Tag:

Workplace Safety

Amazon Dismissed Warnings On High Rates Of Worker Injuries, Report Says Amazon Dismissed Warnings On High Rates Of Worker Injuries, Report Says
Amazon Dismissed Warnings On High Rates Of Worker Injuries, Report Says ityAmazon is under fire following a US Senate report accusing the company of prioritizing speed over worker safety.  Released by the majority staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee late Sunday night, Dec. 15, the report claims Amazon’s intense focus on productivity has led to unsafe working conditions. The Senate report outlines how Amazon’s warehouse workers face high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and other injuries caused by repetitive tasks and demanding quotas.  It accuses Amazon of knowingly exposing employees to these risks, …
Goods Disposal Worker Injured In West Earl Township Crash: Police Goods Disposal Worker Injured In West Earl Township Crash: Police
Goods Disposal Worker Injured In West Earl Township Crash: Police A Goods Disposal worker was injured in an early-morning crash in West Earl Township, authorities announced on Monday, Dec. 9. The incident happened at 5:30 a.m. outside 225 South State Street, when a 34-year-old male worker had just stepped off a trash disposal truck to begin loading duties, according to the West Earl Township Police Department. He was struck by a 2015 GMC pickup truck, sustaining multiple injuries. The worker was transported to Lancaster General Hospital, where he is currently listed in stable condition, police said. His name is being withheld to protect his privacy. The …
Worker Killed By Digging Bucket Excavating Sugar At Kinder Morgan Terminal In Bucks County Worker Killed By Digging Bucket Excavating Sugar At Kinder Morgan Terminal In Bucks County
Worker Killed By Digging Bucket Excavating Sugar At Kinder Morgan Terminal In Bucks County A Kinder Morgan employee was killed early Monday morning, Dec. 9, after being struck by a digging bucket at the Fairless Hills Terminal in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, officials said. The fatal accident occurred around 1:15 a.m. at the terminal located on the 1000 block of South Port Road, according to investigators. The 26-year-old worker, a resident of Bristol Borough, was reportedly struck while a bucket was being used to excavate sugar from the hull of a docked ship, authorities said. Police have not yet released the worker's identity. Kinder Morgan, an energy infrastructure company,…
PA Tractor Trailer Driver Involved In Crash That Killed NJ Sanitation Worker: Police PA Tractor Trailer Driver Involved In Crash That Killed NJ Sanitation Worker: Police
PA Tractor Trailer Driver Involved In Crash That Killed NJ Sanitation Worker: Police Police in Tenafly have released details in the crash that killed a 23-year-old sanitation worker from North Arlington Monday morning, Oct. 21. The garbage truck was parked along the northbound curb of County Road when the vehicle was struck by a northbound tractor-trailer just before 7 a.m., Tenafly Police Capt. Michael deMoncada said. The crash happened just as the 23-year-old worker was transferring garbage into the truck. The impact caused significant injuries to the sanitation worker and he was pronounced dead at the scene, deMoncada said. The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 53-y…
Dad Killed, Brothers Critical After Crane Fall In Philly: Fund Says Dad Killed, Brothers Critical After Crane Fall In Philly: Fund Says
Dad Killed, Brothers Critical After Crane Fall In Philly: Fund Says More than $17,000 has been raised for the family of a 47-year-old HVAC worker and father of three killed in a fall from a cherry-picker crane on Friday, Sept. 6 in West Philadelphia. The oldest of three brothers on the crane, Tuan Vuong, died en route to the hospital, according to a GoFundMe campaign.  "Our three cousins Tuan Vuong, Wei Vuong, and Nguyen Vuong were involved in a devastating construction accident in West Philadelphia," GoFundMe campaign organizers Crystal Mai and Linh Mai wrote. "A crane collapsed onto their work van, leaving them severely injured." The fatal acci…
OSHA Investigating Fatal Fall From Cherry-Picker At Philly Construction Site, Official Says OSHA Investigating Fatal Fall From Cherry-Picker At Philly Construction Site, Official Says
