Trial Begins for Farmer in Manure Deaths

AP via Yahoo! ^ | Tuesday, September 14, 2004 | JULIANA BARBASSA

[raybbr]

An Associated Press investigation found that Mexican workers often take the most dangerous jobs, and frequently perform them without adequate protection or training. The investigation found that an average of one Mexican worker dies every day in the United States. A Mexican is 80 percent more likely to die on the job than a native-born worker, the AP found.

It's anyone's fault but the mexicans'.

[Restorer]

The law has required employers for over 30 years to protect workers against hazards such as this.

[raybbr]

Also from the same article:

The dairy's foreman, Alcino Sousa Nunes, has already pleaded no contest to violating an occupational safety law, for which he got three years probation, with no fines or jail time.

They want to find as many guilty as possible so as to set up a fine large enough to destroy the farm.

[Melpomene]

According to these guys, the ten most dangerous jobs are (listed from most dangerous down): Alaskan Crab Fisherman, Logger, Truck Driver, Miner, Firefighter, Policeman, Armored Car Guard, Bomb Squad, Coast Guard Search & Rescue, and Bodyguard.

[freedom4ever]

We had a local hog farmer who was killed by this type of incident. They had a very large operation and one of the co- workers went into a "pit" to work on some pumps. He went down, so the hog farm owner went down to try to save him and he went down. Another worker, a co- owner showed up and found the two in the pit, had the piece of mind to not go in, but rather called for help. Both guys in the pit were already dead, the third would have been if he went in. Methane gas is what killed them. This comes under, in the fire service, confined space rescue. As an aside, I worked for this guy in one of my first jobs out of high school. I lasted 2 hours and couldn't take it anymore. I didn't even wait to get paid.

[Melpomene]

Not that farming is not dangerous. My cousin lost both his arms in a farming accident when he was 16.

[Leatherneck_MT]

If manure is a murder weapon, Dan Rather could spend the rest of his days behind bars.


Good one lol

[searchandrecovery]

Alatorre, 24, was the first to squeeze through a narrow opening of the 40-foot pit to unclog a pipe.

Sounds like the workers tried to solve a problem they shouldn't have been working on - should have called the (on-the-road) boss, or waited. Need more facts (another incompetent/incomplete AP article).

[freedom4ever]

Here is a link to some OSHA confined space regs.. Confined space is, roughly, defined as an area not suitable for human habitation.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9797

[Manic_Episode]

Sh!t happens.

[8mmMauser]

I remember a guy who fell into a pool of that stuff and drowned. He tried to swim but couldn't. He could only go through the movements.

[Don Simmons]

Step AWAY from the manure pit!

Shi**y job.....