Rescuers Use Barge Crane to Rescue Worker After 20-Foot Fall
- A worker fell nearly 20 feet while working on a barge at Wolf Creek Dam in Wisconsin Sept. 3, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation involving Russell County Search & Rescue, Russell County EMS, and Jamestown firemen.
- Due to the location and severity of the fall, crews conducted a technical rescue, using the barge’s multi-ton crane to lift both the injured worker and a rescuer to the roadway where EMS was waiting.
- The worker was initially treated by responders before being flown by emergency helicopter to the University of Kentucky for further treatment.
Worker Warns Public After Hidden Oxygen Tank Explodes, Injures Trainee
- Curtis Phipps, a longtime Milwaukee Department of Public sanitation worker, is speaking out after an oxygen tank hidden in a recycling bin exploded on July 15 while he was training a new employee who was on his second or third day on the job.
- The blast sent debris flying, knocked the trainee to the ground, and left both workers dazed. Phipps called 911 despite being disoriented himself, describing smoke and debris scattered around the scene.
- Phipps said he has since spoken with his trainee, who is doing fine, though DPW confirmed the injured worker has not yet returned to work.
- Phipps is urging residents to stop disposing of tanks, batteries, and other hazardous materials in household trash or recycling, noting that DPW maintains a list of prohibited items and that many residents may not realize what they can’t throw away.
Steel Erector Overhauls, Upgrades PPEs While Scaling Workforce
- Ontario, Canada-based Colony Construction, a steel erection contractor scaling its field workforce from a small crew to an estimated 50 to 150 workers over the next couple of years for Ontario mining projects, is replacing its entire PPE inventory rather than recertifying existing equipment, according to process and safety manager Taylor Zuffa.
- The overhaul prioritizes leading-edge self-retracting lanyards for workers exiting baskets at heights of up to 200 feet, along with 100% tie-off equipment and adjustable restraint lanyards for lift work, since leading-edge lifelines undergo specialized testing to confirm they survive falls over sharp edges.
- Colony is also transitioning its entire workforce to Type 2 hard hats with integrated chin straps, applying the requirement uniformly from field workers to executives.
- Zuffa flagged a procurement risk after finding harness listings falsely implying Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certification by only claiming the products “meet” CSA standards without carrying the actual certification mark and said Colony now relies on vetted suppliers, shipment inspections, and entry-point hard hat checks to manage the risk.