, like this Wisconsin worker

In a freak accident WEAU 13 News reports on a terrible accident involving a trench worker. In this incident being investigated by OSHA, 33-year-old Eugene Hakes, Jr., of Cadott was working for A-1 Excavating on a job site using a saw, it kicked back cutting his throat and causing his death. He was working in a trench cutting pipe, using a gas powered cut-saw to saw through a water main while putting in a new pump stations for the City of New Richmond in Wisconsin.

See Saw Blade Kickback, What Causes Kickback? DeKalb Saw and Tool.

Know your tools, don't be foolish or in a hurry.

How To Avoid Saw Kickback

Chainsaw Safety

Chainsaw Kickbacks

This worker's family, wife and children, should still be entitled to workers' compensation benefits. If you need help finding a lawyer in Wisconsin, contact the Lombardi Law Firm, we will gladly assist you.

Construction Site Safety - Crushed worker dies from a lack of the right safety culture

A 28-year old construction worker was crushed and killed while attempting to change a piece of equipment on the job in Prior Lake.  OSHA is inspecting.

The man, whose name was not released, was trying to change the bucket on a skid loader around 2:30 p.m. when he somehow got pinned between the bucket and the cab of the machine, according to the Scott County Sheriff's Office. He was working at Applied Ecological Services Inc. in the 21000 block of Mushtown Road.

There is no time-out from employing the right safety rules at the job site. Construction work is extremely unforgiving and dangerous.

 "Four" Safety - Implement OSHA's Four-Step Safety Program – requires a culture of safety.

Construction Site Safety - Crushed worker dies from a lack of the right safety culture

A 28-year old construction worker was crushed and killed while attempting to change a piece of equipment on the job in Prior Lake.  OSHA is inspecting. Iowa has had many of these types of crush injuries. Not so often about the head but to the arms, fingers, hands, feet and legs.

The man, whose name was not released, was trying to change the bucket on a skid loader around 2:30 p.m. when he somehow got pinned between the bucket and the cab of the machine, according to the Scott County Sheriff's Office. He was working at Applied Ecological Services Inc. in the 21000 block of Mushtown Road.

There is no time-out from employing the right safety rules at the job site. Construction work is extremely unforgiving and dangerous.

 "Four" Safety - Implement OSHA's Four-Step Safety Program – requires a culture of safety.

Construction Site Safety: Being your own contractor can be a tough way to save money.

Disgruntled drywaller kills over how much he was to be paid

In front of co-workers a drywaller shot and killed the homeowner following a dispute as to how much he was to be paid. The homeowner was only 43-years of age. The Jackson County, Missouri man then held up in his pick-up truck and held police off for several hours while negotiations ensued. It’s unclear what they were negotiating but the man asked to speak to his family and was thrown a phone.

Building a house and acting as your own contractor can be very difficult. Vendors in the construction trade will often times underbid the project to get the job hoping they can later increase the amount charged for worked added by the homeowner-contractor or latent defects that cause additional work. It’s frustrating to deal with these issues and with angry vendors. Everyone senses they are being played and in the end tempers can flare. Using a written contract is a one way of resolving disputes. All contracts should be bid and all bids should include a break down of time and materials along with a firm completion date.

Getting so mad that violence erupts is never the answer.

Construction Site Safety - A trench box would have saved the Georgian tunnel worker

Bartow County, Georgia – The construction site in Bartow County off I-75 exit 296 experienced a trench collapse; then a worker fell 20 feet and was buried. Firefighters worked furiously to save the man’s life, but couldn’t get to him. The job was making way for a new sewer line. The incident was thirty feet down and forty feet under the roadway, where the man was trapped.

This isn’t rocket science, its dirt work. You follow the safety rules and no one gets hurt, you don’t and someone can die. It’s really that simple. So why are the rules for safety not followed when it involves trench work?

Follow the link to see the video with Stacy Elgin reporting for Fox 5 News.

While we are talking about tunnels and how easily they can collapse let me draw your attention to tunnels in the Middle East. While researching this story I ran across a truly fascinating story about underground tunnels as a way to survive. There is an entire commercial enterprise on digging, running goods through and in owning the underground tunneling system in the Palestinian territories.

