I was away for a couple of weeks, so running behind. In this report, workers died from falls, drowned, were crushed in machines, shootings and killed in a mine. On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. More than 20 times as many die from occupational diseases, many due to exposure to hazardous substances many years before they died. The few narratives below (gathered from almost 100 Google News searches) do not come close to capturing the full toll that work takes on the working people of this country. Nevertheless the accounts below gave you a taste of the preventable carnage occurring in workplaces across the country every day.
Police Investigate Deaths of Two Utah Facility Workers
Salt Lake City, UT — When two Northrop Grumman workers were discovered dead on the job, it was a tragic day for the company. The accident occurred on Monday, January 30, at the company’s Bacchus facility in Salt Lake County, Utah. The cause of their deaths has not been made public, but more information should become available soon. Once the incident was reported to police, the two workers were reportedly found unconscious. The West Valley City Fire Department and the West Valley City Police Department both claimed to have responded quickly and performed CPR on the two workers. The two workers were taken to the hospital, but by the time anyone there could do anything about it, they were already dead. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is assisting the police with their investigation, according to the police (OSHA).
State Worker Dies Following Dwight Worksite Accident
Dwight, IL — Scott Galto of Cortland, IL, a 47-year-old engineer at Fox Developmental Center in Dwight was injured in a boiler rupture accident on Friday December 16. He was taken to Morris Hospital before being transported to Loyola Medical Center where he died on December 17.
1 dead, 1 injured and taken to UIHC after fall from scaffold at Farmtek in Dyersville
Dyersville, IA — One man was killed and another was injured in a fall from a scaffold last week in Dyersville, according to a news release from the city’s chief of police. At 8:37 a.m. Thursday, emergency responders were dispatched for an industrial accident at Farmtek, at 1440 Field of Dreams Way in southwest Dyersville. Police found two victims who had fallen about 20 feet from a portable scaffold. One was not breathing and police began CPR. One who fell was identified as 50-year-old Bruce Bockenstedt of Manchester. He was transported to a Dyersville hospital and did not survive his injuries.
1 killed, 1 hurt in mining accident in northeast Nevada
EUREKA COUNTY, Nev. (AP) – Two miners were trying to remove a water pipeline at a gold mine in northeast Nevada last month when the pipe burst, killing one and injuring the other, according to a preliminary report issued by federal safety investigators. Alejandro Castaneda, 49, who had been working for nearly 20 years at Nevada Gold Mines’ Goldstrike Underground mine, was killed in the Jan. 23 accident, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said.
Maui firefighter dies after he was sucked into a drain storm, swept out to sea
KIHEI, Hawaii (KITV4) – A Maui firefighter sucked into a drain storm and swept out to sea has died. The family confirmed the death of 24-year-old Tre’ Evans-Dumaran Saturday. Maui County spokesperson Mahina Martin said that a crew was responding to a flooded home in Kihei on January 27 when Evans-Dumaran was caught in a 4-foot-wide storm drain. He was carried about 800 yards to where the drain empties into the ocean near Kulani-Hakoi Street. Rescuers pulled him out of the water and performed CPR until paramedics arrived shortly after. He remained in intensive care at the Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he showed some improvement earlier this week.
Worker dies after fire breaks out in Medford commercial building
MEDFORD, Mass. — A man is dead after the Medford commercial building where he works caught fire, according to authorities. Medford police said the Massachusetts city’s emergency communications center was first notified about the fire at approximately 4:20 a.m. Sunday.Police officers and firefighters discovered a commercial building at 58 Swan St. was burning when they arrived at the scene and struck a second alarm shortly thereafter. According to Medford police, a person arrived at the scene and informed officers that he knew an employee had been sleeping inside the business. Firefighters found the man inside a bathroom and began providing medical aid. The employee, who has not been identified, was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he later died of his injuries.
Meigs County firefighter dies from injuries sustained in 2022 fire truck rollover crash
MEIGS COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — A firefighter in Meigs County has died from injuries he sustained in a fire truck rollover crash several months ago. Kevin Dailey died Tuesday, Middleport Fire Chief Jeff Darst said. “It is with deep sorrow that that we report the passing of Middleport Fire Department member Kevin Dailey,” the Middleport Fire Department said in a Facebook post. “Kevin was a lifetime member of the fire service in Middleport and also Richland Township near Lancaster.” Firefighters were returning from a call Sept. 18, 2022, when one of their trucks rolled over in a crash along Storys Run Road in Cheshire Township. The driver of the vehicle was ejected and pinned under the front of the truck. Other units returning from the same call were on scene immediately and were eventually able to remove the firefighter using air bags.
