Weekly Toll: Death on the Job

How workers die. Forklift, machinery, falls, tree trimming, electrocution, drowning, explosion, stabbing, shootings, firefighting, vehicle incidents. 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.

Explosion at Louisville plant killed at least 2, injured multiple other

Louisville, KY — At least two people, Keven Dawson Jr and another unnamed worker, are dead and multiple others injured after an explosion Tuesday at a Louisville, Kentucky, plant caused a partial collapse of the building and blew out windows in nearby homes and businesses. The explosion occurred around 3 p.m. at Givaudan Sense Colour, which produces colorings for food and drinks. The company was first to confirm the deaths, in a statement to CBS News late Tuesday night. “We are grieving with the families, friends, and loved ones of those that were lost and injured during this very difficult time,” Givaudan said. Firefighters gather in a street after an explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour plant in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 12, 2024. At least 12 employees were taken to hospitals. This isn’t the first serious incident at the plant. An employee was killed on April 11, 2003. According to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation, two employees were preparing a tub and began pumping product from a tank and adding a cornstarch powder called maltin. The tub was being heated by steam and it began to overflow. According to the report, the tub exploded, killing one of the employees.

Georgia lineman killed, another injured after workplace accident

Griffin, GA — A Georgia town is mourning the loss of a veteran lineman who was killed in a workplace accident. Eric Weems died Wednesday after he and another lineman, Trent Granger, were involved in a workplace “accident” involving equipment failure on Spalding Street in Griffin, Georgia, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Granger is in critical, but stable condition, the City of Griffin said.

Employee dies at Tolleson meat processing plant

TOLLESON, Ariz. – An investigation is underway after an employee at a west Valley meat processing plant died on Wednesday. Tolleson Police say officers responded to the JBS Beef Plant, located near 91st Avenue and Buckeye Road, at 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 20 after receiving a report of an unresponsive employee, 55-year-old Eduardo Reyes Hernandez. “After extensive efforts by both the police and fire departments, the employee was pronounced deceased on scene,” police said. The employee’s cause of death is under investigation. The employee was not identified

Trucker killed in I-40 crash near Fairview

FAIRVIEW, Tenn. – The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that left a Freightliner trucker dead on Interstate 40 near Fairview on Friday morning. According to a THP report, 65-year-old Marvin Howard Kincaid Jr., of Mississippi, was traveling eastbound on I-40 near Mile Marker 183 at about 4 a.m. For reasons unknown at this time, the 1997 Freightliner Tractor he was driving ran off the roadway and struck a guardrail. After striking the guardrail, the Freightliner entered the median and overturned.

18-Year Old New York State Parks Worker Dies While Fighting Wildfire

Greenwood Lake, N.Y. — Officials said an 18-year-old employee of the New York State parks system died on Saturday while battling a wildfire in Orange County, one of several blazes in the New York metro area to break out recently amid drought conditions. The employee, Dariel Vasquez, was killed while fighting a fire in Sterling Forest in Greenwood Lake, N.Y., the New York State Police said in a statement late Saturday. Steve Neuhaus, the Orange County executive, said that Mr. Vasquez was helping to clear trees and shrubs, which are fuel for a fire, from a wooded area when a tree fell and hit him. Mr. Vasquez, who was from Rockland County, had started working for the parks system in May, Mr. Neuhaus said. Mr. Vasquez’s job was not firefighting, but he had been brought in to help with the response. Mr. Vasquez planned to begin college in January and had been the captain of the baseball team at Ramapo High School, according to an online fund-raiser that his family organized.

Tree trimmer dies after he’s thrown 50 feet into creek

Anderson, SC — A routine tree-trimming job turned deadly in a South Carolina yard when a hydraulic lift flipped, throwing a worker nearly 50 feet, according to a coroner. Daniel Christopher Brown Sr., 51, died at the scene, Anderson County Coroner Greg L. Shore said in a news release. The incident happened around 1:50 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, on Sunny Lane near Anderson, Shore says. Multiple agencies responded when a 911 caller reported a man had gone into cardiac arrest after he was “thrown from a cherry picker” into a nearby creek. “EMS personnel attempted resuscitative efforts. The victim was non-responsive,” the coroner’s office said. “The investigation indicates the victim was … using a cherry picker to trim some limbs (and) the cherry picker overturned causing the victim to fall approximately 40-50 feet to the ground.”

