MEC&F Expert Engineers : 06/02/17

Friday, June 2, 2017

An elderly woman's air conditioning unit sparked a fire inside her trailer in West Carrollton, Ohio




WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) - 


An elderly woman's air conditioning unit reportedly sparked a fire inside her trailer on Airstream Drive June 1.

Captain Adam Blake with the West Carrollton Fire Department said she had gotten too hot inside and plugged in her a/c unit, but it appeared there was an issue with either the unit or the wiring.

The woman had been able to get outside just before fire crews got to the scene, but was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Firefighters did find a fire right inside the front door and were able to knock it down once they got there, but there reportedly was significant damage done to the structure.

OSHA has issued a dozen citations and proposed $226,431 in fines following its investigation into the Nov. 29, 2016, death of Jonathan Gilmore, a 26-year-old machine operator at Milton-based Gulf Cable LLC, a Pensacola-area electrical cable manufacturer.



May 31, 2017

OSHA finds safety failures in its investigation of fatal incident
at Florida electrical cable manufacturer

MILTON, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a dozen citations and proposed $226,431 in fines following its investigation into the Nov. 29, 2016, death of a 26-year-old machine operator at
Milton-based Gulf Cable LLC, a Pensacola-area electrical cable manufacturer.

Milton-based Gulf Cable LLC was cited for failing to take measures to protect Jonathan Gilmore, who was pulled into a re-spool machine and crushed as he attempted to guide electrical wiring cable into the machine. OSHA found the machine lacked the required guarding to prevent him from coming into contact with its moving parts.

“Jonathan Gilmore’s death could have been prevented,” said Brian Sturtecky, O­­SHA’s area director in Jacksonville. “Employers have a responsibility to provide safe work environments for their workers regardless of production schedules. When employers fail to use equipment properly and safely, they put employees at risk of serious injury or worse.”

OSHA issued 12 violations to Gulf Cable for one willful, one repeat, seven serious and three other-than-serious safety violations. The willful citation relates to the company’s failure to install guards to prevent machine operators from coming into contact with the cable as it winds onto the spool.

The agency also cited the employer for one repeat violation for failing to develop, document and utilize hazardous energy control procedures to prevent machines from operating while employees performed service and maintenance.

OSHA issued serious citations to Gulf Cable for failing to:
  • Install guardrails on all four sides of machinery in the pit area, exposing workers to trip and fall hazards.
  • Repair or replace cut electrical wiring for the emergency-stop foot pedal, exposing workers to electrical shock and electrocution hazards.

The citations for Gulf Cable can be viewed at: https://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/GULF_CABLE_1193905.pdf

Gulf Cable employs 110 workers at its facility, often running two separate 12-hour shifts with approximately 50 employees on each shift working seven days per week.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Jacksonville Area Office at 904-232-2895.

OSHA cited Cape Romain Contractors Inc. after discovering multiple safety and health violations, including silica dust, during a scheduled inspection of a marine terminal construction site in Mount Pleasant, S.C.





























Company cited for exposing workers to silica and other hazards at S.C. marine terminal





OSHA cited Cape Romain Contractors Inc. after discovering multiple safety and health violations during a scheduled inspection of a marine terminal construction site in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Inspectors found that workers faced overexposures to silica and noise due to a lack of respiratory protection and hearing conservation programs as well as engineering/administrative controls. Cape Romain was also cited for crane, electrical, and machine guarding hazards. Proposed penalties total $81,489.

Cal/OSHA has cited two companies (D&D Construction Specialties, Inc. and Tyler Development, Inc.) $352,570 for multiple workplace safety and health violations, including ten serious and three willful category violations, following an incident in which a worker lowered into a 50-foot drainage shaft fell to his death.



Cal/OSHA Cites Two Employers for Fatal Drainage Shaft Accident


Los Angeles—Cal/OSHA has cited two companies $352,570 for multiple workplace safety and health violations, including ten serious and three willful category violations, following an incident in which a worker lowered into a 50-foot drainage shaft fell to his death. Neither D&D Construction Specialties, Inc. nor Tyler Development, Inc. followed permit required confined space procedures to work in confined spaces. Cal/OSHA in 2012 cited D&D Construction, Inc. for violating similar safety orders at a different construction site.


