Last week, workers were crushed in machines, and killed in falls, shootings, vehicular incidents and tree trimming. And a 16-year old was crushed to death in a landfill. 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.
Employee dies Wednesday at Baker Hughes facility in Broussard; OSHA investigating
Broussard, LA — An employee died Wednesday morning at the Baker Hughes in Broussard, KATC is reporting. Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed a fatal incident at the plant and that it is conducting an investigation. The victim’s identity has not been released. In a statement to KATC, the company confirmed a “tragic employee death” and that safety is top priority.
Family mourns father of 5 crushed to death by concrete wall in Pacoima
PACOIMA, CA — The family of a construction worker is grieving after he was crushed to death by a concrete wall in Pacoima. Javier Calderon died after a cinder-block wall collapsed on him, and another man who was only injured, on Glenoaks Boulevard Wednesday morning. Firefighters tried to free him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Calderon’s daughter believes he saved his co-worker’s life. “I’m sure that the reason why it happened to him was because he wanted to be the one that if something happened, it would be him and not his co-workers,” said Monica Calderon, his daughter. Calderon leaves behind a wife and five daughters, along with three grandchildren.
Police identify 16-year-old killed in an accident at a Lee’s Summit landfill Thursday
Lee’s Summit, MO — The Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Police Department has identified the teenager killed in an industrial accident at a local landfill facility Thursday. Police said 16-year-old William M. Hampton was killed in an incident at the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park. Officers and emergency crews were dispatched to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park around 10 a.m. Thursday, to investigate reports of an injured person needing help. Police said Hampton, an employee of the company that runs the landfill, had become pinned between a tractor-trailer rig and its trailer. The teen was rushed to an area trauma center, where he was pronounced dead. Traffic investigators are working to reconstruct the scene to determine what led up to this incident.
One dead in industrial accident
Cartersville, GA — An employee at an industrial facility in Bartow County was killed in an accident on June 1. The incident occurred at Chemical Products Corp. (CPC) along Old Mill Road and Highway 293 in Cartersville around 7 a.m. CPC representative Jerry Cook said that one other employee sustained injuries in the accident.
Horry County man killed while working at Darlington County mill
DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A man died Monday morning while working at a mill in Darlington County. Coroner Todd Hardee said 30-year-old Michael Hinnant of Horry County was killed when a machine he was working on collapsed and fell on him. Hardee said he died at the scene. The coroner has asked the South Carolina Multi-disciplinary Accident Team (MAIT) to help him with the investigation into the incident. He also requested that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) assist in the investigation.
Cedar Falls man killed in Vinton construction accident
VINTON, Iowa (KWWL)- A Cedar Falls man is dead after being crushed between two pieces of equipment at a construction site in Vinton on Friday. It happened in the 1300 Block of B Avenue just after 3 p.m. Vinton Police said 61-year-old Ronald Dean Preece of Cedar Falls got crushed between the backs of a dump truck and tracked skid steer. At the time, Preece was standing at the left rear of the dump truck, adjusting the dump gate chain. The operator of the skid steer did not see him and, while leveling gravel, backed into Preece, pinning him between the dump truck and the skid steer. First responders took Preece to Virginia Gay Hospital Emergency Room, where he later died from his injuries.
27-year-old Alto man dies after tree cutting accident
ALTO, Texas (KETK) – A 27-year-old is dead after a tree cutting accident on Tuesday. Cherokee County law enforcement got a call from a person in distress in the 11000 block of FM 752 outside of Alto. Authorities said 27-year-old Colton Sanchez was in a bucket truck cutting limbs when he was pinned in between a limb and the bucket. When EMS and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Sanchez was reportedly unconscious. Personnel on the scene took lifesaving measures and Sanchez was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Port of Oakland Shuts Down After Dockworker Dies on the Job
Oakland, CA — The Port of Oakland shut down on Tuesday after a dockworker died on the job in ongoing turmoil roiling West Coast ports. Details about the worker’s death have not been released. All four container terminals closed after the death occurred, and remain closed for Wednesday’s daytime shift. Rich Lira was operating a container gantry crane when he experienced a cerebral hemorrhage. The crane’s “Dead Man” control did what it was supposed to do, and brought the load he was handling to a measured, steady stop. There was a comparatively slow emergency ambulance response to the Oakland marine terminal (25 minutes according to his business agent), but he was lowered 130’ to the dock pretty quickly. Rich was taken to a local hospital, where he expired that evening.
Worker killed in 24-foot fall at North Attleborough concrete plant, report says
North Attleborough, MA— A worker who was seriously injured in a fall at a concrete factory in North Attleborough has died, according to the Sun Chronicle. The North Attleborough Fire Department told NBC 10 News that a man believed to be in his 60s fell 24 feet from a conveyor belt onto a concrete slab at Boro Sand and Stone on Plain Street on Thursday. The department said the man suffered head trauma and other life-threatening injuries. Co-workers performed CPR on the man before firefighters arrived, according to the department. He was transported by helicopter to Rhode Island Hospital.
