A containership rescued three people from their battered yacht after a rigging accident apparently killed two other people on board the boat

Cargo Ship Rescues Sailors Off New Zealand After Two Crew Die in Rigging Accident

June 15, 2016 by Mike Schuler


Credit: Maritime New Zealand

A Singapore-flagged containership has rescued three people from their battered yacht several hundred miles from New Zealand after a rigging accident apparently killed two other people on board the boat.

The country’s Maritime New Zealand has confirmed that two men and a woman were rescued Tuesday from their battered yacht, Platino, around 340 miles north of New Zealand by the crew of the container ship Southern Lily.

The crew of the Platino alerted Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) at 11.20 a.m. Monday (June 13) reporting that one male had been killed and another man, aged 63, was knocked overboard after the 20-meter yacht lost its rigging in winds of up to 75km/h (40 knots).

By 12:30 p.m., an Orion P3 aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force had located the boat and started searching for the missing man as commercial vessels in the area were diverted to assist the crew on the yacht. Overnight the yacht’s condition deteriorated as it lost steering and began taking on water. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force

After arriving on scene on Tuesday, the containership Southern Lily was able to attach a line to the yacht and get the three survivors on board at about 3 p.m. as the search for the missing man continued.

The body of the other victim remains on board the abandoned yacht because it could not be safely transferred in seas up to three meters. Before leaving the yacht the crew activated an EPIRB on the yacht to aid in tracking its location.

The search involving the P3 Orion aircraft was called off Wednesday after turning up empty.

The victim is understood to have been relatively lightly clothed and not wearing a lifejacket.

RCCNZ search and rescue mission coordinator John Dickson praised the master and crew of the Southern Lily for he said was a difficult operation.

“It was not easy to get the three crew members from the yacht to the much larger ship in those sea conditions – they’ve done a tremendous job,” commented SAR coordinator John Dickson. “We are obviously disappointed that it was not safe to transfer the body of the deceased crew member, but safety must come first. We will keep track of the position of the yacht.”

Following the rescue the Southern Lily continued its voyage to Auckland, where it was expected to arrive sometime Wednesday.

RCCNZ has issued a notice to ships traveling through the area to be on the lookout for the man.

“At this point, we are satisfied that we have taken all possible steps to find the missing man – but sadly we have found no trace of him. Expert advice indicates the maximum survival time for a person in the water in this area has now been exceeded. We have therefore made a decision to suspend the search,” said Ramon Davis of his decision to suspend the search.

“This is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family and our thoughts are with them.”

OSHA follow-up inspection finds Ohio sign manufacturer, Sign Source USA, continues to expose workers to respiratory, chemical hazards

June 13, 2016

OSHA follow-up inspection finds Ohio sign manufacturer,
Sign Source USA, continues to expose workers to respiratory, chemical hazards
Sign Source USA cited for failing to protect workers in 2006, 2012

LIMA, Ohio - For the third time in 10 years, federal safety and health inspectors found employees at a Lima custom sign manufacturing company exposed to respiratory, chemical and paint hazards.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Sign Source USA Inc. for seven repeated and two serious health violations on June 14, 2016, after the agency's December 2015 follow-up inspection. Proposed penalties total $46,970. The agency cited the company for similar violations at the Lima facility in both 2006 and 2012.

"A company repeatedly cited for the same hazard isn't taking the safety and health of its employees seriously," said Kim Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo. "Sign Source USA needs to make permanent improvements to its health programs to protect workers from known hazards in their facility."

OSHA found:

• Rags contaminated with flammable liquids were not removed from work areas daily.
• Violations of respiratory protection hazards including failing to provide medical evaluations, fit-testing and training to employees in respiratory use.
• Workers were not trained about certain hazardous chemicals in use in the facility.
• Containers of flammable paint thinner were not labeled.

View citations here.

Sign Source USA 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 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 Toledo office at 419-259-7542.

