A sad day in Towanda, PA. A worker on a gas well rig fell 20 feet to his death on March 11th- 31 years old. The gas industry is a very dangerous industry. This accident may have been prevented perhaps by the use of a safety belt.
The rig is owned by Nomac Drilling, a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy Corporation.
A resident of the area where the well pad is located reported that she saw an ambulence and emergency crews when she got home. Her property overlooks the well site.
Accidents accompany this industry: fires, spills, traffic accidents, falls, chemical contamination of air, soil, and water, to name a few. Are these harmful effects worth it to get tight gas out of the shale? At what cost will we proceed with hydrofracking? With gas drilling activities so near homes, schools, nursing homes, and in state parks, these scenes will be repeated over and over. In addition to the basic environmental and human health concerns, there is the psychological and emotional impact of looking out one's window or from one's porch and witnessing death and destruction firsthand. In many cases, young families will be trying to explain what happened just across the road or over the back fence to their little children. Close encounters with emergencies, ambulences, flashing lights in the night, and sirens blaring can be very disturbing to children. They won't forget. Their homes will seem less safe.
Read the article from The Daily Review, Towanda, PA.
[The above photo by C. J. Marshall]
5 comments:
Many jobs have safety hazards, especially those involving heavy equipment. Drilling is not the most hazardous. If the worker had been using proper safety equipment perhaps this accident would have been prevented.
True enough. However, I am still very concerned about the emotional and psychological effects these accidents will have on children and adults alike when they happen within eyeshot of their front doors.
In the event that this individual had been tied off, meaning wearing a body harness and lanyard this accident could have been prevented. My sympathy goes out to the family who lost their loved one and to Nomac and Chesapeake Energy. All industries have their short comings and we all try to enforce all and any safey practices. Tell me this do you tie yourself off when you go up on the roof and clean the leaves out of the gutter, I bet not accidents like this should open our eyes and realize you can be harmed at home just as easily as this worker was injured on the job. Safety starts at the house! Sincerely Aaron Maurer
Any construction site is a dangerous environment. People are killed every day in job related accidents. It is a terrible and horrifying fact. Drill sites are no more dangerous than other construction or manufacturing jobs. We need to be diligent in safety practices. The gas companies will undoubtedly be blamed. They are blamed for everything.
You know this might be a late post but that is sad that something tragic happened like that, but its exactly like this, you complain about the gas companies, you complain about the safety, you complain about your kids seeing ambulances and emergency personal, but when it comes to you heating your home or running your cars all you can do is complain about the high gas prices, and you don't want your kids to see life as it really is? so what do you do lock them in your house so they can't see a car accident as you drive down the road or don't let them watch tv or play action video games? First question are you amish? Probably not since your on a computer. Accidents happen everywhere even in office jobs and schools, and driving down the road. It's life get over yourself quit your b#%chen and leave stuff alone that you don't have any idea of what your wanting to b#@ch about or just pissed off cause you haven't got a lease on your "non-working farm" I grew up on a farm too so I know how rough farmers have it and need that extra income. Next, why don't you look at the most dangerous jobs and bit&& about that you haven't done that though have you.
Post a Comment