Osha Investigating Fatal Fall From Cherry-Picker At Philly Construction Site, Official Says The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is investigating the Friday, Sept. 6 fatal fall of a  47-year-old man from a cherry-picker crane that toppled over and crushed a utility work van in West Philadelphia, authorities said. "I can confirm that OSHA is investigating this incident," Leni Fortson, regional director of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, said on Monday, Sept. 9. Two other workers were left in critical condition from the two-story fall shortly before 1 p.m. at a construction site on the 4400 block of Moravian Street near 44th and 45t…
Bushkill Township Employee Drowns In Riding Mower Accident: Northampton Co. Coroner Bushkill Township Employee Drowns In Riding Mower Accident: Northampton Co. Coroner
Bushkill Township Employee Drowns In Riding Mower Accident: Northampton Co. Coroner A Bushkill Township groundskeeper died after being pinned under a riding mower on Tuesday morning, according to officials.  Louis 'Lou' Nagy, 74 of the 800 Block of Bushkill Center Road, was mowing township property near Albert Ponds Preserve along Albert Road when the fatal accident happened.  Lou was just starting to cut the grass "along the bank of one of the ponds when the mower tipped over with the operator still on its seat resulting in him being pinned beneath the tractor in the pond," he Northampton County Coroner's Office stated in a release. A coroner was…
Holiday Inn Worker ID'd After Fatal Fall Into Hole: Lancaster Officials Holiday Inn Worker ID'd After Fatal Fall Into Hole: Lancaster Officials
Holiday Inn Worker ID'd After Fatal Fall Into Hole: Lancaster Officials A fall into a open grate hole has left a worker dead at a Pennsylvania Holdiay Inn on Sunday, officials say.  Alexei Rodriguez-Balceiro, 42 of the 430 block of East King Street in Lancaster, died at 3:20 p.m. following multiple attempts to save his life after he was pulled unconcious from an air vent shaft, the Lancaster City Bureau of Police and the County Coroner's Office announced on Monday. The Lancaster City Bureau of Fire was called to the hotel located at 26 East Chestnut Street in Lancaster at 2:53 p.m. on June 9, according to a release by the police.  The hotel…
Construction Worker Takes Fatal 9-Story Fall In Pittsburgh: Officials Construction Worker Takes Fatal 9-Story Fall In Pittsburgh: Officials
Construction Worker Takes Fatal 9-Story Fall In Pittsburgh: Officials A construction worker fell from the scaffolding on the exterior of the ninth floor of a building in Pittsburgh on Thursday, May 30, officials with the office of public safety announced later that morning. The worker fell from the building that was under construction in the 400 block of Melwood Avenue in the North Oakland neighborhood just before 8 a.m., according to PPS. Pittsburgh Police, Fire, and EMS were called to the scene where the man pronounced dead at 8:01 a.m. after suffering "grave injuries," officials said. PPS also released the following statement reading in part: "Pittsburgh…
Estate Of Welder Blown Through Roof At New Jersey Job Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Estate Of Welder Blown Through Roof At New Jersey Job Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Estate Of Welder Blown Through Roof At New Jersey Job Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit The family of a 48-year-old welder killed in an explosion that blew him through the roof of a business in Gloucester County has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his former employer. Bruce A. Cheeseman, of Cedarville, was working at Timberlane Welding & Services Inc. in Mullica Hill when the fatal accident occurred on June 15, 2022. The company performs truck and trailer repairs. The lawsuit filed by Lisa Labrusciano, as Executor of the Estate, does not mention a dollar amount sought but also names Taylor Oil Co. — which owned the truck being worked on — a yet uniden…
RM Palmer Failed To Evacuate Employees Before Explosion, OSHA Claims (UPDATED) RM Palmer Failed To Evacuate Employees Before Explosion, OSHA Claims (UPDATED)
RM Palmer Failed To Evacuate Employees Before Explosion, Osha Claims (Updated) Note: This article has been updated with a response from RM Palmer.  Candy company RM Palmer failed to evacuate employees after some reported smelling natural gas before the deadly West Reading explosion in March, according to federal regulators.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a new report last week that the manufacturer "did not remove workers" from the plant "despite workers' concerns about what (was) later determined was a natural gas leak." The blast, which killed seven employees and laid waste to an entire borough block on March 24, was cause…