General contractor Tyler Development was constructing a single-family residence in the Bel Air area and hired subcontractor D&D Construction to install and service reinforced concrete posts known as caissons (
A caisson is a reinforced concrete pile or post that transfers the load (weight) of the home directly to bedrock) on the property. On October 21, 2016, a D&D Construction worker entered the drainage shaft, which was 4.5-feet in diameter and lined with concrete, to clean out mud and debris. He stood inside a bucket attached to a mini crawler crane with no personal fall protection. After descending 10 feet into the shaft, the worker lost consciousness due to the oxygen deficient atmosphere, fell approximately 40 feet and drowned in one foot of water.

“Cal/OSHA launched a confined space educational program to bring attention to the dangers and preventable deaths that occur in confined spaces,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. “The program helps employers identify hazards and create effective safety plans that include air monitoring, rescue procedures and training before work begins.”


Cal/OSHA cited D&D Construction $337,700 for 13 violations, including two willful serious accident-related, one willful serious, one serious accident-related, six serious, and three general in nature. The accident-related violations were cited for the company’s failure to:


• ensure safe entry into the confined space,
• have an effective method to rescue the worker in the confined space in an emergency, and
• test the environment to determine if additional protective equipment, such as a respirator or oxygen tank, were required to work safely in the shaft.
 

Tyler was cited $14,870 for five violations, three of them classified as serious violations, for the employer’s failure to:

• evaluate the worksite for possible permit-required confined spaces,
• ensure that the subcontractor meets all requirements to comply with a permit space program, and
• protect workers from the hazard of impalement by guarding all exposed reinforced steel ends that extend up to six feet above the work surface with protective covers.


Confined spaces are defined as large enough for workers to enter, but have limited openings for exit and entry, with a potential for hazards related to the atmosphere and space. They are found in multiple industries, and include water and sewer pipes, boilers, silos, kilns, vaults, tunnels and
pumping stations.


In 2011, there were seven confined space fatalities in California. In two of the incidents, rescue was attempted by co-workers without proper evacuation training, resulting in the death of one worker and serious injuries to two workers. In response, Cal/OSHA launched a confined space emphasis program in 2012 to raise awareness of these hazards and ensure employers follow proper
safeguards. This safety program includes training in identifying hazards, creating a safety plan and rescue procedures.


A willful violation is issued where evidence shows that the employer committed an intentional and knowing violation—as distinguished from inadvertent, accidental or ordinarily negligent—and the employer is conscious of the fact that what they are doing constitutes a violation, or is aware that a hazardous condition exists and no reasonable effort was made to eliminate the hazard.


A serious violation is cited when there is a realistic possibility that death or serious harm could result from the actual hazardous condition.


Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from safety and health hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA’s Con sultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their safety and health programs.


Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services. Cal/OSHA has also published a wealth of helpful guides for employers andworkers.

Republic Steel, an automotive steel manufacturer, faces $279,578 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration after agency investigators found workers at its Canton plant exposed to machine hazards and lead.



May 19, 2017

OSHA finds machine safety hazards, lead overexposure at Ohio steel plant

CANTON, Ohio – Republic Steel, an automotive steel manufacturer, faces $279,578 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration after agency investigators found workers at its Canton plant exposed to machine hazards and lead.

OSHA found one maintenance worker suffered severe injuries after being struck by an unguarded machine, and at least seven workers were exposed to excessive levels of lead, which can cause serious health issues.

“Companies must continuously monitor their facilities to ensure health and safety procedures are adequate and effective in protecting workers from injuries and illness on the job,” said Dorothy Dougherty, deputy assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.

On Dec. 5, 2016, a 64-year-old maintenance worker suffered a fractured pelvis after being struck by a sail ­– a large clamp that holds the steel billet – because lock-out devices were not affixed to the machine’s operating parts to stop movement during maintenance.

A second inspection was opened on Dec. 13, 2016, after a complaint alleged workers were being exposed to lead. Investigators documented seven incidents of lead overexposure in the caster facility.

In total, the agency found two repeated and five serious safety and health violations during the two inspections. OSHA found the company failed to implement engineering controls to lower exposure to steel dust particulates; prohibit employees from eating in areas where lead exposure was possible; affix locking devices to machine operating parts during maintenance, and replace damaged guard and stair rails. In the past decade, Republic Steel has been cited for more than 250 safety and health violations at its facilities across the country.

