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State fire investigators revealed on December 29, 2010, that a gas explosion which killed an electrician and injured three other workers and two firefighters last July at a Norfolk condominium building could have been prevented by the company in charge of filling the tank.

Workers at the site said they did not smell gas before the blast. That can occur when the chemical that gives propane its distinctive “rotten eggs” smell fades over time. Odorant fade can occur in new tanks or tanks that have run dry and are only partially filled. The 1,000-gallon tank at the condominium construction site had only 200 gallons of propane in it at the time of the explosion.

According to the report, the company that delivered the gas to the condominium project was Energy USA in Taunton. Records show a delivery of 200 gallons on April 29 despite a warning label on the side of the tank that clearly stated the tank should not be partially filled. Energy USA told investigators that only a small amount of gas was delivered because it was a construction area and the gas meters had not been installed.

The family of William Nichols, the 46-year-old electrician killed in the explosion, is planning to pursue a lawsuit against Energy USA.

Source: Report: Mass. blast not the fault of gas company, Boston Globe, December 29, 2010 Continue reading

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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has laid $238,000 worth of fines against the U.S. Postal Service for “willful and serious violations of safety standards” at the Central Massachusetts Processing and Distribution Center in Shrewsbury, Mass.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels explains, “For years, the Postal Service knew that allowing untrained employees to work on electrical equipment exposed workers to serious injury or worse. Despite this knowledge, the Postal Service did not take the necessary steps to change its practices and eliminate the hazards.”

The serious fine comes after an inspection that began on June 29, 2010, in response to a worker complaint about hazardous conditions involving the use of electrical equipment. The inspection found that unqualified employees at the Shrewsbury location were allowed to work on and test energized electrical circuits and equipment.

OSHA issues serious citations when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. In the case of the Shrewsbury post office, OSHA issued 3 willful citations and 4 serious citations, resulting in the $238,000 fine.

The U.S. Department of Labor has also filed an enterprise-wide complaint against the USPS for electrical work safety violations, asking that Postal Service correct electrical violations at all its facilities nationwide. This complaint marks the first time OSHA has sought enterprise-wide relief as a remedy.

Source: US Labor Department’s OSHA proposes $238,000 in fines against US Postal Service for electrical hazards at Shrewsbury, Mass., mail processing facility
, Newswire.com, December 29, 2010 Continue reading

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Earlier this month, a wall collapse at a sand plant in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin claimed the life of a 36-year-old worker. He was reportedly killed when a wall he was standing on collapsed, pinning him underneath and resulting in fatal compression injuries to his head and chest.

According to reports, three other workers were taken to the hospital but the extent of their injuries was unknown. The company involved in the fatal workplace accident says it is cooperating with investigators.

Here in Massachusetts, a construction accident in Lynn earlier this year killed a 39-year-old worker when a sandbag fell from the roof of a construction site, hitting him on the head.

Source: Man dies in Wis. construction site accident, Chron.com, December 21, 2010 Continue reading

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Officials say a 51-year-old worker died in a construction accident earlier this month. The accident victim was working as part of a crew that was widening a stretch of Illinois 146 between the intersection of Illinois 3 and East Cape. A section of the work zone reportedly collapsed, and the man was trapped under at least a foot of drying concrete.

Traffic was stopped immediately following the accident and resumed about two hours later. A coroner declared the worker dead at the scene of the accident. The coroner’s office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the fatal workplace accident.

Here in New England, a 27-year-old construction worker died after a concrete slab collapsed on him earlier this year.

Source: Stonefort man victim in fatal construction accident, TheSoutherner.com, December 22, 2010 Continue reading

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Contractors in Reading, Tewksbury, and Wakefield have been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for alleged safety violations. The proposed fines attached to these citations total $154,700. The bulk of the proposed fines were from issues such as cave-in and ladder hazards.

OSHA began investigating in June when an agency official noted employees working in an unprotected 8-foot deep excavation that did not have a ladder or other means of escape. OSHA standards mandate that excavations 5 feet or deeper must be protected against collapse. The contractors were working on installing a grease trap and piping for a supermarket in Salem, New Hampshire.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 makes employers responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for employees. In cases where a worker is injured on the job as the result of employer negligence, there may be ground for filing a work injury claim.

