A particularly tragic week in the workplace. Another heat death, teenager killed, 3 workers die in scaffold collapse, two workers die in grain bins, electrocutions, falls, vehicle incidents, drowning and shootings. 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.
3 dead in scaffolding collapse at Dilworth construction site
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three people were tragically killed and two others were transported to an area hospital following a scaffolding collapse at a Dilworth construction site Monday morning, emergency officials confirmed. The accident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at 715 East Morehead St. in Dilworth where Medic said three victims were pronounced dead. The three workers fell approximately 70 feet from the scaffolding they had been working on, CFD said. Medic said two additional patients were transported to an area medical center with minor injuries.
Dead body found in river identified as utility contract worker
Big Point, MS — A dead body found in a river in south Mississippi has been identified as a utility worker who had been trimming trees near power lines. Jackson County officials confirmed the dead man is Salvado Garcia, 41, of Mexico. He is believed to have drowned. His body was found Thursday in the Dog River in the Big Point community. Subscribe to our free email newsletter Get the latest news sent to your inbox Officials with Mississippi Power Company told WLOX-TV that Garcia was working for a contractor tasked with trimming trees from near power lines that crossed the river.
Teenager dies after industrial incident in Florence County
FLORENCE COUNTY, Wis. (WJMN) – A teenager has died following an incident at a woodworking business in Florence, Wisconsin. In a statement released on Sunday, July 2, the Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller said the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 6:51 a.m. on Thursday, June 29, reporting an unresponsive 16-year-old boy, Michael Schuls, at Florence Hardwoods. The teenager was transported to Marshfield Medical Center – Dickinson and later transferred to Milwaukee Children’s Hospital. On Saturday, July 1, the boy died due to the injuries sustained in what the Sheriff’s Office referred to as an “industrial accident”. The Sheriff’s release added that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was also notified following the incident.
KY CONTRACTOR DIES IN ACCIDENTAL FALL WORKING IN SPRINGFIELD
SPRINGFIELD TENNESSEE – Funeral services for Chad Siver, 35 of Cadiz, Kentucky who died in an industrial accident in Springfield this week will be held on July 5th. Smokey Barn News is learning that Siver died Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Springfield, TN while making a service call for a pest control company at a Hail & Cotton facility located off Evergreen Dr and Charles Ralph Dr in Springfield. Following an investigation, officials with the city of Springfield are calling the incident an accident. Chad was working for McGee Pest Control via Crown Services. “He was helping out with fumigations. He was said to be approx 25ft high placing plastic coverings on top of boxes or barrels,” the family said. “The plastic was not see-through and he crossed over to another area. The area was covered with plastic but there was nothing underneath it. This is when he fell onto the concrete.” The family says they were also told that Chad was wearing a harness but it was not secured.
Worker electrocuted while repairing fitness center hot tub
PHOENIX, AZ — A man died after he was electrocuted while repairing a hot tub inside an Arizona fitness center Wednesday, according to officials. The man was discovered by police when they arrived at a Life Time athletic club in Phoenix. First responders said the man was unresponsive inside a hot tub that was mostly drained of water and featured exposed live electrical wires. Power company crews were called to the scene to shut off power to the entire building so first responders could enter the hot tub safely. Medics on the scene said the man was already dead.
York County Sheriff’s Office releases details related to Lebanon town worker death
LEBANON, Maine — The York County Sheriff’s Office released details Friday regarding the fatal workplace accident in Lebanon. Deputies were called to the Shapleigh Road around 1 p.m. June 15 on a report that a man had been struck by an excavator, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. David Goodwin, 41, of Lebanon was reportedly working as a flagger, helping to direct traffic, when he was struck in the heel by the excavator, which caused him to fall and injure his pelvis and lower extremities, the release stated. Goodwin was brought by Lebanon rescue services to Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire, where he later died on June 24. An autopsy was conducted by the New Hampshire medical examiner’s office, which revealed that his cause of death was from complications suffered with multiple pelvic and lower extremity fractures, according to the release.
58-year-old woman falls to her death at Smithfield Grain plant in Wilson
WILSON, N.C. (WTVD) — An employee at Smithfield Grain fell 70 feet to her death on Friday. Wilson Police Department said the deadly fall happened at the grain plant located on US 301 South in Wilson. First responders arrived on the scene around 8:20 a.m. Friday where they found 58-year-old Annie Morris Wilbert dead at the scene. Although the investigation is still active, Wilson police officers said in a news release the incident is being investigated as an accident.
