Helpful Articles

                                                                                     

September, 2005

IWIF is committed to helping our policyholders and their employees be safe on the
job. As an update service to our customers, we want to alert you to some recent catastrophic injuries reported to IWIF during the past few months. In addition, we want to share general guidelines to prevent these types of accidents from happening again. Note: These are just a sampling of recent severe injuries reported to IWIF and are summarized as a general advisory only. Some of these exposures may or may not be applicable to your workplace. Please share these injury alerts with your employees during a Toolbox Talk or safety meeting. Our hope is that sharing these alerts will emotionally remind workers of the important and basic message that workplace safety saves lives.

Two workers fall from forklift
A forklift fell over while attempting to lift two workers into the air at a construction site.
Both workers were severely injured and taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma center.

Prevention guideline:
Never allow a person to stand or ride on the lifting forks of a forklift or use a forklift as a lifting mechanism for elevating workers into the air.
Worker falls from tailgate of moving pickup truck
A worker fell while riding on the tailgate of a pickup truck traveling a short distance at a worksite moving only 5-8 mph. Injured worker suffered a head injury and was taken to Shock Trauma.

Prevention guideline:
Never allow workers to ride in the bed, step sides or tailgate of a moving vehicle*. Jobsites often times have rough terrain, debris or other hazards that could cause a person to be thrown or to fall from the moving vehicle. * Workers on refuse removal vehicles are an exception.
Worker falls 25 feet from a ladder
Worker installing equipment fell 25 feet from a ladder and suffered a broken neck and is in intensive care. Treating physicians are concerned the injured worker may be a quadriplegic.

Prevention guideline:
Working on ladders presents numerous hazards. Instruct all workers who climb and perform elevated work on ladders on the safe, and proper procedures for ladder safety. Caution and care must be observed at all time. Pease consult the safety instructions that come with all ladders. For detailed ladder safety information, please refer to official OSHA ladder safety guidelines. In addition please see the IWIF Safety Tips section at www.iwif.com for basic ladder safety tips.
Worker struck by falling platform
A worker suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, when he was struck by a falling steel platform. The worker was taken to Shock Trauma.

Prevention guideline:
Lifting a construction object/piece of equipment involves numerous safety steps. Workers must never stand directly beneath a construction object that is being lifted by crane, cables, hoist, etc. All workers or persons on a construction jobsite must also wear a safety hardhat.
Worker falls through skylight construction opening
A worker recently fell 17 feet through a rooftop hole being constructed for a skylight. The worker suffered a severe head injury requiring a drug-induced coma.

Prevention guideline:
All rooftop construction openings must be properly marked and guarded with guardrails and or covered with a weight bearing covering. All floor or roof openings larger than 2" should be protected or covered.
Worker suffers chemical burns to face and eyes from nitric acid
A young worker was working with nitric acid when the bottle exploded resulting in chemical burns to both eyes, burns to the face, hands and feet. This injured worker may not fully regain his eyesight.

Prevention guideline:
Read and understand the Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) to determine if there are precautions relating to incompatibilities with other chemicals. Follow proper handling and storage requirements. Wear eye protection, full-face shields, proper gloves, aprons, and work shoes when handling and working with all chemicals.
This alert is an advisory only. The injuries described here and the prevention guidelines are general in nature and may not cover all details of the incident or specific safety information. It may not list all advisory hazards. IWIF assumes no responsibility for identification or correction of conditions identified as hazardous. Safety and health remain your responsibility.