Interstate Grain Corp. Worker Merejildo "Jildo" Ramos Jr. 21, died after he fell at the Interstate Grain Corporation in Corpus Christi, Texas

OSHA investigating worker's death in grain elevator fall 

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS -

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an accident at a local grain elevator that left a worker dead.

According to OSHA representative Travis Clark, a male employee was found dead as a result of a fall at the Interstate Grain Corporation at 5700 Up River Road on Sunday.

At this time, Clark says that he is unable to release any further details regarding the accident.

The Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as 21-year-old Merejildo Ramos.

According to the medical examiner, Ramos died from trauma sustained from the fall. Meanwhile, the Medical Examiner's Office is still waiting on his toxicology results. 

Merejildo "Jildo" Ramos Jr.

Benavides, TX

Merejildo "Jildo" Ramos Jr., 21, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, October 1, 2017 from injuries sustained in an industrial accident. He was born in Kingsville, Texas on July 14, 1996 to his parents, Nelda Guzman and Meregildo Ramos. He was a graduate of Benavides High School, class of 2014 and spent his summer break working part time for the Duval Co. Pct. #3 with his grandpa, Noe. He then moved to Calallen with his wife and started working with Liberty Crude Oil and was presently employed by Interstate Grain Corp. He enjoyed hunting, going to the shooting range, fishing and spending time with his family. He was a loving husband, devoted father, son, grandson and brother who will be sadly missed by all his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Patricio Ramos.

Jildo is survived by his wife of six years, Deann Vera Ramos of Benavides, Texas; one daughter, Jasmyn Denae Ramos of Benavides, Texas; his mother, Nelda Guzman (Michael) Canales of Falfurrias, Texas; his father, Meregildo (Cynthia Randall) Ramos of San Antonio, Texas; maternal grandparents, Noe and Janie Guzman of Benavides, Texas; paternal grandmother, Alicia Ramos of San Antonio, Texas; three sisters, Emory Cantu, Elizabeth Ramos and Kathy Ramos all of San Antonio, Texas; three brothers, Emiliano Canales of Falfurrias, Texas; Alexander Ramos of San Antonio, Texas; Nano Ramos of Oregon; one niece, Penelope Villarreal; several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Carl Joseph Williams, 77, of Wilkesboro, NC was killed when the farm tractor he was operating was hit from behind by a pickup truck driven by Gary Rhoades, 38, on U.S. 421 in the Champion community of NC

Carl Joseph Williams, 77, of Wilkesboro- dead

A man was killed when the farm tractor he was operating was hit from behind by a pickup Wednesday morning on U.S. 421 in the Champion community about two miles west of Wilkesboro, according to Trooper K.W. Dean of the N.C. Highway Patrol.



Carl Joseph Williams, 77, of Wilkesboro, operating a 1984 Massey-Ferguson tractor, died at the scene of multiple trauma, Wilkes Medical Examiner Jason Reavis said.

Gary Rhoades, 38, of Dehart Church Road, North Wilkesboro, driving a Ford Ranger pickup, was taken to Wilkes Medical Center by Wilkes Emergency Medical Services.

The tractor was westbound in the right lane when it was hit by the westbound pickup, Dean said. The impact threw Williams off the tractor and he came to rest beside a guardrail.

The farm tractor and the pickup were both total losses as a result of the 10:15 a.m. wreck.

One lane of U.S. 421 was blocked in the area of the crash. Champion Fire Department first responders and firefighters assisted with traffic control and the medical effort.

The investigation is continuing. Sgt. S.R. Lineberger and Troopers J.L. Wilson and A.K. Hall assisted Dean.

Obituary for Carl Joseph Williams 

Mr. Carl Joseph Williams, age 77 of Wilkesboro, passed away Wednesday.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, October 7th, 2017 at Reins Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Victor Church officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 1:30 prior to the service at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home. Burial will be in Antioch Baptist Church cemetery.

Mr. Williams was born May 9, 1940 in Wilkes County to Charlie Williams, Sr. and Sylvania Smithey Glass Williams. He was retired from Mathis Brothers Construction Company.

A 21-year-old construction worker died after falling 150 feet from a platform at the Wheaton Dumont Co-op Grain Elevator in Tenney, Minn.

