Real-World Incidents
Every Life-Saving Rule exists because people were killed doing work that the rule now controls. Each incident below is drawn from regulator and industry investigations (OSHA, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, BLS and IOGP) and is explained in full in the article for that rule.
9 incidents published.
Gravity and stored energy
Falls in US construction 2023
Construction
Nearly 4 in 10 construction deaths, mostly from 2 to 9 metres up.
Gravity Never Takes a Day Off: Preventing Falls at the Worksite →
East 51st Street crane collapse 2008
Construction
Four slings used instead of the eight specified, one of them damaged.
Look Up and Look Out: The Essentials of Safe Mechanical Lifting →
Unexpected machine start-up
Manufacturing
A stop button or a colleague’s word used in place of a personal lock.
Energy Isolation: Why Lockout/Tagout Saves Lives →
Hazardous atmospheres and pressure
DuPont Belle phosgene release 2010
Chemical
A hose due for monthly replacement had been in service for seven months.
Opening Live Systems: Treating Every Pipe and Hose as Pressurized →
Key Largo manhole deaths 2017
Utilities
One man entered an untested space; two more died trying to save him.
Silent Hazards: The Critical Steps Before Entering a Confined Space →
Motiva refinery tank explosion 2001
Refining
Welding sparks ignited vapours leaking from a corroded tank roof.
Controlling the Spark: Essential Fire Prevention in Hot Work Zones →
Controls, choices and authority
Buncefield depot explosion 2005
Fuel storage
A level gauge known to stick, and a high-level switch left inoperable.
The Danger of Shortcuts: Why Defeating Safety Controls is a Risk Never Worth Taking →
Transport deaths at work 2023
All sectors
The single leading cause of work-related deaths across industries.
Safe Journeys: Why Vehicle Safety Starts Long Before You Hit the Gas →
Motiva: a warning not acted on 2001
Refining
An Unsafe Condition Report was investigated, but nothing was fixed.
The Ultimate Safety Tool: Your Personal Accountability and Stop Work Authority →
Are these rules really embedded on your site?
In almost every case the warning signs were visible before the event. An independent audit is the fastest way to find out where your own controls are drifting.
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