The company is a leading North American supplier of steel bars for automotive and industrial use. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Cleveland Area Office at 216-447-4188.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.

Environmental Enterprises Inc. that was indicted for reckless homicide and other charges for the death of Zachary Henzerling, 20, pleaded no contest to negligent homicide Wednesday and was found guilty and paid only $5,000 in fines




Father says company where Zachary Henzerling died in fire should pay more than $5,000 fine


  Tom McKee
4:45 PM, May 31, 2017






CINCINNATI, OHIO – A Forest Park man who lost his son in an explosion and fire lashed out Wednesday at a plea deal reached with the company where he worked.

Jim Henzerling says laws need to be changed to protect victims and their families after the company, indicted for reckless homicide and other charges, got by with a $5,000 fine.

"Basically I can own a business and I can kill anybody I want, I can poison anybody I want, and I can pay a fine,” Jim Henzerling said.

“That's the way it's set up in Ohio. I can't sue them because of Employer Intentional Tort Law. That's a crying shame. Politicians' kids don't have to work in these places. Our kids do.“

Zachary Henzerling, 20, began working at Environmental Enterprises Inc. in Spring Grove Village some 4 1/2 years ago. Three weeks later, he died in an explosion and fire on Dec. 28, 2012.

A Hamilton County grand jury indicted the company and two managers, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced in January 2016.

The company pleaded no contest to negligent homicide Wednesday and was found guilty by Judge Thomas Heekin. The $5,000 fine was the maximum under the law.

Zachary Henzerling was treating hazardous waste when the explosion occurred. His father said his son and others weren't properly trained.

“He was doomed from the day he started because of their incompetence and their lack of caring to do the right thing towards my son and other employees that were there,“ Jim Henzerling told the court.

“My son took this job and he expected them to look out for him and teach him the right way and things and they did not. In any sort of imaginary world they live in, they did not.”

In a release, EEI President Dan McCabe said the fire was a result of a shipment of mislabeled air filters that turned out to be explosive.

“EEI was not alerted to their highly flammable nature,” McCabe said. “We had no idea we were being shipped something that would explode. Had we known, we would never have accepted the shipment.”

To Jim Henzerling, that's just finger-pointing.

“I waited 4 ½ years, Your Honor - 4 1/2 years for some semblance of regret or responsibility that have never transpired,” he said in court.

Zachary’s father said he wanted to sue the company but is blocked by Ohio's Employer Intentional Tort Law — something he hopes can be changed. The law says, in part:


"The employer shall not be liable unless the plaintiff proves that the employer committed the tortious act with the intent to injure another or with the belief that the injury was substantially certain to occur."



“It's a crying shame. It's a sad day for Ohio when the politicians call the shots and kill your children for a law for the insurance companies,” Jim Henzerling said.

The indictment against EEI also charged the company with involuntary manslaughter, tempering with records, tampering with evidence and violating the terms of a solid waste license.

Zachary’s supervisior, Kyle M. Duffens, was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and three counts of violating the terms of a solid waste license, including failure to take proper precautions to prevent a fire or explosion.

Duffens’ case was continued this week, according to court records.

Gerald E. Nocks, a company manager, was indicted on charges of violating a solid waste license for failing to properly train employees, tampering records and two counts of tampering with evidence. He falsified training records to make it appear that employees had received training they never had been given, DeWine said.

Charges against Nocks were dropped after he died in 2016.

Henzerling said his son was working to get money to go to college and help support a child who wasn't even his. He told WCPO he misses Zachary every day, calling him an angel, his biggest accomplishment in life, a young man who didn't drink, smoke or do drugs.

Jim Henzerling said he knows it’s rare for a company to be charged, but he wished for more punishment.

“I'm blessed we got this far, but I’m not happy with the outcome," he said.

2 scissor lifts fell over at a Northwest Miami-Dade construction site managed by Brasfield & Gorrie, critically injuring 3 workers




Cranes Collapse, Injure 3 Workers At Dade Construction Site 


June 1, 2017 12:07 PM
 


MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Three workers were injured Thursday morning while on the job at a construction site in northwest Miami-Dade county.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was called out shortly after 10 a.m. regarding a construction accident where two cranes failed for some unknown reason and then fell.

Rescue workers are at the site located near NW 57th Avenue and Blue Lagoon Drive.