US Indian Petrol Station Worker killed during Armed Robbery
Philadelphia, PA — A 67-year-old US Indian petrol station worker was killed during an armed robbery in Philadelphia. The incident happened on January 17, 2023, in the city’s Tacony neighbourhood. Police are searching for three men in connection with the murder. Philadelphia police released surveillance video showing the three suspects. Investigators are hoping someone can identify the masked men by the clothing they were wearing. The victim was identified as Patro Siboram, a worker at the Exxon petrol station on the 7100 block of Torresdale Avenue. Police said the masked men entered the petrol station’s mini-mart and broke into a back area where Patro was working. They attacked the 67-year-old and shot him once in the back before fleeing with a cash register. Medics pronounced Patro dead minutes later.
41-year-old man killed in ‘industrial incident’ at LG&E power plant
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man is dead after an “industrial incident” at the LG&E power plant on Dixie Highway on Monday. Michael Sallengs, 41, died from injuries he sustained in an industrial accident at the Mill Creek Generation Station, according to the Jefferson County Coroner. According to an LG&E spokesperson, Sallengs was a contractor from the “Wood Group” who was working in the plant. He was found around 11 p.m.; LG&E officials are working with police to figure out what happened.
Worker dies after suffering respiratory distress working on underwater pipe
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A worker has died after he became distressed while performing underwater construction on a storm drain in Northwest Miami-Dade. The incident unfolded on Thursday morning near Northwest 119th Street and 24th Avenue in Northwest Miami-Dade within a property under development on the old Westview Golf Course. The worker was inside a 10-foot pipe when he became distressed. Another worker noticed the victim was missing and called police. A search ensued to find the worker. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the man was discovered in respiratory distress and was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Police said the patient later died. The cause of death will be determined after the medical examiner’s findings.
Worker dies from injuries sustained in explosion at NEK camp
DERBY, Vt. (WCAX) – Authorities say a man injured in an explosion at a Northeast Kingdom camp back in November has died from his injuries. It happened on November 23 at a camp on Hall Road in Lunenburg. The Vermont State Police say Aaron Bangs, 25, of Lunenburg was working at the camp and was severely injured in an explosion and fire that destroyed a one-and-a-half-story building. He was taken to the hospital in Lancaster by a family member and eventually transferred to the burn unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Police say he died last Thursday due to complications from his injuries. Officials say the explosion was caused by an open flame or spark in an area with flammable vapors. It has been ruled as accidental.
Suspect in Half Moon Bay Farmworker Massacre Charged With 7 Counts of Murder
Half Moon Bay, CA — Days after eight farmworkers were gunned down at their worksites in Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County officials and activists are calling out the deplorable conditions that some of them lived in. During his visit to the mourning community on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom noted that farmworkers, many of whom are migrants, often labor for just $9 an hour and are forced to live in on-site shipping containers, as was the case for some of the victims of Monday’s shooting rampage. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday confirmed the identities of six of the seven victims who were killed in Monday’s back-to-back shootings at two different mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay. The victims include Zhishen Liu, 73, of San Francisco; Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco; Qizhong Cheng, 66, of Half Moon Bay; Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Beach; and Yetao Bing, 43, whose residence is still unknown. José Romero Pérez was the seventh person killed in the attack.
City of Fort Collins employee killed after struck by Transfort bus
Fort Collins, CO — A City of Fort Collins employee died after being struck by a Transfort bus on Tuesday night. Fort Collins police said they were alerted to the bus versus pedestrian collision just after 7 p.m. at the Transfort bus maintenance and fueling facility in the 6500 block of Portner Road in Fort Collins. When police arrived, they found an adult male who had life-threatening injuries from the collision. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The investigation revealed the a bus was out of service and being driven into a garage at the facility by a maintenance employee when it struck another city employee who worked at the facility. The employee was crossing the tarmac when the collision occurred. According to police, driver impairment is not suspected.
