Michael Tolman, 56, an ironworker with Shelby Erectors, a project subcontractor, crushed to death after being struck by a rebar cage at the $2.3 billion Interstate 4 Ultimate highway expansion project in Orlando, Florida

A third worker died while on the job at the sprawling, 21-mile-long I-4 Ultimate in Orlando. Michael Tolman, 56, an ironworker with Shelby Erectors, a project subcontractor, died March 8 after being struck.

According to the Orlando Police Dept.’s report, the accident occurred while Tolman was working near the on ramp to Interstate 4 at South Street. The 911 dispatcher noted reports that “someone has been crushed” by a piece of equipment. The report further stated that a “cage fell on [the] employee” and that Tolman was not awake but still breathing.

In response, SGL Constructors temporarily shut down work along the entirety of the 21-mile-long reconstruction project. SGL is the joint venture of Skanska, Granite Construction and Lane Construction rebuilding Orlando’s stretch of I-4.

Brook Brookshire, SGL’s project director, issued a statement on March 9, saying, “We will be reviewing the safety protocols that are in place, and we will take all appropriate action following the investigation to ensure the utmost safety.”

On March 16, SGL stated that work had resumed on the sprawling project, which is being delivered via a design-build-finance-operate-maintain contract.

The previous two fatalities, which occurred in 2016, also involved workers being struck. The first occurred in early 2016, when 34-year-old Marvin Franklin, wearing earbuds, exited a portable restroom and walked in front of a subcontractor truck that was backing up.

In December 2016, 59-year-old Curtis Popkey was killed when he ventured too close to a load being offloaded and a piece of steel fell and struck him.

Noting that its investigation was ongoing, on March 16, SGL added that “After a comprehensive review of our safety management … we have upgraded our protocols and confirmed that we have a safe work plan in place.”

SGL would not provide further details to ENR about changes to the project’s safety plan.

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Another worker killed in struck-by incident on Florida's $2.3B I-4 project



An ironworker on the $2.3 billion Interstate 4 Ultimate highway expansion project in Orlando, Florida, died earlier this month after a rebar cage fell and struck him, according to WKMG News 6.

Michael Tolman, age 56, an employee of subcontractor Shelby Erectors, was working near one of the freeway ramps when the cage fell on him, according to Engineering News-Record. Construction stopped along the entire 21-mile length of the project while law enforcement investigated the incident and while SGL Constructors – the private-public joint venture between Skanska USA, Granite Construction and Lane Construction – reviewed its safety procedures. Work resumed four days later, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

This is the third struck-by fatality on the I-4 project. In 2016, one worker was hit by a truck and another died after being struck by a piece of falling steel.

According to OSHA records, the agency cited SGL with a serious violation in relation to the first fatal incident with the truck and fined the joint venture $12,471 for exposing employees to struck-by hazards. An investigation by WESH found that SGL, as part of its notice of a corrective action plan to OSHA, said it had created a new internal traffic control plan, revised its heavy-equipment backup plan and put a renewed emphasis on the use of spotters.

OSHA has prioritized the reduction of struck-by injuries and deaths by making this type of accident part of its Focus Four initiative. OSHA categorizes struck-by hazards as falling, flying, swinging and rolling, and offers common-sense advice as to how to avoid being injured, such as never positioning oneself between moving and stationary objects, staying alert to vehicles on the project site and wearing high-visibility clothing.

According to an August report from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), struck-by incidents are on the rise. In fact, the center found that more than 800 U.S. construction workers died in struck-by incidents from 2011 to 2015, which is a rate higher than any other industry.

The CPWR said that 52% of deaths involved flying or falling objects and equipment. Nearly 60% of vehicle-related accidents happened in work zones, so highway maintenance workers had the highest rate of deadly struck-by incidents. Also, workers 65 years and older had an increased risk of being killed in a struck-by event.

As for nonfatal struck-by injuries, the construction industry had almost twice the number as all other industries combined.

