Safety Alert for Supervisors: 08/03/2026

Incident summary A crew member was killed because he failed to deploy a jack before he began climbing a ladder to access the top of a plastic cone bottom tank attached to a trailer. What happened Two employees had just completed their work for the day and were walking toward their personal vehicles when one of the men noticed that the latch on a lid for a cone bottom tank wasn’t fully fastened. The 525-gallon plastic cone bottom tank was positioned atop a trailer. It contained powder that the work crew had used earlier that day. The trailer, the powder and the plastic cone tank weighed a combined 4,000 pounds. The worker decided to close the latch by climbing a metal ladder attached to the back of the trailer. As he began climbing, the trailer started tipping toward him. The staffer couldn’t get off the ladder quickly enough, and the entire apparatus knocked him to the ground, then landed on top of him. The pinned employee called out for help, and his mate rushed over to assist him. The coworker moved the trailer off the victim and dialed 9-1-1. But by the time emergency responders arrived, the employee was already dead from his severe crushing injuries. Findings Because the apparatus had a high center of gravity, a rear jack had been attached to the trailer to prevent the equipment from tipping over. But the victim failed to deploy the jack before he began climbing the ladder, probably because he hadn’t been trained on safety protocols for trailers. Furthermore, the trailer was positioned on soft, sandy ground, even though the manufacturer’s safety instructions mandated that the trailer be placed on a solid, level surface. Worker fatally crushed after unstable apparatus tips over Staffer pinned under 4,000-pound load while climbing ladder You make the call: Employer ignored manufacturer’s instructions; man dead “ Y our crew member wouldn’t have died if your organization had followed the manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining that hazardous machine,” said Tammy, the compliance officer. “I’m citing you for violating our general duty clause, which requires you to provide a safe workplace.” “We do provide a safe workplace,” replied George, the supervisor, “but we can’t anticipate that equipment will be defective.” “What do you mean?” asked Tammy. Sitting in the cab “Our worker was killed while he was sitting in a cab positioned at the base of a boom while he was operating a digger derrick,” said George. “The derrick began making odd sounds and, without warning, the boom detached from the pedestal and fell off. He was ejected from the cab and landed on the ground. His injuries were fatal.” “My investigation has revealed that the boom detached from the pedestal because the bolts on the pedestal were loose,” said Tammy. “The manufacturer’s manual for the derrick says the bolts should be annually torque tested, but I’ve learned that you stopped torque testing years ago.” “It’s true that we no longer do torque testing,” said George. “However, the boom fell because the equipment had a design defect.” “It doesn’t matter whether the derrick had a design defect,” said Tammy. “You could’ve reduced the risk to your employees with annual torque testing.” Wasn’t the issue “The lack of torque testing wasn’t the issue,” said George. “We’ll challenge your citation.” Did the company win? 2 Safety News New data bulletin reveals huge increase in worker fatalities in one industry. 2 Quick Ideas Here’s how your staffers can protect themselves from poisonous plants. 3 Legal Developments Man fired after reporting safety violation sues for whistleblower retaliation. 3 Horror Stories Mom rushed to job site to kiss her badly injured 18-year-old one last time. 4 Safety Meeting Find out why fatigued crew members are more likely to suffer injuries. In this issue ■ Make your call, then go to page 3 for the court’s ruling. August 3, 2026 SafetyAlert FOR SUPERVISORS The No. 1 source of actionable information to help supervisors keep their people safe Including: Supervisor’s Safety Toolbox

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: JIM MCCANNEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: FIONA HERNANDEZ OFFICE MANAGER: SHARON CONNELL Safety Alert for Supervisors (ISSN 1541-7379), August 3, 2026, Vol. 24, No. 556, is published 24 times per year by Institute of Business Publications, P.O. Box 1340, Havertown, PA 19083; PHONE : 484-472-8227; FAX : 484-472-8708. Phone: 866-572-1352 Web: iobp.com Subscription Rate (for 24 issues): Users Annual price Users Annual price 1-5 $265 flat 25-29 $44/user 6-9 $53/user 30-34 $43/user 10-14 $49/user 35-40 $42/user 15-19 $47/user 41+ Call 20-24 $45/user 866-572-1352 Oh no! Bulletin reveals big jump in employee deaths in one industry For more proof of the importance of paying attention to the safety of your crew members, consider a recently released data bulletin that has revealed a dramatic increase in worker fatalities in one industry. The bulletin from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training – showed a whopping 25.3% jump in work-related deaths in the construction industry over 12 years, to 1,064 in 2024 from 849 in 2012. According to the data bulletin, the biggest increase occurred in the building construction sector of the industry, which suffered 142 deaths in 2012 and 220 fatalities in 2024, an increase of 54.9%. There was also a 28.5% bump in deaths in the specialty trades contractor subsection, to 608 in 2024 from 473 in 2012. The bulletin, which used data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, showed that most of the fatal injuries involved slips, trips and falls, which accounted for 367 deaths in 2024. Other sources of fatalities in 2024 included transportation incidents (255 ) and exposure to harmful substances (179). Man not wearing safety harness tumbles from platform of aerial lift If any of your staff members question the need for using a safety harness when they’re laboring at an elevated location, let them know about the recent unfortunate