A newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues
Death Toll in California’s Carr Wildfire Raises to 7 as Utility Worker Dies CLEARLAKE, Calif. — A utility worker was killed near a Northern California wildfire as crews working in sweltering conditions battled multiple blazes, including twin fires that exploded in size and forced hundreds more to evacuate rural communities, officials said Sunday. The Pacific…
2 firefighters killed as blaze rages in northern California REDDING, CALIF. —The National Park Service reports a second firefighter has died while battling the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County. On Sunday morning, Capt. Brian Hughes of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots was killed. According to the National Park Service, 33-year-old Hughes was on the east side of…
1 worker killed, 1 hurt after Dumpster falls at NC Campbell’s Soup plant, reports say MAXTON, N.C. (WNCN) – One worker died (Alex Radford, 53) and another was hurt in an incident involving a large trash bin at the Campbell’s Soup plant in Robeson County on Sunday, media reports said. WMBF reported that a Dumpster…
Houston tow truck driver killed after wrecker stolen HOUSTON, TX — Police say a tow truck driver in Houston whose wrecker was stolen moments after unloading a repossessed car was killed when the alleged thief ran him over. Houston assistant police chief James Jones said Friday the suspected thief ultimately crashed the tow truck in neighboring…
I took a week off compiling this list. No change in the deadly work that American workers do, except that workers have fewer rights than they did two weeks ago — especially public employees. In other news, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an appropriations bill requiring OSHA to start listing names of workers killed on their…
Last week, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the Farm Bill. And a little noticed sentence in this this gigantic piece of legislation threatens the lives of those living near chemical facilities and the employees that work within them. What does the Agriculture bill have to do with chemical plant safety? As a gift to…
Genesee Power Station employee dies in workplace accident FLINT, MI – An employee died in an industrial accident at the Genesee Power Station last week. CMS Energy, which owns the facility, released a statement Monday confirming the worker’s death. The worker’s name and the circumstances leading to his death were not released. CMS is the parent…
Another week, and another list of preventable deaths. Two double fatalities this week: Two workers killed in a power plant explosion and two others who fell to their deaths down an elevator shaft. Man dies from electrocution injuries WOONSOCKET, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island man has died from electrocution injuries sustained while painting. WPRI-TV…
The Chemical Safety Board released its report on the Arkema chemical incident last week. You may recall that during the heavy rains in the Houston area following Hurricane Harvey last year, the Arkema chemical plant was flooded and lost all ability to control the temperature of reactive organic peroxides. The company evacuated the plant and…
Tree trimmer dies in accident at Stanford housing complex Palo Alto, CA — A 36-year-old man died while working on trees at a Stanford University housing complex in Palo Alto on Saturday afternoon, Palo Alto fire officials said Monday. He has been identified as Jesus Silva Romero of San Jose, according to the Santa Clara…