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2013 MIOSHA Fatality Information

2013 MIOSHA Fatality Information

Use the information in this table to build hazard awareness and prevent risk for similar occurrences in your workplace. This table shares preliminary details about many of the fatalities reported to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These descriptions reflect information provided to MIOSHA at the initial report of the incident and are not the result of the official MIOSHA investigation.

 

INCIDENT NUMBER DATE OCCUPATION AGE TYPE OF INCIDENT DESCRIPTION CITY
1. 01/17/13 Assistant Manager 36 Crush Employee was run over by a tractor while trying to remove a railroad timber using a tractor loader with a front bucket. Turner
2. 01/18/13 Materials
Handler		 42 Crush Employee was operating a crane and was crushed by beams that fell out of the sling being carried by the crane. Belleville
3. 01/23/13 Carpenter 20 Fall Employee fell approximately 19' from a high-pitch residential roof while installing shingles. Coldwater
4. 01/24/13-accident
01/28/13-passed away		 Laborer 56 Cave-in Employee was working in a 12' deep excavation to repair a leaking water main when a section of the side collapsed, completely burying him. Coworkers uncovered him and he was taken to medical facilities, where he later expired. Grosse Isle
5. 02/06/13 Bus Operator 48 Run over Employee dropped off last fare and stepped out of bus. Bus began to roll. She attempted to re-enter the bus and was run over by the rear tires. Mt. Morris
6. 02/18/13 Roofer 39 Fall Employee was installing insulation material on a low-pitch roof for a new commercial building. He was working between the warning line system and the edge of the roof when he fell 25 feet to the ground. Howell
7. 02/16/13-accident
02/20/13-passed away		 Carpenter 33 Struck by Employee was struck in the eye by nail from pneumatic nail gun while rough framing a house. Nail entered through eye socket into the brain. White Lake
8. 02/25/13 Roofer 36 Fall Employee fell 22 feet through a deteriorated roof while in the process of replacing the metal decking. Grand Blanc
9. 03/17/13 Welder 61 Struck by Employee was welding a piece of equipment over a pulper and fell into the pulper. The pulper is an open top vat with a spinning rotor blade at the bottom. White Pigeon
10. 03/21/13 Carpenter 48 Fall Employee fell 35 feet when a gust of wind pushed the employee and a window he was installing off the platform of a forklift. Franklin
11. 03/21/13 Die Setter 42 Struck by Employee had a mold hooked on a crane when the bolt gave way causing the mold to fall, bounce and hit another mold. The employee was between the two molds and struck. Shelby Township
12. 04/11/13 Co-Owner 59 Crush The co-owner was trying to re-stake a large spruce tree that had fallen over. He used the bucket on his skidster to help. He was standing on the ground beside his cab and apparently leaned into the cab and accidently activated the bucket controls. His head was crushed between the bucket lifting arms and the cab. Emmett
13. 04/22/13 Pipefitter 49 Explosion An explosion occurred in the digester of a waste water treatment plant. Construction employees were working on or near a tank using a welder's torch. Dexter
14. 05/08/13 Fire Fighter 29 Crush Employee was one (1) of five (5) fire fighters assigned to interior firefighting duties at a local strip mall. An evacuation order had been issued, but the roof collapsed trapping the deceased before he could escape. The fire department had been on scene for less than one (1) hour before the collapse. Westland
15. 05/08/13 HVAC Tech 49 Fall The employee was working on the roof as part of HVAC removal when he fell approximately 30 feet through a skylight to the concrete floor below. Oceana
16. 05/10/13 Truck Driver 38 Crush Employee was lowering an approx. 40-yard trash dumpster box from his truck when the box became free and fell onto the employee crushing him. Romulus
17. 05/09/13 Claims Adjuster 73 Fall The claims adjuster asked to borrow a ladder from a contractor working next door claiming his ladder was too short to gain access to the roof. The contractor permitted use and helped set the ladder against the building and held it while the deceased climbed and gained access to the roof. According to the contractor, as the deceased was preparing to climb down, he swung his leg over the edge of the roof missing the ladder rung causing him to fall head first approximately 18-feet onto a concrete surface. Ferndale
18. 06/21/13 Truck Driver 32 Burn The employee was picking up a trailer parked near a gas line well-head. While attempting to depart the area, the trailer struck and ruptured the gas line resulting in an explosion and fire. The employee attempted to shut off the flow of gas and sustained 3rd degree burns on 70-90% of his body. The employee was immediately transported to a hospital and died 9 days later. Jackson
19. 06/26/13 Truck Driver 40 Struck by The employee was walking in a lighted area of the company parking lot when he was hit by another semi-truck belonging to the company. Romulus
20. 08/07/13 Trimmer 23 Electrocution Employee was performing tree trimming operations. Either the employee or his equipment contacted live power lines. They were unable to revive him at the scene. Traverse City
21. 08/21/13 Painter 34 Fall Two employees were using an aerial work platform while painting the exterior of a building. The employees were repositioning the lift while elevated 15 feet when the rear tire fell into a waste water grate causing the lift to tip over injuring both employees. The decease, a 34-year-old painter, received serious head injuries and later died. The second employee was treated for a broken arm and released. Midland
22. 09/05/13 Laborer 25 Struck by The laborer was leveling stone in preparation for a paving operation when he was struck and run over by a skid steer loader operating in reverse. Grand Haven
23. 09/06/13 Process Support Tech 33 Crush The employee performing maintenance on the paint system, was crushed between a horizontal beam and the transfer cart when the transfer cart carrying automotive parts automatically fed into the paint system. Mt. Clemens
24. 11/04/13- accident
11/09/13-
passed away		 Laborer 50 Struck by The laborer was struck in the head by a structural steel assembly that fell over while it was being unstrapped from the trailer. The assembly continued falling and pinned the laborer to the ground. Wolverine Lake
25. 11/20/13 Laborer 45 Crush The employee was working underneath the bed of a dump truck when it fell, crushing the employee between the frame of the truck and the dump box. Michigan Center
26. 11/26/13- accident
11/29/13-
passed away		 Carpenter 44 Fall A carpenter fell 30 feet to the ground while installing Oriented Strand Board (OSB) sheathing on a 10/12 pitch residential roof. Saline
27. 12/15/13 Remote Railcar Operator 31 Explosion An employee had just dumped molten metal into a pot. The crane operator picked up the pot and moved it approximately 30-40 yards to the tilter table. After the crane released the pot and moved, something went catastrophically wrong causing the ladle to tip over spilling approximately 195 tons of molten metal. The molten metal ran out of the side of the building and hit the snow outside causing an explosion. The remote railcar operator was in a warming shanty approximately 30 yards away and the shanty caught on fire. Ecorse
28. 10/10/13 Switcher/Inspector 61 Struck by A 61-year-old switcher/inspector was working as switcher and for reasons unknown, exited the vehicle and was struck and run over by another highway tractor. This fatality was not reported to MIOSHA until 07/08/16. Dearborn

There were 27 MIOSHA-related deaths in 2012. 2009 saw the lowest number with 24. 

If you need help or assistance in ensuring your workplace is safe, MIOSHA is here with resources to help. The Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division provides workplace safety and health training and consultations to employers and employees throughout Michigan free of charge. Contact CET today at 800-866-4674 or submit a request online.

Every life is precious. Our mutual goal must be that every employee goes home at the end of every shift unharmed.

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