Accident: 170388532 - Injured In Explosion At Aluminum Melting Furnace

Employee #1 was instructed by his supervisor to use a Bobcat loader to add 900 lb of silicon into the #2 aluminum melting furnace. Employee #1 had dumped in two buckets when an explosion occurred that ignited his clothing and the Bobcat. Employee #1 sustained injuries, for which he was hospitalized. The explosion was triggered by standing water that had pooled on the floor in the silicon area due to major leaks in the roof.

front end loader, fire, aluminum processing, inadequate maint, chemical reaction, explosion, melting furnace, water, chemical, work rules

Accident: 170205868 - Injured When Struck By Falling Manlift

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on November 24, 1999, Employee #1, a senior stationary engineer, was repairing a stuck wheel on a Genie personnel lift. With the help of a coworker, he was using a chain attached to a utility truck to pull the Genie lift from one building to another. The machine was tilted back, with the mast at an angle of 45 degrees. Employee #1 was inspecting the stuck wheel and asked his coworker to get him a crescent wrench from his truck. As the coworker turned back toward him, the lift collapsed on Employee #1's shoulder. He sustained injuries that required hospitalization. The coworker did not remember hearing any noises when the accident happened. They had used the lift four or five times before, but neither employee had received any training nor had they seen the lift's operating manual. Subsequent investigation also revealed that (1) the lift wheel locks were either broken and needed repair or were out of adjustment; (2) the left wheel bearing was missing, making the lift hard to roll; (3) the hinges were damaged and both sides were out, even before the accident; (4) the lift basket did not have a guardrail or other structure around its upper periphery, nor were chains or the equivalent provided. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 3328(e): machinery and equipment shall be secured to minimize the hazards caused by falling.

construction, collapse, work rules, overturn, repair, elevator, untrained, mech malfunction, struck by, inadequate maint

Accident: 200650315 - Electric Shock - Contact With Energized Parts

An employee working for an amusement company was operating an amusement ride at a county fair. The ride (called an "Avalanche") was portable. It was scheduled to be at that location for only a few days. The employee contacted live parts of wiring for the ride and received an electric shock. He died of his injury 8 days after the accident. The control room for the ride had an electrical box enclosing two circuit breakers. The box had its cover removed, exposing live parts. In addition, the main control box had a hinged door that covered live parts. Employees would access this box at the start and end of the day to turn the ride on and off. There were many other electrical problems besides. For example, several equipment grounding conductors were found disconnected, and some grounding pins were missing from some attachment plugs. The ride was purchased by the amusement company in 1966, and the company performed much of the electrical work. The ride was frequently taken apart, transported to different sites, and reassembled. This apparently contributed to the wiring problems.

electrical, electrocuted, electrical box, unguarded live parts, equipment grounding, inadequate maint, amuse park/carnival, e gi v

Accident: 170205033 - Injured When Struck By Falling Fence

At approximately 4:05 a.m. on April 30, 1999, Employee #1, a sorter at West Resource Technologies for 10 years, was performing his usual duties. He was assigned to close the southwest gate, which was made of steel and was very heavy, with the help of another employee with a forklift. The entrance of the gate had an uneven surface. One employee would push the gate with a forklift while the other guided it. Gravity caused the rollers, which were resting on the guides, to derail and the gate fell on Employee #1. He sustained a fractured left wrist and a lower back injury. A strong wind from the west contributed to this incident. This incident may have been prevented if proper maintenance had been performed and the rollers had been secured on the guides. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 3328(e), which states machinery and equipment shall be designed and secured to minimize hazards caused by falling.

overturn, wrist, back, manual mat handling, mech mat handling, work rules, fracture, inadequate maint, door, uneven ground