Chopper4 was over the scene where three people were being treated on backboards at a building under construction.

The workers were loaded onto the fire ladder and lowered down to the ground then taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time.

It’s unknown whether the workers were on the crane or near the crane at the time of the incident.

There are a lot of office buildings in the area and workers were out watching the scene unfold.

“It was crazy. There was a big accident. The things just fell. Oh my gosh. I was so worried. I am so happy that it wasn’t serious. It could have really gotten bad,” said Lisa Daniels who watched the rescue.




============


2 crane lifts fall, injure 3 at NWMD construction site




Jessica Holly

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Rescue crews took three construction workers to the hospital after, officials said, two scissor lifts fell over at a Northwest Miami-Dade construction site, critically injuring them.

7SkyForce HD was over the scene, near 1200 NW 57th Ave., where fire rescue officials were seen treating the workers, seen lying on stretchers.

The workers were on the fourth floor when the heavy equipment toppled on top of the building, Thursday, at around 10 a.m. Officials said all three victims sustained serious trauma.

“When our units arrived, we had three patients that were on the fourth-floor level of the construction site,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. Roman Bas. “All three patients were in critical condition.”

A fellow construction worker at the site immediately felt something had gone terribly wrong. “I was in the other crane, and I felt the crane shake,” he said. “When the crane shook, I felt something happen to my crane, but it was another crane that tipped over a couple of scissor lifts.”

A man working nearby, who declined to speak on camera, said he witnessed the crash. He said a crane hoisting a large concrete wall bumped into the lifts and knocked them over. He added that he heard the men on those lifts screaming.

Bas said that safely removing the workers proved challenging. “The biggest challenges that we faced is that it is a construction site,” he said, “so we didn’t have an elevator, nor did we have a proper stairwell that we were able to bring those workers down from the fourth floor.”

Crews had to use a platform truck to carry out the rescue, working for an hour to bring the men down to waiting emergency vehicles. “We chose to bring in our 100-foot platform truck and put the patients in a basket, stabilize them, put them on our hydraulic aerial platform and bring them down to the ground,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief George Mira.

Paramedics transported two of the workers to Jackson Memorial Hospital and the third victim to Kendall Regional Medical Center.

The incident remains under investigation. “We brought on the investigation with the local law enforcement and OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration],” said Bas.

The construction company working on the site is Brasfield & Gorrie. They have not replied to 7News’ calls for a statement.
===============






3 injured in northwest Miami-Dade construction accident

Scissor lifts apparently topple over at construction site

By Peter Burke - Local10.com Managing Editor , Terrell Forney - Reporter Posted: 10:33 AM, June 01, 2017 Updated: 5:46 PM, June 01, 2017



MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - Three workers were injured Thursday morning in a construction accident in northwest Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Felipe Lay said.

Sky 10 was above the scene as the workers were laid out on stretchers at a construction site on Northwest 57th Avenue.






Two scissor lifts were on their side and appeared to have toppled over.

Rescuers used a ladder truck to lower each worker to the ground from the fourth floor of the building under construction, which took a little more than an hour.

"We evaluate our options on how we're going to get them back to grade," Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Jeff Strickland said. "This one we chose to bring in our 100-foot platform truck and put the patients in a stokes basket, stabilized them, put them on our aerial hydraulic platform and brought them down to the ground."


Two of the workers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. A third worker was taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center. All three were considered trauma alerts, but their injuries were not immediately known.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.


"Our top corporate value is the safety and well-being of all employees working on our project sites. Brasfield & Gorrie is diligently working with local authorities to assess the situation that occurred this morning, in which three workers were injured when two scissor lifts fell," the company said in a statement to Local 10 News. "The injured workers were employed by our subcontractors, who are also participating in the investigation. We are relieved that the subcontractor employees are all reported to be in stable condition, but we will continue to monitor their progress and keep them and their families in our prayers."

One of the subcontractors is Central Florida Equipment.  Here is what they wrote at their web pages:

800 Waterford — Miami

  • Date:  November 2015 – April 2017
  • Contract Amount:  $1.7M
  • Owner:  WRC Properties, LLC
  • General Contractor:  Brasfield & Gorrie, Inc.
Central Florida Equipment
Scope of work: Project highlights include the building pad construction, underground utilities, parking lot paving and roadway, curbing and walks, and striping and signage.

