New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NY FACE)

Flooding Fatal Injury Facts

During severe flooding conditions between June 22 and June 30, 2006, 4 workers died as a direct result of the weather. Below are real-life descriptions of the workers who were killed on the job.

• A 74-year-old male was killed while helping his brother pull a skid-steer loader out of the mud with a farm tractor. The tractor flipped over.
• A 55-year-old electrical utilities worker was electrocuted while installing a new transformer when he placed an aluminum ladder in an electrical vault that contained three feet of water.
• Two male truck drivers, aged 55 and 42 years, were killed when the trucks they were driving went into a washed out section of an interstate highway.

How Can Flooding Accidents Be Prevented?

• Exercise caution when operating tractors or other mobile equipment.
  • Loads should be properly hitched.
  • Ensure all tractors are equipped with rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seatbelts. Equipment can slip easily on muddy ground.
• Proceed with caution when entering a building that has been impacted by severe weather.
  • Turn off power and outside gas lines at the meter or tank before entering.
  • Watch for electrical shorts and live wires.
  • Air out building to remove escaping gases.
  • Wear rubber boots and gloves.
• Stay off roadways impacted by severe weather events unless there is an emergency.
  • Turn around if you come to a flooded road, whether driving or walking. There is no way to estimate the depth of the water nor the condition of the road under the water.

New York Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (NY FACE)

The NY FACE program is supported by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Additional information can be obtained by contacting:

New York State Department of Health
Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention
Empire State Plaza-Corning Tower, Room 1336
Albany, New York 12237