How Far Away is Death?
How far away is death? From close calls to tragic accidents, these incidents are equally shocking as insightful.
Tune in every Thursday to see the newest edition, or scroll down to browse previous topics.
Collapsed construction elevator
January 29, 2026
t happened at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York: Five workers were injured after a temporary construction elevator fell several floors with the workers aboard. Paramedics and other first responders pulled the injured workers from the elevator and transported them to local hospitals.
A New York Labor Law stipulates that business owners have the responsibility to provide reasonably safe working conditions for onsite workers.
Watch the video:
Too close for comfort
January 22, 2026
Watch the YouTube/CNN video to see what happened in this near-miss plane incident.
What were the two aircraft involved in the near-miss plane incident?
TapRooT®’s experts in incident facilitation, root cause analysis, and corrective actions can help your organization solve critical internal and external problems.
When your company is in a situation that requires outside help, TapRooT®’s Root Cause Analysis experts can partner with your employees to identify and solve problems. TapRooT® RCA is an advanced, proven system for root cause analysis of precursor incidents and major events.
Looks can’t kill, but people can
January 15, 2026
A recent murder has sparked online discussion about workplace violence and women’s safety.
On a seemingly normal Thursday morning at Advanced Process Technologies, David Delong picked up a sledgehammer and struck his coworker Amber Czech. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Delong admitted his actions to the authorities and is in custody (on a $5 million bail) until his trial in January.
What was the motive for such a heinous act?
Delong told prosecutors she gave him “a bad look”. He had been planning this murder for some time because he “didn’t like” her.
While we can’t predict shocking tragedies like this one, we can still put safeguards in place to prevent them. Proactive measures like tool monitoring systems, self-defense / de-escalation training, risk assessments / reports, and safe spaces can help keep workers safe.
These safeguards might seem like wasted budget during normal day-to-day operations, but here’s the thing: every day feels normal until someone gets hurt.
Queso fresco-type cheeses
January 8, 2026
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that queso fresco-type cheese harbors Listeria due to its high moisture content and low acid level. Also, even pasteurized queso fresco-type cheeses can become contaminated if their manufacturing environments are not sanitary.
Construction work
Jan 1, 2026
The construction industry has kept its standing for America’s highest workplace deaths in 2025. Among fatal accidents, workers falling from heights, being compressed by heavy objects, and other massive injuries.
It’s always a good idea to train your management and workers to work safely. The new year is a good time to make this your priority. Register for a TapRooT® Training Course today.
Dangling desperation
December 18, 2025
The driver of a tractor-trailer was traveling a snow-covered West Virginia bridge on US Route 35 in Mason County when he lost control of the semi. The trucker and his cab dangled precariously from the bridge.
Watch the video:
FDA milk recall
December 11, 2025
Gallons—320 gallons, to be precise—were sold before milk producer Prairie Farms issued a press release November 25, 2025, regarding food-grade cleaning solutions in its fat-free milk.
Recall from the FDA:
- “Consumers should return or discard products and sanitize affected storage areas.”
- “The recalled milk comes from Prairie Farms Gallon Fat Free Milk, produced at the company’s Dubuque, Iowa, facility and distributed to select Woodman’s stores in Illinois and Wisconsin.”
- “According to the recall notice, milk production run processed with the code date DEC08 and plant code PLT19 145 during the timeframe of 17:51 to 21:23.
Content source/credit: Parade, “FDA Issues Urgent Milk Recall Over Possible Cleaning Agent Contamination,” Nov 29, 2025.
Massive factory fire
December 4, 2025
At this moment, 10:20 pm, Saturday, November 29, 2025, two firefighters have been injured in a recycling factory inferno. The injured firefighters are among hundreds battling a catastrophic fireball in North St. Mary’s, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.
Here’s a video of what’s happening at the scene:
A bad look
November 27, 2025
A recent murder has sparked online discussion about workplace violence and women’s safety.
On a seemingly normal Thursday morning at Advanced Process Technologies, David Delong picked up a sledgehammer and struck his coworker Amber Czech. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Delong admitted his actions to the authorities and is in custody (on a $5 million bail) until his trial in January.
What was the motive for such a heinous act?
Delong told prosecutors she gave him “a bad look”. He had been planning this murder for some time because he “didn’t like” her.
While we can’t predict shocking tragedies like this one, we can still put safeguards in place to prevent them.
Proactive measures like tool monitoring systems, self-defense or de-escalation training, risk assessments or reports, and safe spaces can help keep workers safe.
This week’s edition was written by Jacob.
Fleeing killers on the hunt
November 20, 2025
A seal in Washington state recognized danger as a pod of orca whales on the hunt grew close to it. Thinking fast, the seal jumped into a nearby boat full of photographers recording the orcas. Naturally, the cameras turned to record the seal’s actions. Watch video below.
