Fatality Files
Worker Pinned by Auger Dies
A 46-year-old construction worker died after being involved in an auger incident in Port Kent, NY.
Michael Bradley Loyer of South Burlington, VT, was using a Barbco auger while installing a large pipe, when the machine became stuck in the pipe. Loyer was ejected and became pinned under about the piece of equipment, weighing some 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms).
A backhoe was used to move the auger off the victim, who was pronounced dead in hospital a short time afterwards. Loyer, who owned Trenchless Technologies of New England, Inc. with his brother, Thomas, died from multiple blunt force injuries.
Loyer was actively involved with the Eagles Aerie 793 and loved the outdoors.
“His death is a reminder to us all of the dangers we face every day working around heavy equipment, in particular, the high-torque drilling equipment,” a colleague wrote in a condolence message. “We can never be too cautious and we should never become complacent around heavy equipment.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and New York State Police are investigating.
9/11 Changed the World Forever
Ten years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, four coordinated attacks by the terrorist organization al-Qaeda brought much of the world to its knees and ushered in a new-normal sense of security, where no one is above suspicion.
On that surreal day, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four large passenger jets with one unimaginable purpose in mind—inflicting as much death, mayhem and fear on the American public as possible.
Two of the hijacked jets were deliberately flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and a third plane was purposely crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth jetliner presumably targeted at the Capitol Building or the White House crashed into a field near Shankesville, PA, after some of the passengers fought back against the hijackers on board and attempted to regain control of the airplane.
The attacks on the World Trade Center killed, 2,753 people, including more than 400 firefighters and police officers. The injured numbered more than 6,000. Had the burning towers collapsed sooner or perhaps fallen sideways, the carnage could have been much worse. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) estimated that 17,400 people were in the Twin Towers when the terrorists struck.
Thousands of tons of toxic dust entered the atmosphere when the towers fell and numerous deaths have since been linked to exposure to these materials.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by American forces in May 2011, at first denied responsibility for the attack, but in 2004 he admitted overseeing the plot.
In response to the 9/11 attacks, the George W. Bush administration swiftly announced a “war on terror” with a goal of bringing Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda to justice.
The United States and Britain began bombing Afghanistan for harboring terrorist groups, beginning Oct. 7, 2001. Other countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Denmark, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Norway and Bulgaria followed.
The Bush administration enacted the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Act created the Department of Homeland Security, whose mandates include preventing terrorism and enhancing security and securing and managing US borders.
Also created was the USA Patriot Act, which gave the US government the power to detain foreign terror suspects without charges, along with the ability to monitor terror suspects’ telephone conversations, emails and Internet use.
In an attempt to better secure commercial airplanes against high jacking, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assigned sky marshals to flights and mandated the reinforcing of airplane cockpits to prevent unauthorized access.
Also, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act transferred airport security operations away from airports and to the federal government.
The world breathed a collective sigh of relief with the news that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been shot dead by US forces in May, 2011, but it would be naïve to believe that al-Qaeda no longer poses a threat to the US and other countries which have fought against extremists since 9/11.
The threat of another attack very much remains, as does the need for people to watch for and report any behavior that seems suspicious, both at work and in their neighborhoods.
Construction Worker Killed on Paving Project
A 34-year-old construction worker died after being struck in the head by a front-end loader at a paving project in Windsor, ON.
Takis Escoto died in hospital. The operator of the loader that struck him was pacing up the street in tears as fellow workers tried to console him.
Co-workers and people living in the area immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but Escoto could not be saved.
He had worked for Coco Paving Inc. since 2002.
According to his obituary, “Takis had a generous and giving spirit and made everyone smile. He was a family oriented individual who was always there to lend a helping hand.”
Escoto’s death is being investigated by Windsor police and the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
Boom Lift Breaks, Killing 40-Year-Old Worker
A 40-year-old worker described by his boss as being “more like family” died from a traumatic brain injury after falling from a boom lift truck in North York, PA.
Alan Price was working with a crew to remove a tree from a private residence when the boom lift he was using suddenly broke. The lift’s arm swung the bucket into the side of the truck and he was thrown about 50 feet (15 meters) to the ground.
Price is survived by a wife, Taneka, and two teenage sons. Taneka, who worked for the same employer as her husband, C.J. Doudrick’s General Contracting, was at the site when the incident occurred.
The man’s organs were donated to seven recipients.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the accident. An OSHA spokesperson says Price was not tied into the bucket.
Carnival Worker Dies in Ferris Wheel Fall
A 42-year-old carnival worker died as the result of a fall and another worker was critically injured after a safety cable reportedly snapped.
The incident occurred at the Greensboro Youth Council Carnival site in Greensboro, NC, where workers were dismantling a ferris wheel at the end of the carnival.
Michael Douglas Cook, 42, of Columbus, GA, was pronounced dead in hospital while the second worker, who was not identified, was hospitalized with critical injuries.
Cook had worked for the carnival for a number of years and was extremely safety-conscious, according to his co-workers.
Yale Undergraduate Killed in Incident Involving Lathe
A Yale undergraduate was tragically killed when her hair became caught in a lathe she was using at the university. Michele Dufault, who was majoring in astronomy and physics, was working in a machine shop in a chemistry lab when the incident occurred.
Dufault, 22, died as a result of asphyxia due to neck compression. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says it will be investigating her death and Yale president Richard Levin says the university will be reviewing safety policies and practices of laboratories, machine shops and other facilities where students operate power equipment.
Students will only have access to such facilities during set hours and only when monitors are present, until the review is complete.
Fellow student Joe O’Rouke says Dufault was passionate about all types of science and an extremely hard worker.
The university says access to the machine shop in the chemistry department is limited to those who have taken an introductory shop course. Safety precautions posted online warn students to tie up long hair or long beards. Dufault was said to be well aware of necessary machinery safeguards.
Young Worker Dies When Tree Breaks
A 24-year-old tree service worker died when the oak tree he was trimming near its top suddenly snapped at the base, throwing him to the ground and landing on him.
Luke Stetson of East Windsor, CT, was wearing a safety harness attached to the tree and had just finished cutting a branch when the tree broke. While the oak looked healthy from the outside, the inside was badly rotted and could not sustain Stetson’s weight.
He was alive when first responders arrived but he did not survive his severe injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating.
Cherry Picker Boom Snaps, Killing Worker
A 34-year-old married father of three young children died in Littleton, CO, after the articulated boom he was working from snapped, causing him to fall about 30 feet (9.1 meters).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the death of Adam Mackintosh, who operated his own company, Adam’s Tree Service.
He is survived by wife Melanie, a two-year-old son, Adison and one-year-old twins Claire and Sophia. A trust fund has been set up to help the children.
Mackintosh loved the outdoors, especially camping, fishing, sailing and spending time in his back yard with family and friends. He also enjoyed playing music and making people laugh.
Boy Accompanying Dad to Work Dies
It was a parent’s worst nightmare. A young boy who had accompanied his father to his family-owned business died after being struck by a forklift while he stood in a parking lot.
Joseph Trafican, 8, died in hospital in Woodland, CA, after a passing forklift struck him. The forklift operator told police he had not seen the child.
The tragic incident occurred at PT Welding, owned by Joseph’s dad, Patrick Trafican. California’s workplace safety agency, Cal-OSHA, says it will not investigate the death, because there has to be a direct employee-to-employer relationship and this incident falls outside Cal-OSHA’s jurisdiction.
A memorial fund has been established at Woodland Christian School, where Joseph was a student.
Worker’s Widow Grateful Court Case Concluded
The wife of a worker who was fatally crushed by a heavy rack is grateful that her emotionally painful days of attending court hearings in connection with his death are over.
Claudio Cardoso, 36, was painting a steel storage rack at Bravo Cement Contracting (Windsor) Inc. in Windsor, ON, in January 2009 when he fell from a ladder. He then tried grabbing the rack to stop his fall, but the steel rack, weighing about 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms) tipped over and fell, trapping him.
Bravo Cement pleaded guilty to failing to secure the rack to prevent it from tipping or falling. The company must pay a $90,000 fine, plus a 25 percent victim fine surcharge.
Veronica Carduso, Claudio’s widow, told the Windsor Star newspaper that her son, Mauricio, at age two, is too young to understand what happened to his dad. However, his five-year-old brother, Mateo, has been badly affected by the death.
When told that his father had died, Mateo said, “My papa has ouchie and he’s not coming back.”
Veronica says Mateo still says “I love you, papa” every night before falling asleep.
