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Very close shave!

Buckethead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2007
Messages
1,055
Location
Waterfront
Occupation
Operator
I like this conception that people who are not union are retards or something. Ive yet to see one of these union guys who love to patronize people do it to my face, its so funny that its always them driving by in cars or something. I have nothing against unions and I am trying to become a union contractor myself, but I really look down on anyone who patronizes other people as I have had it done to myself on many occasions.

Oh, I think that was just Mr. Special Tool stirring the pot.:stirthepot He may or may not have a union book,but if I remember correctly he is a self-employed contractor, he does not work out of any union.
 

Aliate

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
325
Location
Seattle, WA
Hey, I'm not making fun of union/non-union....I'm making fun of safety officers!:D

oh my mistake then, sorry.


side note though it is kind of ridiculous that someone wasn't triple checking everything when working under something that big.
 

heavytorching

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
19
Location
michigan
Occupation
heavy torching/scrap steel processing
unbelievable! there is know that guy made out alive,the manlift was smashed,which would of sent him flying like a rocket,i did not see anybody with torch gear walk out after the dust settled,as for the hi-lo driver complete idiot. ive dropped many structures,and only after i have made complete decisions on what and where to cut do i allow a burner and only a burner in the area! fools complete fools.
 

Demo man

Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
17
Location
minnesta
Thats is to bad that people had to die doing something like that. I don't know what they could have been thinking trying to take it down starting at the bottom like that. I keep thinking that O2 bottles where going to go off like a rocket and hit something knock it down.
 

stock

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
2,022
Location
Eire
Occupation
We have moved on and now were lost....
Was there a post removed from this thread??
 

joestewart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2009
Messages
204
Location
Lafayette, LA
Here's a reference to the incident. I found this after doing a web search. Apparently, no deaths or injuries. Nothing short of miraculous.

The Hon. JAMES SAMIOS: My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Is the Minister aware of an industrial accident that occurred at the former BHP steelworks site in Newcastle in September or October last year when demolition workers narrowly escaped death after a giant ore unloader collapsed around them? Has the Minister investigated why, almost a year later, the Newcastle WorkCover office has still not conducted a full inquiry, given that one WorkCover manager has already said that he has known about the accident since it occurred last year?

The Hon. JOHN DELLA BOSCA: Honourable members may be aware of recent media reports regarding the collapse of an ore bridge in Port Waratah on 11 October last year. WorkCover has advised me that that structure was scheduled for demolition using a technique known as induced collapse, which is considered to be the safest means for demolishing structures of that kind. A very similar structure located at the former steelworks was demolished without incident using the same technique a few weeks beforehand. WorkCover advised me that the contractor supervising the demolition process prepared detailed plans in respect of both demolitions, as he is required to do under the Act and regulations.

Those plans addressed issues including risk management and emergency escape routes for the workers involved. WorkCover inspectors reviewed the demolition plans prior to the demolition of both ore bridges and were present at the collapse of the first structure. Work to prepare the second ore bridge for collapse was well under way on 11 October 2001 when the structure collapsed prematurely. I am pleased to advise that all the workers present escaped unharmed by complying with the escape procedures laid down in the demolition plans. WorkCover was notified of the premature collapse on the day it occurred and an inspector attended the scene within 24 hours. The investigating inspector found no evidence of occupational health and safety violations arising from the handling of the demolition process.

Put simply, demolitions are required as part of our industrial system about hazardous undertakings. I note the newspaper article being shown to me by the Leader of the Opposition. That no-one suffered an injury, or worse, is a tribute to our occupational health and safety laws and regulations and to the way in which WorkCover is working with employees to put them in place. It proves they are working.
 

plantman.uk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2009
Messages
201
Location
uk
Occupation
excavator operator
where did they find those guys?....what a bunch of clowns, the forklift driver should be run, the rest should just quietly be told to leave and never return to demo of any kind
 

sastrugi

New Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
3
Location
NC
Hey..where was the safety officer!!!!!

Oh, that's right, they don't actually ever have to take responsibility for their jobs.

Wonder who he's going to blame???

Let's start a pool on who the scab safety officer will blame.....
You have a very appropriate name, tool. I am an Occupational Safety and Health Professional and it is people like you that are my nightmare. It's YOU that is blaming this on someone else - the Safety Officer. I don't want to tell you the total cr*p I have had to deal with when I try to stop things like this.; Not just from management, but also from the workers. I've been let go for making people work safely. It is NOT the safety Officer's job to make the job safe for workers, it's the WORKER's job to work safely. The Safety Officer's job is to provide advice and act as a resource. I doubt there was a safety officer on this site, and I doubt one was ever consulted before the job started.

The people working here were a bunch of half-trained, incompetent bozo's. I did not see a single person employing even the most basic knowledge of safety or how to do their jobs. The crane wasn't even roped off and people were walking under it DURING demolition! And that forklift driver should be taken to the gate and told never to come back. Same for the supervisors.