“Since Israel imposed its siege on Gaza after Hamas won democratic legislative elections in January 2006, the number of Palestinians tied to some segment of the tunnel industry has grown in direct proportion to the increasing lack of availability of raw materials and basic necessities, including food, fuel and medicine. Palestinian sources estimate that some 6,000 people are employed as diggers in the hundreds of tunnels crisscrossing the Gaza-Egyptian border.

But tunnels are not the romantic passageways portrayed in Hollywood films about World War II or Vietnam. You can die simply upon entering one—as a result of the tunnel collapsing, of suffocation from the tear gas lobbed in by Egyptian authorities, or from electrocution caused by the willy-nilly wiring jerry-rigged to provide lighting and ventilation. You can die simply by getting lost in the maze, or from breathing in the unstable sand. If you’re lucky, your body will be found and given a proper burial.

Like the toll houses of a bygone era, Gaza’s tunnels are owned by individuals who collect fees for their use. One such owner is Abu Khaled, a father of seven. Although he doesn’t dare traverse the 30- to 45-foot tunnel himself for fear it might collapse, Abu Khaled is among a growing number of tunnel entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia corridor, Rafah’s no-man’s-land between Gaza and Egypt. Others involved in the industry include diggers, runners, smugglers and merchants.

Tunnel owners earn $300 for each 100 pounds of goods smuggled in. (Smuggling animals for Gaza’s zoo can net up to $3,000 each!) With this revenue Abu Khaled supports 20 workers: diggers who do the dirty work, and runners who transport the goods. “

Hard to believe this can be the way people are living in this world. What is harder to believe is that the United States spent $28 Million coming up with a tunnel detection system. We can’t get contractors to spend the money for renting tunnel wall supports but we can spend $28 Million on equipment to locate them in the Middle East.

“Under pressure from Washington, Egypt recently escalated its efforts to shut down the tunnels, destroying scores in the past months and fast-tracking the acquisition and implementation of a new $28 million U.S.-made tunnel detection system. Israeli sources confirm that U.S. experts are working with the Egyptians to find and expose the tunnels along the Philadelphia corridor.

Providing the means for Gaza’s businesses to remain operating is a most lucrative form of smuggling. One tunnel owner who just a few months ago could afford nothing and used donkey carts for transportation now has enough money to afford luxury jeeps and merchandise for his wife.

The tunnels are not only used to supply Gazans with food, clothing, medicine, fuel and spare parts, however. They also make it possible to reunite families who have become separated when their non-Palestinian spouses find themselves prevented from reaching their husbands, wives or children as a result of the Israeli-imposed border closures. In desperation, they pay handsomely to be smuggled in or out of Gaza. One smuggler admits to having received $1,000 to reunite a European wife with her Palestinian husband and children living in Gaza.”

Is it only me or do other people see a failure of logic and sound economic policy in all of this?

Back to trench safety in America. Look at this video clip about trench safety. It will help you understand the concept.

Construction Safety - Excavator trench servicing and backfilling


OSHA has plenty of information available on trench and excavation safety.

Trenching and Excavation – by OSHA

Hazards and Solutions

The primary hazard of trenching and excavation is employee injury from collapse. Soil analysis is important in order to determine appropriate sloping, benching, and shoring. Additional hazards include working with heavy machinery; manual handling of materials; working in proximity to traffic; electrical hazards from overhead and underground power-lines; and underground utilities, such as natural gas. The following references aid in recognizing and controlling some of the hazards associated with trenching and excavation.

Special Emphasis: Trenching and Excavation. OSHA Directive CPL 02-00-069 [CPL 2.69], (1985, September 19). Establishes a National Emphasis Program (NEP) for the programmed safety inspection of trenching and excavation operations.

Working Outdoors in Warm Climates. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2005, September), 26 KB PDF, 2 pages.

OSHA offers a pamphlet on trench and excavation safety. Here are the warnings.

Protect Yourself

Trench Safety - OSHA 3197-04N-04

• Do not enter an unprotected trench!

• Trench collapses cause dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries each year.

• Trenches 5 feet deep or greater require a protective system.

