High Roller Wells Pearsall SWD #1 Ltd of Pearsall, TX, was cited for serious safety violations following an explosion and fire.  Violations included failing to ensure that equipment and electrical wiring are rated for the environment in which they are being used, take necessary precautions to prevent possible ignition sources such as sparks or static [...]

Bartlett Grain of Atchison, KS, was cited by OSHA for willful and serious safety violations in response to the October 2011 grain elevator explosion tragedy. The willful violations include allowing grain dust – which is nine times as explosive as coal dust – to accumulate, using compressed air to remove dust without first shutting down [...]

Alabama Farmers Cooperative was cited for safety and health violations for exposing workers at its Decatur facility to combustible dust and other hazards.  Included in the violations was failure to reduce the accumulation of, and use approved electrical equipment in the presence of, combustible dust.  Employees were exposed to nuisance dust 1.6 times higher than [...]

OSHA proposed fines of $171,300 to Bath Iron Works for violations of workplace safety standards at its shipyad in Augusta, ME.  Included in the electrical hazards was an unqualified employee operating an overhead crane, unguarded electrical equipment, and exposed and damaged electrical sheathing. Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/2/12.

OSHA cited BWAY Corp of Atlanta, GA, for safety & health violations at its Dayton, NJ, plastics manufacturing facility.  Repeat violations included failure to develop lockout/tagout procedures for energy sources of specific equipment, conduct and certify monthly crane hook inspections, and protect electrical live parts with approved enclosures.  Serious violations included failure to ensure that [...]

Hobart Brothers Co. of Troy, OH, was cited with 55 safety & health violations, with proposed penalities of $174K.  OSHA focused on this company due to higher-than-average injury and illness rates.  Included in the serious safety violations were failures to isolate energy sources, provide lockout/tagout procedures for the energy sources of equipment, train workers on [...]

A munitions depot in the Congo exploded on Sunday morning, killing over 200 and injuring an estimated 1500.  An electrical short circuit / faulty wiring has been listed as the cause of the explosion.  The blasts scattered ammunition across the city of Brazzaville, and they were continuing to explode, causing more fatalities. Click here to [...]

Citations won’t be filed after two young farm workers were electrocuted while removing tassels from corn in rural northwestern Illinois last summer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced January 25th. The investigation found lightening may have struck the field’s irrigation system. About 72 people working for St. Louis-based Monsanto Corp. were de-tasseling corn when the accident occurred.

Following a fatality in August of last year, OSHA cited JeffBoat for 9 safety violations.  Seven serious violations have been cited for hazards such as failing to develop and implement lockout procedures involving hazardous energy control equipment, not training employees to work safely around and operate transfer cars, not inspecting transfer cars and ensuring that [...]

Upper Big Branch Coal Mine was site of 2010 explosion in which 29 miners died.  The Massey Energy superintendent faces felony criminal charges for conspiring to impede enforcement efforts by using code phrases to tip off mine operators to pending MHSA inspections checking for health and safety violations.  Last year, the head of security was charged with [...]