Fort Bend Co. construction worker dies after collapsing at job site in extreme heat, officials say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston region’s first heat-related death was reported after a construction worker collapsed at a job site in Fort Bend County and later died from hyperthermia, according to Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner’s office told Eyewitness News that 46-year-old Felipe Pascual died on June 16 at Memorial Hermann Hospital Pearland. Deputies say Pascual was pouring concrete at Sienna Parkway and Waters Lake Boulevard in Missouri City when he collapsed due to the extreme heat. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead in the emergency room. The medical examiner’s office released Pascual’s cause of death this week, confirming he died from hyperthermia. Officials said Pascual didn’t have any underlying health issues.
Missing South Seattle bridge operator found dead in river below
SEATTLE, WA — A missing operator for the First Avenue South Bridge in South Seattle was found dead in the Duwamish River Friday morning. Shortly before 7 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department said a water rescue response was in progress for a missing bridge operator – or tender – that may have fallen into the water. A fireboat was dispatched to the area of South River Street and First Avenue South under the bridge. Seattle Fire said there were no reports that anyone witnessed the operator falling into the water, but the operator was still missing. By 7:25 a.m., Seattle Fire tweeted that fire units were leaving and the scene was being handed over to Seattle Police and Washington State Patrol. Minutes later, Seattle Fire said the Coast Guard had found a body in the water that matched the description of the missing bridge operator. Crews at the scene confirmed the person was dead.
Worker dies during construction of NASCAR street course in Chicago
Chicago, IL — A 53-year-old man died Friday while working on the setup of the track used for NASCAR’s street races in downtown Chicago this weekend. Per WGN, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Duane Tabinski. A NASCAR spokesperson confirmed to the station that a contractor suffered a “fatal medical emergency” while working. The station cited initial police reports that said the man may have been electrocuted.
One person dies in industrial accident at Kalamazoo County grain silo
COOPER TOWNSHIP, MI – One person was killed in Kalamazoo County’s Cooper Township after falling in and being trapped in a grain silo Thursday afternoon. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office says Cooper Township Fire and Rescue responded to the industrial accident in the 300 block of East B Avenue at 1:40 p.m. Multiple rescue agencies including Portage, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Kalamazoo Township, Oshtemo Township, Life EMS, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, as well as other rescue agencies attempted to rescue the worker. The Sheriff’s Office says the victim was working in a grain silo when they became trapped and went under the contents. The victim was eventually removed and ultimately declared deceased at the scene medical personnel. The investigation into the accident ongoing.
Semi-Truck Driver Killed in Traffic Collision Involving Another Semi, 2 Vehicles
CALIFORNIA CITY, CA, June 30 (KNN) — A semi-truck driver was killed in a traffic collision involving another semi and two vehicles Friday evening. California City Police Department officers alongside the California Highway Patrol responded to a multi-vehicle traffic collision just after 6 p.m. at the 58 East Highway just off California City Boulevard in California City. Upon arrival, CHP and CCPD officers discovered the collision involved two semi-trucks and two vehicles. The driver of the semi hauling vegetables was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Suspect search underway after employee shot, killed at Edmond restaurant
EDMOND, Okla. — A suspect search is underway after an employee was shot and killed late Wednesday night at an Edmond restaurant. The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. at the Wingstop near 33rd and Broadway. Police said five people were inside when someone opened fire, hitting one employee. “This evening around 10:30, the employees here at this Wingstop were doing their regular duties when an unknown male opened the front door, stuck his hand in with a handgun and fired multiple rounds into the room,” Emily Ward, with the Edmond Police Department, said. Police told KOCO 5 that the victim ran to the back of the restaurant when he was hit and collapsed to the ground. Officers tried to revive him, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
New details emerge after San Antonio man crushed to death by quartz
San Antonio, TX — A 45-year-old man, Qingxiang Sun died Wednesday morning, June 28, after he was crushed by several sheets of quartz used for making countertops, officials with the San Antonio Police Department said to MySA. The incident happened on 230 East Nakoma Street, located on San Antonio’s Northside, around 9:50 a.m. The man was in the process of preparing to unload the truck when the load he was carrying shifted and fell on top of him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the police. The weight of the material was estimated to be around 1,000 pounds. A person who witnessed the incident described it as “a horrific scene.”