Man dies in construction accident in Burrillville

BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WPRI) — Police have identified the victim of a deadly construction accident in Burrillville that occurred Saturday morning.  Emergency crews responded to Victory Highway, where they found James Haczynski, 52, pinned beneath a lull forklift, a large piece of construction equipment used to move heavy materials.  Witnesses told police that Haczynski was guiding a large tree as another worker cut it down. The tree shifted, causing the machine to overturn and throwing Haczynski from it, leaving him pinned underneath.  Haczynski was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Identity of man who died after falling from Trinity County cell tower released

TRINITY COUNTY, Texas – The identity of a man who died while working on a cellphone tower in Trinity County on Tuesday has been released. According to Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace, the man has been identified as James Robert Belcher, a field supervisor for MasTec Network Solutions. Tuesday, the sheriff‘s office performed a welfare check at a tower at 7587 State Highway 94 around 7:15 a.m., where Belcher’s body was found. MasTec had reported that Belcher had not returned home Monday evening, and his last assigned post was the cell tower where he was later found. Upon arrival, deputies found Belcher’s body. Preliminary investigation shows that he had been climbing the tower and appeared to have fallen on a platform suspended about eight feet in the air, according to a previous release.

OSHA investigating worker’s death at Camping World Stadium

Orlando, FL — A person was killed in an apparent accident at Camping World Stadium, though few details about what happened have been released. Crews have begun to set up stages and structures ahead of EGC 2024, which will be held Nov. 8-10 on the stadium grounds. However, it is not known if the death was related to the festival setup. Orlando police told FOX 35 that on Oct. 30 it was made aware of an “accident” that had happened at Camping World Stadium, and that the person involved later died at the hospital. “OSHA has initiated an investigation into this incident,” a spokesperson confirmed to FOX 35. The agency also confirmed that the person involved worked for James Thomas Productions Inc., an entertainment company that helps staff and handle production for major festivals and events, according to its website.

Mechanic dies at Amazon facility after delivery van falls on him during repair

Port S. Lucie, FL — A 42-year-old man was killed while working on an Amazon delivery van early Tuesday morning. Port St. Lucie police say Andrew Tabannah was working underneath the van at the Amazon Distribution Center on Southwest Anthony F. Sansome Sr. Boulevard around 12:08 a.m. The van was being propped up by a jack stand when the stand gave out, causing the van to partially collapse, pinning the mechanic underneath. Police say Tabannah’s co-workers immediately placed additional jacks under the van and pulled him out. They began lifesaving measures until police and the St. Lucie County Fire Department arrived. Tabannah was transported to Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Third Palm Beach County deputy passes away after devastating wreck on Southern Boulevard

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A third Palm Beach County deputy involved in a devastating wreck near Loxahatchee last week has tragically passed away Monday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office told WPTV News. Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller, and Corporal Luis Paez — all motorcycle deputies — were struck by a Jeep SUV on Nov. 21 while stopped on the shoulder of Southern Boulevard, just west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. Waller and Paez were pronounced dead that same day, while Diaz was in critical condition for several days before passing away at approximately 12:45 p.m. Monday, the sheriff’s office said.

Construction worker killed after accident possibly involving bleachers inside high school gym

VILLA PARK, Calif. — One construction worker is dead and another was hospitalized Thursday after an accident possibly involving the bleachers inside a high school gym in Southern California. No students or school staff were hurt. The fatal accident happened in a construction zone at Villa Park High School in Orange County, according to the school district. OCFA personnel and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded to the school about 10:21 a.m. and found two adult patients. One patient was transported to a local trauma center, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. The agency said the second person was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither of the workers have been identified.

