sophiaserpentia | The Wall of Death

Where I work, at a safety training council, there is a hallway where students line up waiting for the ID cards that will allow them to work at plants and refineries requiring safety certification. In this hallway is what I've come to call "the wall of death," because there is a bulletin board for everyone's 'amusement' that features printouts from OSHA's "Fatal Facts" series.

Here's a few highlights.

ACCIDENT SUMMARY No. 2

"A carpenter apprentice was killed when he was struck in the head by a nail that was fired from a powder actuated tool. The tool operator, while attempting to anchor a plywood form in preparation for pouring a concrete wall, fired the gun causing the nail to pass through the hollow wall. The nail travelled some twenty-seven feet before striking the victim. The tool operator had never received training in the proper use of the tool, and none of the employees in the area were wearing personal protective equipment."

ACCIDENT SUMMARY No. 53

"Two employees were welding brackets onto an oil storage tank (55,000 gallons). The tank, half full, contained explosive atmospheres of vapor from waste chemical and oil materials from automobile and truck service stations. One worker was killed and another injured when the tank exploded and the top was blown off."

Collect your own!