Semi-truck driver hit, killed by fleeing robbery suspects along southbound I-5 in Lakewood
TACOMA, Wash. — A semi-truck driver was hit and killed by two suspects fleeing Lakewood Police Department (LPD) officers early Thursday morning, LPD confirmed. LPD officers made contact with a vehicle suspected in a Tacoma burglary overnight around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, and attempted a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle fled at a high rate of speed and 10-15 seconds after the officers attempted the traffic stop, the suspect vehicle crashed into a semi-truck. The driver of the semi-truck was ejected upon impact and landed on the Interstate 5 freeway below the overpass. Life-saving measures were attempted by first responders, but the driver was declared dead at the hospital.
TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN CRASH ON I-90 IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
Blue Earth, MN – The State Patrol is reporting a truck driver lost his life as the result of a crash on I-90 in southern Minnesota Wednesday afternoon. The deadly crash was reported shortly before 1 p.m. It happened in Emerald Township, which is about 30 miles west of Albert Lea. The state crash report says the semi was traveling through a construction zone in the single eastbound lane when it left the roadway, entered the median and went into the closed westbound lanes. The truck then went into the ditch north of the freeway where it then rolled.
Firefighter dies when burning house collapses in Southern Maryland
Leonardtown, Md — A firefighter died early Tuesday after he became trapped while fighting a blaze at a home in Leonardtown, Md. Patrick Gordon, a spokesman for Naval Air Station Patuxent River, said the firefighter was with the Naval District Washington Fire Department, one of several agencies that responded to the fire on Deer Wood Park Drive. He “sadly died in the line of duty,” Gordon said. The firefighter was later identified as Brice C. Trossbach, 25. Officials said Trossbach became a Naval District firefighter in 2019 and served as a volunteer firefighter with the Leonardtown and Bay District fire departments. Trossbach became trapped, and the home collapsed. Other firefighters were unable to rescue him.
CSX worker killed on the job at Baltimore rail terminal
Baltimore, MD — On Monday, a CSX conductor trainee, Derek Scott Little, was reported killed on the job due to an accident at the Seagirt Marine Terminal worksite in Baltimore, Maryland. He was only 28 years old. According to workers, Little was a recent hire and a father-to-be who had only been with CSX for about three months. Workers at the site told the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) that Little was riding a “shove,” or a rail car in the opposite direction of his trainer, when he suddenly slack-rolled out between rail cars, causing him to fall off and be run over by the incoming train.
23-year-old worker hit, killed by car in construction zone in Catawba County
Catawba County, NC — A car struck two workers in a construction zone Monday afternoon on Highway 150 in Catawba County, killing one and seriously hurting another, troopers said. Those who knew the man who died, 23-year-old Ryan Tanner, are devastated. “Ryan is that kid that everyone wants to be their son,” said Gary McClelland, owner, owner of Quality Traffic Safety, out of Lenoir. McClelland says the work zone was in place for a gas line installation. State troopers say a flagger was directing westbound traffic into the eastbound lane. One driver failed to follow the other cars, striking Ryan Tanner and another worker who were moving cones.
Lineman electrocuted on out-of-state job, Alabama union says.
Detroit, MI — The 30-year-old Alabama native was in Michigan on a contract job when he was fatally injured by a live wire, the electrical company said. Drew Kisner via Facebook An Alabama lineman was working in Michigan to restore power when he was fatally electrocuted, an electrical workers union announced. Austin Chappell, 30, was on an out-of-state job in Detroit when he sustained a “fatal injury” on the pole on June 24, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Montgomery chapter announced on Facebook. Chappell was a husband and father of a 10-year-old daughter, the union said, as well as being part of the Local 443 chapter.
Maintenance worker among 3 killed at west valley apartment
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A man allegedly killed a maintenance worker and two others at an apartment complex in the west valley Tuesday morning. According to Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson, officers initially responded to a report of a stabbing near the leasing office at the Rancho De Montana apartments. Police said a Hispanic male maintenance worker in his 50s was bleeding from the head. The suspect involved reportedly ran through the leasing office and toward Flamingo Road before he was caught by officers. Lt. Johansson said the suspect was carrying a sledgehammer-like weapon. Police said the suspect was connected with an apartment in the complex. They found a woman and two men dead inside the apartment, Lt. Johansson said. Lt. Johansson said that prior to the incident, maintenance had been called to the apartment for a welfare check at the request of the leasing office. It’s not clear at this time why the check was called for. The suspect then attacked the maintenance workers, police said. One of the workers escaped, but police said the other worker was killed, a man in his 40s.
