Saturday, December 25, 2010

Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Two Chicago Firefighters Die Fighting Blaze

December 22, CHICAGO, IL - 34 year old Corey Ankum and 47 year old Edward Stringer, both with the Chicago Fire Department were killed after becoming trapped when the roof and walls of an abandoned South Side building collapsed. At least 17 other firefighters were injured, some of them critically.


Tractor Trailer Driver Dies in Wreck

December 22, MARION COUNTY, WV - 60 year old Ronnie Lee Dennison of Louisville, KY died when his tractor-trailer collided with the underpass bridge near the 131 mile marker, according to authorities on scene. The vehicle exploded with the driver trapped inside. According to the press release, there was no evidence of pre-impact braking, and there was no information identified to help determine the cause for the crash.


Worker Electrocuted

December 22, AUSTIN, TX - an unidentified 50 year old man died when he was electrocuted at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board building in North Austin, an official for the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said. The man was an employee for Global Electric.


Man Falls to Death at Energy Plant

December 22, BETHLEHEM, PA - 48 year old Ronald Lavoie Jr of Blakesee died today after falling off a 17-foot-high catwalk at the Bethlehem Energy Center, owned by Calpin Corp. on Applebutter Road, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said. The coroner ruled his death to be accidental caused by blunt force trauma to his head. It was not known why Lavoie fell.


Man Killed Working on Bridge Construction

December 21, CAPE GIRARDEAU, IL - 51 year old Zane A. Martin of Stonefort was killed on a bridge construction site on Route 146 near East Cape Girardeau. "It appeared they were forming up a box culvert," Mark Hasheider of the Cape Girardeau fire department said. "They have shoring under the rebar and then they pour concrete on that. Somehow it collapsed." Martin was trapped under at least a foot of concrete. Martin worked for Jones Construction of Marion, IL.


Sanitation Worker Struck and Killed by Car

December 21, BRONX, NY - 39 year old Angel Roldan, a city sanitation worker, was struck and killed while walking outside his district garage on Zerega Avenue in Castle Hill. He spent 11 years with the Sanitation Department and leaves behind a wife and two children. Police are still investigating.


Lumber Company Employee Crushed When Tree Falls

December 21, NEEDMORE, PA - 62 year old Melvin Daniel Powell was killed Tuesday when an oak tree he was cutting down fell on him, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. Powell was working on a job for M&C Lumber on private property along Bethel Church Road in Bethel Township, Pa. Powell died of blunt force trauma, according to the release. His death was classified as accidental, police said.


Truck Driver Injured Last Week In Wreck Dies

December 21, EUCLID, OH - 28 year old Aaron Egan of Idaho Falls, ID whose semi crashed Saturday on Interstate 90 in Euclid died Tuesday from his injuries, city police said. “It appears it (semi) started to overturn and the trailer caught the guardrail on I-90, just east of where it intersects with Route 2,” police said. Egan was ejected from the vehicle.



Tanker Truck Driver Killed in Accident

December 21, CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN - 51 year old Timothy Payton of Leitchfield, KY was killed after the tanker truck he was driving overturned on Cotula Road Tuesday morning. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol Payton was driving the truck when it traveled off the left side of the road and overturned down a steep embankment. He was not wearing a seatbelt. The truck is owned by Regal Petroleum Company of Knoxville. It was carrying crude oil from a nearby oil well.


Industrial Accident Kills One

December 21, LITTLE ROCK, AR - 61 year old Frederick Bogor of Jacksonville was killed and another worker injured in an accident at Welspun Pipes in Little Rock. Little Rock Police are investigating the accident, but Captain Jason Weaver says it appears the two men were crushed between two, 2,000 pound pipes.


Driver Killed in Fiery Oil Tanker Accident

December 21, CANADIAN, TX - 26 year old Brandan Raines of Perryton died in a fiery one-vehicle crash Tuesday morning south of Canadian, the Department of Public Safety said. Raines was eastbound on state Highway 33 when the white Volvo truck he was driving veered off the right side of the road, DPS said. The truck and diesel fuel-filled tanker traveled about 150 feet in a barrow ditch before going into a skid, rolling over and bursting into flames.


Man Dies in Accident Involving Forklift

December 21, BURLINGTON, WA - 39 year old Kyle Willis was killed in a forklift accident at a Waste Management site in Burlington. The accident happened Tuesday in an area where recyclable materials are loaded and unloaded. Willis worked for Waste Management for 18 years.


Shipyard Worker Dies in Accident

December 20, HONOLULU, HI - 25 year old Andrew McPherson of Rye, Maine, who was injured in a fall from an electric cart on December 12, has died of the severe head injuries he sustained in the incident. McPherson was an apprentice electrician who was employed by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. McPherson was temporarily assigned to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The Pearl Harbor shipyard said in a statement Tuesday that the Navy is investigating the incident.