3 fatalities (2 in Texas and 1 in Minnesota) due to falls this week in the Grain Industry.

A 21-year-old construction worker died after falling 150 feet from the top of a grain elevator Thursday in Tenney, Minn.

The man was working at the Wheaton Dumont Co-op Elevator with two other men on a platform. They were adjusting another platform when the man fell, the Wilkin County sheriff’s office reported.

The accident was reported about 2:45 p.m.

The man was dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office reported. His name was not being released until his family was notified.

The man was an employee of Gateway Building Systems of Fergus Falls, Minn., the sheriff’s office reported. Tenney is about 35 miles southwest of Fergus Falls.

An investigation is pending, the report said. 


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The preventable tragedy

Posted Oct. 5th, 2017 by Ron Lyseng



LANGHAM, Sask. — Three or four people are usually killed every year in grain bin accidents, says Glen Blahey of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.

“We never know about close calls because they’re not reported.”

Most people who become entrapped in a grain bin do not survive. The number of entrapments is increasing in all areas of Canada, according to CASA. As the overall mortality numbers increase, a parallel trend is that more entrapments are occurring in large off-farm grain handling facilities.

“A study of grain entrapment cases in the States from 1964 to 2006 documented 82 percent of grain bin emergency calls ending up as (body) recovery calls, not rescues,” said Blahey.

The study, conducted by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), documented six rescuer deaths in that time period.

“In the cases where the victim was still alive when the rescue team arrived, only 10 percent turned out to be successful rescues,” he said.




“That means 90 percent of the victims who were still living when the team arrived died before they could be brought out alive. The cause is inappropriate rescue procedures and inadequate training.

“There’s nightmare stories about guys trapped in grain and somebody says they should just get a rope under his arms and hook it up to a tractor and pull. When you’re up to your armpits in grain, there’s more than 600 pounds of friction holding your body in the grain. When they pull on that rope, the first thing that happens is your shoulders pop out of their joints.”

And that’s just the first thing that happens to the human body.

To focus attention on this growing problem, Blahey has been on the road since early summer with CASA’s new grain bin rescue demonstration trailer. The mobile demonstration features a scaled down grain bin that replicates a typical accident in frightening detail. The re-enactment depicts many of the things that can go wrong when a rescue operation turns bad.

The good news is the demonstration also shows how a trained rescue team correctly extricates a victim engulfed in the grain. Although most people have heard about rescue tube equipment by now, Blahey said few people understand that a successful rescue is not just a matter of having your volunteer fire department rush out, shove a rescue tube around the victim and auger out the grain.

“If you are entrapped at the bottom of an inverted cone or funnel of grain, it might be up to your head by the time help arrives,” he said.

“If I rush into the bin with a neighbour to try save you, we’re trampling downward on the cone of grain, creating an avalanche. The grain will be over your head long before we can save you. The rescue process is more complicated than simply having the rescue tube and hand-held auger.”

Blahey said a common assumption is that you can just rip one side of the bin open to save the person inside. However, bins are engineered to hold a symmetrical column of grain. If there’s a lot of grain inside, ripping open a hole anywhere in the 360-degree wall can cause the whole bin to collapse on rescuers and bystanders.

One recommendation published by the ASABE involves rapidly removing grain by cutting holes, spaced equal distance apart, around the 360 degree perimeter of the wall. The engineers warn that too many openings or openings that are too big can jeopardize the structural integrity of the bin and cause a total collapse.

“If you make the holes too low, the grain comes rushing out, but it sucks the victim deeper down into the grain, where he can suffocate,” he said.

“If you try to torch a hole through the steel, you risk setting the grain on fire, especially in oilseed crops. Or you can trigger an explosion if there’s a lot of grain dust.”

Blahey recalled what once happened on a U.S. farm when a farmer was trapped in the grain. First responders arrived and began assessing the situation and forming their rescue plan.

“But the family and neighbours panicked,” he said.

“They thought the rescue team was taking too much time making their plan, so they started taking over the operation. They started torching holes in the bin. The fire department on the scene tried repeatedly to stop them, warning them there was a significant risk of an explosion.

“Every minute spent trying to calm the crowd was a minute wasted for the rescue team. The confrontation grew more intense. Finally, the state troopers had to be called in to keep the crowd from interfering with the rescue. The incident turned out to be a recovery. It points to the need to stay calm.”

