Well services company sued over well pad fire
A lawsuit filed by a worker for injuries from a 2018 fire at a Pennsylvania shale gas well pad accuses an oil field company of causing his injuries through its practice of “hot fueling,” refilling the tanks on the pumps of the hydraulic fracturing wells without halting the operation to turn them off. The energy company previously was fined more than $12,000 by Fed-OSHA. Observer-Reporter
Man dies in accident at Amazon construction site at Cincinnati airport
A 46-year-old ironworker was fatally injured while working on a construction site for an Amazon facility at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Fed-OSHA is investigating. WLWT
Health and safety for airport workers
Although airports are generally safer than ever for air commuters, airport workers are vulnerable to various health issues ranging from hearing damage caused by noise pollution to asbestos exposure. Aeronautics
Employer-reported workplace injuries and illnesses in New Jersey 2018
New Jersey’s private industry employers reported 74,400 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2018, resulting in an incidence rate of 2.6 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported. That’s significantly lower than the national rate of 2.8, according to Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli. Insider NJ
Vermont prison guards say ozone gas made them ill
Several correctional officers say they suffered health effects from ozone gas inside a Vermont prison in 2017. Supervisors never warned of the risk posed by ozone-injection systems in prison laundry machines, and at least 10 state employees were exposed to the gas, according to an investigation. VTDigger
Coast Guard warns of explosion risk during gas-freeing operations
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis has issued a warning to tank vessel operators regarding improper tank cleaning and gas freeing operations, following a recent tank barge explosion. During gas freeing operations, cargo tank hatches are opened and the flammable vapors within the tank are blown out; if the blowers are not the proper type, are not properly maintained or electrically bonded to the vessel’s structure, static electricity can discharge as an electric arc and ignite the flammable mixture. Maritime Executive