No one witnessed the event

WSN Hazard Alert: Experienced cutter killed by freestanding tree - Download and share

What happened?

An experienced cutter-skidder operator working alone in a private woodlot was killed by a freestanding tree when it fell on him as he worked nearby. He was found by another worker in a facedown position, apparently having been struck from behind by the tree. The impact caused extensive internal injuries resulting in death.

WSN Hazard Alert printable format: Unsecure Load Results in Fatality - Download and share

What happened?

There have been a number of serious workplace injuries and fatalities as a result of unloading material from tractor-trailers. Last year, an unsecured load shifted during transport and was leaning against the back doors – a worker was killed when he opened the door and a bale fell out knocking him down so that his head hit the pavement.

What happened?

An employee at a member company was operating a wood processor to convert logs into firewood when a log came sideways onto the trough and out of alignment for the saw.  The employee  opened the cab’s side window and reached around the front  of the machine, in an attempt to straighten the log. The employee’s fingers and thumb were severed when his hand came into contact with the blade.

The risk of a dust explosion increases when low humidity levels, like those seen in winter months, make dust easy to disperse and ignite. In fact, industrial accident investigations by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board found that seven out of eight fatal combustible dust explosions from 1995 to 2009 occurred during cold winter months when these weather conditions were most prominent.