Articles Posted in On-The-Job Injury

Eleven people suffered burn injuries in a fire and explosion at a La Habra chrome polishing plant the morning of April 29, 2014. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, one worker said he felt the huge explosion and saw many of his co-workers had been badly burned, some of them with their skin hanging off. The explosion left 11 people injured, two critically, with burns over about 90 percent of their bodies. In addition, four people had intermediate and five others had minor injuries.
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Marion Adams, a popular track and field coach and multimedia teacher at Rio Linda High School, died after he became impaled in the arm of a gate at the school. According to a news report in The Sacramento Bee, the fatal incident occurred on March 4, 2013 as Adams, 59, was riding his bicycle after track practice at the school. He looked over his shoulder to say goodbye to a student when he did not see the partially open metal swing gate in the school parking lot. At his rate of speed, Adams was impaled by the gate arm. He initially survived two surgeries to treat internal injuries, but later succumbed to them. The Bee reports that the entire school has been plunged in grief and shock, trying to deal with this senseless tragedy.

What Caused This Tragic Incident?

Based on this news report, it is not clear precisely what caused this incident, which has been described by many as a “freak” accident. There are still several unanswered questions here. Was this accident the result of a dangerous condition on the school’s property? Was the gate supposed to be closed all the time? If so, who left it open? Was there something about the design of these gates that made them dangerous? Have there been other similar incidents at locations where these gates were installed? These are some of the important questions that must be asked in order to determine who was at fault and who, if anyone, should be held liable.

Jose A. Salazar, a 52-year-old worker, has filed a negligence lawsuit against Caltrain alleging that the agency did not provide a safe work environment. Salazar suffered a fractured skull and a broken back after fellow workers hit him with a 39-foot long, 1,768 pound section of steel track while performing railroad work in South San Francisco. Salazar was in a month-long coma after the Nov. 8 accident, but the extent of his recovery or his prognosis is not known.

Workers Were Negligent, Suit States

On the day of the injury, Salazar and some of his co-workers were fixing a damaged section of rail north of the South San Francisco Caltrain station. A piece of rail struck him after the workers lost control while lifting it. Salazar was eventually pinned to the ground.

The woman who styled Superman’s hair in the upcoming movie Man of Steel has filed a lawsuit for damages, claiming she was injured on the movie set as the result of her job. The hairstylist was asked to walk across a set to fix an actor’s hair during filming; the set was full of rubble and presented a “hazardous walking surface” according to the plaintiff’s claim. She fell and injured herself and is now suing Warner Bros. for damages.

Superman’s Hair Can Be Dangerous!

According to Cheryl Pickenback, the key hairstylist for Man of Steel, she was instructed to cross a set in Plano, Illinois, that had been made to appear full of rubble for an upcoming shot. She was asked to walk out onto the set to address hair issues with one of the actors. As she attempted to cross the set, she slipped and fell on the rubble, resulting in severe injuries that necessitated surgery and other treatments. Her suit alleges that Warner Bros., Third Act Pictures and Legendary Pictures failed to provide a safe working environment and that this negligence led to her injuries. The suit has been removed to federal court to encompass set manager James McAllister, who claims he had no role in the Illinois set’s configuration or safety protocols.

A man suffered serious injuries to his legs after a three-ton steel I-beam fell on him as he was working at a site in Benicia the morning of December 20, 2012. According to a Bay City News report, the construction accident occurred at the Unico Mechanical Corp., 1209 Polk Street. Co-workers helped free the man, officials said. He had been pinned under the beam for about a minute after it fell from its chain-and-hook grip while being lifted with a crane. The co-worker ended up using the crane to move the beam off the victim.

The man, believed to have been 19 or 20, was transported to a local hospital with injuries to both legs, but he is expected to survive. The incident is being reviewed by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). Unico Mechanical is a heavy industrial machine shop that provides services including repairs, restorations and parts manufacturing, according to the report.

My thoughts and prayers are with this injured construction worker. Given the size and weight of the steel beam, it is indeed fortunate that he was not fatally injured. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.