OSHA
Worker Injured in Florida Construction Accident
A worker at a construction site in Fort Lauderdale was struck by a beam and fell around 25 feet after the beam collapsed on him, according to emergency response personnel. They say that the man, age and address unknown, was part of a construction crew building a two-story house at 109 S. Gordon Road when he was injured. They told police that the man was pouring concrete for the second floor of the house when the beam he was standing on gave way. The beam reportedly struck the man again as he fell the nearly 25 feet to the ground.
Orlando Teen Hospitalized After Industrial Bakery Accident
A young man was hospitalized with undisclosed injuries recently after getting his hand caught in a machine at an Orlando bakery. Details about the workplace accident are still sketchy, but police say the young man was working at around 12:30 a. m. one recent morning when his hand got caught in the auger of a machine at Aladdin Food and Bakery at 655 S. Golden Rod Road in the Rio Plaza. Firefighters arrived shortly after the accident and worked for around an hour to free the young man’s hand from the machine. They say he was preparing a large batch of bread dough when his hand got caught in the auger. Although they did not disclose the extent of the victim’s injuries, firefighters said that the teen’s fingers were intact when they extracted his hand from the machine. They said that after they freed him from the machine, they wrapped his injured hand in gauze and transported him to Arnold Palmer Hospital for treatment.
Tampa Florida Worker Injured at Pepsi Plant
The investigation into the workplace accident is still underway, but authorities say that a worker got his leg caught in a conveyor at a Pepsi-Cola plant in Tampa and was critically injured. Employees at the plant called 911 around 11:30 a.m. on August 28 and told the operator that the man’s leg had been caught in a conveyor rail system at the plant. Accident investigators say the man had been cleaning the equipment when co-workers heard him start screaming. The machinery crushed his leg, and workers said it took Tampa Fire Rescue’s heavy equipment team nearly 90 minutes to free the man so he could be taken to Tampa General Hospital.
Disney Roller Coaster Will Remain Closed During Investigation
Walt Disney World officials have announced that they plan to keep a popular roller coaster in their park closed for the summer while federal officials continue their investigation into an amusement park accident that killed an employee. Disney reported that a mechanic was killed in March while working on the Primeval Whirl, a roller coaster in Disney’s Animal Kingdom amusement park. This roller coaster has been shut down for maintenance since January, and Disney reports that it will not open again until September 14 at the earliest. The ride had previously been scheduled to reopen in April, but that opening was postponed until June until the most recent announcement that the ride will be closed for the summer.
SeaWorld Trainer Dies during Contact with Whale
An Orlando SeaWorld trainer died in an accident while handling one of the park’s trained killer whales on Feb. 24. According to official reports, 40-year-old Dawn Brancheau was standing in knee-deep water, interacting with the performing whale known as Tilikum, when she was pulled into the water and subsequently drowned. Brancheau was an experienced trainer, and officials are still looking at exactly how the tragic incident unfolded. Witnesses reported that staff could not assist Brancheau immediately because the animal could not be effectively controlled.
Feds Cite Multiple Safety Violations against Disney
An article published recently in the Orlando Sentinel reported that Walt Disney World has been cited for multiple workplace safety violations and faces fines up to $44,000 after a July monorail accident. The accident claimed the life of a 21-year-old Disney World employee on July 5 of last year and resulted in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing Disney for one “serious” safety violation. Officials say the accident occurred when a monorail train was moving in reverse during a track switch and backed into another train, killing the driver of the train.
Orlando Amusement Park Accident Results in Fines for Universal Orlando
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a $3,750 fine against Universal Orlando for an employee injury last summer. OSHA said that the worker was injured when he was struck by one of the cars on the Dueling Dragons roller coaster, one of the Orlando theme park’s most popular rides. The accident resulted in the worker suffering serious injuries in the Islands of Adventure area of the theme park, a part of Universal Orlando that will become part of the new Wizard World of Harry Potter area of the theme park.
