Deaths at UPS

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
UPS is a dangerous place. So much moving equipment. Belts, conveyors, trucks, open 'round the clock.

Truck driving is always on the Most Dangerous Jobs lists.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
I have only heard of one death in the two Atlanta Hubs I have worked out of since '75. This involved a Supervisor behind a trailer that backed into a dock. I have known four drivers who died in my Centers, but these were all while off the clock. Two traffic accidents and two medical conditions. I do know that we lose a a few a year nationally from news reports. These usually seem to be drivers on the road.
 

tieguy

Banned
O.K. So i found out about 2 deaths that have happened in my hub last night. And i know of at least 3 others. I was just wondering two things.

1. How many deaths have there been at UPS In the past 30 or so years? (i hear they average 1-2 a year)

2. Why the hell don't i hear about deaths and major injuries at UPS on the news or in the paper?

Has our original poster dissapeared on us. What two deaths did you have in your hub last night? what hub is it.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
Has our original poster dissapeared on us. What two deaths did you have in your hub last night? what hub is it.

That's how he wrote it, but I think he means he 'found out about it last night'..... not 'it happened last night'.

I think.....maybe.....
 

sx2700

Banned
I know for a fact that a supe was crushed between a trailer and the dock in Meadowlands a few years back. He jumped down to pick up packages that fell from the trailer while it was backing on. He was not found till the next day.

I can't believe someone would think somebody else's piece of crap ebay package would be more important than their own safety.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
If my Hub had two deaths in one night, then I would quit and find another job. I'm sure he meant over a period of time. Hubs are dangerous from all the conveyor belts, moving vehicles, noise, and other factors.
 

LLTailor

Active Member
So that's why they drill us on SAFETY!

Got the 5 steps of moving safely pat, the 8 steps for proper lifting I'll need to polish that one up.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
scratch

ever sceen what happens when someone is "glued" to a hot electrical source? and then someone else, who is trying to help, touches the guy, and gets stuck as well as he completes the circuit.

then there is an enclosed space with fumes. person inside is overcome, good samaritan tries to help, but is also overcome.

as for the sup getting crushed and not found till the next day.........two things

why were the doors opened before the truck backed into the dock?

after the truck was pulled out, nobody noticed the body or the packages? what kind of rinky dink opperations are being run out there?

geez, with all the management that we have with eyes everywhere......

d
 

evilleace

Well-Known Member
The doors were probably open because it was a swing door we have to open all of our swing doors before they get to the dock. I took it as the trailer wasn't pulled until the next day and then they found him.
 

Apollo

Member
No I haven't dissapeared, just forgot to log out. Also i'm not able to access this site from my phone for some reason.

I didn't have two deaths in my hub in one night. I'm pretty damned sure that would be news. The two deaths, that i know of, at my Hub (SLCUT) were within the past 30 years. I'm sorry for not being clearer. As far as i know, it could be an exageration. Then again, since i've been there, I've had 3 concussions, 2 heat stress incidents, and one incident being buried under Hunter Douglas irregs. The latter just bruised me and a friend up pretty bad. Thanks for stacking those vertically floor to ceiling 5 walls thick California. As well as numerous cuts, bruises, twisted ankles, ect. Oh well though, all part of the job.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Statisticaly UPS is a safe place to work I believe. At least this is what I hear in my annual Haz-Mat class. The problem is people die every year at UPS and I'm thankful that I'm not the one that must tell the family of a victim that their loved one died at UPS today.

My post is to defend UPS even if I think they care about safety for the wrong reasons (Cost). The world is a dangerous place. UPS operates in the world (I think:dead:). Just by numbers alone UPS will have a death every year even if its not their fault.

We employ around 400,000 people. We could be in the business of old lady knitting and we would still have deaths in the workplace every year just by numbers alone :happy2:.
 

Apollo

Member
I'm not trying to attack UPS, if i was, i wouldn't do it here.

I was reading into it, and I found a site that says UPS pays well over $1,000,000 a DAY for workers comp. Does anyone know if that's true?

Also, since the new contract our turnover rate has gone way up to like 130% was the last i heard. Is this happening everywhere?
 

tieguy

Banned
No I haven't dissapeared, just forgot to log out. Also i'm not able to access this site from my phone for some reason.

I didn't have two deaths in my hub in one night. I'm pretty damned sure that would be news. The two deaths, that i know of, at my Hub (SLCUT) were within the past 30 years. I'm sorry for not being clearer. As far as i know, it could be an exageration. Then again, since i've been there, I've had 3 concussions, 2 heat stress incidents, and one incident being buried under Hunter Douglas irregs. The latter just bruised me and a friend up pretty bad. Thanks for stacking those vertically floor to ceiling 5 walls thick California. As well as numerous cuts, bruises, twisted ankles, ect. Oh well though, all part of the job.

I don't know but a handfull of people that have gotten concussions in the 25 plus years I've worked here. You can avoid those by watching for shifting walls as you work. You can avoid the heat stress by maintaining proper fluids. You need to be more carefull or we will be talking about you on one of these threads.
 

RockyRogue

Agent of Change
The two deaths, that i know of, at my Hub (SLCUT) were within the past 30 years. I'm sorry for not being clearer. As far as i know, it could be an exageration.

No, its not an exaggeration. I remember hearing about the last one at Salt Lake. It was an electrocution incident. UPS re-staged the scene to look like a suicide. The last I heard some members of management had been indicted. I think the electrocution was about 3, 4 years ago? It was on BrownCafe when it happened.

I don't know but a handfull of people that have gotten concussions in the 25 plus years I've worked here. You can avoid those by watching for shifting walls as you work.

Those walls move when ya least expect 'em. I had a supe tell me about a guy that packed his trailer almost airtight. He checked on the guy once and found him unconscious from a wall failure. Later, they would learn he'd been out for 15 minutes or more. When the guy regained consciousness, he was spitting mad he was about to be carted into an ambulance. This guy had never had a wall failure. Safety checked the load quality and found nothing wrong with it. There wasn't even a box put in a bad place. The wall just shifted.

I know another guy that was loading while I was breaking jams. I took a look in his load and yelled, "Hey, WATCH IT, Jack!! Wall shift!!" He jumped back over his load stand as packages fell where he'd been standing. His partner had a good laugh as the other guy cursed him, the load and the bad luck. -Rocky
 
It seems like there has been alot of yard accidents involving shifters. This definitely would explain the strict yard procedures and rules that went into effect a few years ago. I used to shift 10+ years ago when there were no yard rules in place. My biggest fear was shifting in the rain AND dark at the same time. Almost impossible to see or hear anything when backing up. My biggest peeve was carwashers or irreg trains coming around on my blind side when backing up.

BTW UPS has to report accidents, injuries, fatalities, etc to government agencies like OSHA, so you can obtain the data.
 

LLTailor

Active Member
It's about that time for the safety audits, I got the WEDLM and 8 keys to power lifting squared away..Still a little sketchy on securing a belt though.
 

evilleace

Well-Known Member
We end up with at least one swing door a day at my center it seems like, those walls so shift without warning, last week I was SPA-ing and my unloader opened up a trailer and the first wall looked like a perfect load as he turned around to extend the belt I looked up and saw the whole wall falling about this time my supervisor, my sorter on primary, and I all yelled WATCH OUT!!! he just had time to duck his head and the wall fell on his back. So the walls are dangerous but if you watch out you should be fine. Also what are TOFC trailers?
 
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