Nanticoke, Ontario company, Paragon Farms, hit with fine after worker was permanently injured after dropping a spray gun and being sprayed in the face by a 2,000 psi pressure washer





A worker at a Nanticoke, Ont. farm was permanently injured after dropping a spray gun and being sprayed in the face by a 2,000 psi pressure washer; check out the video to see how much damage a pressure washer can actually do


June 1, 2017
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff


BRANTFORD, Ont.—A southwestern Ontario pig farm has pleaded guilty to violating Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was permanently injured by a pressure washer.

The incident occurred in December 2015 at Nanticoke, Ont.’s Paragon Farms, a partnership between Great Lakes Pork Inc. and Ontario Management Group Inc.

According the the Ministry of Labour, the worker tripped while carrying a running portable washer spray gun into a stall. Stumbling, the worker dropped the gun and was sprayed in the face with water at an estimated pressure of 2,000 to 2,300 psi. The worker was taken to hospital for treatment, but sustained a permanent injury as a result of the accident.

The province said the pressure washer’s trigger was kept in the open position by a plastic zip tie.

While Paragon had both a personal protective equipment policy and a pressure washer safety policy in place at the time of the incident, the investigation found the company did not actively enforce its rules around wearing safety glasses while pressure washing or preventing the equipment’s trigger to be forced open.

The company was fined $55,000 for not taking every reasonable precaution to protect its workers. It’s since prohibited the use of zip ties and reduced the maximum pressure on its pressure washers to 1,800 psi.

Pressure washers are a relatively common source of injury both in the workplace and for regular consumers. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission approximately 6,000 people were sent to the emergency room with pressure washer-related injuries in 2014.

OSHA INVESTIGATES AFTER WORKER WITH RADIANT WINDOW CLEANING OF PENNSYLVANIA PLUNGED 14 STORIES TO HIS CRUSHING DEATH AT CHERRY HILL TOWERS, IN NEW JERSEY








CHERRY HILL, NJ - OSHA is investigating a window washer's fatal fall at a township apartment complex.

The worker, whose name was not released, plunged 14 stories Wednesday at Cherry Hill Towers on Route 38, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Additional details about the accident were not immediately available.

The worker's employer, Radiant Window Cleaning of Pennsylvania, has no prior OSHA inspection history, the agency said.

OSHA has up to six months to complete its investigation.


About


BUSINESS INFO

Opened in 2006

Mission
Radiant Window Cleaning seeks to become the most recognized window cleaning service on the East and West shores of the Susquehanna. New business goals and objectives have been set for this endeavor. However, a multi-faceted marketing strategy cannot be complete without positive word-of-mouth advertising and referrals. This is why the best compliment Radiant Window Cleaning could receive is a referral to a future customer.
CONTACT INFO

Call (717) 713-1656

Radiant Window Cleaning
MORE INFO

About
Professional window cleaning: Residential, Commercial, High-rise

Company Overview
Radiant Window Cleaning is a company that professionally makes the windows of central PA look their best. We are committed to use the most superior products, tools, and techniques the window cleaning industry has to offer to ensure the highest quality and best results. In addition, our safety training and certifications from the International Window Cleaning Association are unmatched by any other window cleaning company in central PA. We proudly service commercial buildings on the East and West shore, including professional buildings, apartment buildings, schools and more. Radiant Window Cleaning is a trusted name in the area, and we provide references to all potential customers. Our devotion to exceeding customer expectations is just one of several differentiating factors which separate us from competitors. Our participation in community groups, eco-friendly products, and philanthropy donations demonstrates how Radiant Window Cleaning believes in being more than just a window cleaning service. Call us, or visit our website for more information.

=====================










CHERRY HILL, N.J. (WPVI) --

Camden County officials are investigating a deadly accident in Cherry Hill.

It happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cherry Hill Towers at 2145 Route 38 East.

A window washer was working on the building when the victim fell.

That person was pronounced dead at the scene.



==========



CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) — Police say a window washer has died after falling while working at an apartment building in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

It happened shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Cherry Hill Towers along Route 38, across from the Cherry Hill Mall.

The victim was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead.


It was not immediately known how far the window washer fell.

The victim’s identity was not immediately released.

Police are investigating the incident