job injuries

Several workers suffered injuries on the job the afternoon of August 9, 2011 in a Sylmar building after a powerful explosion tore open the roof. News reports identify the two critically injured victims of this explosion as off-duty Los Angeles firefighter Timothy Larson and Tyson Larson. It is not clear if they were related. Officials say the explosion occurred in a 7,400-square-foot facility at 12349 Gladstone Avenue.

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A worker suffered job injuries in an explosion at Cargill Milling in San Bernardino. According to a news report in The San Bernardino County Sun, the workplace accident occurred on West Cajon Boulevard in San Bernardino the morning of April 19, 2011. It is unclear at this time what may have caused the explosion. The resulting fire was out before firefighters arrived at the scene of the incident. The report does not state the extent of the worker's injuries following the explosion, but the person has been transported to a local hospital. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victim injured in this workplace accident. I wish the worker a complete and speedy recovery.

What Caused This Workplace Injury?

It is unclear from the report what may have caused this workplace explosion. I trust Cal-OSHA investigators are out at the mill looking into whether the required safety standards were being adhered to, or if there were any violations. There are also other questions here. Did the worker receive adequate job training and safety training? Was the worker given protective gear? Did the employer maintain a safe workplace? Was the accident caused by a defective product or malfunctioning equipment? Read the rest »

A worker sustained fatal job injuries while washing windows at a three-story medical building in Huntington Beach using a power washer. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the electrocution occurred when his equipment came in contact with a power line. Officials say the fatal work injury accident occurred at Beach Boulevard and Newman Street in Huntington Beach the morning of March 29, 2011. The man was walking around a tree with an aluminum extension rod to clean the windows of the third story when the rod touched a 12,000-volt power line. An investigation is ongoing.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the man tragically killed in this on-the-job accident. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

Job-Related Electrocution

According to the Center for Construction Research and Training, between the years of 1993 and 2003, 1,715 people were killed in workplace electrical accidents. Electrical workers accounted for 34 percent of all workplace electrocution fatalities. While 58 percent of fatal electrocution accidents involve electrical wiring and equipment, 34 percent involved contact with an overhead power line. Read the rest »

Dirk Vamoorot, 65, suffered fatal job injuries in San Bernardino after he was crushed by a falling K-rail the morning of November 1, 2010. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, Vamoorot was the member of a crew doing street repairs in the 400 block of East Washington Street in Colton, when a concrete barrier toppled and pinned him underneath. Vamoorot was taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after the accident. The San Bernardino District Attorney's office and Cal-OSHA are investigating this fatal on-the-job accident. Read the rest »

A worker sustained fatal job injuries after being crushed by equipment at a Long Beach rail facility. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal workplace accident occurred in the 2400 block of East Sepulveda Boulevard the morning of September 18, 2010. The worker was standing under a crane and doing repair work when the accident occurred, a fellow worker told the Times. The victim died instantly. Another worker, who was in the area, was also pinned under the crane and sustained injuries. But, the extent of his injuries is not known. An investigation is ongoing. Read the rest »

A worker sustained critical job injuries the morning of June 19, 2010 after he fell into a multi-blade grinder and lost both his legs. According to an ABC News report, the major injury accident occurred at the Jobbers Meat Packing Company at Fruitland Avenue and Downey Road in Vernon. The worker's leg was amputated above the knee by the machine, which is described as a type of meat grinder. The worker was transported to an area hospital in serious condition. Officials are looking into how this horrific accident occurred. Read the rest »

Three workers sustained serious job injuries after a scissor lift they were working on 20 feet in the air fell onto the street in Glendale. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the accident occurred on the north side of the Glendale Galleria the morning of June 14, 2010. The men were doing work on an exterior planter box outside a second floor window at the corner of Broadway and Orange Street. The lift suddenly became unstable and fell onto Broadway. The workers, who are believed to be part of the maintenance crew at the Glendale Galleria, were transported to local hospitals. Read the rest »

Max Martinez, a 26-year-old PG&E worker, sustained fatal job injuries after he was electrocuted while working in an underground vault in Benicia, California. According to a KGO-TV news report, the accident occurred the morning of March 17, 2010, when Martinez, a lineman, was installing a new transformer in the 12,000-volt vault. Three other workers were in the vault, but no one else was injured. California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA) officials are investigating this incident.

My prayers and condolences go out to the family and friends of Max Martinez. Apparently he worked for PG&E for the last five years. Please keep this deceased worker's family in your thoughts and prayers. Read the rest »

Artemio Hernandez, 40, a tree trimmer, sustained fatal job injuries while trimming a palm tree in a Pasadena backyard, the morning of February 13, 2010. According to a news report in the Pasadena Star News, Hernandez was working behind a house in the 500 block of South Oak Knoll Avenue. The man was suspended at a height of about 50 feet on the palm tree when a ring of fronds struck him, Pasadena fire officials said. A gardener heard Hernandez shout out initially, but did not hear anything from him afterward. Firefighters had to cut through the fronds to free the man from the tree. Read the rest »