A Man Died In A Vernon County Construction Accident

Harmony, WI — A Viola man has died in a construction related incident. At approximately 11:00, the Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch Center was notified of a construction site accident on Schoenagel Lane, rural Chaseburg, in the town of Harmony. A construction contractor was using an all-terrain telescopic handler while installing siding on a new home. David Hibbard Rode Puig, 39, of rural Viola was seriously injured when caught between the unit and an exterior wall. After extensive life-saving efforts by emergency personnel were exhausted, David Hibbard Rode Puig (PWEEG) was pronounced dead by Vernon County Coroner Betty Nigh.

Employee killed in Highland County workplace accident

HIGHLAND COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) – A man was killed in an accident at a Highland County workplace. Scott Rhodes, 50, died on Nov. 16 at Ervin Hill, which is a sand and gravel mining business, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. According to a Mine Safety and Health Administration preliminary accident report, Rhodes was killed when he became entangled in a log washer. He was reportedly doing maintenance at the time.

Duke Energy worker dies in incident Wednesday in Sanford

Sanford, NC — A Duke Energy worker has died after an accident Wednesday night in Sanford. Friends of the victim identified him as Bryce Freeman of Sanford. Drew Lyerly, Freeman’s best friend, told WRAL News. More than 33,000 customers across the state lost power Wednesday night as a cold front moved through the area, bring strong wind gusts. Some areas saw wind gusts of 45 mph. It unclear if the worker died trying to restore power in Lee County, where more than 5,000 customers lost power.

Possible industrial accident investigated after Muncie factory worker dies

MUNCIE, Ind. — The Thursday death of a local man, believed to be the result of an industrial accident at a Muncie plant, remains under investigation. Robert Meiring, 50, died late Thursday morning in the emergency department at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. According to Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene, emergency responders were sent to the Progress Rail plant, 3500 S. Cowan Road, having received a report of a person having difficulty breathing. Greene said it was determined Meiring was welding at the time he appeared to become ill and had possibly inhaled gases that caused his breathing problems.

Worker crushed to death at N.J. recycling plant

Passaic County, NJ — An employee at a recycling plant in Passaic County, Jose D. Centeno, 73, died Tuesday after he was apparently crushed beneath a hydraulic baling machine during work hours, state officials said. The worker was killed when he came into contact with a baling machine used to compress waste into small bales, according to Leni Fortson, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor. The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. at Ricova USA on South Broad Street in Clifton and is under investigation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Forston said. The worker died at the scene. Fortson did not release the worker’s name and directed additional questions to local authorities. A spokesman for the Clifton Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. A woman who answered the phone at Ricova Recylcing on Wednesday said there was no one available to comment on the worker’s death.

Construction worker falls to his death at World Equestrian Center in Ocala

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) – Marion County Sheriff’s deputies say a man fell from scaffolding at the World Equestrian Center (WEC) and died Monday afternoon. Authorities say he was a construction worker who fell just before 1 p.m. A 911 caller told operators the worker fell off scaffolding.

South Sacramento jewelry store employee killed in shooting during robbery

SACRAMENTO, CA – An employee has died after being shot during a robbery in south Sacramento Friday afternoon. According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, it happened around 11:45 a.m. along the 6800 block of Stockton Boulevard, at the Kim Tin Jewelry store. The sheriff’s office says it received a report of 4-6 men running into a store, using a crow bar and left with unknown amount of merchandise and leaving the scene in two separate vehicles. A woman was shot at some point during the robbery. The sheriff’s office confirmed just before 3 p.m. that the victim died from her injuries at the hospital. She was then identified as an employee.

Bay Area machinist killed at Arizona power plant

Phoenix, AZ – Family members of a Benicia man killed while on the job out of state want answers. They say not knowing what happened to him is adding to their grief. “He’s only 50. We had such a future. I know this happens, but it shouldn’t have happened, said Jenny Olver. She’s struggling to find answers as to how her husband, Mike Olver, was killed while working as a valve machinist at a power plant in Arizona. On the afternoon of November 7, she received notification that her husband had been injured in an accident at the APS Redhawk Power Plant about one hour west of Phoenix. But hours later, she learned that he had died. “I was just in utter disbelief, utter shock that this even happened,” said Jenny. Daughters Fallon and Brianna arrived at the power plant the next morning.