PECO Employee Among Four Shot In North Philly PECO Employee Among Four Shot In North Philly
Peco Employee Among Four Shot In North Philly A utility worker was among the four people injured in a North Philadelphia shooting late on Wednesday, Sept. 13, city police told Daily Voice.  Gunfire rang out just after 10 p.m. on the 600 block of West York Street near the intersection with North Marshall Street, the department said.  The four people struck, per police, were:  A 34-year-old male PECO employee shot twice in the backside A 33-year-old man shot twice in the left shoulder A 17-year-old boy shot once in the right thigh and twice in the left thigh A 37-year-old man shot once in the left ribcage All four were h…
OSHA Fines Pennsylvania Contractor $18K After Fatal Balcony Collapse In Sea Isle City OSHA Fines Pennsylvania Contractor $18K After Fatal Balcony Collapse In Sea Isle City
Osha Fines Pennsylvania Contractor $18K After Fatal Balcony Collapse In Sea Isle City Federal inspectors have levied $18,082 in fines against a Bucks County, PA, contracting company after a balcony collapse that killed a worker in Sea Isle City earlier this year. Jose Pereira, 43, of Philadelphia, was working on a seventh-floor balcony on the Spinnaker Condominium complex’s south tower on Feb. 24 when an eighth-floor balcony collapsed on top of him, pinning him under the concrete slab. OSHA officials have cited Ferguson Contracting Inc. of Yardley, PA, for five different violations. OSHA citationOSHA Sea Isle City balcony collapse.Lex Step for Daily Voice Crews were …
20-Foot Fall Hospitalizes Wastewater Contractor In PA, Police Say (UPDATE) 20-Foot Fall Hospitalizes Wastewater Contractor In PA, Police Say (UPDATE)
20-Foot Fall Hospitalizes Wastewater Contractor In PA, Police Say (Update) A man was rescued from a tank at Ephrata Borough Authority’s wastewater treatment plant, authorities said.  The 30-year-old man working as a contractor on a rehabilitation project plummeted into an empty concrete tank approximately 20 feet down around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 25, 2023, authorities said. "Medical professionals used ladders to descend into the tank and treated the man inside, while crews outside prepared to (extricate) him, which took over an hour," police stated in a release around 6 p.m., adding, "Local fire companies worked together and lifted the patient out of the t…
NTSB Report Details Preliminary Findings In Deadly RM Palmer Explosion NTSB Report Details Preliminary Findings In Deadly RM Palmer Explosion
NTSB Report Details Preliminary Findings In Deadly RM Palmer Explosion Moments before the fiery explosion that killed seven people and injured nearly a dozen more at RM Palmer chocolate factory, workers smelled a peculiar scent: Rotten eggs. That odor was natural gas, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's newly-released findings on the West Reading explosion. As local authorities shifted their focus to cleanup management and community leadership, federal officials have continued to investigate the scene. The blast site, securing evidence, and interviewing witnesses, were all part and parcel of the NTSB report, released Tuesday, May 2. …
Seven Victims Of RM Palmer Explosion Identified Ahead Of Memorial Vigil Seven Victims Of RM Palmer Explosion Identified Ahead Of Memorial Vigil
Seven Victims Of RM Palmer Explosion Identified Ahead Of Memorial Vigil Authorities have identified the seven victims killed in the RM Palmer chocolate factory explosion last week in Reading. The victims were identified by the Berks County Coroner's Office in the Philadelphia Inquirer as: Xiorky "Chany" D. Nunez, 30, of Reading Susan H. Halvonik, 63, of Upper Providence Township Michael D. Breedy, 62, of Marion Township Diana M. Cedeno, 44, of Reading Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, of Reading Amy S. Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata, who was the HR director Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading, who worked in the production department, per his obituary.  The manner and cause of death fo…
Philadelphia Worker ID'd As Victim Killed In Sea Isle City Balcony Collapse Philadelphia Worker ID'd As Victim Killed In Sea Isle City Balcony Collapse
Philadelphia Worker ID'd As Victim Killed In Sea Isle City Balcony Collapse A 43-year-old construction worker from Philadelphia has been identified as the victim crushed to death by a balcony that collapsed at a Sea Isle City high-rise Friday, Feb. 24, authorities said. Jose Pereira was on the 7th floor balcony of the Spinnaker South Tower when the balcony above him collapsed, crushing him around 2:20 p.m., Sea Isle City Police Chief Anthony J. Garreffi Jr. said. Pereira's body was pinned under the 30-foot concrete slab for several hours before responders could cut through approximately 12 inches of reinforced concrete, Garreffi said. The side of the building was …