Even the best of general contractor-instituted safety programs won't be as effective as they could be if subcontractors don't buy into it. To that end, many general contractors typically require subcontractors, particularly on large projects, to submit site-specific safety plans. These plans, according to Grading and Excavation Contractor Magazine, include how a subcontractor will carry out its scope of work, how it will manage its sub-subcontractors, emergency and disciplinary action plans and a thorough job hazard analysis.



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I-4 Ultimate worker struck by rebar, killed in Orlando
Victim identified as 56-year-old Michael Tolman
By Daniel Dahm - Digital Manager 

 March 08, 2018


 
ORLANDO, Fla. - An I-4 Ultimate construction worker has died after a cap cage, a structure made of rebar, fell and struck him in Orlando, officials said.

SGL, the company operating the project on Interstate 4, said Michael Tolman, 56, died after being struck around 9:45 a.m. Thursday at an I-4 west on-ramp at South Street near the Amway Center.

Tolman was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition and later died, officials said.

A cap cage is essentially the skeleton of whatever is being built. A steel cage is constructed, wood is placed around it to make a mold and concrete is poured into it.

SGL released a statement about the incident.

"We are deeply saddened to report that Michael Tolman, 56, of the Orlando area, died this morning as a result of an incident that occurred at approximately 10 a.m. (Thursday) on the I-4 Ultimate construction site in Central Florida. Mr. Tolman, who was an ironworker for Shelby Erectors, suffered critical injuries when he was struck by reinforcing steel.

"Our focus right now is on the family and friends of Mr. Tolman, as well as on the investigation of the accident.

"The cause of the accident is not known at this time. We will conduct an investigation in partnership with local authorities.

"We are supporting individuals and families as they deal with this tragic event. We want to thank the police, fire and local EMS for their rapid response.

"The incident occurred in the downtown Orlando area. Work across the entire 21-mile jobsite has been temporarily suspended."

The rebar was seen left dangling by a crane at an angle.

Orlando police taped off the construction site and interviewed witnesses. Some construction crew members were visibly upset after the accident.

A witness said it was windy when crews were trying to move the rebar, but it is unknown whether that played a factor in the incident.

News 6 attempted to contact Tolman’s employer, but has not heard back.

OSHA is investigating. Officials said they are in the preliminary stages of their investigation.

I-4 Ultimate is a $2 billion, at least six-year project that will transform a 21-mile stretch of the highway from Kirkman Road to State Road 434. The project began in 2015.

No other details have been released.

45-year-old Bojan Sprah from Slovenia killed at the BMW manufacturing plant in Spartanburg County, SC after he was hit by a piece of machinery at the paint shop

Blunt force trauma

• Električar at MZK Elektro
• Electrician at MZK Elektro
• Lives in Kungota Pri Ptuju, Brezovica, Slovenia
• From Ptuj

BMW contract worker died from open head trauma, coroner says

Haley Walters, The Greenville News 
March 29, 2018


South Carolina labor officials are investigating the death of a BMW contract worker at the company's manufacturing facility in Greer.

The South Carolina OSHA investigation is expected to last at least eight weeks.

OSHA investigators were at BMW on Wednesday to search for any safety violations that could have contributed to the death of 45-year-old Bojan Sprah, state OSHA spokesperson Lesia Kudelka said.

Sprah, from Slovenia, was employed by German equipment supplier Loedige and was contracted to work at BMW, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said.

Sprah's death was caused by open head trauma, secondary to blunt force trauma and entrapment in moving machinery, Clevenger said. Toxicology reports are pending.

"I do not have info that he was impaired in any way at this time," Clevenger said in an email.

Sprah was working in BMW's paint shop, which was shut down Wednesday.

In the coming weeks, OSHA investigators will examine the equipment, conduct interviews, speak to BMW management and review safety training logs. Kudelka said the findings of the investigation will be made public once it's closed.

The last reported workplace fatality at BMW in Greer was in February 2016 when Ronnie Lee Hall Jr., a 55-year-old contract worker, fell to his death during a construction job at the plant.