• Trenches 20 feet deep or greater require that the protective system be designed by a registered professional engineer.

Protective Systems for Trenches

• Sloping protects workers by cutting back the trench wall at an angle inclined away from the excavation.

• Shoring protects workers by installing aluminum hydraulic or other types of supports to prevent soil movement.

• Shielding protects workers by using trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent soil cave-ins.

Competent Person OSHA standards require that trenches be inspected daily and as conditions change by a competent person prior to worker entry to ensure elimination of excavation hazards.

Safety Tips

• Inspect trenches at the start of each shift, following a rainstorm or after any other hazardous event.

• Test for low oxygen, hazardous fumes and toxic gases before entering a trench.

• Keep heavy equipment and excavation spoils at least two feet away from the trench edge.

• Provide stairways, ladders, ramps or other safe means of access in all trenches 4 feet or deeper.

Like I said it’s not rocket science. Construction workers, be smart, be safe and don’t risk your life for a boss and company that are too stupid and greedy to take the right safety measures. Know how to do the job the right way and if the boss or company asks you to do it wrong, call OSHA. If they fire you call a lawyer. Better to make the OSHA call then your wife calling the morgue.

Construction Site Safety - Crane operator from St. Louis County dies during disassembly

From the Lombardi Law Firm News...

A crane operator’s apprentice was killed in Maryland Heights as he was assisting the operator disassembling the crane. With his harness hooked into the crane’s cable he was pulled into the crane. The young man, Steve Michael Lillicrap was only 21 years-of-age. He was from St. Louis County. The work site was the Edward Jones north campus at Building B-1.

OSHA will inspect to determine the cause and how this could have been prevented. Here is a link and the sources for crane hazard evaluation that OSHA has available to those apprentices working with cranes.

To a crane operator, few experiences can be as frightening as when a crane becomes unbalanced while a load is being lifted or when the crane collapses under the weight of an excessive load. The following references aid in recognizing and evaluating hazards in the workplace.

       Working Outdoors in Warm Climates. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2005, September), 26 KB PDF, 2 pages.

       Key Switch Controlled Elevating and Rotating Aerial Lifts. OSHA Technical Information Bulletin (TIB), (2002, April 11). Also available as a 15 KB PDF, 3 pages. Informs users of aerial lifts that emergency rescue of employees on the lifts can be delayed.

       Crane or Derrick Suspended Personnel Platforms. OSHA Publication 3100, (2002). Also available as a 205 KB PDF, 46 pages.

       Construction Resource Manual: Table of Contents. OSHA. Includes links to various sections on crane and hoist safety.

       DOE-STD-1090-2004; Hoisting and Rigging Standard (Formerly Hoisting and Rigging Manual). US Department of Energy (DOE), (2004, June). Provides a table of contents to a reference document to be used by supervisors, line managers, safety personnel, equipment operators, and any other personnel responsible for safety of hoisting and rigging operations at DOE sites.

       Mobile Crane Inspection Guidelines for OSHA Compliance Officers. OSHA, (1994, June). Provides a generic, non-exhaustive overview of mobile crane inspection guidelines.

       Crane modifications. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (1993, April 19). Discusses hazardous conditions created as a result of modifications for "auger piling" operations.

       Hoist Practices: Better safe than sorry. Industrial Distribution, (2001, October 23). Raises awareness of hoist safety issues and recommends safe work practices.

       Improper Support of an Elevator Car During Installation. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (1995, June 22). OSHA investigated a fatality involving an elevator car sling and platform (these are also known as platforms, car frames and platforms, car slings, car frames, and safety planks) which was improperly supported during the erection and installation of a traction elevator.

       Crane Safety. US Department of Energy (DOE), Occupational Safety Observer, (1993, August). Discusses two separate incidents at DOE sites where cranes became unbalanced, as well as a related industrial incident in which a crane collapsed.

       Crane Safety for the Site Superintendent. OSHA, (1992), Video, 8 minutes. Links to a video that discusses some of the hazards and risks involved in crane operations and identifies information managers should be familiar with if cranes are operating on their site.

