OSHA fines Halliburton $7K in fracking site blast that killed 1 worker, injured 2 in Weld County

[madamesilverspurs]

Federal regulators have fined Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. $7,000 for safety violations in a deadly 2014 explosion at a hydraulic fracturing site in Weld County.

One worker was killed and two others were injured on Nov, 13, 2014 when authorities said the three men were trying to heat a frozen high-pressure water line and it ruptured.

According to a U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration document, a 2-inch metal pipe fitting blew off a valve and hit an employee in the head, killing him.

more...



http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/osha-fines-halliburton-7k-in-fracking-site-blast-that-killed-1-worker-injured-2-in-weld-county

This is tantamount to you or me being fined one penny for mowing down a bunch of kids in a crosswalk. The fine means less than nothing. And there are those who think that corporations don't run the country.

[Orrex]

1. That'll teach 'em!

They'll think twice before committing negligent homicide again, you can be sure of that.

[jwirr]

2. So now we know what a life is worth.

[Dustlawyer]

21. Thats even less than the $25,000 per death for the 4 killed at Dupont outside of Houston!

When are people going to realize the corporate big brother controls our government top to bottom and decide to do something about it. Bernie Sanders is the only national politician with a plan, willing to fight them and call them out running for POTUS, why cant he get the Democratic support from the well informed people who come here? While DU seems predominately for Bernie, too many are willing to go corporate and install Hillary. They say he doesn't have a chance, I say he doesn't if you aren't willing to even try! We can always back Hillary in the General if Bernie doesn't win the Primary. If enough of us were willing to fight for him we can do it. Obama won because people believed (myself included) that he would be transformational. Turns out he was corporate, who knew, he was too new. Bernie is without a doubt the real deal and the people still hunger more than ever for the change we so desperately need.

Sorry to get off track, but all of these problems, the revolving door at the regulatory agencies like OSHA, EPA, SEC and all of the others are starved of money and run by the corporations that they are supposed to regulate. Take away campaign contributions and Super Pacs and lock the revolving door and most of our problems will evaporate.

I litigated with BP when they killed 15 and injured thousands because they would not spend the money to keep up a refinery that was making $1,000,000,000 a year in PROFIT! It is all about dividend payments and CEO pay/bonuses based on quarterly profits. The Gulf oil spill was caused for the exact same reason. BP even went so far as to pick a budget out of 4 different budget proposals for that refinery where, in their own estimation, they would kill, "...only one or two workers" because that budget maximized profits. Two of the four budget proposals would not kill anyone. They were only 13 human lives off! Life has definitely gotten cheaper!
Rant over

[jwirr]

24. Totally agree.

[underpants]

3. K?

[enough]

4. This seems worse than no fine at all, a deliberately cruel message to workers and their families.

snip from the article>

In the citation issued on May 12, 2015, OSHA said, "[Halliburton] did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to struck-by hazards associated with working in the red zone of the [gas] well."

"Red zones" are hazardous areas that have to be clear of workers when fracking pumps are operating, according to the industry publication, EnergyTrendsInsider.com.

"The employer did not ensure employees were protected from struck-by hazards associated with the removal of an ice plug from within" an assembly of valves, known as a "Christmas tree," the OSHA document said.

"Employees remained in the red zone while equipment was pressurized up to 3500 psi [pounds per square inch]. This condition exposed employees working in the red zone to struck-by hazards as a result of an explosion," the OSHA report said.

snip>

[bluesbassman]

5. Cheney probably paid that fine personally from the roll of $100's he keeps next to the toilet.

The only silver lining I can see in that judgement is that it will be added weight for the family to use in a civil suit.

[former9thward]

25. Workplace accidents are governed by workers compensation.

Employers are immune from civil suits in workplace accidents.

[Aerows]

37. Um, no. Not just no, or um no, but resoundingly - NO.

You've obviously never run a business, dealt with OSHA before, dealt with worker's compensation insurance companies (remember our friend AIG) and handled the end of it that OSHA handles.