Orange County restaurant employee dies after falling off ladder

Costa Mesa, CA — An employee of a restaurant in Orange County died on Saturday after he fell off a ladder, according to authorities. The incident was reported at about 7:52 a.m. on the 3300 block of Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, according to Costa Mesa Police and Fire Rescue. Authorities said the employee, Edilberto Mendoza-Diaz, 32, fell from a roof while climbing down a ladder. He suffered severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities didn’t say which restaurant he worked for.

Semi-truck driver killed after rollover crash in Kentucky

FRANKLIN, Ky. (WSMV) – A semi-truck driver died in a rollover crash in Simpson County on Friday, according to the Kentucky State Police (KSP). KSP said the crash happened in the 1400 block of Cedar Bluff Road when a 1998 Freightliner semi-truck dropped off the left side of the road and rolled onto the driver’s side, according to their preliminary investigation. The driver, 32-year-old Clarence Hoover, of Scottsville, KY, was partially ejected from the vehicle. He later died at the scene, KSP said. The Simpson County Sheriff’s Office, Simpson County Fire and the Simpson County Coroner’s Office assisted KSP on scene.

USPS worker killed in collision in Santa Rosa, police say

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) — A U.S. Postal Service worker was killed after their mail truck was hit by a vehicle in Santa Rosa Monday, police said. Santa Rosa police say they received a call at around 5 p.m., of a driver in a GMC SUV who was driving erratically at a high-rate of speed near Corrigan Street and North Point Parkway. The SUV crashed into a parked mail truck where the postal worker was working outside of the vehicle. The postal carrier, 33-year-old Irvin Hernandez, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Man found dead underneath vehicle in wooded area off Charlton road

CHARLTON, AZ — A man was found dead underneath a tree-clearing vehicle in a heavily wooded area off Baker Pond Road on Tuesday evening, according to authorities. A spokesperson for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. did not identify the man, who they said regularly worked logging in the Charlton area. After the man did not return home from work, local police were called around 8 p.m. Tuesday. The man was later found in what Early’s office called “difficult terrain” by Charlton police in cooperation with the Charlton and Southbridge fire departments. The death remains under investigation by the State Police Detectives assigned to Early’s office.

Construction worker, man fishing and mother killed in Manhattan stabbing spree

NEW YORK, NY — Portraits are starting to emerge of the three victims killed in a deadly stabbing rampage in Manhattan on Monday. Angel Gustavo Lata-Landi, 36, was standing outside a Chelsea work site when homeless maniac Ramon Rivera, 51, allegedly stabbed him in the stomach during a shocking daylight spree that took the lives of two other innocent bystanders on Monday. He was an Ecuadorian migrant living in a Peekskill rooming house.

Nashville truck driver killed in crash along I-80 in Iowa

Johnson County, IA — A man from Nashville, Tennessee is dead after crashing his semi on I-80 in Johnson County early Wednesday morning. According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, a semi-truck was driving eastbound near mile marker 245 around 5:12 a.m. when it left the roadway and struck a bridge guardrail for unknown reasons. The truck then entered a ditch and overturned onto the driver’s side of the vehicle. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Jeremy Rogers of Nashville, died as a result. The report states that the driver was not using a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Man electrocuted while hanging Christmas lights in Escondido

Escondido, CA — A young man was electrocuted while hanging Christmas lights in Escondido. A man working in a tree in Escondido on Thursday morning who was rushed to the hospital after getting shocked by a high-power line later died of his injuries, the man’s brother told NBC 7. A call came into 911 at about 9:50 that a person had possibly been electrocuted near the intersection of Idaho Avenue and Skyline Drive. Escondido firefighters and paramedics arrived a short time later and discovered the victim, who was wearing a waist harness, suspended in the air. The homeowner told NBC 7 later in the day that the man — who the victim’s brother, Juan, identified as 24-year-old Antonio Mateo — had been hanging Christmas lights in the tree when the accident occurred. It was a job Mateo had done in the past, said the homeowner, who added that Mateo was electrocuted when he threw a strand of lights over the high power wire.