Accident: 170205173 - Injured When Struck By Falling Beam

At approximately 9:45 a.m. on November 9, 2000, employees of the Hathaway-Dinwiddie Construction Company were stripping the deck of 2 by 4 falsework when part of the deck popped loose and knocked an 8 in. by 8 in. by 7 ft beam toward Employee #1. He was standing directly in front of the beam and could not get away in time. The beam fell, striking his head, face, nose, left hand, and knee. Employee #1 was stunned and felt slightly dizzy, but did not lose consciousness. No accident-related violations were found in connection with this incident.

construction, face, falling object, struck against, struck by, hand, beam, dizziness

Accident: 170202212 - Fractures Jaw In Same-Level Fall

Employee #1 was working around some fuel pumps at the same time that a truck driver was trying to tighten his load with a chain binder and winch bar. The driver asked Employee #1 to help him, and he agreed. Employee #1 was tightening the chain binder with the winch bar when the tip of the bar broke off. He lost his balance and fell, face first, to the asphalt pavement. Employee #1 sustained a fractured jaw and facial lacerations.

manual mat handling, face, fall, fracture, laceration, lost balance

Accident: 119947307 - Iron Worker Injured In Fall While Installing Decking

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on January 4, 2000, Employee #1, a iron worker for the McIntyre Company, Pomona, CA, was installing metal decking for the fine arts building at the University of California, Riverside. He fell 14 ft 7 in. and sustained multiple facial injuries and a fractured right wrist. Employee #1 was transported by paramedics to the Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, where he was hospitalized for 26 hours.

construction, iron worker, fall, fracture, wrist, decking, installing, face, fall protection, work rules

Accident: 120240411 - Burned When Splashed With Chemicals

Early in the morning of November 18, 1999, Employee #1, a 19-year-old temporary worker, was on the graveyard shift as a parts washer at Textron Aerospace. At the start of the shift, his supervisor told him to add caustic soda to dip tank #1, which contained heated, 150 to 160 degrees F, aqueous sodium hydroxide, to adjust the liquid pH into the range between 11and 12. He weighed out approximately 49 lb of solid sodium hydroxide into a plastic container and then manually poured it directly into the tank. A chemical reaction occurred, and Employee #1's chest, face, and eyes were splashed with chemicals. Coworkers immediately helped him to flush himself with water from a nearby chemical safety shower and eye wash, and then he was transported to a local hospital for medial treatment. Employee #1 sustained chemical burns over approximately 15 percent of his body. Subsequent investigation revealed that he had been involved in a similar incident two months earlier that had not resulted in injury. Textron Aerospace had provided him with additional training to supplement previous training on the proper method and precautions of adding caustic soda to the tank. These precautions and procedures included remotely adding the caustic soda using a conveyor system, something he did not follow in either instance. The cause of this accident appears to be Employee #1 failing to follow proper procedures. The employer was cited for an accident-related violation for failing to ensure that proper body protection was worn.

chemical, caustic, sodium hydroxide, chemical reaction, protective clothing, work rules, ppe, chemical burn, manual mat handling, face

Accident: 120126362 - Burned In Flash Fire In Welding Shop

At approximately 2:40 p.m. on August 30, 1999, Employee #1, a welder employed by Macbee Engineering Corporation, was working in the welding and fabrication shop. He placed his tig welding stinger on the steel welding table in close proximity to a spray can of rust inhibitor paint. The hot welding wire struck the surface of the paint can, resulting in a flash fire. Employee #1 sustained burns to his face and to both arms. He was transported by helicopter to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment.

welder, burn, face, struck against, welding electrode, fire, housekeeping, paint, flammable liquid, work rules

Accident: 170205827 - Two Injured When Struck By Loaded Cart

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on July 23, 1999, Employees #1 and #2, both iron workers, were on the third floor waiting for a load of "stirrups" (re-bar sections) to be landed. The bundle came through a wall opening, and they landed the load onto a cart. They repositioned the stirrups in the cart and, within a minute, one end of the floor dropped to the second floor, at an angle. The cart with the stirrups pinned Employee #1 against the wall, and he suffered a fractured right cheek and facial lacerations. Employee #2 was lodged next to the wall opening and suffered a contusion of his right thigh. They were taken to San Francisco General Hospital.

construction, pinned, fracture, face, fall, iron worker, caught between, laceration, contusion, cart

Accident: 120126248 - Burn - Electrical Fault In Switchgear

An electrician was troubleshooting and repairing a vacant hospital's sprinkler and sewage system. As he was working in a high-voltage switchgear room, an electrical fault occurred. The ensuing electric arc burned the employee. He was hospitalized for 10 days for first-, second-, and third-degree burns to his hands, arms, and face.

electrical, burn, electrician, electrical work, electric arc, electrical fault, switchgear, face, hand, e gi vii