Since 2008, two safety complaints against BMW in Greer were filed with OSHA, one of which resulted in the discovery of a noise violation, according to OSHA records.

An OSHA inspection in 2012 revealed 32 initial safety violations, later reduced to 18, including citations for unsafe wiring, flammable liquids and general safety rules. BMW was fined $20,900 as a result.

Last year, South Carolina had a total of 15 workplace deaths investigated by OSHA.

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Coroner identifies man killed in paint shop at BMW 

 March 28, 2018
By Amanda Shaw
 

 GREER, SC (FOX Carolina) -

First responders were called to the scene of an accidental death at the BMW manufacturing plant in Spartanburg County on Wednesday.

The call came in around 10:27 a.m. regarding an injury at the plant on Highway 101, dispatch said. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office, Pelham-Batesville Fire Department and EMS were on scene.

A BMW spokesperson issued a statement saying there was an accidental death in one of the facility's paint shops and it is under investigation by deputies.

The assistant fire chief for Pelham-Batesville said the male worker was injured by a piece of machinery in the paint shop. The shop has stopped operations during the investigation.

The worker was a private contractor who was working on BMW equipment, the Spartanburg County coroner said.

The coroner identified the worker as 45-year-old Bojan Sprah of Boiling Springs.

Read the full statement from BMW below:


The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an accidental death at BMW Manufacturing. The death occurred in one of our paint shops. The paint shop has stopped operation as the investigation continues. When the accident occurred, BMW first responders were immediately called to provide aid. Pelham-Batesville EMS also responded. Since this is an active investigation, BMW is not able to comment further at this time.

South Carolina OSHA said an investigator is on site to determine if any violations may have contributed to the incident.

Worker died after being struck by an unmanned rail car at the Big Soo Terminal in Sioux City, Iowa

SIOUX CITY, IA -- A worker died as a result of an accident shortly before noon Wednesday at the Big Soo Terminal, 4101 Harbor Drive, Sioux City, Iowa.


Sioux City Police Lieutenant Mark Kirkpatrick said that police were still investigating the incident as of Wednesday afternoon.


"We're still working on it, still have officers on the scene," he said.

According to a press release from the Sioux City Police Department, the worker was engaged in a switching operation with train cars, when he was struck and killed by an unmanned rail car.

"It was a workplace accident, on the side of the Big Soo Terminal," Kirkpatrick said.

The name of the individual is not being released at this time.

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SIOUX CITY, IA (KTIV) -

Sioux City Police Captain Mark Kirkpatrick said officers were dispatched to the Big Soo Terminal at 4101 Harbor Drive for what appears to have been an industrial accident Wednesday.

Captain Kirkpatrick said there was a worker at the Big Soo Terminal who was engaged in a switching operation with some train cars.

He said it appears a tragic accident happened and that individual lost his life.

Police are still working on their investigation and he said the accident occurred on Big Soo property. 

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Police say a man died after being struck by an unmanned rail car in Sioux City Wednesday Morning. Police and EMS were called to Big Soo Terminal at 4101 Harbor Drive for an industrial accident.

A release from Sioux City Police say a man was engaged in a switching operation with rail cars when the man was struck by an unmanned car and died.

1 driver dead, several injured in a series of crashes on an icy stretch of Interstate 80 in Summit County, Utah involving 23 vehicles

One person died Monday morning in a series of crashes on an icy stretch of Interstate 80 in Summit County involving 23 vehicles — most of them semi trucks — which closed both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the freeway.


The freeway was closed at Echo Junction, mile marker 172, about 7:30 a.m., and traffic was being diverted onto Old Echo Road while the Utah Department of Transportation brought snow plows and salt trucks into the area, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.


UHP said “extremely snowy and icy” roads led to five separate crashes on a half-mile span of highway.


Semi driver 61-year-old Oscar Longoria, of Barling, Arkansas, died at the scene, UHP said.