OSHA Fines Lehigh Firm $125K For Teen's Wood Chipper Death OSHA Fines Lehigh Firm $125K For Teen's Wood Chipper Death
Osha Fines Lehigh Firm $125K For Teen's Wood Chipper Death Federal regulators have cited a Lehigh Valley tree removal company for the 2022 death of a teenage worker who was pulled into a wood chipper.  Isiah Bedocs, a 17-year-old from Coplay, was working for Adam's Tree Service in North Whitehall Township on Aug. 9 when he was fatally wounded, Daily Voice reported.  Now, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for 10 "serious" safety violations and is recommending fines totaling $124,987, the agency announced Monday, Feb. 13.  Investigators found that Bedocs was feeding "entangled material" into the wood ch…
OSHA Fines Mars Wrigley After Pair Pulled From Chocolate Tank At M&Ms Factory OSHA Fines Mars Wrigley After Pair Pulled From Chocolate Tank At M&Ms Factory
Osha Fines Mars Wrigley After Pair Pulled From Chocolate Tank At M&Ms Factory The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined Mars Wrigley after two contractors fell into a vat of chocolate at the M&M/Mars factory, authorities say. The settlement of a $15,000 fine was due for payment on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, according to OSHA. Through an investigation, OSHA found that Mars Wrigley failed train the workers, including explaining the temperature of the tank and the flow of the chocolate it contained, as explained in the final report.  “The employer did not ensure that the employee had the knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy for the t…
Titanium Plant Explosion Rocks Berks County Town Titanium Plant Explosion Rocks Berks County Town
Titanium Plant Explosion Rocks Berks County Town An explosion at a titanium plant in Berks County on Thanksgiving Day was being probed by police. About six workers at the TIMET plant in Morgantown were leaving when the blast went off around 2:30 p.m., a Caernarvon Township officer tells PennLive. A smaller explosion had been reported earlier in the day and was believed to have been caused by a furnace, authorities told various news outlets. No injuries were reported.
20-Year-Old Sam's Club Worker Dies 1 Week After Getting Hit In The Head On The Job In PA 20-Year-Old Sam's Club Worker Dies 1 Week After Getting Hit In The Head On The Job In PA
20-Year-Old Sam's Club Worker Dies 1 Week After Getting Hit In The Head On The Job In PA A 20-year-old Sam's Club employee in Pennsylvania has died a week after he was struck in the head while on the job, his family confirmed to Daily Voice. Benjamin "Benji" Knight Jr. was hit in the head by a door with a broken spring in an overhead loading dock door at the Summit Township Sam's Club located at 7200 Peach Street on Sept. 30, Erie News Now reports. He was taken to UPMC Hamot hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 7, according to Erie County coroner Lyell Cook, who stated that his cause of death was blunt force trauma. "Mr. Knight was a valued member of our family …
Support Surges For Family Of Teen Tree Worker Who Died After Lehigh Valley Woodchipper Incident Support Surges For Family Of Teen Tree Worker Who Died After Lehigh Valley Woodchipper Incident
Support Surges For Family Of Teen Tree Worker Who Died After Lehigh Valley Woodchipper Incident Support is surging for the family of a teenage tree worker who died after an accident involving a woodchipper. Isiah Bedocs, 17, was partially pulled into the machine while working a tree job on the 3700 block of Excelsior Road in North Whitehall Township around 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, according to PA State Police and LehighValleyLive. The Coplay boy was airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, police said.  Bedocs was an incoming senior at Whitehall High School, and "had his whole life ahead of him," reads a GoFundMe lau…
Safety Inspection At PA Medical Marijuana Plant After Explosion Hurts Six People: OSHA Safety Inspection At PA Medical Marijuana Plant After Explosion Hurts Six People: OSHA
