A delicate, sky-high rescue was necessary Thursday when an injured worker was brought down from the 12th floor of a downtown Fort Lauderdale construction site.
The incident unfolded about 10 a.m. at 299 N. Federal Highway, where a building is under construction.
Teams from Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue used a type of stretcher called a Stokes basket — connected to a tall crane being used for the construction job — to slowly lower the worker to ground level.
Officials said lowering the injured worker by crane was “the best course of action” rather than using the site’s temporary external elevator system or a rescue ladder.
The worker was accompanied by a member of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Department and the two men were lowered slow and steady.
The worker is believed to have had a back injury. He was taken to the hospital, officials said.
“In this situation, it’s basically keep him calm,” said Kenneth Interien of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Department. “We train on this all the time, so for us it’s kinda like second nature.”
The identity of the injured worker has not been released.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Fort Lauderdale firefighters rescued a construction worker, Thursday morning, who was injured on the 12th floor of a high rise.
The construction worker was hurt on the job just before 10 a.m. and safely brought to the ground almost 45 minutes later by the fire department’s Tactical Rescue Team (TRT).
“Our initial teams got here and made an assessment of the situation and determined quickly it was going to be a TRT operation,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Capt. Garrett Pingol. “Later, they went to the top floor, which caused a slight delay in access to the patient.”
7SkyForce HD hovered over the construction site, near 299 N. Federal Highway, where Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials said they worked on bringing the worker down off the top floor of the building.
Firefighters said they used a tower crane to bring down the worker. “Once they made contact, they determined the only way to get him down was through a TRT response,” said Pingol. “Our units from 47 responded from TRT and made contact and determined the best course of action was what you saw, removing the victim down via a stokes basket using the crane on-site.”
Fire rescue officials said the man suffered a back injury on the 12th floor of the building.
The worker was quickly transported by ground to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The extent of the worker’s injuries remains unknown.
Missouri, Kansas fail to protect residents from preventable deaths, injuries, study says
By Robert A. Cronkleton
bcronkleton@kcstar.com
Kansas and Missouri are among the worst when it comes to protecting residents from the leading causes of preventable deaths and injuries, according to a new study from the National Safety Council.
And Missouri fared the worst in the nation in the study, The State of Safety. Kansas was the 11th worst.
The two states were among 11 that received a failing grade. Not one received an “A” in the report that looks at safety where people live and work and how they travel.
“We found with respect to the state of safety is that it’s not great across the United States,” said Debbie Hersman, president and chief executive officer of the National Safety Council. “Most states had a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ when it came to protecting their citizens.”
Some states had high grades in some of the categories, so it’s possible to earn an “A,” she said.
“Most states don’t have the laws and regulations in place to achieve that,” she said.
The study examined laws, policies and regulations around issues in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., that lead to the most preventable deaths and injuries. As well as an overall grade, the study graded states in three categories: road, workplace, and home and community safety.
Missouri earned an “F” across the board. Meanwhile, Kansas earned a “B” in road safety but an “F” in the two other categories. The state came in last in work place safety.
“I think citizens ought to be very concerned that their leadership is not advancing safety issues,” Hersman said. “When you see an ‘F’ in every space — at work, in homes and communities and on the road — I think that is concerning and seeing that a number of efforts need to be undertaken to just get them to a baseline.”
There’s a lot of opportunity for state leaders to pass laws and regulations that address safety issues, and both Kansas and Missouri could learn from what other states are doing to help improve the safety of their citizens, she said.
In Missouri, for example, the state was failing in road safety partly because it does not have a primary seat belt law, which allows police to stop motorists for not wearing one.
Critics of a primary seat belt law have called it an infringement on civil liberties. The issue is a matter of personal choice, they contend.
When it came to workplace safety, Missouri doesn’t have drug- or smoke-free places, nor a workplace wellness law.
“When it came to home and community safety, they (Missouri) were pretty miserable in this space — they were ranked 48th out of 51,” she said. “Everything from drowning to home fires to poisoning to youth sports related concussions, they were off track.”
In particular, Missouri remains the only state without a prescription drug monitoring program to guard against “doctor shopping” and prescription drug abuse — particularly when it comes to opioids.