So stop blaming SAFETY for accidents. Take responsibility.
 

digger242j

Administrator
Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
6,628
Location
Southwestern PA
Occupation
Self employed excavator
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums, sastrugi. :)

I think here on the forums we have a pretty good safety culture, (although there's no telling how it translates into reality out in the field.) Please don't let one post get too far under your skin.

It is NOT the safety Officer's job to make the job safe for workers, it's the WORKER's job to work safely.

I doubt anybody will disagree with you.

Stick around and consider posting regularly. I for one would appreciate more input from a trained professional in the safety field.
 

sastrugi

New Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
3
Location
NC
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums, sastrugi. :)

I think here on the forums we have a pretty good safety culture, (although there's no telling how it translates into reality out in the field.) Please don't let one post get too far under your skin.



I doubt anybody will disagree with you.

Stick around and consider posting regularly. I for one would appreciate more input from a trained professional in the safety field.

Sorry, but that just got under my skin. lol. Safety people take more %$&# from both sides of the fence than most people know. Unfortunately it usually takes a fatality at a plant for Safety to be appreciated, but that is a high price to pay.
 

stock

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
2,022
Location
Eire
Occupation
We have moved on and now were lost....
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums, sastrugi. :)

I think here on the forums we have a pretty good safety culture, (although there's no telling how it translates into reality out in the field.) Please don't let one post get too far under your skin.



I doubt anybody will disagree with you.

Stick around and consider posting regularly. I for one would appreciate more input from a trained professional in the safety field.

This incident was the prelude to someone else being killed. Here is a link to a report on deaths in the work place.

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/5ff50e93372e70f6ca256e970019f209/$FILE/Final%20Report%20-%20Serious%20Injury%20and%20Death.pdf

The relevant bit is the death of Mr Rees chapter 9 page 106 section 9.42.

There are serious lessons to be learned. A lot of people didn't know their job from those on the ground, company management to those in WorkCover.

Had prosecutions been handed down in this case Mr Rees may have lived.

So from reading this report the safety profession have a case to answer and that is from a card caring IOSH member.
 

sastrugi

New Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
3
Location
NC
I am not one bit surprised that this company killed a worker. But the government not prosecuting safety violations (which is what I think you are saying) is a very different complaint than saying that the on-the-ground safety professionals were responsible (which is what "special tool" stated).

I totally agree that more violators should be prosecuted.
 

Dozerbill63

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
68
Location
Repton , Al.
While the guy on the forklift is the joke, this style of demolition is an art. Ive been on one large section of building that has been set up with a torch. It doesnt take much to go not far enough. It doesnt take much to go too far. The torch man is the only one who can tell, and it doesnt take much to go wrong. My guess is something was missed in setting up this crane. Very effective way to wreck when you are up against a wall so to speak.

Not much pictures, yet taken by me, with a friends camera.
That is a nice clean ,precisely done job , just the way I would have done . Good Work Fellas ! I am not speaking of the close call . Something different should have been planed .
 
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Dozerbill63

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Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
68
Location
Repton , Al.
This is true I have had men tell me they can do things and they get upset when I would say NO ! In agreement with the Safety Officer .
 
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oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
Occupation
Ret
OK, I read this safety forum because of an interest in what's safe. I have very little civilian experience in job site safety. But I served in the US Army from 74 to 96. I was during my career, unit safety NCO and charge with accident investigations. I take safety very serious. I was highly pizzed when a trucker lost a stack of crushed car in KY that killed people while I was an instructor at Ft Knox.

I've learned a good deal reading the post here about job site safety.

I am sometimes shocked at some of the things posted here. I really thought better of management and workers before I found this site.

Part of the problem I'm seeing here is that few are willing to blame themselves or workers at the same level when something dangerous occurs. I hate to tell all of you this but if you are protecting a guy who takes unnecessary risks you could be the next victim that we read about on here.

Please take a look at what you are doing, how you are doing it and do a risk assessment before you do much else. If you are working for a company that throws safety to the wind in pursuit of profit maybe you should start looking for another job.

I'm semi retired now and farm but own a TLB and do hire myself out sometimes. I still think safety first. Take care and keep yourself alive.

Rick
 

Dozerbill63

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
68
Location
Repton , Al.
saftey

Hi Rick , I do agree with you , my men always said I was too safety minded , I said you can never be SAFE enough , you only live once, have and keep your eye sight . Men are know it all's and then when you agree too let them do it their way and then all goes bad , they point their finger at you . I had a owner of a demolition co. and he would risk his life just to show he could do it faster and save money , he has scared his self several times , don't know if he is still doing that , I have retired and he does not call or answer my calls when I call . I don't call any more . Safety man , foreman gets NO RESPECT ! Oh Rick I lived in Louisville , KY, for 60 years , the accident you mentioned was on I-65 Hospital curve , tractor trailer hauling crushed cars slung cars over medium wall into on coming traffic and killed two young sisters on their way to work early that morning , so sad . Law was changed for proper load binding .:(:(
 
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