Yourlawyer.com (Ladder Accidents News)

Heater and Ladder Dangers Highlighted by Recalls

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Two more recalls were announced last week by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that emphasize some ongoing safety concerns over two popular household products: Ladders and oscillating heaters. These recalls serve as a reminder that consumers should conduct frequent safety inspection of these items, regardless of their recall status.

The CPSC recalled 152,000 “Aloha Breeze’” portable electric heaters for overheating problems: Plastic parts can melt and the heaters are a fire hazard. In all, there have been 29 reports of heaters melting, smoking, or catching fire, including 18 reports of property damage and one report of burns to a consumer's hands and feet. The “Aloha Breeze” heater was made in China and sold at Wal-Mart and other retail chain stores nationwide from August 2006 through November 2007 and retailed for between $35 and $45. The “Aloha Breeze” heater is an oscillating heater—that is, it contains a mechanism that enables it to move from side to side, spreading heat in multiple locations. While the oscillation technology better heats a room, the current safety standard for oscillating heaters may not be strong enough to protect consumers from some of their associated dangers; efforts are underway to revise and strengthen that standard. But, for now, it is suggested that fans be used in oscillating mode only when necessary and always when attended by an appropriate adult. Frequently inspect the cord for fraying or weakness, especially where the cord enters the unit and never use a heater whose cord shows weakness or fraying. The CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using the recalled heaters and contact Aloha Housewares at 1-800-295-4448 to receive a free replacement product.

The CPSC also recalled 25,000 fiberglass extension ladders because they pose fall hazards to consumers. The extension or "fly" section of the “Louisville/Davidson" and “Michigan" brand ladders can fail to lock. The recall involves models made from September 2007 through October 2007 and sold at industrial supply stores and home centers nationwide through December 2007; the ladders retail anywhere from $130 to $760. The product’s date code can be found on the left side rail. The CPSD advises consumers to immediately stop using the ladder and contact Louisville Ladder for instructions on inspecting the ladder and receiving a free repair kit, if necessary. Call (800) 660-4356 or go to the firm's Web site at www.louisvilleladder.com. Approximately 164,000 ladder-related emergency-room visits and 150 deaths are reported each year by the CPSC. Log on to Consumer Reports Online to learn how to use a ladder safely for some helpful tips on ladder use.

Last week, the CPSC issued two other recalls for heating devices. Greenheck Fan Corporation recalled 1,500 Indirect Gas-Fired Furnaces due ignition control module failure that prevents the unit from shutting down in high temperatures and posing a risk of fire and hazardous fumes being released from burning or melting insulation. The CPSC also recalled 52,000 Rinnai America Corporation Wall Furnaces due to carbon monoxide hazards. There were 11 reports of carbon monoxide leaking from the direct-vent furnace whose gasket can fail, posing a risk of poisonous gas leaking into the home.

Bowie Show Canceled After Stagehand Dies

Fri, 07 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Rock star David Bowie's Reality Tour was cut short by a jolt of real drama Thursday night after a worker fell off a wire ladder above the stage at the James L. Knight Center, plunging about 50 feet to his death.

The worker, identified by a fellow stagehand as Wally Thomas, fell on the right side of the stage around 8:30 p.m., Miami Fire-Rescue spokesman Ignatius Carroll said. Thomas was climbing the ladder but investigators were trying to figure out why he fell.

Thomas, 44, was working as a spotlight technician, Carroll said. Paramedics rushed the man to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Armando Curonel, who also was working as a stagehand, said Thomas was not wearing a safety harness.

"The mood is very somber and very devastated," Curonel said of the crew. "He's an experienced stagehand, 20 years."

Curonel said Thomas was filling in for another worker and wasn't originally scheduled to work. When asked if such accidents are common, he said, "It's very rare, but it's also a dangerous job. You have to know what you're doing."

The accident occurred shortly after Stereophonics, Bowie's opening act, finished performing, and before Bowie took the stage. Around 9:10 p.m., a voice blared over the auditorium loudspeakers announcing the show was over.

"Due to an unfortunate and serious accident involving one of the local stage hands working the show, we are canceling the show," the voice said. The voice also asked people to leave in a calm, orderly fashion.

The auditorium was sold out, with about 4,600 in attendance.

Concertgoers quietly walked out of the venue, and no one could be heard complaining about the cancellation. Some fans stopped at a concession stand to buy David Bowie T-shirts.

Ray McLaughlin, 41, of Fort Lauderdale, said he saw the accident from his seat.

"They brought the stretcher and there were about six cops hanging out backstage, but it didn't look good," McLaughin said.

Officials with Clear Channel Entertainment, the show's promoter, issued a statement saying refund or postponement information would be available shortly.

David Bowie issued a statement saying he and his touring company were "deeply saddened by the news of this tragic accident, and send their sincerest condolences and thoughts to the stagehand's family and friends."

Workers Arms Broken In Accident At University

Fri, 26 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

An employee working for a contractor completing a construction project at the University of Massachusetts broke both his arms in a recent accident on the job.

The employee, John Lawrence, of All State Boiler & Construction of Farmington, Conn., was conducting pressure testing on the steam-line system on Infirmary Way Sept. 18 when he was injured, said Barbara Pitoniak, a UMass spokeswoman. He could not be reached for comment this morning.

Richard Pare, president of All State, said the incident remains under investigation by both the company and its insurance provider.

Pare said the man's injuries came as the result of a fall that occurred while he was climbing a ladder to exit a manhole while a steam tunnel was being tested. Apparently, said Pare, a plug failed and the air pressure blew the plug into Lawrence, who then fell off the ladder.

Pitoniak said the worker was transported by Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, for treatment. After being hospitalized for a few days, he was released this week and is now recovering at home.