HPD investigating after security guard killed by school bus backing up outside Istanbul Event Center
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — An investigation is underway after a security guard was hit and killed by a school bus in southwest Houston on Wednesday. SkyEye flew over the parking lot of the Istanbul Event Center and Raindrop Turkish House on West Bellfort Avenue and showed the school bus and police responding to the scene. A Houston Police Department officer reported that the bus was dropping off kids and was backing up when it hit the man, killing him. The Vehicular Crimes Division is looking into whether the bus driver was impaired or if the vehicle was malfunctioning, although nothing seems to indicate that. HPD said it appears to be a tragedy.
20-year-old worker dies in Adventureland accident
ALTOONA, Iowa (KCRG) – A 20-year-old contractor at an Iowa theme park was killed in a workplace accident on Monday, Jan. 23, according to media reports in Iowa. Zachary Alesky was working at Adventureland Park in Altonna when he slipped on ice while carrying a steel beam, according to KCCI. The beam “crushed his chest,” the station reported. First responders performed life-saving measures and the 20-year-old from Illinois was taken to a hospital, where he died, Altoona Police Lt. Alyssa Wilson said on Twitter. The incident is being investigated, but police are not treating Alesky’s death as suspicious, according to Wilson.
DOTD worker killed in crash in DeSoto Parish
DeSOTO PARISH, La. (KSLA) – Highway 171 in DeSoto Parish has been reopened after a fatal multi-vehicle wreck. The crash happened Wednesday, Jan. 25 around 4 p.m. Sheriff Jayson Richardson said the wreck involved three vehicles. On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) identified their employee, Chris Gray, 35, of Lake Charles, as the person killed in the crash. The workers involved were filling potholes with asphalt at the time of the incident. The driver of a logging truck was also injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. This incident is being investigated by Louisiana State Police. LSP’s initial report says the crash happened as the empty log truck was headed south on Highway 171. At the same time, DOTD vehicles were stopped in the right lane of the highway making improvements to the surface of the road. The log truck hit the first DOTD vehicle, causing it to leave the road. After the first impact, the log truck hit the second DOTD vehicle (a 2015 Ford dump truck). Gray was standing behind the Ford and was hit, LSP says. One of the other DOTD workers who was injured was standing in the bed of the pickup truck and was thrown from the truck.
Birmingham Police increasing patrols as group of armed robbers target local Hispanic community
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Birmingham police are working to increase security for the Hispanic community, because they say a group of armed robbers is targeting and stealing from dozens of Hispanic victims. A construction worker was shot to death on January 25th during a robbery while working on a house renovation in Ensley. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Thursday identified the victim as Roman Gonzalez. He was 48 and lived in Bessemer. The construction crew was inside the house when a group of males forced their way inside and robbed all of the crew membersB PD is now investigating to see if his case is linked to the group of armed robbers. Investigators tell WBRC that they’ve seen more than fifty cases of robberies against the Hispanic community since October. “From an officers perspective, you cant help but think that [January 25th’s] incident could be connected, so we aren’t ruling it out,” Officer Truman Fitzgerald with BPD said. “These are actual crews that are hard at work and people came and robbed them. Based upon just the massive amount of numbers, in such a quick amount of time, we would say that our Hispanic brothers and sisters are being preyed upon.” BPD believe it’s an organized armed robbery ring, likely targeting the Hispanic community because of potential language barriers or fear of police.
Worker Falls to His Death on Ship at Port of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA — A worker fell to his death on a ship at the Port of Los Angeles, authorities said. He fell about 50 feet from an upper deck to a lower one shortly before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man, but he was “beyond medical help,” the statement said. It’s unclear what caused the man to fall.
2 workers die in accident at Warren County pit mine
WRENS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two employees were killed Friday in an accident at a mine in Warren County, the coroner said. According to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, the two died in an electrical accident that happened at 6:33 a.m. at the Piedmont Mining operation that produces kaolin and bauxite at a quarry-like open-pit operation in Warren County outside Wrens. Coroner Paul M. Lowe said they were identified as Charquavian Bloodsaw, 24, and Damian Ashberry, 25. The federal agency is investigating the accident, and Piedmont Mining is fully cooperating with that investigation, the company said.
Beaufort County worker dies after fire at boat manufacturer
BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – An employee injured last week at a Beaufort County boat manufacturer has died from his injuries. Mack Hodges, Jr. passed away Wednesday at the Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill. The 69-year-old man was critically injured last Friday when the fire broke out at Pamlico Boat & Fiberglass Repair on Magnolia School Road, east of Washington. The company makes custom boats and fiberglass parts.
