The state has opened an investigation into the electric shock suffered by a 70-year-old Kapolei warehouse worker on Saturday morning.
The man, who worked at Ramar Foods International’s Kapolei location, was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition, according to an Honolulu Emergency Services Department report. No more details are known at this time about the incident, which occurred at 8:38 a.m.
State investigations, which are governed by state rules and circumscribed by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), can last up to six months, said state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations spokesman Bill Kunstman.
The company, which manufactures Filipino frozen foods, did not respond to multiple requests for comment to its Hawaii and California offices.
DLIR reported in late May that the state had experienced a surge in serious work-related accidents. At that time, DLIR said that its Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division (HIOSH) was investigating four fatalities and several serious injuries that occurred during a 20-day period in May.
“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 statement. “HIOSH provides consultation services that help employers identify hazards and improve safety and health programs. 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.”
Since July 1, Kunstman said, there have been another 33 work-related accidents.
HURT ON THE JOB
Other recent work injuries in Hawaii:
>> May 2 (Hawaii island): A heavy equipment boom holding a utility pole collapsed, and the pole struck and killed a worker on the ground.
>> May 3 (Oahu): A worker died after falling out of a forklift that tipped over.
>> May 4 (Oahu): Two workers suffered second- and third-degree burns from an electric arc flash while conducting electrical testing activities.
>> May 4 (Oahu): A worker suffered brain injuries and internal bleeding after receiving an electrical shock and falling off a scaffold.
>> May 7 (Oahu): A worker was killed when a golf-type cart lurched forward into a wall.
>> May 8 (Oahu): Two workers sustained serious injuries after falling off a platform that was being raised by a forklift.
>> May 18 (Kauai): A worker died while operating a riding mower that slid down a slope and over a retaining wall.
>> May 18 (Oahu): A worker was electrically shocked while arc-welding a pipe and suffered serious burns to his face and jaw.
>> May 21 (Hawaii island): A worker lost his leg and sustained other serious bodily injuries when he was struck and run over by a track type of excavator.
Source: State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Correction: The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations prematurely reported that Ramar Internatonal was in violation of a state accident reporting requirement. After investigating, the state determined that the company was not in violation. An earlier version of this story, and in Tuesday’s print edition, cited a state official’s comment that the company did not report the accident “in a timely manner.”