Pare said he expects the man, who was one of about 12 employees on the site, to be back on the job in about six weeks.

Pare said his company takes safety seriously. The company has a full-time safety manager on staff and a safety-incentive program, and all employees attend safety-training sessions.

"All State has an excellent safety record over the last 30 years," Pare said. "Our goal is to have no accidents."

According to All State's Web site, the company has worked for the last eight years on the UMass campus installing 1,600 feet of underground utility tunnels. The tunnels distribute high-pressure steam, as well as chilled water and electrical wires throughout the campus.

Man Dies Doing What He Loved: Working

Wed, 09 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Wallace Foxwell turned 65 and called it quits at the job he had held for more than three decades.

But like other retirees wanting to stay active, he went back to work.

Foxwell, the oldest employee for the City of Fruitland, died last week from an accident doing what he knew and loved climbing a ladder.

Fruitland's code enforcement officer and housing inspector for the last seven years would have turned 79 next Thursday.

"He's been in construction work all of his life," a tearful Wanda Foxwell, of Salisbury, said of her husband. "He loved it."

Her husband was inspecting a house under construction on Fruitland's East Main Street when a ladder supporting him apparently slipped, she said.

A construction worker discovered Foxwell on the ground beside the ladder the morning of June 30, Fruitland City Manager Rick Pollitt said Tuesday. It was unclear whether the ladder slipped or Foxwell became ill and fell, he said.

"We're speculating he might have fallen off," Pollitt said.

The injury paralyzed Foxwell, and he was flown by helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore from Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Wanda Foxwell said.

"He could talk. We were hoping he'd get better," she said.

Foxwell died two days later and the Dorchester County native was buried Monday in Cambridge, where he worked 35 years at the Charles E. Brohawn Co. construction company, his wife said Tuesday.

The couple moved to Salisbury after Foxwell's 1986 retirement, renting a place for a while, then eventually building a new home.

"He didn't build it himself but he checked on the builders, checked what they were doing," Wanda Foxwell said.

Foxwell took a job as an inspector at George Miles and Buhr, a Salisbury architectural firm doing business with Fruitland, Pollitt said.

"That's how we got to know him," he said. "We took him away."

At the time, Fruitland was facing a housing boom with no housing inspector, and Foxwell stepped in part-time to fill the void, Pollitt said. Soon, he doubled as the town's code enforcement officer.

"He made his own hours, usually (working) in the early morning until about noon," Pollitt said. "We were in the process of hiring a full-time code enforcement officer and have him do building inspection. We will have to re-evaluate the whole program."

Man Falls 12 Feet Off Ladder

Tue, 08 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0700

A 20-year-old Uxbridge man was taken by medical helicopter after he fell 12 feet from a ladder onto an asphalt driveway yesterday on Queen Street.

Police and fire officials did not release the name of the victim, but Fire Capt. James Klich said his injuries were non-life threatening. The unidentified male was flown to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Klich said at 3:45 p.m., the man was on a ladder roughly 12 feet in the air, painting the second story of the house at 25 Queen St. The man lost his balance and fell 12 feet onto the asphalt driveway, landing flat on his face, Klich said.

"He leaned off the ladder and almost did a belly flop onto the driveway," Klich said.

Klich said the man's co-workers said the victim was unconscious for 2-3 minutes before rescue workers arrived. When emergency personnel pulled up, Klich said the man was conscious and alert with hardly any visible injuries.

Robert and Nancy Rappa live at 25 Queen St. Although she said she was home at the time of the accident, Rappa declined comment in a telephone interview last night.

Neither police or Rappa gave the name of the painting company.

Even though Klich said the man's injuries were not life-threatening, the emergency helicopter was called automatically because of protocol.

"Life flight is called for an incident involving any fall 10 feet or higher," Klich said.

Ladder Accident Workplace Injury Lawyer

Tue, 08 Jul 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Ladder Accidents

More than 500,000 people a year are treated for ladder-related injuries in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Of these 500,000 injuries approximately 300 people in the U.S. die from ladder related injuries annually.

A large percentage of ladder injuries could have been prevented if proper work conditions, equipment and safety instruction were provided. Not only are these measures necessary to minimize ladder dangers but they are also OSHA requirements.

Our lawyers are experienced and successful in ladder representing victims of ladder accidents and other occupational injuries. By completing a lawsuit case evaluation form a qualified lawyer will review your case free of charge, with no obligation.

Below are OSHA rules for safe ladder use:

Inspect every ladder prior to EVERY use.
Do not use ladders with structural defects; properly tag with "Do Not Use" and withdraw from service.
Carry ladders parallel to the ground.
Tie ladders down securely when transporting.
Keep ladders free of oil, grease and other hazards.
Do not load ladder beyond maximum intended load.
Use only for the purpose for which the ladder was designed (refer to manufacturer's labeling and recommendations).
Barricade traffic areas in vicinity of ladder use. Lock, barricade or guard doorways in which a ladder is placed.
Keep area around the top and bottom of ladder clear. Do not move, shift or extend ladder while occupied.
NEVER 'WALK' A LADDER.
Use only non-conductive side rails around live electrical equipment.
Do not use top or top step for standing/stepping.
Do not stand on cross bracing.
Always face the ladder when ascending or descending.
Always maintain three points of contact with the ladder (two feet/one hand or two hands/one foot should be in contact with ladder at all times).
Carry tools in pouches around waist; use a rope to raise or lower large items such as tool boxes or materials.
Do not overextend sideways. Use the belt buckle rule: keep your belt buckle positioned between the side rails at all times, which will maintain your center of gravity.
Never allow more than one worker on the ladder at a time.
Wear protective clothing and rubber-soled shoes.

If you or a loved have been injured in a ladder accident, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified personal injury attorney.