Beloved officer with ‘passion for this job’ dies while on duty, Georgia police say
Cairo, GA — A south Georgia community is mourning a police officer who died while “serving the community he so loved.” Master Patrol Officer Clarence “CJ” Williams died Saturday, Jan. 28, while on duty, the Cairo Police Department confirmed. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the circumstances surrounding his death. Authorities said Williams was assisting sheriff’s deputies in a traffic stop-turned-foot chase when he suffered a medical emergency, WALB reported, citing police. He died at the scene.
Toscana Employee Dies In Heavy Machinery Accident Monday Morning
Nantucket, MA — A Toscana Corporation employee died in a heavy machinery accident Monday morning at the company’s Arrowhead Drive facility. “A tragic accident took place at our yard at 13 Arrowhead this morning at 7:10 a.m. and, unfortunately, an employee lost his life,” Toscana Corporation owner Carl Jelleme said. “We are devastated by the loss of such a promising young man.” Nantucket Police and Fire Department personnel responded to Toscana’s lot at 19 Arrowhead Drive around 7:10 a.m. for an individual who was reportedly struck by heavy machinery and suffered head trauma.
Investigation underway after employee dies at Reno-Sparks Convention Center
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — An investigation is underway after a Reno Sparks Visitor Authority employee died at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Monday. RSCVA president and CEO Charles Harris said in a statement the incident happened on Monday, January 30 and the employee has since died at a local hospital. Specifics of the deadly incident have not been released but OSHA has taken over the investigation.
Employee dies from workplace fall at Martin Marietta Materials
CLAY COUNTY, MO — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal workplace fall that occurred Jan. 30. Deputies were dispatched at 4:58 p.m. to Martin Marietta Materials, located at 401 Randolph Road. An employee of the business had fallen three to four stories from a catwalk, landing on rocks, states a release from the sheriff’s office. The company is a supplier of aggregates and heavy building materials. Emergency response crews declared the man, 42-year-old Bobby Joe Allen of Gladstone, deceased at the scene, said sheriff’s office Public Relations Manager Sarah Boyd. Deputies have been unable to locate witnesses to the fall, so how the accident happened is still under investigation.
Fort Leavenworth civilian employee killed in train accident identified as Leavenworth man
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — An employee at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was killed after being struck by a train. A spokesperson for Fort Leavenworth said the incident happened just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The man was operating a front loader near the Sherman Army Airfield. Authorities identified 28-year-old Cody Clark of Leavenworth, Kan., as the victim.
Transit Employee Killed in Shooting at D.C. Metro Station
WASHINGTON DC — A transit employee was killed and three others were injured on Wednesday morning after a gunman confronted people on a bus and later in a Metro station in Southeast Washington, the police said. The employee was trying to protect a customer when he was killed, officials said. Bystanders later tackled the gunman, the police said, and he was taken into custody at the station. The gunman went down the escalator into the Potomac Avenue Metro station and came upon a person buying a fare card, the police said, and proceeded to shoot the person in the leg after another altercation.The attacker made his way to the platform and confronted a woman, the authorities said. A transit employee tried “to intervene to protect this young lady,” Ashan M. Benedict, the executive assistant chief of Washington’s police department, said at a news conference. “By doing so, he’s immediately shot by our shooter,” the chief said. The employee was later identified as Robert Cunningham, 64, a mechanic in Metro’s power department.
Selma police officer shot and killed identified as 24-year-old Gonzalo Carrasco Jr.
SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) — The Selma police officer who was shot and killed on Tuesday has been identified. Authorities identified the officer as 24-year-old Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. He was with the department for two years. The incident began when a resident noticed the suspect in the front of the house and called police. The officer arrived and found the suspect, who shot him several times before fleeing.
Gresham firefighter dies after suffering cardiac arrest
GRESHAM, Ore. — A Gresham firefighter went into cardiac arrest while in the line of duty Friday and died, according to the city. The city said Brandon Norbury received emergency medical care but did not survive. The city said Norbury had been with the Gresham Fire Department since 2008. He worked with the Gresham Police Department prior to becoming a firefighter and also served as a Navy Seal.