TRAIN DERAILMENT IN UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. NO INJURIES REPORTED.

SEVERAL HOMES SKIRT DISASTER AFTER TRAIN DERAILMENT IN UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Friday, January 23, 2015

Several railcars operated by Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad derailed Thursday morning along Penn Street in Uniontown. No injuries were reported. Work crews from the rail company were at the scene assessing the damage and were assisted by Uniontown fire and city police departments.

Many area residents in the area woke up Thursday to the sound of a train derailment in downtown Uniontown.

And for Georgia Eans, of 99 E. Penn St., the encounter was very close.

A couple of the seven Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad cars that derailed at the Penn Street crossing rest on their sides in Eans’ front yard, the closest about three feet from her front porch.

“It sounded like a car crash. We heard a boom. I thought I was dreaming,’’ said Eans, who was asleep at the time of the derailment. She saw emergency officials were already on scene.

No one was injured when the cars, which were carrying sand, derailed around 7:36 a.m., officials said.

Lt. Thomas Kolencik of Uniontown city police said an engineer and conductor, who were not identified, were the only people on board the train that was traveling south to Smithfield. He could not say how many cars the train contained.

The railroad issued a report on its website Thursday, explaining the train was traveling from Scottdale and that the cause of the derailment is under investigation.’’

“SWP is responding fully in an effort to clean up the damaged area as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible. SWP is committed to fully supporting the emergency responders and meeting the needs of the community and protecting the environment,’’ the website said. “SWP would like to thank the Uniontown police and fire departments for their assistance with the derailment.’’

No information on the cause was available late Thursday, Kolencik said.

Standing on the front porch of her home, Eans pointed to a railroad signal that lay under a train car, noting, “It usually stands in my yard.’’

The accident attracted many who were curious about the scene, including Jeffrey Hager, who lives on East Main Street and heard the derailment while still in bed.

“I heard a boom. The train is always clanging when it slows down, and the cars come together, but then I heard the whistles and the helicopter,’’ said Hager, who decided to walk the short distance to the scene after learning about the derailment on social media.

A press release from Fayette County Emergency Management Agency said several utility poles were sheared in the area. A railroad car also fell on one of the traffic signals on Penn Street. Kolencik said West Penn Power crews were shutting off power in the area, affecting local residents and businesses as well the police station. He said Thursday evening that electricity had not been fully restored to the area although it was operating again in the police station.

Eans, who has lived in her home for eight months, said her power was turned off around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

“We have no electricity or heat. I have my 4-year-old granddaughter here, so I’m going to leave,’’ she said.

Major problems were traffic control and clean-up, officials said. The derailment prompted road closures in the immediate area. Traffic was also being rerouted on the rail line, Kolenick said. No schools were affected.

The railroad crossing is at Penn and Locust streets, located behind the Fayette County Courthouse and near the Uniontown police station.

Kolencik said that police were still able to handle their duties despite these issues. An engine was brought in to take away rail cars but clean up had not been completed Thursday evening and roads may still be blocked Friday.

Both Hager and Eans noted the speed of trains that come through the area.

“They fly through here all the time,’’ said Hager.

“I worry about trains, but I worry about everything,’’ Eans said. “It comes through here sometimes a little fast, and it’s scary.’’

Eans said her first concerns when discovering the accident were for the people on the train.

“I just prayed that none of those workers were hurt,’’ she said. “I thank the Lord everybody is okay.

NUMBER OF NORTH CAROLINA WORKERS KILLED ON THE JOB NEARLY DOUBLED LAST YEAR. NORTH CAROLINA IS ALSO ONE OF THE TOP FIVE STATES WITH THE HIGHEST TRAFFIC DEATHS

NUMBER OF NORTH CAROLINA WORKERS KILLED ON THE JOB NEARLY DOUBLED LAST YEAR.  NORTH CAROLINA IS ALSO ONE OF THE TOP FIVE STATES WITH THE HIGHEST TRAFFIC DEATHS

By Richard Stradling

January 22, 2015  

RALEIGH — The number of workers killed on the job in North Carolina nearly doubled last year compared to the year before, according to preliminary data released by the state Department of Labor on Thursday.

Forty-four people died in work-related accidents last year, up from 23 in 2013. It was the highest number of worker deaths since 2011, when 53 died, according to the Labor Department.