Opioid overdoses are “one of the fastest growing areas of fatalities in the United States, Hersman said.
After months of debate, Missouri legislators failed to pass a prescription drug monitoring program this year. The House had approved a bill. The Senate, however, tacked on amendments, significantly modifying it.
Many supporters of the House bill balked at passing the Senate version that would have replaced tough county-based systems with a weakened statewide system.
In Kansas, the state could strengthen its child passenger safety laws as well as address the issue of children being left in hot cars. To improve safety at home and in the community, the state could add or strengthen policies and regulations to help prevent drownings and poisonings, Hersman said.
“They have a lot of work to do in those spaces,” Hersman said, “everything from CPR for high school graduates to barriers required around residential pools.”
To see how each state fared in each area, click here for Missouri and here for Kansas.
The National Safety Council released the report Tuesday to wrap up National Safety Month, which is observed each June to draw attention to eliminating preventable deaths.
Each year, there are 40.6 million serious, preventable injuries. More than 146,000 are dying each year from something that is predictable and preventable, she said.
“The average age of someone dying from an unintentional injury is 46 years old,” she said. “That is somebody dying 33 years early.”
A manufacturer of cast-steel freight components faces a proposed fine of $610,034 after being accused by federal safety regulators of safety violations at its operation in Groveport.
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday that a 60-year-old worker at Amsted Rail Co. Inc. suffered a crushed leg in January after he was caught in a machine while doing maintenance. Also, at least four workers were said to have been exposed to excessive levels of silica, which can cause health problems.
Two inspections of the plant found six repeat violations, 19 serious violations and five other-than-serious safety and health violations, the agency said.
Amsted Rail also has been placed in the agency’s severe-violator enforcement program.
“Companies must ensure their workers are trained in proper machine-safety procedures and provided the necessary personal protective equipment to prevent injuries and illness on the job,” said Dorothy Dougherty, the agency’s deputy assistant secretary of labor, in a statement.
“Continuous monitoring of facilities and procedures are important components of an effective safety and health program.”
A message seeking comment left with Amsted Rail at its Chicago headquarters was not returned.
An OSHA inspection after the worker’s leg was crushed revealed instances of machine-safety violations, including failing to lock out machinery to prevent movement during servicing, the agency said. A subsequent inspection documented incidents of silica overexposure at the plant.
In all, the company is accused of failing to:
• Implement engineering controls to lower exposure to silica
• Affix locking devices to machine operating parts during maintenance
• Adequately guard machinery
• Implement a respiratory-protection program
• Guard floor openings and shafts to prevent falls
• Other violations.
Amsted Rail has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with the agency’s area director, or contest the findings.
Amsted Rail builds everything from wheels, axles and bearings to brake systems, bogies, bolsters and more.
Edison fined $2 million in Huntington Beach accident that left worker dead in 2013. The utility illegally delegated its safety responsibilities to a contractor, CAM Contractors
By City News Service | UPDATED: June 29, 2017 at 6:49 pm
HUNTINGTON BEACH — Southern California Edison was fined $2 million by the California Public Utilities Commission for an accident at an underground vault in Huntington Beach that killed an employee nearly four years ago.
Brandon Orozco, who worked for an Edison subcontractor, accidentally removed an energized “dead-break elbow” while preparing underground cables for testing, which resulted in his death on Sept. 30, 2013.
The fine was part of a negotiated settlement agreement with Edison.
“The CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division investigated the incident an alleged that SCE delegated its safety responsibilities to its contractor in violation of CPUC decisions and California law,” according to a statement from the utilities commission. “SCE failed to ensure that its contractor and subcontractor performed their work safely. Today’s fine approves a settlement agreement between the Safety and Enforcement Division and SCE.”
Orozco worked for CAM Contractors. The utility illegally delegated its safety responsibilities to a contractor, according to the watchdog
organization.
The commission praised Edison for taking quick action to investigate the accident and implement reforms.
Edison “took steps to create a series of enhancements to its safety practices and procedures prior to the CPUC opening the penalty consideration case that was concluded today,” said Commissioner Liane M. Randolph. “This is the type of action that all of our utilities should take immediately following any kind of incident. By waiting for a formal CPUC proceeding to be opened or even a CPUC decision regarding an incident, more lives and property are put at risk.”