death of Thomas Feerick from Fairfax, VT. The 58-year-old man was operating an extended aerial lift to remove fencing at the Casella Waste Systems landfill in Coventry, VT. Unfortunately, Feerick wasn’t tied off while he was operating the lift. His failure to put on a safety harness proved tragic when the lift unexpectedly tipped over and tumbled down a small embankment. Feerick was thrown from the platform. Other workers rushed over to help Feerick and emergency responders were called. But the worker’s injuries were too severe, and he was later declared dead at the hospital. Unexpected activation of equipment leads to finger amputation injury Keep in mind that one seemingly minor mistake can lead to a life-altering injury. Consider, for instance, the recent amputation incident at the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Bowden, GA. A staffer was cleaning a commercial grinder that hadn’t been locked out when a coworker stepped on the foot pedal for the equipment, which caused the device to activate and slice four fingers off the hand of the employee sanitizing the grinder. Following the incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration hit Piggly Wiggly with a proposed fine of $196,251. safety news for supervisors 2 Safety Alert for Supervisors August 3, 2026 Workers should apply an ivy blocker prior to outdoor jobs Encourage your workers to apply an ivy blocker that contains bentoquatam before laboring outdoors in wooded areas that could contain poisonous plants. Here’s why: Ivy blockers work by preventing urushiol – the hazardous chemical in the plants that causes the allergic reaction – from making full contact with the wearer’s skin. Surprise! One-quarter of staffers drink alcohol during the workday If you don’t think any of your staffers could be abusing drugs or alcohol on the job, consider this fact: Nearly 60 million people in the U.S. admit to using illegal drugs, and 138 million folks say they regularly drink alcohol. Even worse, nearly 15% of at-home workers and 3.3% of other employees admit to being impaired on the job every week, according to a survey by the American Addiction Centers. And one survey found that one-quarter of U.S. employees reported drinking during the workday at least once over the past year. What to do: Because impaired workers are a huge safety risk, be on the lookout for the warning signs of drug or alcohol use, and make sure inebriated staffers aren’t allowed to perform potentially dangerous tasks. What employees should look for when inspecting safety eyewear At your next training session on eye safety, let your staffers know that they should always inspect eyewear before using it. They should look for: • cracks and scratches on the lenses or side shields • damage or fit issues with frames, nose pieces, goggles, or side shields • cracks or tears in goggle seals • a broken or brittle headband Note: Damaged eyewear should be removed from service right away. SafetyAlert FOR SUPERVISORS Click Here to Subscribe Now Copyright © 2026 Institute of Business Publications. Reproduction of this material is prohibited without prior permission. All rights reserved in all countries. quick ideas

legal developments Safety insight: Never turn a blind eye to a staff member’s report of a potential safety problem – you want your people to feel comfortable telling you about potential hazards. What happened: A crew member observed a coworker standing next to an unsecured load positioned on the forks of a forklift. Because of where his colleague was standing, the crew member thought the coworker would be seriously injured if the load fell off the truck. He told his supervisor that allowing the staffer to stand next to the unstable load was a potential safety violation. What people did: The man’s supervisor refused to investigate his complaint of a possible safety violation. Instead, the supervisor said the crew member who told him about the situation was bullying the coworker who committed the violation. The worker who reported the problem was suspended, then terminated for alleged poor performance, even though he’d never been cited for a performance issue during his 20 years of employment with the organization. Legal challenge: The fired crew member sued for whistleblower retaliation. Result: The company lost. The court said the staff member was probably let go because he reported a safety problem, which meant the employer violated laws that protect whistleblowers. The judge ruled that the poor- performance explanation for his termination lacked merit – the employee had never been cited for a performance-related issue. The skinny: Courts usually take a dim view of organizations that play hard ball with crew members who want to prevent their coworkers from suffering debilitating injuries. Cite: Wimmer v. New Millennium Building Systems LLC, U.S. District Court, W.D. Virginia, No. 7:25-cv- 599, 6/22/26. horror stories Summary As her son was lying in the street near death from a work-related injury, a mom rushed to the job site to kiss him one last time. The incident With only two days left working as a laborer for ICON Construction and Development, Lucas Gray, 18, of West Linn, OR, was looking forward to starting college at the University of Utah, where he planned to major in business. Meanwhile, Gray and another staff member had been told to clean out valve boxes located about 2.5 feet beneath the road at a job site in Oregon City, OR. To perform the task, the staffers had to lie flat on the ground in the middle of an intersection and pull rocks and debris from the valve openings. A short distance away, another crew member was operating a 30,500-pound wheel loader with a forklift attachment. The operator maneuvered the wheel loader up a slight incline in the direction of Gray, who was lying on the ground facing the opposite direction. The driver of the wheel loader didn’t notice Gray as the huge vehicle drove over his body and crushed his skull into the ground. The response The wheel loader traveled about 5 to 8 feet past Gray before the operator realized that something bad had happened. He jumped from the cab and called out for help. Emergency responders arrived a short time later, but the 18-year-old was already dead from his severe head injuries. The aftermath When she heard that her son had been injured on the job, Catherine Gray, Lucas’s mother, rushed to the work site to see her son. She later recalled her last seconds with him. “I kissed him on the head and I feel like he said to me, ‘Mom, I’m here,’ and I said, ‘Where are you?’ and he said, ‘I’m with Jesus, and it’s beautiful.’” August 3, 2026 Safety Alert for Supervisors 3 You make the call: The decision (See case on page 1) No. The company lost. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission refused to dismiss the citation, and the commission’s decision was upheld by a court. The judge said the employer didn’t annually torque test the bolts on the equipment to ensure they were tight, as advised by the manufacturer. The contention by the organization that the equipment failed due to a design defect wasn’t persuasive, said the court, because it didn’t matter why the boom fell; it only mattered that the employer wasn’t providing its crew members with a safe workplace by annually torque testing the bolts. The company’s failure to keep its people safe was a safety violation, no matter the reason for the failure of the equipment. What it means: Always adhere to instructions You can lower the chances that a member of your crew will get hurt by strictly following manufacturers’ instructions for hazardous equipment. In this case, the employer ignored the manufacturer’s manual, and a worker paid with his life. The deal: Manufacturers are usually well aware of the unique hazards posed by their equipment, so their instructions are usually sound and based on the actual use of their machines in the real world. Based on Henkels & McCoy v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Was employee fired because he reported safety violation? Mother rushed to work site to kiss her son one last time

O f course none of us would drink a six pack of beer before operating a hazardous machine. However, some of us might be willing to perform a dangerous task even though we haven’t gotten enough sleep. The unfortunate reality is that insufficient sleep has an effect on our physical and mental abilities similar to alcohol consumption. Consider: A loss of two hours of sleep leads to the same impairment level that drinking two beers does, and a loss of four hours of sleep is equivalent to consuming a six pack of beer. Higher injury risk Also remember that fatigued workers have a much higher risk of making a mistake that leads to a severe injury. Consider: Employees who get the recommended 8 hours of sleep at night have an injury rate of 2.27 incidents for every 100 workers, while those who get less than 5 hours of sleep have a rate of 7.89 injuries for every 100 workers. (Why do we have a higher risk of an injury when we’re tired?) Fatigued individuals are more likely to get hurt because of several factors, including slowed reaction times, poor decision- making abilities, reduced situational awareness and lower levels of motivation. Get enough sleep To make sure none of us suffers an injury because we’re tired, it’s important to take steps to reduce the chances of handling hazardous tasks while fatigued. The best thing you can do to stay alert on the job is to get enough sleep at night. Shoot for 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. One way to improve the quality of your sleep is to remember the four ACES: • Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine before bedtime. • Create a sleep-friendly Environment in a dark, cool and quiet bedroom. • Don’t use Screens such as televisions, cellphones, or tablets before bedtime. It’s also a good idea to take regular breaks to lower your level of fatigue. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away to reduce eye strain and mental fatigue. In addition, you should stay hydrated and eat nutritious foods during the workday. Drink plenty of water; eat balanced meals rich in protein, fiber and healthy fats such as fruit and high-energy snacks; and avoid sugary items and energy drinks, which actually worsen fatigue levels. Let your boss know And don’t forget the importance of letting your supervisor know if you start to feel tired on the job. Look for the warning signs of fatigue, which include frequent blinking or yawning, memory lapses, slowed reaction times and microsleeps – uncontrolled moments of sleep that last just a few seconds. Thanks for your attention. And remember, let’s stay safe out there! Subject: Lyme disease When you consider that there’s been a whopping 70% increase in the number of Lyme disease cases reported in the U.S. over the past few years, you know it’s critically important for you to take steps to reduce the likelihood of contracting this debilitating health condition whenever you’re laboring outdoors. What to focus on Here are three things you can do to protect yourself from the ticks that carry Lyme disease. 1. Dress appropriately. Put on a long-sleeved shirt and long pants before working outdoors in wooded areas where ticks thrive. Make sure the clothing is light-colored, which will make it easier for you to spot a tick. Also tuck your pants into your socks. 2. Apply insect repellant. Before starting a task outdoors, spray insect repellant on all exposed areas of your skin. Select a product that contains DEET or picaridin. Bonus: You could also apply permethrin to your clothing, because it kills ticks upon contact. 3. Check your body for ticks. After you’ve been laboring outdoors, examine your body for ticks. Pay extra attention to the areas behind your knees, the underarms, the scalp and the groin. If you spot a tick, use tweezers to carefully remove it. Today’s safety meeting ✔ Topic: Fatigue ✔ Today’s Date: __________________ ✔ Attendee Signatures: Tailgate talk Supervisor’s safety toolbox SafetyAlert FOR SUPERVISORS 4 Safety Alert for Supervisors August 3, 2026