Bayville Garbage Truck Driver Ejected, Killed In Parkway Crash
Toms River, NJ — Bayville resident David Mello, Jr., 56, was heading south in a Peterbilt 320 garbage truck when he ran off the road to the right near milepost 82.8 in Toms River, around 1:20 p.m. Friday, June 9, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. The truck struck multiple trees, sometime during which Mello was ejected, Curry said. Mello was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation Continues Into TX-DOT Worker Killed At Edinburg Road Construction Site
Edinburg, TX — Edinburg police and the Texas Department of Transportation are continuing to look into the factors that led to the roadway death of a TX-DOT subcontractor. The worker was struck by a vehicle at a road construction site in far north Edinburg Sunday evening. TX-DOT says the worker was setting up road work signs in the southbound lanes of I-69C just south of FM 490 when a vehicle towing another vehicle veered onto the grassy median where the worker was struck. 43-year-old Andres Garza of Corpus Christi was killed instantly.
Little Caesars employee killed by co-worker over disagreement, police say
GLENDALE, AZ (KPHO/Gray News) — Police in Arizona said a man who worked at a Little Caesars restaurant is in custody after he shot and killed a co-worker. Officers with the Glendale Police Department responded to the business Friday shortly before 11 a.m. for reports of an employee who shot a co-worker multiple times. Arriving officers said they found a 28-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the scene and the suspect in the shooting locked inside a bathroom.
Worker killed by dump truck on Thruway
PEMBROKE, NY — A Middleport man was killed when he was hit by a dump truck while working on the state Thruway early Wednesday morning, state police said. Brett K. Decker, 45, a site inspector for Patriot Engineering & Surveying, walked into the milled right westbound lane at 5:38 a.m. and was behind the truck when he was hit, an preliminary investigation revealed. Decker was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident happened in a work zone between exits 48 and 48A at mile marker 400. The right lane had been closed for paving. The driver of the dump truck, Marc C. Pennacchio, 49, of Sanborn was backing up at the time.
Worker Falls To Death From Cell Phone Tower In Washington County
Washington County, KS — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reports that an investigation was launched after a worker fell to their death while working on a cellular phone tower last month. The incident occurred on May 9, when Hanover Emergency Medical Services responded to 2701 20th Road. Following that, coroner Dr. David Hodgson arrived and pronounced the victim deceased. McNeal Professional Services received all of the safety equipment, which includes ropes, harnesses and helmet. Photographs of this equipment was also sent to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for analysis as well.
Chickasha police investigating death of convenience store employee found dead in bathroom
CHICKASHA, Okla. (KOKH) — Chickasha police are investigating after a convenience store employee was found dead in the bathroom. Police responded to Love’s North on W. Choctaw Ave. on Thursday in response to an employee who was “passed out.” When authorities arrived, they found 32-year-old Jessica Poteet dead in the women’s restroom. Surveillance cameras inside the store showed Poteet putting a sign on the bathroom door stating she was cleaning the restroom. She went in the restroom and locked the door at 4 a.m. Police say she went into the bathroom alone. The store stayed locked up until the next employee arri
Johnson City convenience store employees share safety concerns after clerk killed
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A current employee said there was one major flaw at the Johnson City store where 23-year-old Tava Woodard was killed: the cashier trigger button. The button is used to alert law enforcement of possible emergencies at the store. Greg Matherly with Washington County’s 911 Dispatch told News Channel 11 that when pushed, such buttons typically send an alert to the alarm company to contact local law enforcement. “The secondary emergency button was malfunctioned as well,” said Roadrunner Market employee Joseph Aguilar. “Unfortunately, it was not even hooked up.” On June 2, the Roadrunner convenience store at the corner of North Broadway Street and East Myrtle Avenue in Johnson City was robbed, and the clerk Tava Woodard, was killed. Employees of the Roadrunner said they have been requesting that this issue be fixed for a while and that the button was fixed after Woodard’s death.
Concrete truck driver killed in North Dakota crash named
LEHR, N.D. — North Dakota troopers have identified a 57-year-old who died in a crash last week in Logan County. Scott Muller, of Wishek, was driving a 1984 Ford Conventional Concrete truck east on Highway 13 at about 10 a.m. Thursday, June 1, when the left steer tire blew, according to a news release from the North Dakota Highway Patrol. The truck overturned in a ditch about 4 miles east of Lehr, the release said. Muller, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the truck, the release said. He died at a Wishek Hospital.
An 18-Wheel Truck Driver Killed In Garland Crash
Garland, TX — At around 3:00 am this morning, Garland Fire/EMS and Police responded to a single-vehicle crash involving an 18-wheeler that occurred eastbound on I30 near Broadway Drive. The driver struck a concrete barrier and entered the westbound lane of traffic, forcing the closure of both directions of Interstate 30. The 18-wheeler driver was killed in the crash. Garland PD traffic investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash.