Category: News Reports

On Thursday, February 1, 2018, in Frisco, Texas, a 46-year-old construction worker became entrapped in a trench digging machine. One of his legs had to be amputated at the construction site, to release him. The worker, Francisco Palma, was in critical condition after the procedure, and he was transported to Medical City Plano, where he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit. In response to tremendous population growth and construction throughout the area, emergency medical teams had prepared for the possibility of an emergency amputation. It is believed that those preparations may have saved Palma’s life. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration visited the site, which is standard procedure after a workplace fatality or a serious accident. An investigation has been underway to determine whether the employer had followed safety guidelines designed to provide a safe workplace environment.

When the construction accident occurred, the trenching equipment caught Palma’s pant leg and flipped him over. The teeth of the equipment are like huge chainsaws. The construction worker’s leg was nearly severed, and he dangled from the equipment until the amputation procedure could be done. Firefighters with the Frisco Fire Department arrived on the accident scene within five minutes, but they were unable to free Palma from the equipment. They quickly surmised that his leg would have to be amputated right there, in the midst of the dirt.

A trauma surgeon was summoned, and surgeon Al West arrived at the scene by helicopter about 40 minutes after the accident occurred. Firefighters began administering blood that the surgeon brought with him, and other firefighters held Palma’s body so he wouldn’t fall. The amputation was completed within 10 minutes. West said that if the local area hadn’t been equipped to perform the emergency amputation, Palma may have bled to death, while waiting for the needed surgery.

During Palma’s continued recovery, doctors are working hard to prevent infection, since dirt was ground into his wounds. His remaining leg suffered injuries, but it is believed that he will be able to put weight on it after three months or more.

–Guest Contributor

On Thursday, February 1, 2018, approximately 1,000 pounds of rebar crashed down onto two workers at a Texas Department of Transportation construction site in San Antonio, Texas. One of the workers was fully trapped underneath the rebar. His injuries include multiple broken bones and serious head trauma, according to police. He was in critical condition, and paramedics took him to University Hospital. The other worker’s leg was crushed underneath the rebar. He was in serious condition and was also taken to the same medical facility. Debris from the construction accident caused two other workers to suffer minor injuries. They were treated onsite and released.

According to Sgt. Mark Hubbard of the San Antonio Police Department, the injured workers had been tying together a row of rebar support beams approximately 20 yards long. They were forming a support structure. It was going to be lifted onto a pillar onto which a new access road will be built, from Loop 410 to westbound U.S. 90. Tragically, one of the beams suspending the rebar in the air tipped over, which caused all of the rebar to collapse.

The construction incident is being treated as an accident at this time. An investigation will be conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The San Antonio Police Department will make inquiries into the workplace accident, as well.

Employers have a responsibility to ensure that workers have a safe workplace environment. OSHA provides safety guidelines that employers are required to follow, for the protection of workers.

–Guest Contributor

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) acknowledges that healthcare workers, such as two workers in Dallas who have contracted Ebola from a now-deceased patient, face many health and safety hazards. Among the workplace hazards faced by healthcare workers are:

• Potential drug and chemical exposures
• Bloodborne pathogens
• Respiratory hazards
• Waste anesthetic gas exposures
• Radioactive material hazards, such as x-rays
• Laser hazards

Among the possible chemical exposures experienced by healthcare workers are paracetic acid, glutaraldehyde, and ethylene oxide used for sterilization; and formaldehyde, used for preserving specimens for pathology.

The number of healthcare workers contracting serious illnesses and diseases on the job has reduced significantly in the past two decades. Thirty-seven work-related fatalities from exposure to harmful substances were reported by U.S. hospitals between 2003 and 2011.

These statistics may change with the arrival of Ebola. This deadly disease has killed approximately 90% of those infected in Africa, and the survival rate in the U.S. so far is 50%. Ebola is highly contagious. Before the first Ebola victim in Dallas was quarantined, he sat in an emergency room full of people; and nurses and doctors worked with him without protection until the disease was identified.

The healthcare workers who have now been confirmed to be infected with Ebola followed guidelines for protecting themselves, but it is not difficult to breach the system of protection. Just the act of removing the protective gear can cause exposure, if not done correctly.

More than ever, healthcare workers are facing significant risks. Read more about how healthcare workers take protective measures against contagious infection in this ongoing series.

–Guest Contributor

A construction worker suffered life-threatening injuries on April 9 after being pinned between an elevator and a concrete surface at a construction site in downtown Austin. The injured man, who is in his 30s, was working inside the elevator shaft when someone activated the elevator, causing his head to sustain a crush injury. He was freed before medics arrived and was conscious when transported by ambulance to University Medical Center Brackenridge; his current condition and whether or not he survived has not been publicly disclosed.