In addition to the fatal injury, one person was flown to the hospital in critical condition, two people were taken by ambulance with injuries that were not life-threatening and 13 people were taken by school bus to Coalville with minor injuries or no injuries.


One eastbound lane reopened about 11:45 a.m. Westbound lanes reopened by 8 p.m. Monday.



In a 24-hour period, UHP reported that there had been more than a hundred other crashes in Salt Lake County — 109 of which included property damage, 16 of which resulted in injuries and one fatality. Davis County had 25 crashes and Weber County had 21 crashes.


Lake-effect snow contributed to the slush Monday morning, according to UDOT. Chains or four-wheel-drive restrictions were imposed for Big and Little Cottonwood canyons in Salt Lake County.



Oh look - white stuff on the roads. OK Utah drivers, before you get out on the roads, make sure to turn off your single functioning brain cell, and drive as fast as you can! Brakes, proper following distances, turn signals, driving for the actual conditions, (and any form of common sense or prudence whatsoever) are for sissys!

A wildfire that destroyed at least two homes in southern Colorado was sparked by a Fort Carson Army aviation training exercise that used live ammunition

FORT CARSON, Colo. – 

 

A wildfire that destroyed at least two homes in southern Colorado was sparked by an Army aviation training exercise that used live ammunition, the military said Monday.

The fire started on Fort Carson amid dry, windy weather on March 16 and spread to private land, charring 5 square miles (13 square kilometers) before it was contained. It prompted evacuations of residents and livestock, but no injuries were reported.

The National Weather Service had issued a fire warning that day because of the conditions.

The Army was "mitigating risk and altering training" before the blaze and would continue to do so when fire danger is high, the post's commander, Maj. Gen. Randy A. George, said in a written statement. He said Fort Carson's regulations, as well as orders for training missions, outline steps to reduce the chances of flames.

The statement did not give details or explain why Fort Carson waited 10 days to acknowledge that the exercise used live ammunition. A post spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to an email seeking clarification.

Some residents who live near Fort Carson criticized commanders for conducting the exercise despite the fire danger.

"The Army is supposed to protect the American public, but it for sure doesn't feel like we're being protected," said Samuel Saling, whose home was one of about 250 evacuated during the blaze.

"They should have all hands on deck, considering how many troops are stationed there that are trained to deal with this type of situation," he told the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The post commander said the Army needs to balance its training needs with the safety of its neighbors. Fort Carson previously said the March 16 training exercise was preparing soldiers for deployment.

The Army said residents could submit claims for reimbursement for property damage to Fort Carson.

The fire also ignited old tires that were fashioned into a fence on private land. Burning tires can release hazardous smoke, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was awaiting the results of tests on the tire debris to see if it needed to be taken to a hazardous waste dump.

 

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Army mum on whether live rounds were in use at Fort Carson when fire began


  Associated Press
March 20, 2018


FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — The Army remained silent Monday on whether live ammunition was in use during a training exercise at Fort Carson three days ago, the same day a fire started on the post, spread to private land and destroyed three homes.

Fort Carson spokeswoman Brandy Gill said she did not yet have any information on the training.


Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, or whether it was related to the training.

The fire started amid dry, windy weather and scorched five square miles (13 square kilometers).

Gill said she had no information on whether Fort Carson has restrictions on training on days like Friday, when wildfire danger is high, or whether training guidelines were under review.

Col. Ron Fitch, Fort Carson's garrison commander, said at a news conference Friday the training had to go on despite the conditions because the soldiers were preparing to deploy overseas.

"We have to train in order to prepare those soldiers," he said.

The training involved infantry and helicopters, Fitch said.

The fire was contained by Monday, although some trash piles and old tires continued to burn.

At least 250 homes were evacuated during the fire. Most residents have been told they can return, but five homes remained under evacuation orders Monday because they were near the remaining fires, El Paso County sheriff's spokeswoman Natalie Sosa said.

Sosa said firefighting crews discovered an illegal marijuana growing operation in the area Saturday.

Officers got a search warrant and seized more than 100 plants. No arrests have been made, she said.