State officials urge safety after 4 work-related deaths this month

A surge in fatal and serious industrial accidents is prompting state officials to warn the public about safety in the workplace.

There were four fatalities and several serious injuries including amputations and burns from falls, slips, trips and contact with equipment during a 20-day period in May, according to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. That compares with six fatalities in all of 2016, the latest data available; six in 2015; and 10 in 2014.

Besides the four deaths this month, there were two other work-related fatalities this year. The state Occupational Safety and Health Division is investigating the accidents to “help ensure that employers are providing a safe work environment to their employees and are complying with safety and health laws.”

“This surge in serious industrial accidents is a harsh reminder for employers and workers to think about safety when taking any work actions,” DLIR Director Leonard Hoshijo said in a news release. “While there’s no apparent connection between the accidents, all employers should examine conditions at their workplaces, safety policies, training and monitoring. Workers need to think safety and avoid taking unsafe shortcuts to get a job done.”

Hawaii Electric Light Co. employee Lyle Kaaihili of Waikoloa was killed May 2 when a heavy equipment boom holding a utility pole collapsed and struck the 52-year-old, who was replacing the pole in Paauilo on Hawaii island. On May 3 a 24-year-old man died after falling out of a forklift that tipped over at the Geobunga warehouse in Kakaako.

Then on May 7, 76-year-old security guard William Aberilla of Kaneohe died after falling out of a golf cart and hitting his head on concrete at Harbor Center in Aiea when the vehicle lurched forward into a building. And on May 18 a Kauai state employee died while operating a mower that slid down a slope and over a retaining wall.

The following work-related accidents also occurred this month:

>> May 4: Two Oahu workers conducting electrical testing suffered second- and third-degree burns from an arc flash.

>> May 4: An Oahu employee sustained brain injuries and internal bleeding after an electrical shock caused him to fall off a scaffold.

>> May 8: Two Oahu workers were seriously injured after falling off a platform being raised by a forklift.

>> May 18: An Oahu worker suffered serious burns to his face and jaw after an electrical shock occurred while arc-welding a pipe.

>> May 21: A Big Island employee lost his leg and sustained other serious injuries when an excavator struck and ran him over.

“It just happened and it’s just quite unusual and unfortunate,” said DLIR spokesman Bill Kunstman. “People forget about (safety in) the workplace.”

For information on improving safety and health programs in the workplace, call HIOSH at 586-9100. The service is free and can qualify employers for a one-year exemption from inspections.