The construction accident occurred at 303 Colorado Street, where the Colorado Tower, a 29-story building, is being constructed. He was working on the 8^th floor of the elevator shaft when the elevator went into motion. In addition to the head injury, the man was admitted to the hospital for critical trauma to his upper body.

Since construction began at this site, this is the second reported injury. A man who was outside of a nearby restaurant was struck with liquid cement from the building site on March 26. According to officials, a malfunction in a pump which was pouring the liquid cement is what caused the cement to fall to the ground from the 16^th floor. DPR Construction released a statement which said that the injured man was a subcontractor on the project and was working near the building’s exterior when the accident happened.

As a result of the more recent construction injury, work at the site was completely halted until the incident could be thoroughly investigated, according to DPR Construction’s general manager, Gary Nauert. Both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Austin Police Department are looking into the details of what happened.

Research shows that 1 of every 5 construction workers in Texas is injured on the job. In addition, Texas has more construction fatalities than any other state, year after year.

–Guest Contributor

The roof on a four-story building collapsed in the Las Colinas suburb in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday; and one construction worker was injured. The construction work injury occurred in the 700 block of Lake Carolyn Parkway. According to Irving Fire Department officials, the one worker injured was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

In response to a high number of construction worker injuries and fatalities in the state, the Workers Defense Project has done an in-depth study of the construction industry in Texas and through an initiative called “Build a Better Texas” provides recommendations for the leaders in the construction industry, meant to improve overall conditions for construction workers:

Do more to guarantee that construction workers do their jobs in safe working conditions. The fatality rate in the Texas construction industry is disproportionately high, which is evidence enough that more needs to be done to protect the safety of construction workers. It is recommended that government agencies and organizations for workers’ rights, responsible businesses, and unions partner together to conduct safety sweeps aimed at ensuring safe working environments.

Policies should be adopted which guarantee the following for construction workers:

• Basic safety training
• Rest breaks
• Medical care

Ensure that construction workers receive adequate compensation for their work. The construction industry harms families through low wages, payroll tax fraud, and wage theft. Policymakers should aggressively enforce existing laws regarding wage and hours of work and reward healthy business practices. There should be a substantial reward for construction employers who provide medical insurance, provide retirement benefits, pay a living wage, give opportunities for career advancement, and protect workers from retaliation when they report safety violations.

See more recommendations for the construction industry along with statistics in this continuing series.

–Guest Contributor

The partial shutdown of the U.S. government  has had enormous impact on the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  More than 90% of OSHA’s inspectors have been furloughed, and the agency is left with only enough personnel to handle workplace emergencies that are deemed serious.

Spokesperson Jesse Lawder said that in each of OSHA’s 92 area offices, two inspectors will work; and this is in accordance with the contingency plan laid out on September 10.  David Michaels, an OSHA director, said this plan allows for enough staff members to respond in the event of catastrophes, fatalities, and situations which pose imminent danger.

Director of safety and health for the AFL-CIO Peg Seminario said that during the furlough, workers won’t receive protection from OSHA.  The types of activities which have been cancelled are routine inspections, investigations into complaints, consultation, and outreach.  Seminario pointed out that the activities which are designed to prevent illness and injury are the ones that are currently shut down.

In addition to OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission offices are also putting all but two employees on furlough.

There are two programs which will not have any changes during the government shutdown because they are funded with alternate sources, those being the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program and the World Trade Center Health Program.

Many have hope that October 8 will be the end of the shutdown; but, on the other hand, there are many signs that Washington politicians aren’t close to reaching an agreement on government funding.

–Guest Contributor

A barn frame collapsed as construction was underway for an equestrian complex valued at $80 million at Texas A&M University in Bryan, Texas.  Four workers were injured, and three suffered critical injuries.

According to Lane Stephenson, Texas A&M spokesperson, the accident occurred about one mile from the main campus on university property.  Campus police, fire departments from College Station and Bryan, and Texas A&M emergency medical personnel responded to emergency calls at about 11 a.m. on the recent Saturday when the barn collapsed.

Emergency personnel encountered twisted metal beams and a precarious situation which briefly halted the search for the four workers.  There was concern that there would be further collapse.  Once the structure was secured and the four workers were found, a secondary search was conducted to make sure that no one else was trapped.

When the injured workers were finally removed from the collapsed barn, they were quickly transported to area hospitals.

The weather conditions at the time of the construction accident were cloudy with mid-80 temperatures.  Wind gusted at just above 10 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.  Officials with the Texas A&M police are investigating to determine what caused the collapse; the contractor has offices in Houston and San Antonio and declined to comment.

The equestrian center being constructed is set to be completed in 2014 and will combine numerous activities in one premier location.  There will be an equine program as well as academic programs, clubs, and associations at the center.

–Guest Contributor