Related Links: Demo Crew Member Killed at Gatlinburg, Tenn., Plant Where Two Workers Died Last Year New Tank for Tennessee Treatment Plant Where Three Died Failures of a North Carolina company to protect employees from loose soil and rock and inspect for possible hazards on a demolition worksite ended up in a $7,200 fine imposed by the Tennessee Division of Occupational Safety and Health.Roberson Construction & Land Development, Enka, N.C., was cited for three “serious” violations after Michael Eugene Wells was killed on Feb. 23, 2012, when an earthen wall collapsed during demolition of the Gatlinburg Wastewater Treatment Plant’s equalization
Photo courtesy ConstructionWorld.in Enclosed work spaces at height can eliminate falls and protect surrounding buildings and bystanders, scaffolding experts say. Related Links: Fluor Boosts Safety Audits CEOs Share Strategies for Emerging Markets There's a flip side to the success story of booming construction in emerging markets such as India. At the moment, construction is the most dangerous industry in India, recording the world's highest accident rate among workers. Yet while construction labor accounts for just 7.5% of India's workforce, it suffers 16.4% of fatal occupational accidents, according to government data.Risky BusinessRecent fatalities at Metro Rail sites in Chennai and Mumbai
Related Links: Questions Raised About Disassembly Process Following Fatal UT Dallas Crane Collapse OSHA statement on citations issued Federal safety officials have cited Harrison Hoist Inc., Grand Prairie, Texas, for six serious safety violations, and and proposed a penalty against the company of $29,400, in connection with a tower crane collapse during disassembly at the University of Texas at Dallas that killed two workers July 7th.The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Harrison Hoist for failing to ensure that the disassembly procedures positioned workers to minimize their exposure to danger and failing to ensure the procedures were developed by
Photo courtesy of NIOSH Hydraulic fracturing kicks up massive amounts of silica dust, a known health hazard linked to lung cancer. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Chris Sneden, marketing manager for 3M, demonstrates a new tablet app on the National Safety Council exhibit floor in Orlando. Related Links: NIOSH on Frac Sand Dust Is Part of a Road-Milling Crew's Daily Grind The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it is halting the development of a long-awaited silica dust regulation to study the respiratory hazards created during hydraulic fracturing operations. New research released earlier this year shows that fracking
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Studying accidents only after they happen "is like driving a car looking through the rearview mirror," Ruebesam said. Related Links: Fluor Turns 100 Years Old ENR's Top 225 International Contractors Recognizing that studying past safety lapses is like driving a car while looking through the rearview mirror, Fluor Corp. has launched a company-wide effort this year to look ahead at leading safety indicators on its jobsites.Speaking at the National Safety Council's annual meeting Oct. 22 in Orlando, Jeffrey G. Ruebesam, Fluor's vice president of corporate health, safety and environment (HSE), said the company
Related Links: Crane Had Passed Inspection Profile of Michael Simermeyer, Laborer Federal safety officials cited Yonkers Contracting Co. and a subcontractor in connection with a crane accident last April that killed a 30-year-old laborer at a Manhattan subway jobsite. The firms face proposed fines totaling $75,000.In the accident, a snapped wire rope cable dropped a boom on Michael Simermeyer, who died of his injuries.Most of the possible fine is against Yonkers Contracting Co., based in Yonkers, N.Y. The sub, J&E Industries, Rockaway, N.J., faces a $7,000 fine for a serious violation in allegedly failing to train a rigger.According to industry
Photo Courtesy of EN Engineering EN Engineering's Mitch Hulet (left) and Tom Ziegenfuss say their pursuit of integrity management projects has led to the company's revenue more than doubling in the past five years. Related Links: New Report Slams PG&E in San Bruno Blast Some Leeway in New Pipeline Safety Law Amid the U.S. boom in natural-gas and oil production, it's easy to imagine a noticeable uptick in business for a pipeline engineering firm.EN Engineering, based in Woodbridge, Ill., however, has grown its business by focusing on safety for existing pipelines, rather than building new lines.The firm reports revenue growth
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Tower cranes pose a major challenge on construction sites in emerging markets. Here, tower cranes work in the commercial district of Gurgaon, New Delhi. Related Links: Details Emerge on First Industry Standard for Lift Planning Were Dallas Crane Bolts Loosened Too Early? India’s economic boom, which has led to hectic construction of roads, bridges, metro rail and tall buildings, is also witnessing an increase in crane accidents. On average, two accidents involving lifting equipment occur daily in the country, reports The Times of India.The problem areas are in maintenance, inspection and operations. Companies
Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 census of fatal occupational injuries Construction workplace deaths declined 6.8% in 2011, to 721 from 774 in 2010 and the industry's fatality rate also was down, to 8.9 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, from 9.8 in 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.BLS said that the 2011 data in its annual report on fatal occupational injuries, released on Sept. 20, are preliminary. It will issue final numbers for 2011 next spring.The bureau's data show that the number of construction deaths generally has been on a downward path in recent years. The industry's
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