       For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:

       Fall Protection

       Machine Guarding

       Scaffolding

OSHA and Crane, Hoist and Monorail Alliance

       Fact Sheet No. 1: Proper Inspection and Maintenance of Overhead Cranes and Hoists. 94 KB DOC^*, 1 page. Describes standards, reference manuals and safety tips for the application and operation of overhead material handling equipment.

       Fact Sheet No. 2: Hoists, Cranes and Pullers - Safety & Warning Labels and Test Certification. 89 KB DOC^*, 1 page. Identifies items that operators and inspectors need to know when purchasing, installing or using hoist, crane and puller equipment. 

       Safety Tips Sheet No. 1: Proper use of Hand Signals for cab-controlled cranes. 300 KB DOC^*, 1 page. Includes nine industry standard hand signals that are used for communication between the operator in the crane’s cab and the floor person.

       Safety Tips Sheet No. 2: Pre-operational equipment check of Cranes and Hoists. 82 KB DOC^*, 1 page. Includes a pre-operational equipment checklist for cranes and hoists.

       Safety Tips Sheet No. 3: Safe Lifting Practices. 87 KB DOC^*, 1 page. Describes safe lifting practices for moving loads of material.

       Safety Tips Sheet No. 4: Hoist Operation. 87 KB DOC^*, 1 page. Describes what an operator should and should not do while operating a hoist.

Construction Site Safety - Falling brick kills worker

A 31-year old construction worker from Boston was killed yesterday when a large piece of the foundation, described as a “2-foot piece of brick fell on him.” The site is in the Financial District at Russia Wharf at the corner of Congress Street and Atlantic Avenue. OSHA is inspecting.

Construction Site Safety - In the news, worker deaths on the rise.

Construction accidents resulting in death have been more numerous lately. It may be a result of safety rules being ignored due to tighter deadlines resulting from the economic conditions we find ourselves. It doesn't matter in what countries the workers work the risk of death, wrongful death or being killed are prevalent in this high risk profession. People who come into contact with construction sites and those supporting the construction trades are also at risk.

Plane crash - 6 workers died on their way to the Plutonic Power Corp's Toba Inlet hydro power plant in South Thormanby Island, British Columbia. One worker miraculously who was asleep awoke and walked away from the burning plane wreckage. This is the second Grumman Goose plane to crash in Canada this year. Reuters of Canada also reported on this construction crew plane crash.

Heavy equipment overturn - A Colorado heavy equipment operator was killed when the crane he was driving went into a small ravine and creek near the construction site. Nov. 18, 2008. A video is available.

Second floor collapse while pouring concrete - Two workers rescued from under the ruble of a hospital construction site in Meridian, Mississippi. There were 12 to 15 workers on the floor when it collapsed. No fatalities reported.

Balance lost while installing windows on the seventh floor fall kills worker - While installing windows on the seventh floor of the construction site the worker lost his balance and fell to his death.  

Road construction worker hit by passing dump truck - Five years ago this occurred in Vineland, New Jersey. The driver of the dump truck has never been found.

A LeMars, Iowa construction worker was killed with a steel beam fell on him -  A 21 year old Storm Lake, Iowa man was killed.  S & L Construction of Storm Lake is building for Center Fresh Egg. Iowa OSHA is inspecting. In Iowa they are called IOSH. The worker is Jose Gustavo Sivrian, originally from El Salvatore.  The accident is being investigated not only by OSHA but along with the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office.

Subway collapse in China kills 4 workers - when a 75 meter long section collapsed trapping the workers. This is the Railway Construction Group.

Landslide at the Johor Baru construction site - killed two Indonesian workers who were building a hospital with their crew.  There is no mention of whether the construction practices being used at the site contributed to the earth and dirt instability.

Wall collapse in New Delhi, Indian killed one and injured two construction workers - Allegations have been leveled against the owner over illegal construction of the first floor level.

Dismantling a crane lead to a guardrail being cut on a platform attached to a tower crane - This New York construction site mishap caused the death of one worker and cost the two crane operator $50,000.00 and suspended licenses.

Hoisting materials and being under the load - This construction worker at a site in the town of San Pedro was killed when the pulley broke and the pallet of materials fell onto him. He was crushed by cement and tiles.  The investigation is pointing to defective nails used to secure the pulley to the fourth floor of the building under construction.