Now mind you, these are the things put upon a small business owner, but for something as simple as not having a readily displayed MSDS for every chemical in the building can get you fined for thousands.

So NO, this was not a normal settlement. There is absolutely no way to pretend that this is normal. NONE AT ALL.

People NOT EVEN BEING INJURED can result in fines higher than this - let me state this again.

I dare anyone to refute that.

[former9thward]

40. Um yes.

I managed OSHA inspectors in their Chicago office. You don't know whet you are talking about.

[Aerows]

42. If you managed OSHA inspectors in their Chicago office

You certainly did it differently than the ones in the New Orleans office. I most *certainly* do know what I am talking about, and also with regards to workman's compensation, which I know you did not refute because you could not.

You speak as an authority on things you aren't quite clear on.

[former9thward]

43. Look up worker compensation laws.

Which I know you will not do. They apply here, despite your wishes.

[Aerows]

46. I doubt you

would know a worker's compensation insurance claim form if it hit you in the face, how to go about obtaining worker's compensation insurance, and the amount of liability you need to ensure that your workers are covered to the extent that if they are debilitated, they will be compensated.

Try me. "You do not know worker's compensation laws" is not a rebuttal. "I have acquired worker's compensation insurance for employees, know the process of how to file for it if a worker is injured in the workplace, and what to do if the process becomes prolonged", *IS*.

[former9thward]

48. If you knew anything about it you would not make your posts.

Unless you want to mislead people which I suspect is your agenda.

[Aerows]

50. *I* am trying to mislead

distract, and take attention off of the main point of the article?

[former9thward]

52. I replied to #5.

He/she brought the issue up. Not me. Take it up with them. Accuse them of trying to take attention off the main point. You won't.

[gratuitous]

6. Just a darn second, there!

Let's see how it shakes out on appeal. I'm sure Halliburton won't be held responsible for its lethally hazardous work site because of all the jobs that might be lost if it has to pay this enormous fine.

[bvar22]

7. Unfreezing frozen high pressure (3500 lb/sq") is a dangerous job,

especially if someone derides to use a welding torch and doesn't KNOW what they are doing.
I'm not saying that is what happened, but I've seen it done before,
and would make a small wager that THAT is what was going on.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

8. There's more cash than that in change rolling around on the floor of one of their

Ford F-350 crew cabs!

[Mnemosyne]

9. Sure hate to see these poor corps going bankrupt from these horrendous fines.

[Enthusiast]

17. True

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[Mnemosyne]

31. It seriously keeps me up at night.

[cali]

10. If you control the political system, you control everything.

[Enthusiast]

18. Truer words were never spoken.

[peecoolyour]

11. I hope they didn't have to dig in their couches too long to scrape that up.

[aggiesal]

12. WOW ...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. I imagine some Republicans sent Cheney a sympathy card for his loss.

[Baitball Blogger]

14. There goes their budget for the toothpicks they use to pick their teeth.

[KamaAina]

15. They fined Halliburton seven grand?

Halliburton? Why even bother?

[Jackpine Radical]

16. I'm not a lawyer, but I wonder if this might give something solid

for civil suits like wrongful death to be pegged on. A lawyer in a civil suit could have a lot of fun describing that $7k fine to a jury from blue-collar oil country.

[former9thward]

26. Workplace accidents are governed by workers compensation.

Employers are immune from civil suits in workplace accidents.

[Aerows]

39. False

Why are you chiming on this point so heavily, since from the small business owner's point of view it is DEMONSTRABLY false?

Why do you care so much to defend Halliburton?

Also, employer's PAY for worker's compensation insurance. It's not free.

[former9thward]

41. You don't know what you are talking about.

Quit embarrassing yourself.

[Aerows]

45. Actually

You are. I can chapter and verse explain why, and already did.

You know it, I know it, and I'm not going to back down on something I am familiar with to some person on the internet.

I ALREADY know how MSDS, OSHA and Workman's Comp works. Very well. AIG.

Spouting that I have no idea what I am talking about doesn't make you an authority, it looks like someone attempting to shut down a conversation because it isn't favorable to ... whatever it is you are arguing.