All but one of the workers killed last year were men, and all were classified as “laborers” by the Labor Department. Their average age was nearly 44; the youngest was 20, and the oldest was 82.

The construction industry accounted for some of the increase. Nineteen workers were killed at construction sites last year, 12 more than in 2013.

According to the Labor Department, other industry data show that many construction accidents occur within the first 60 to 90 days that a worker is on the job and in some cases on the first day of work.

“To hear that workers are getting injured on the first day or between 60 and 90 days on the job sends a red flag that the workers are not getting the necessary training prior to starting the work,” Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said in a statement. “Whether the workers are new to the industry or returning after the lull in construction that began in 2007, the workers need training or refresher training before starting the job.”

Berry said the department detected a spike in construction accidents in 2014 and worked with Builders Mutual Insurance Company to create public service announcements about some of the most common hazards on the job. The ads began airing on Univision, the Spanish-language cable television channel, late in 2014 and will continue through March.

Worker deaths in manufacturing increased from 4 in 2013 to 9 last year, while service industry deaths rose from 1 in 2013 to six last year. 

Five of the deaths occurred in the Triangle, including a worker struck by an arm of a wheel loader in Chatham County, a worker struck by a tree in Johnston County and three construction workers who fell in separate incidents in Wake County.

Worker safety has improved in the state and nationwide, largely because of state and federal worker safety rules and the requirements of workers’ compensation insurance programs. The number of workplace illnesses and injuries in North Carolina dropped to 2.7 incidents for every 100 full-time workers in 2013, the most recent year available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s down from 5.7 per 100 workers in 1999.

It’s not clear what impact last year’s increase in worker fatalities will have on the injury and illness rate.

MINER DIES IN ACCIDENT IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AFTER ROCKS FELL ON THE CAB OF HIS EQUIPMENT

MINER DIES IN ACCIDENT IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AFTER ROCKS FELL ON THE CAB OF HIS EQUIPMENT

January 22, 2015

BUNKER, Mo.  The Mine Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a miner in eastern Missouri.

The federal agency said Thursday that a 54-year-old worker died at the Fletcher Mine and Mill, a lead and zinc ore mine near Bunker in Reynolds County.

The mine is operated by the Doe Run Co., which identified the worker as John Hoodenpyle Sr.

Company spokeswoman Tammy Stankey says the miner died after rocks fell on the cab of his equipment as he was removing loose material from the roof of the mine. No other employees were injured.

Stankey said the company was "saddened by the tragic loss." The company says underground operations at the mine has been suspended while the accident is investigated.

EARLY MORNING FIRE DESTROYS THE BUILDING OF A COVENTRY, R.I. BUSINESS

EARLY MORNING FIRE DESTROYS THE BUILDING OF A COVENTRY, R.I. BUSINESS

January 23, 2015

COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) – The State Fire Marshal is investigating an early morning fire in Coventry.

It broke out at 24 Reservoir Road Friday around 7:00 a.m.

Investigators tell us that the building housed a septic cleaning business.

Firefighters say it was fully involved when they arrived on scene.

There were several explosions involving car tires and propane cylinders inside the building, so firefighters weren’t allowed inside.

No injuries were reported.

The building was completely destroyed.

OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING SUSPICIOUS CAR FIRES IN THE TACONY SECTION OF PHILADELPHIA

OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING SUSPICIOUS CAR FIRES IN THE TACONY SECTION OF PHILADELPHIA

January 23, 2015

TACONY, PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Officials are currently investigating what may have been intentionally set car fires in the Tacony section of Philadelphia.

The first fire occurred around 2:00 a.m. early Friday morning in a back alley just off Ditman Street. The vehicle – a Mercury Mountaineer – was parked in the driveway of a home. The fire was so intense that it melted the brake lights of a neighboring car about 10 to 15 feet away and caught onto the back overhang of the home.

The family members inside the home were sleeping at the time, but fortunately no one was injured.

Just a few blocks away, another vehicle – a Nissan Pathfinder – was also set ablaze leading authorities to believe that the fires were more than just mere coincidence.

The second vehicle was parked on the intersection of Robbins Street where a Philadelphia crime camera is located. Police are reviewing the footage to aid in their investigation and search for a possible suspect.