Issues |
Oil Boom Cause Spike in Energy Industry Workplace Deaths |
Anytime an industry experiences a surge in fatalities, "you've got to look a little bit deeper," said Woody Hill, vice president of safety services at Texas Mutual Insurance Co. in Austin. In taking a closer look, Mr. Hill said he found the number of fracking-related injuries in Texas was small compared with the rate and severity of vehicle-related accidents in the energy industry. Inexperienced operators aren't used to driving water trucks, salt trucks or other types of vehicles that support a drilling operation, and driver fatigue is common among employees who are "working 12-, 13-, 14-hour shifts with overtime and ... are falling asleep at the wheel," Mr. Hill said and that Texas Mutual's claims found that driving-related accidents accounted for nearly 60% of oil and gas industry fatalities. Stephanie Goldberg, Business Insurance 07/07/2014 |
Read Article: Business Insurance |
How to Request Chemical Facility Information |
Here is a simple breakdown of the steps you must take to gain access to chemical inventory information at Texas facilities. Lauren McGaughy, Houston Chronicle 07/07/2014 |
Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
Insurer Drops Suit Against Tyler Widow |
Crystal Davis whose story was featured in The Texas Tribune's four-part series, Hurting for Work, about the struggles people face after they or their loved ones are hurt or killed on the job in Texas got some welcome news in her battle against an insurance company that sued to cut off the workers' compensation benefits she got after her husband was killed on the job. ACE American Insurance had dropped its lawsuit against her and her children. Jay Root, Texas Tribune 07/07/2014 |
Read Article: Texas Tribune |
Sugar Plant Removed Safety Device 13 Days before Temp Worker's Death |
Janio Salinas was buried alive in sugar. A newly released accident report and an undercover investigation by Univision reveal the obstacles OSHA faces in its temp worker safety initiative. After a series of gruesome accidents involving untrained temp workers, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has stepped up its enforcement of rules affecting temp workers. In recent cases, OSHA has held companies and temp agencies jointly responsible for training, and it has fined temp agencies for not assessing potential dangers before sending people to a workplace. Michael Grabell, ProPublica 07/07/2014 |
Read Article: ProPublica |
Laws/Cases |
Ex-Coach Files Termination Lawsuit Against LSU |
A U.S. District Court judge will decide in the next few weeks if he will grant Louisiana State University's request to dismiss a lawsuit against it by a former tennis coach. The ex-coach filed the lawsuit over his firing back in May 2012, which he alleges was unjustified. The plaintiff accuses the LSU athletic director of "discriminating against him, harassing him and retaliating against him amid years of disparate pay and unrealistic expectations" and his lawsuit seeks "all reasonable sums of money under the premises, punitive damages, attorney's fees and all cost of the proceedings." If the case is not dismissed by the U.S. District Court judge, it will appear in federal court Nov. 3 for trial. Glenn Guilbeau, USA Today 07/05/2014 |
Read Article: USA Today |
Study: Galena Park Residents Have Increased Cancer Risk |
In Galena Park lifelong residents have an increased cancer risk that's between 90 and 250 times greater than what many scientists consider acceptable, according to data from a new community air study. The non-profit Air Alliance Houston looked at small particles in the community, which is nestled among petrochemical titans, and found the gravest cancer threat in the air could come from mere ships and trucks. Ingrid Lobet, Houston Chronicle 07/07/2014 |
Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
West Virginia Chemical Spill Sets Off a Waste Dispute |
Six months after a chemical spill fouled a vital West Virginia water supply, a fight is brewing over the tons of waste it left behind. The small city of Hurricane, W.Va., and surrounding Putnam County, want two subsidiaries of Waste Management Inc. that operate a local landfill to dig up and remove 228 tons of waste containing the chemical that contaminated the region's water supply in January. The municipalities sued the companies in federal court in May, arguing that the waste is hazardous and not suited to the solid-waste landfill that handles ordinary trash. Waste Management argues that the case should be dismissed because the material doesn't qualify as hazardous waste under federal law. Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal - $$ Subscription Required 07/07/2014 |
Read Article: Wall Street Journal - $$ Subscription Required($) |
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