Safety Inspection At PA Medical Marijuana Plant After Explosion Hurts Six People: Osha The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation after six people were hurt in an explosion at a medical marijuana plant, authorities say Emergency crews were called to the explosion at the Ilera Healthcare facility located at 3786 North Hess Road in Taylor Township at the Fulton and Bedford County line around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, according to emergency dispatchers. The explosion happened in an incinerator room and damage was contained to the room, reports WJAC citing Hustontown Area Volunteer Fire Company Chief Darius Deshong. Two people suffer…
Welder Dies In Fall From Ferris Wheel At NJ Amusement Park: Report Welder Dies In Fall From Ferris Wheel At NJ Amusement Park: Report
Welder Dies In Fall From Ferris Wheel At NJ Amusement Park: Report A 62-year-old welder died in a fall from a Ferris wheel in New Jersey Monday, May 2, NJ Advance Media reported. The subcontractor was killed while working at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, an Ocean City amusement park, President Jay Gillian said in a statement. Gillian also is the city's mayor.  Robert W. Sanger, of Pittsgrove, reportedly fell around 10:30 a.m. He was employed by Cargo Tech International of Swedesboro, Gloucester County, the outlet said. OSHA is investigating the worker's death, Leni Fortson, the federal agency's regional director, told Daily Voice. “We are cooperating w…
$2 Million Fine For NJ's 'Most Flagrant' OSHA Violator Upheld By Judge $2 Million Fine For NJ's 'Most Flagrant' OSHA Violator Upheld By Judge
$2 Million Fine For NJ's 'Most Flagrant' Osha Violator Upheld By Judge A Bergen County framing contractor dubbed New Jersey’s "most flagrant violator" of federal workplace safety laws the past decade must pay $2 million in back fines to the government, an administrative law judge has ruled. Juan Quevedo-Garcia, 42, of Palisades Park "deliberately failed to pay the fines and displayed a total disregard for the safety of his workers and for the law," Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said. In doing so, he "continually put workers at risk of serious injuries or worse" at four different job sites in Bergen County, a federa…
PA Students Witness Worker Falling 30+ Feet Into School Auditorium PA Students Witness Worker Falling 30+ Feet Into School Auditorium
PA Students Witness Worker Falling 30+ Feet Into School Auditorium Students witnessed a contract worker falling over 30 feet from an area just below the roof of their high school, authorities and multiple news outlets reported on Tuesday. The worker fell approximately 30 to 40 feet from the area between the ceiling and roof into the auditorium of Valley High School in the New Kensington-Arnold School District just after 10:30 a.m., according to emergency dispatchers and officials called to the scene. The worker was attending to the HVAC along a catwalk between the ceiling and roof when they fell into the auditorium through the ceiling, according to a …
AFL-CIO President, Pennsylvania Native Richard Trumka Dies At 72 AFL-CIO President, Pennsylvania Native Richard Trumka Dies At 72
Afl-cio President, Pennsylvania Native Richard Trumka Dies At 72 Longtime AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has died at 72, reports say. Born in Nemacolin, PA, the attorney, and organized labor leader was remembered as a "relentless champion of workers' rights, workplace safety, worker-centered trade, democracy and so much more,” according to a statement released Thursday by AFL-CIO Communications Director Tim Schlittner. Statement from AFL-CIO Communications Director Tim Schlittner on the passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: Posted by AFL-CIO on Thursday, August 5, 2021 His cause of death was not made public, however, sources knowledgeable o…
Jersey Shore Company Faces $13.7K OSHA Fine After Employed Couple's COVID Death, Agency Says Jersey Shore Company Faces $13.7K OSHA Fine After Employed Couple's COVID Death, Agency Says
Jersey Shore Company Faces $13.7K Osha Fine After Employed Couple's COVID Death, Agency Says The US Department of Labor says it may fine a Central Jersey company up to $13,653 for coronavirus violations in its workplace. On Tuesday, the labor department's Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited a pharmaceutical and, biotech manufacturer from Eatontown.  The company failed to protect dozens of employees from COVID-19 at its  Monmouth County facility, OSHA said in a news statement. A husband and his wife died after contracting the virus last fall,  OSHA said.  At least two other workers were hospitalized and at least 30 workers tested positive for COVID, the federal ag…