Philadelphia refinery fire raises concerns of aging infrastructure
Last year, U.S. refiners processed a record nearly 17 million barrels of crude oil every day, but many refineries have decades-old infrastructure, risking outages. A recently fire at a Philadelphia-area refinery, along with incidents in Washington state and California earlier this decade, stemmed from equipment installed in the 1970s that had been allowed to run to failure, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. New York Times
Workplace injury rate in Indiana lowest ever
Indiana workplaces last year were the safest of any year on record, 71 percent lower than the high recorded in 1994, according to data released Thursday by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report does not include workplace fatalities. Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
BLS: Injury rates for wasteworkers increased
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics last week reported there were approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2018, representing no change from 2017. The waste and recycling industry, however, had an increased rate of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time equivalent workers. Waste Today
Probationary employee’s fall while washing submarine spurs $13K fine
Fed-OSHA has fined an employer more than $13,000 for failing to properly guard an area where a newly hired shipyard employee fell more than 20 feet through an unguarded access hole while pressure-washing a submarine in Groton, Connecticut in May. The Day
Ohio man dies in trench collapse in western Pennsylvania
A 49-year-old Ohio man was killed last week when a trench about 10 feet deep collapsed onto him as he was working on a sewer line in western Pennsylvania. Fed-OSHA is investigating. Baltimore Sun
New York paper company fined nearly $16K after maiming of employee
A Potsdam, New York paper products company has been fined more than $15,900 by Fed-OSHA for machine guarding violations, in connection with the injury of an employee whose right arm was mangled in machinery in early June. North Country Now