Exploding inert gas cylinders at a UK construction project kills one worker and injures another - "The blast at the Hertfordshire Data Centre on the Mundells Industrial Estate was described by fire officials as a "large scale incident," which investigators say was caused by a cylinder of argonite, (sic: perhaps aragonite) an inert gas used in data center fire suppression systems." Once ignited the cylinders became missiles firing and randomly flying about the site.

Lawrence, Massachusetts road construction site backing over accident kills a worker - at a highway paving project on I-495 a 31 year old worker was backed onto by a truck on the site. 

Equipment falling into trench as the ground under the excavator moving the heavy tank falls gave way or the equipment simply tipped over onto the worker burying him within the excavation.

Chula Vista construction worker killed by falling beam from crossbeam holding a wall - demolition work to make room for a new San Diego convention center.

Cab passenger driving past a construction area was killed by 200 foot high falling crane - Only 30 years of age and a promising life killed when the mast popped off and fell.  Follow the link to see photos of the construction area following the collapsed crane.  Also killed was a construction worker. Defective bolts could be the cause of the crane's mast coming off.

Repairing construction equipment kills worker when equipment pins him -  Grinding wheel of a large wood-chipping machine clogged, worker idles the engine, but didn't shut if off, worker in the repair process inadvertently engages lever that operates the chute, causing the chute to move and pinning the worker against a steel wall resulting in his suffocating to death.  The worker was 58 years of age.

Home under construction in Miami, collapsing concrete wall kills one worker and traps another for almost one hour.  Victim was 49-years-old.

U.S. Department of Labor indicates that in 2007 3.7 workers per one hundred thousand workers were killed. 

Construction Safety: Storm Lake Iowa construction worker killed by falling beam.

Construction Safety: Storm Lake Iowa construction worker killed by falling beam.

Construction worker killed by falling beam - Jose Gustavo Sivrian, was killed by a falling beam at the construction site of Fresh Egg Farms in Lemars, Iowa. Mr. Sivrian is a national of El Salvador, he was 21-years-old. IOSH and OSHA are investigating the incident that killed him. He worked for S & L Construction of Storm Lake, Iowa. The site is in Plymouth County, Iowa.

Injuries caused by falling beams are not new to construction sites. On November 10, 2008 at a construction site in Charlotte, North Carolina a crane dropped several steel beams from a bundle of steel near an uptown building under construction. The falling beams caused more than six windows to shatter as they fell and landed next to a school bus. .

The debris narrowly missed a school bus and seriously shook up the driver.

In 2006 a 42-year-old worker suffered a head injury and needed surgery when he was struck by a steel beam. That was a construction site to demolish a building. And on July 25, 2006 a similar incident occurred in Denver, Colorado when “two people were injured …. when braces that were holding a construction beam in place at a home north of Longmont gave way. The beam fell on the construction workers, critically injuring one of them.”

There are many more construction site incidents which seem to be increasing. Tomorrow we will explore several of these incidents from around the globe. Join us to see how recent construction site accidents are causing injury. If you know how others are getting injured and killed maybe you can stay away from being injured.

Construction Site Safety – Trench boxes stop collapsing trenches from trapping workers

On October 22, 2008 a 20-year-old man from Lenox, Mass. was working at a construction site occupying an excavated trench.  No trench box was being used and the 8 foot deep, 2 to 3 foot wide trench he was standing in collapsed onto him, burying him and causing him to suffocate to death. The side of the trench that caved in on him was sand and clay. The trench was designed to be where drain pipes would be laid for someone's home. Although the construction owner had a good safety record and cared very much for his workers, his caring mattered little when this 20-year-old died on that job site.

Question: So how could this tragedy have been avoided?  

Answer: A trench box.

A trench box would have prevented this accident. OSHA requires use of a trench box in this instance. Here is what 29 CFR 1926.652 states regarding protecting workers in excavations.

Simply put any employee working five feet or more below grade in an excavated area must be protected by a shielding system that prevents exactly what occurred in this case; a cave in that traps the construction worker.