Source: US Labor Department’s OSHA cites 3 Massachusetts contractors for cave-in hazards at Salem, NH, jobsite, MMDNewswire.com, December 9, 2010 Continue reading

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Following an explosion that injured a worker at a Salisbury maintenance facility in July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Massachusetts construction contractor with 11 alleged serious violations of safety standards. The citations carry a total of $44,000 in proposed fines.

According to accident reports, the worker was welding on a pontoon boat when vapors ignited from within the boat. OSHA investigators found that the boat lacked proper ventilation to ensure the escape of flammable gasses before welding. Additionally, investigators found that guards had not been set up to confine heat, sparks, and slag and combustibles were not properly shielded.

Although there were no fatalities in connection with the welding accident, OSHA’s area director for Essex and Middlesex counties said the accident underscores the importance of safety procedures because the worker’s injuries were preventable. OSHA investigates workplace safety issues and issues citations for safety violations, but in some cases there may be grounds for a work injury claim.

Source: Explosion at Mass. Maintenance Facility Leads to $44,000 Penalty, OHSonline.com, December 18, 2010 Continue reading

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A New England construction accident resulted in the death of a worker earlier this month. Authorities say the 29-year-old man fell off the Deer Isle Bridge in Maine while working on the bridge. He reportedly fell about 40 feet and sustained massive head trauma. While en route to the hospital, the worker died of those injuries sustained on the job.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be investigating the cause of this workplace fatality.

Here in the Commonwealth, Massachusetts workers have recently been injured by collapsing roofs, falling objects, and other hazards. Those accidents are typically investigated by OSHA, which cites employers who fail to meet safety standards. However, in some cases, injured workers and their families may also be entitled to workers’ compensation, lost wages, and other forms of compensation when employers or other parties are responsible for the injuries.

Source: Man dies in construction accident, WCSH6.com, December 6, 2010 Continue reading

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The president of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Daryl Hill, took part in an international assembly of occupational health and safety professionals in Saudi Arabia Monday and Tuesday, according to WorkersCompensation.com. Hill met with many ASSE members and conducted a presentation on contactor safety management.

The meeting was sponsored by Saudi Aramco and was entitled, “A safer you, a safer me.” It featured presentations from contractor-safety experts from all over the globe, including IOSH president Steve Granger, ARAMCO senior vice president Abdulrahman Al-Wuhaib, and NEBOSH chief executive Teresa Budworth.

ASSE is the oldest professional safety organization. It was founded in 1911 and has more than 30,000 members. In November, several ASSE members met with Chinese authorities from the State Administration of Work Safety and China Occupational Safety and Health Association.

International dialogue like this is an opportunity to gain new approaches to and strategies for occupational health and safety. Unfortunately, in Massachusetts and elsewhere, workers continue to be hurt on the job on a regular basis. If you have been injured at work, call a Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorney today.

Sources:
WorkersCompensation.com, ASSE President Participates in International Meeting on Work Safety

EHS Today, ASSE Members Meet Chinese Officials to Discuss Workplace Safety and Health

IOSH.co.uk, IOSH Saudi Arabia Conference
Continue reading

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Last Wednesday, a construction worker was injured at a restaurant construction site after a wooden wall panel fell on him. He’d been standing on a semitrailer helping guide the wall panel as it was being raised by a crane when it fell to the ground and hit him.

Police reports initially stated that the 50-year-old man sustained non-life-threatening injuries; however, his son said on Friday that the worker was in an intensive care unit on a breathing tube. He’d reportedly suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken arm, and a broken back. There was no timetable given on when he would be released from the hospital, but his son said it could be months.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to investigate the construction accident to determine if any safety regulations were violated. In additional to falling objects, construction workers are also at risk for explosions, electrical shocks, crane accidents, and other hazards.

Source: Construction accident victim is in intensive care unit, ArgusLeader.com, December 4, 2010 Continue reading

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A Massachusetts state trooper sustained injuries earlier this week after being hit by a car. He was assisting a driver involved in a single-vehicle accident in Fall River and was taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital. The accident occurred on Wednesday at about 6:30am on Route 24 near the Route 79 on-ramp.

Although the driver the officer was helping was also hit by the moving vehicle, no other injuries were reported.

The motorist who hit the trooper has been charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Here in Massachusetts, the penalty is a $250 fine. Negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in a car accident is a very common tort, and one that our Boston personal injury law firm can assist you with.

Source: Mass. trooper struck by car at accident scene, Boston Globe, December, 8, 2010 Continue reading

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