Worker Killed When Wall Collapses

December 20, CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI - 36 year old Kevin Kadrlick died and several others were injured when a concrete wall collapsed on a construction site. Police say workers had just finished pouring a concrete wall when the wall collapsed. It is unknown at this time what caused the wall to collapse. All workers were transported to a hospital where Kadrlick later died. Kadrlick was working for Lewis Construction who was working at the EOG Resources Sand Plant construction site in Chippewa Falls.


Grocery Store Clerk Killed During Robbery

December 20, DENVER, CO - A clerk at the Monaco Grocery, an Ethiopian grocery store, was shot and killed during an attempted robbery Monday night. The name of the 48 year old man has not been released. Two men wearing ski masks and dark clothing entered and attempted to rob the store and ended up shooting the clerk. UPDATE: Authorities have identified Yezew Anday as the clerk who was killed.


Attendant Killed During Robbery

December 20, BROOKLYN, NY - 45 year old Yevheniy Shamray was shot and killed by masked robbers Monday night. Shamray, a Russian immigrant, was recently hired by the Yellow and Brown Laundomat in Crown Heights. Police said he was cleaning the store when the robbers burst in shortly before midnight and shot him in the chest and leg.


Tree Trimmer Hit and Killed by Train

December 20, TRENTON, NJ - 44 year old William E. Kingrey of Camden, an employee for Asplundh Tree Expert Co., was struck and killed by a CSX train Monday. Asplundh employees were trimming trees on Duke Energy property with their vehicles parked on the south side of Elk Creek. At the time of the accident Kingrey “was crossing the trestle with his equipment to go to the other side to their work area.” “He got caught on the trestle and couldn’t get off the trestle in time before he was struck,” said Trenton police Chief Tim Traud.


Motorcycle Officer Killed in Accident

December 20, KILLEEN, TX - 33 year old Harker Heights Police Officer Andrew Rameas was killed Monday when his motorcycle collided with an SUV. Rameas was hired by an unnamed funeral home to escort a funeral procession. The SUV turned into Rameas' path and he hit the vehicle. An investigation continues.


Worker Crushed on Construction Site

December 20, FORT MEADE, VA - an unidentified worker was killed Monday afternoon at Fort Meade after an apparent accident at the site of construction at the new Defense Media Activity building. Base spokesman Chad Jones said the worker, an employee of the Hensel Phelps Construction Co., was found underneath a two-ton piece of iron. Emergency responders on base determined that he was still alive and rushed him to Laurel Regional Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. UPDATE: Authorities have identified the worker as 30 year old Roger Mayles of Baltimore, MD.


Mechanic Killed in Industrial Accident

December 19, BLUFFDALE, UT - Jason Webb, a mechanic for Ron Osborne Trucking, died early Sunday after his clothing became caught in a truck’s power takeoff shaft. Webb, who had worked for the company for the past 10 years, was pumping fuel from one truck to another, Osborne said. It was the man’s last task of the day and something he "did on an almost daily basis." He suffered massive head and body trauma in the accident.


Worker Electrocuted After Touching Live Line

December 19, SAN ANTONIO, TX - 48 year old Lacy McDonald was electrocuted and thrown from his ladder after he had climbed a utility pole and was trying to cut a power supply when the accident happened, a county fire chief said. He was apparently working alone and no information as to who he was working for was provided.


Police Recruit Dies After Suffering Injuries

December 18, NORFOLK, VA - 40 year old John Kohn died Saturday of injuries he suffered during training. According to investigators he was injured when he collided with another recruit during training December 9th. He was rushed to the hospital. The two recruits were learning self-defense tactics at the Norfolk Police Department Academy. Both were wearing protective gear at the time. Police are trying to figure out what happened during training that injured Kohn so severely.


Man Killed When Crushed Between Equipment

December 18, AUBURN, MI - 65 year old Edward J. Bylow of Battle Creek has died from injuries he suffered in an industrial incident in Bay County. Bylow was crushed between an excavator and a tractor-trailer on Saturday at 3536 S. Eight Mile in William Township, said state police from the Bay City Post. The address is listed on multiple websites as A-Jay’s Auto and RV Parts & Sale.


Restaurant Worker Killed During Robbery

December 18, DECATUR, GA - Gary Andrews was shot and killed during a robbery at the Church's Chicken restaurant on Flat Shoals Parkway and Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur on Saturday night. The restaurant owner said there were six employees working when two armed robbers entered at about 8 p.m. Police said the two men opened fire, shooting and killing Andrews. Five other employees escaped unharmed.


Security Guard Killed in Targeted Attack

December 18, ATLANTA, GA - 27 year old London Tucker, a security guard at an southwest towing company, was shot multiple times at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday while working. Tucker was shot after a sport utility vehicle pulled up and someone stepped out with an assault rifle, police told Channel 2 Action News. Officers said Tucker was clearly targeted in the attack.


Semi Driver Killed in Three Vehicle Crash

December 18, LAKE WELLS, FL - 47 year old Steven Vance Gatlin of Lakeland was killed when his semi collided with other vehicles and crashed. For unknown reasons, the semi drifted into another lane and as a result of the collision the semi rotated clockwise and jack-knifed, leaving the highway on the south shoulder. The semi rig overturned onto its left side and came to rest facing northeast in a ditch.


