Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a no-notice “Construction Incident Prevention Initiative” campaign this summer to curb construction fatalities. Compliance officers will focus enforcement efforts on construction sites covered by OSHA’s Erie Area Office, which includes Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties. The initiative is designed to identify and eliminate safety and health hazards at construction sites to prevent injuries and fatalities resulting from the four leading causes of incidents: falls, struck-by/crushing events, electrocutions and caught-in-between events. The initiative also will target health hazards involving silica, lead and hexavalent chromium, and will draw on OSHA’s national campaigns to prevent fall hazards at construction sites and heat illness among outdoor workers. During campaign periods, OSHA sends all of...

An employee at Dresser-Rand in Wellsville is dead after an industrial accident Friday afternoon. Wellsville Village Police say the accident happened at around 1:55 p.m. The man was taken by ambulance to Jones Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police have not released the man’s name yet. They will be issuing a news release Monday after OSHA completes its investigation.

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement on the hydraulic fracturing well blowback incident today in Bradford County. Senator Casey has introduced legislation to improve safety for workers and emergency response procedures at drilling sites as well as legislation to protect drinking water and require public disclosure of chemicals used in the fracking process. “My office has been in contact with state and local officials to see if any federal assistance is needed after the blowback in Bradford County,” said Senator Casey. “I will continue to monitor the situation as the investigation continues and more details are known. Natural gas drilling offers Pennsylvania a great economic opportunity. However, incidents like this blowback are a reminder that there are dangers and that precautions must be taken to protect the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians.” Senator Casey's Faster Action Safety Team Emergency Response (FASTER) Act provides ...

Another natural gas well incident in the region sent two people to the hospital. The workers were hurt Friday morning in Tioga County when a pipe coupling came apart at an Ultra Resources well in Gaines Township. DEP’s Nels Taber says both workers were flown to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. A piece of metal hit one worker in the head, causing a skull laceration; the other had broken ribs. The well was being readied for production, but was shut down for the rest of the day on Friday. OSHA is investigating.