Employees Killed and Injured During Winter Storm Blair

Jackson County, MO (WorkersCompensation.com) – A county employee helping with snow removal was killed during Winter Storm Blair this past weekend, one of several incidents stemming from the storm that dumping record amounts of snow on the Midwest.

Officials in Jackson County, Mo., said 61-year-old employee Everett Carter was helping with snow removal when he was killed by a county dump truck. Carter, who had been with the county for more than 40 years, was in the unincorporated area of Blue Summit around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5 when the accident happened.

Officials said the dump truck had stopped to let Carter out and the truck slid striking Carter and another parked vehicle. Carter was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr.  said the accident was a “heartbreaking loss.”

“Everett Carter dedicated four decades of his life to serving our community with pride and professionalism,” White said in the statement. “We will forever be grateful for his service and deeply miss his presence,” White said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”

The county said snow removal crews were taken off of snow removal duty after the incident, but resumed their work on Monday morning.

 Inter City Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Jewell said Carter tried to get out of the way before it was too late.

"We haven’t had anything of this magnitude in years so it’s a stern reminder for us that do this — whether you’re a nurse or EMS, fire, tow truck drivers, plow truck drivers, these things are always dangerous," Jewell said.

Carter was just a few weeks from retirement, Jewell said.

"It was tough. Totally unexpected. We’ve worked hand in hand over the years for storms and stuff like this so everybody is pretty close and it was devastating," Jewell said. "There's a risk with all this stuff. We try to be prepared but can't always be perfect."

The storm dumped up to a foot of snow in some areas, leaving a swath of snow and ice across the country from Kansas to Maryland. Portions of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia saw power outages and closed roads due to record snow and ice accumulations.

In South Bethany, Delaware, a maintenance worker was injured in a snow removal accident on Jan. 6. Officials with the town of South Bethany said the employee was working to clear town property of snow and ice when they were injured.

Sussex County EMS and the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company ambulance responded to a call for a slip-and-fall accident at the Public Works maintenance shed. The worker suffered a joint dislocation near his knee, Police Chief Jason Lovins said.

Officials said the worker had jumped out of his truck to start the snowplow and slipped on the ice, Lovins said.

“We have our Public Works team, including Public Works Supervisor Joe Hinks, driving our dump-truck plow, and I believe [the worker] was going to assist on the Kubota UTV rig,” he said.

The worker was transported to the hospital to ensure that his knee was treated.

According to OSHA, every year workers are injured and killed during snow removal operations. OSHA said regulations require that employers “plan ahead and use the proper protective measures to protect workers engaging in snow removal activities.” Those protective measures include planning for how to protect workers removing snow from commercial and residential buildings, flat roofs and pitched roofs.

Injuries from snow removal can include injuries from slips and falls; amputations, eye injuries, and other injuries associated with the use of snowblowers and other mechanized equipment; machine collapses or tip-overs when using aerial lifts; entrapment and suffocation under falling snow drifts or snow piles; shock and electrocution hazards from contacting power lines or damaged extension cords; frostbite or hypothermia from cold and windy conditions; and musculoskeletal injuries from overexertion.

Preventing injury can be as simple as proper training on equipment, OSHA said, as well as using the proper equipment, taking frequent breaks to avoid overexertion, and using proper form when lifting snow in shovels, among other tips.

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