Pregnant ambulance driver, patient dead after crash with Coca-Cola truck in Pointe Coupee
Baton Rouge, LA – A pregnant ambulance driver and her patient are dead and another person was in critical condition after a Coca-Cola truck and the ambulance collided on Morganza Highway near Deaton Lane Tuesday, according to Pointe Coupee Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux. The Acadian Ambulance driver, who was pregnant, died, along with a patient in the ambulance. An EMT is in critical condition, Thibodeaux said. “My god, two fatalities so far,” said Thibodeaux. “It’s a very, very sad, very tragic event.” Louisiana State Police identified the deceased as Kymber Nezat, 28, of Baton Rouge, and Albert Bordelon, 82, of Plaucheville. An investigation into the crash is still ongoing, but Thibodeaux said it appeared that the ambulance and Coca-Cola truck collided head-on.
Semi-truck driver killed in Gratiot County crash
GRATIOT COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – A semi-truck driver from Philadelphia died Thursday after a crash with another truck south of Breckenridge. The Gratiot County Sheriff’s Office says 42-year-old Bardybek Sultanov of Philadelphia was driving a semi-truck east on Lincoln Road and ran a stop sign at Wisner Road in Emerson Township around 11:25 a.m. Investigators say Sultanov’s truck collided with another semi-truck driving south on Wisner Road.
Coroner identifies man who died after workplace accident in Lockland
CINCINNATI, OH — One man has died after a workplace accident in Lockland on Friday. The incident happened at the Sawbrook Steel Castings Co. in Lockland. On Monday, the coroner identified the victim as William Hackman, 59, from Reading. Neither the fire department nor the company have provided additional details about what led to Hackman’s death.
Truck driver killed in I-80 crash in Luzerne County
DENNISON TOWNSHIP, PA. (WOLF) — A truck driver was killed in a wreck on Interstate 80 in Luzerne County this past Wednesday. According to state police, Victor Lysyuk, 60, of North Highlands, California, died on June 21 after his tractor-trailer crashed Sunday morning at around 7:30 a.m. in Dennison Township near mile marker 267. Police said Lysyuk lost control of the truck and drove off an embankment, rolling over and landing on its roof. Lysyuk was ejected from the cab and reported dead at the scene.
Tell City officer killed in shooting at Perry County Memorial Hospital
Tell City, IN — More information has been released by Indiana State Police in the shooting death of an Tell City Police Department officer. Tell City Sergeant Heather Glenn was investigating a domestic dispute between a female victim and 34-year-old Sean Hubert of Tell City. The victim was at Perry County Memorial Hospital for her injuries when Sgt. Glenn spoke to the victim. Sgt. Glenn and other officers left the hospital looking for Hubert. Early Monday morning, the victim told hospital staff that Hubert was heading there. Tell City Police, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, and Cannelton Police responded to the hospital. Sgt. Glenn made contact with Hubert and attempted to arrest him. He refused to comply. She tried to use the taser on him but it was ineffective. During a struggle, Hubert pulled out a gun and shot Sgt. Glenn. Officers returned fire and shot Hubert. Both passed away at the scene from their injuries.
Shooting at east Las Vegas 7-Eleven leaves man dead, 2 hurt
Las Vegas, NV — A man was killed and two others were injured after a shooting at a 7-Eleven store in east Las Vegas on Saturday night. Without naming the store or providing the exact address, the Metropolitan Police Department on Sunday said that officers responded to a business in the 4100 block of Boulder Highway at about 11:54 p.m. Saturday after a ShotSpotter alert of a shooting. The ShotSpotter technology uses strategically placed sensors in a given area to detect gunfire and then alert police. Officers arrived to find a man who had been shot lying in front of the store. He was pronounced dead at the scene. “I saw him laying out there and that kind of done something to me,” Hunter said, describing the worker as a “helluva guy” who was friendly and always smiling. Hunter said the victim was a 7-Eleven employee that he knew. They would have conversations, often about anime, the Japanese style of animation. He was a good person, Hunter said.