I have some hard, cold facts. Please ask me for them. I'm more than prepared to offer facts instead of emotional pleas of "You don't know what you are talking about because you confronted me on my false assertions".

[former9thward]

47. Workplace accidents are governed by workers compensation.

That is the hard, cold facts. Despite your fantasies and wishes.

[Aerows]

49. You really have no

idea what happens behind the scenes in getting a worker's compensation claim filed, do you?

LMAO. It just happens magically - you get injured, and :poof: everything is okay.

But what the hell does this have to do with Halliburton only paying $7K in fines when they killed a worker and injured two others due to workplace safety problems? Not a damn thing.

Do you think $7K in fines for killing somebody is an adequate fine?

[former9thward]

53. I didn't fine thme 7k.

OSHA whose head is appointed by Obama did. OSHA has a structure for fines depending on the violation. I don't know what the violation was. Nobody here does either. It is not specified in the article.

[Aerows]

54. Thanks Obama!

[former9thward]

57. If it was 8 years ago you would be screaming about the Bush OSHA.

At least I try to be consistent.

[Aerows]

58. Um, yeah, I'm well known

for never criticizing the Obama Administration on anything. LOL.

[Bossy Monkey]

19. Wow! That's really going to cut deep. That might be an entire second's worth of profits. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

32. 2014 profit according to the BBC - only $622m, poor things. I am not good at math right now or would

figure the percentage. That fine is criminal too.

[mountain grammy]

20. Oh nooooos, it can't be true..

we have commercials on every station almost hourly telling us how clean and safe fracking is..
Breathe easy, Colorado.... what to believe.

Oil and gas spending a ton of money to convince us fracking is wonderful, beautiful and safe. They are spending, but people aren't buying..

$7k for taking a life? Disgusting.

[Aerows]

22. 7K for killing someone

and injuring two others.

That's beyond screwed up.

[Rex]

30. Who runs Bartertown?

I hope Bernie makes them all pay for their hubris.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

23. Forget about the money. Shooting Dick Cheney out of a cannon seems like a more

appropriate fine.

[Mnemosyne]

33. I would like to see that also. Cool image in brain now. nt

[Glimmer of Hope]

27. Something stinks here. What are typical fines for this sort of thing?

[Mnemosyne]

35. I rarely recall ever seeing a fine that was of any real consequence to these sociopaths. nt

[spanone]

28. their CEO was selling papers at my last intersection before getting to work today

my heart was broken

[Mnemosyne]

34. Too lazy to even wash windows! Sorry for your heart, spanone. nt

[Rex]

29. Who runs Bartertown!? Yeah you know who.

That dam BFEE!!! Tee hee giggles...

[Doctor_J]

36. seeing as it's Halliburton, I'm surprised the government doesn't give THEM money for the inconvenien

They ARE the government

[Aerows]

38. If you run a small business

that has reason to come into the use of chemicals, the absence of an MSDS displayed can get you fined thousands by OSHA.

Why the hell does killing a person and injuring 2 others result in less of a fine than not declaring all chemicals in a toner cartridge to stick in a copy machine, or the cleaner that you use on the counter?

Answer: Nobody gives a shit about small business owners. They only care about large corporations.

[Jamastiene]

51. So, the price of 1%ers taking a human life belonging to the 99%

is down to $7k? I thought we were worth at least a tad bit more than that. I was wrong. They kill us all the time and this is one of the rare occasions where they did a little something to them for it. It is a pathetic attempt though. That is not even a slap on the wrist. That is barely a tsk tsk.

[Omaha Steve]

55. Fines don't equal the value of the worker to the family left behind

Never has.

K&R!

OS

[Jamastiene]

59. Exactly.

Of course, that is how people with a conscience feel about it. The 1% doesn't seem to have a conscience. To them, it's all about money and only about money. It should be criminal, the way they refuse to see the actual non-monetary value of human life.

[Vinca]

56. One month of corporate golf club fees?

That'll teach 'em.