Shopkeeper Shot and Killed

December 18, WASHINGTON DC - 46 year old Raj Patel of the Brookland neighborhood of Washington DC was shot and killed when he walked out of the backroom of Newton's Food Mart as a robbery was taking place. Patel had been in the back of the store when the robbers arrived and accosted his wife and son, ordering them down on the floor. One of the thieves shot Patel as he emerged from a storage room, Patel's nephew said.


Dairy Farmer Killed, Trapped in Equipment

December 18, HERKIMER, NY - 34 year old Chester Charles Szeflinski suffered fatal injuries while working alone on the family's Szeflinski Dairy Farm. Szeflinski was caught in a manure spreader and found later in the afternoon by family members. State police speculated he may have been working to unclog frozen machinery.


Plane Crash Claims Life of Pilot

December 18, ESTHERWOOD, LA - 56 year old Jeffrey Dille of Sulfur who was piloting a plane owned by Joseph Taylor of Matagorda, TX died in a crash that also killed 2 passengers who were part of a skydiving trip. Another passenger and the plane's owner survived. It appears the plane lost power after take off and Dille attempted unsuccessfully to make it back to the runway.


Auto Shop Owner Crushed Under Car

December 17, TEMECULA, CA - 63 year old Robert Morales of Hemet, was crushed to death when working under a vehicle. Morlaes was repairing a car on a hydraulic lift when the rear of the vehicle slipped off the lift and fell on him around 8:40 a.m. at Rancho Auto Service & Smog, the shop he owned, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.


Worker Killed in Accident at Quarry

December 17, KEYMAR, MD - 35 year old John P. Gaither of Woodsboro died Friday at the S. W. Barrick & Sons quarry in Keymar, said Capt. Tim Clarke of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. Gaither was killed after being trapped in a piece of machinery at the quarry that processes limestone. His death is being investigated by state agencies as well as federal mine safety officials.


Trash Collector Killed in Accident

December 17, MILFORD, PA - 45 year old Charles F. Kosiorek, of Richland, died when a garbage truck backed over him as he readied to pick up garbage at a home in Milford, state police said Friday. The truck's bumper struck Kosiorek, who then fell beneath moving tires, said police. The driver did not see his co-worker behind the truck.


McDonald's Employee Shot to Death

December 17, JEFFERSON CITY, MO - 44 year old Pamela Kellner died Friday night after a gunshot wound to her chest. Mrs. Kellner was working at a Jefferson City McDonald's when her husband shot her. Mr. and Mrs. Kellner had recently separated. Witnesses say they were sitting a booth and talking when the shooting occurred around 8:15 p.m.


Young Convenience Store Worker Shot and Killed

December 17, ALBANY, GA - 19 year old Sentos Vicente died of a gunshot when two black men in masks robbed the Miscelanea Guate-Mex convenience store at about 9:30 p.m. Friday, said an Albany Police Department official. When the robbers, one in a blue ski mask, demanded money Vicente refused, said Phyllis Banks, police spokeswoman. One gunman shot Vicente with a handgun and then both fled the store, she added.


School Maintenance Director Found Dead

December 16, BELLEVUE, IA - 57 year old David Herrig who was found unresponsive behind the high school building Wednesday afternoon, died Thursday. Herrig, director of buildings and grounds for Bellevue Community Schools, appeared to have fallen when he was found by two construction workers near a storage shed. The circumstance of his collapse are being investigated, according to Bellevue Community Schools Superintendent Mike Healy.


Firefighter Dies While on Duty

December 16, SULLIVAN, IN - 33 year old Chad Null died Thursday of an apparent heart attack while on duty. It was after several emergency runs on Thursday, that Null collapsed at the fire station. Fellow firefighters had left the room, and when they returned they found him on the floor.


Business Owner Killed in Shooting

December 16, KENDELL, FL - 48 year old Paul Barrow was found shot and critically wounded on the floor near the store’s office by a customer. As customers and employees found out about the shooting Thursday morning, they gathered outside Barrow’s Devonaire Service and Tire at the corner of 112th Street and SW 122nd Avenue. Barrow was a co-owner of the tire shop. The investigation by Miami-Dade Police expects that the case will become a murder investigation. Robbery is among possible motives.


Volunteer Fire Chief Dies From Heart Attack

December 13, MIDDEDGEVILLE, TN - 64 year old Jimmy Tuberville, Milledgeville Fire Department Volunteer Fire Chief, was working at the scene of a grass fire when he suffered an apparent heart attack. Chief Tuberville was a fire service veteran of more than 20 years.

2 comments:

76542 Self Storage said...

Jesus. Why are there so many accidents in the workplace these days. I think we have to tighten our safety measures in the workplace, specially the high risk ones. The precautions we've set doesn't seem to be enough anymore.

Tammy said...

Close to 6,000 just due to incidents. Most workplace deaths are preventable. It is sad that in this day and age people are still dying at work. I think until it is cheaper to kill someone than it is to get the equipment or training needed it will continue.

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