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HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Authorities Tuesday identified the 28-year-old contract worker who was killed in an underground electrical vault explosion in Huntington Beach.
Brandon Orozco, of Whittier, died Monday at 16282 Tisbury Circle, according to Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Firefighters on scene saw heavy smoke coming from the vault and were told that a worker was trapped underground.
A CAM Construction Inc. crew was contracted to work in the vault, which holds Southern California Edison equipment, according to Huntington Beach Fire Capt. Bob Culhane.
Culhane added that the fire started during a scheduled five-hour power outage. Cal/OSHA is investigating.
ABILENE, Texas - A pipeline accident Friday in Borden County left 20-year-old Coby Stinson of Colorado City dead, and his twin without her other half.
"I just knew it wasn't just bad, but that he was gone. I just had a feeling ... I could feel that from him," said Coby's twin sister, Courtney Stinson.
Coby graduated from Westbrook High School in 2016. During his time there, he was very involved in track, football, and golf. Following graduation, Coby immediately went to working in construction and Courtney went to Angelo State University.
"He was loving his job, he loved his job in pipelining, and I was so angry and sad, and I'll never forget that feeling," says Courtney.
The accident happened while Coby was working for Keystone Pipeline Construction. A water line burst due to built up pressure and Coby was struck by debris.
"I don't know if I was mad at God. I don't know if I was mad at myself, the company, I don't know, just that it happened," said Coby’s mother, Allison Stinson.
Growing up, Courtney says it was always just "Coby and Courtney."
"I don't know how to be apart. I don't know how to be the only one," Courtney said.
The twins are described as miracle babies. Through in vitro fertilization, Coby and Courtney were born February 4, 1997 to Allison and Joe Stinson.
"Kids were all I ever wanted and I just couldn't live my life without having kids, and we did," Allison said.
The funeral service for Coby will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Church of Christ in Colorado City. Coby will be carried to the Colorady City cemetery in his own truck because it was very dear to him, according to his family.
"I just want my son back but I know that's not possible," Allison said.
Here is the obituary:
Coby Lane Stinson, 20, of Colorado City, passed away unexpectedly on
Friday, June 9, 2017. He and his twin sister were born February 4, 1997,
in San Angelo, TX to Joe and Allison Stinson. Coby spent most of his
life in Colorado City, graduating in 2016 from Westbrook High School
where he was a regional qualifier for the track team, and played
football and golf. After school Coby went to work for Bartlett-Cocke
Construction based out of Austin for a year before going to work at
Keystone Pipeline out of Coahoma where he worked for the past two to
three months as a pipeliner.
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An investigation is underway following an accident on Friday at a Borden County oilfield that left a 20-year-old man dead.
Coby Stinson was pronounced dead at Scenic Mountain Medical Center after he was taken there by Scurry County EMS, according to Borden County Sheriff Benny Allison.
At about 4:25 p.m., Scurry County officials received a call after workers with the Keystone Pipeline Construction company were working on the end of a waterline when it burst due to built up pressure.
As it came loose, a piece of the line struck Stinson. Allison said the case is an open investigation.
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Man killed in West Texas accident
Water line bursts in Borden County causing death of 20-year-old worker
Luke Johnson
13 Jun 2017 20:00 GMT
A worker was killed in an oilfield accident in West Texas last week after a water line burst during construction.
The man, identified as 20-year-old Coby Stinson, was an employee of Midland-based Keystone Pipeline Construction, according to the Borden County Sheriff's Office.
Stinson was working on a water pipeline last Friday afternoon when the line "pressured up and a piece came loose and struck him", Sheriff Benny Allison told Upstream. Stinson was transported to a nearby hospital where he died.
The accident occured 70 to 80 miles north-east of Midland near the town of Vealmoor in an area where oil and gas drilling and production takes place, Allison said. He could not confirm the name of the site operator.
A Keystone Pipeline representative was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.
The water line was carrying a fluid that was "not freshwater", Allison said. The incident caused "a large discharge" of fluid, but there was no apparent environmental damage.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