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 http://www.osha.gov.

solvent spill at the Garlock Printing & Converting warehouse sends 3 people to the hospital in Reno, NV

 

3 hospitalized after solvent leak in Reno




Associated Press

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 | 9:25 a.m.

RENO — Reno authorities say three people have been hospitalized after reports of a solvent leak at a printing company.


The Reno Fire Department says there was a solvent spill at the Garlock Printing & Converting warehouse early Tuesday morning. A hazardous materials team discovered an equipment failure that caused a solvent to be released into the air.

Three people were hospitalized and are still under observation.

Officials determined the warehouse was safe around 4 a.m. and allowed workers to return.

A magnesium fire in Maywood has raised health concerns because the pungent odor from the smoke migrated into portions of Los Angeles

Odor from Maywood magnesium fire raises health concerns




By Gregory J. Wilcox, Los Angeles Daily News


Posted: 06/14/16, 12:30 PM PDT 
 
Firefighters attack an explosive blaze fueled by magnesium early Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Maywood. The smell from the fire spread across the Southland. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Special to the Los Angeles Daily News)



An early morning magnesium fire in Maywood has raised health concerns because the pungent odor from the smoke migrated into portions of Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley, officials said this morning.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported via Twitter this morning that the odor from overnight fires — including a fire in the city of Maywood “remains noteworthy across Greater L.A. “There was also a fire in the city’s Westlake district in which one person died,” the department said.


Los Angeles County Fire Department spokeswoman Vanessa Lozono said the odor from the Maywood warehouse blaze is due to the metals in the magnesium.

The odor from the blaze was noticeable from Studio City to Woodland Hills.

Air quality and public health officials were monitoring the situation and assessing what health risk there is.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District received 35 calls regarding the odor, AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said.

The agency sent a team to test the air near Maywood and issued a smoke advisory this morning stating that air quality in Los Angeles County is being affected by the fire south of downtown Los Angeles.


“In areas affected by odors, residents should follow common-sense measures and avoid vigorous exercise outdoors if they experience respiratory or eye irritation due to smoke or odors,” it said.

The county fire department is also testing the air at the fire site and surrounding neighborhoods, Lozono said.

The Los Angeles County Health Department also expressed concern about the air.

“We’re on standby and we have people there, as well, monitoring (the situation), said spokesman Bernard Tolliver.

The county’s interim health officer, Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, also issued a health alert.


“We are also advising schools that are in session in smoke-impacted areas to suspend outside physical activities in these areas, including physical education and after-school sports, until conditions improve,” Gunzenhauser said in a statement. “Non-school related sports organizations for children and adults are advised to cancel outdoor practices and competitions in areas where there is visible smoke, soot, or ash, or where there is an odor of smoke. This also applies to other recreational outdoor activity, such as hikes or picnics, in these areas.

Explosion at the Veolia Energy Substation shakes South Philadelphia neighborhood

By John Rawlins
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 06:33PM

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An explosion at a plant in South Philadelphia left residents feeling like they went through an earthquake Wednesday afternoon.

It happened at the Veolia Energy Substation at 26th and Christian streets around 3:30 p.m.




"I just heard a big boom and the whole ground shook," a male neighbor told Action News said.

"An explosion and the whole house shook. It sounded like the roof was coming in," a female neighbor said.

A large pillar of smoke and debris began climbing above the plant.

"I look up and there's a cloud of red smoke. It looks like 1,000 bricks blew up," Harvey Romm of Grays Ferry said.

There was no fire, but one of the plant's main boilers that provides steam to some 300 customers, mostly in Center City, exploded.

One person suffered a minor injury after being hit by flying glass outside the building.

All employees were accounted for and are OK, officials said.





Veolia officials said in a statement the incident was contained to the facility and there was no fire.

The statement goes on to say that thermal energy services are uninterrupted.

Officials say a safety valve system worked relieving the excess pressure.

"It did its job. It activated, blew out, unfortunately, some windows were blown out, but it did its job. It left the tower stabilized," Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Chief Gary Loesch said.

The statement continued, "The company will conduct a full investigation to determine what happened."