ASABE said the average time for either a rescue or a body recovery is 3.3 hours from the time first responders arrive on the scene. In one incident, rescuers had to remove 267,000 bushels of soybeans from a 305,000 bu. bin. The victim had been missing two hours before rescuers were called. Again, the case ended as a body recovery.

Engineers began working with the concept of a grain rescue tube back in the early 1990s. Today, there are a number of commercially available grain rescue tubes on the market, all based on the same strategy.

The victim is nearly always at the centre of the cone. Two rescue workers wearing harnesses are lowered into the bin carrying the components of the rescue tube. There are typically up to eight, light-weight aluminum or poly sections which, when linked together, form a grain-proof case surrounding the victim.

A small hand-held auger driven by a cordless drill slowly sucks grain out of the protected area inside the rescue tube. As grain is drawn out, rescue workers push the tube deeper into the cone. Each time the walls of the tube are pushed down, the victim gains a bit more freedom of movement. Once the tube has been emptied, a harness is used to pull the victim up to safety. Prices for grain rescue tubes are in the range of US$2,500.

What to do if the unthinkable happens

In the event of a grain bin entrapment:

• Stop. Do not rush in an attempt to rescue the victim.
• Shut down and lock out all unloading equipment.
• Contact the first responder team.
• Turn on aeration and roof exhaust fans.
• Assemble everyone who is working on the farm at a predetermined location.
• Assess situation: stability of grain mass, condition of victim, air quality inside structure, availability of necessary rescue equipment and personnel best suited to carry out the rescue.
• Implement a situation-specific action plan.

Source: Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health

Grim statistics

Editor’s note: Consideration should be given to the fact that the long-term study stretches back to 1964, long before grain rescue tubes had been invented. Also, the structural characteristics of today’s large bins are considerably different than in 1964. 

Based on 196 cases where the rescue technique used was known, the most effective method to extricate a victim from a grain mass was removing the grain from around the victim by cutting or punching holes in the side of the grain storage structure. This method was documented in 56 percent of cases.

The potential for multiple victims due to catastrophic failure of a grain storage structure should be considered. Manufacturers of grain storage structures should conduct studies to predict the consequences associated with rapid removal of grain if those structures are breached during rescue operations. 
Warnings concerning potential structural failure if breached should be posted on the structure itself and included in the operator’s instructions.

The second most frequently applied technique is constructing a grain retaining wall (rescue tube) around a partially entrapped victim. Grain inside the retaining wall is augered out, thereby freeing the victim. This method was used in 19 percent of those 196 cases.

The use of powerful portable grain vacuums in documented rescue attempts is on the increase. This provides a previously unavailable resource for first responders. However, potential risks with this equipment were identified.
Source: ASABE report

International Barrier Technology employee Todd Allen Shoutz, 51, died in Watkins, MN after he was pinned by equipment

WATKINS, MN — An industrial accident at International Barrier Technology in Watkins resulted in the death of an employee Wednesday morning, according to Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze.

At 11:36 a.m. the Meeker County Sheriff's Office received a report of an industrial accident at International Barrier Technology in the 500 block of Fourth Street North in Watkins. The initial report was of an employee pinned in a piece of equipment.

Rescue workers were able to free the individual from the equipment and began life-saving efforts, but the victim succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.

The employee has been identified as Todd Allen Shoutz, 51, of Litchfield. The preliminary investigation revealed that Shoutz, a maintenance worker, was working on the machine at the time of the accident.

Meeker County deputies, Watkins Ambulance, Watkins Fire Department and Life Link III all contributed to on-scene efforts. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office is continuing the investigation.

International Barrier Technology processes building materials to make them fire-resistant.


International Barrier Technology Inc. (OTCBB: IBTGF; TSXV: IBH) develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary fire resistant technology including building materials branded as LP® FlameBlock™ Fire-Rated OSB and FR Deck Panel. Barrier's award-winning family of structural wood panels use a patented, non-toxic, non-combustible coating with an extraordinary capability: it releases water in the heat of fire. Pyrotite™ has potential applications to engineered wood products, paint, plastics, and expanded polystyrene. 

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Barrier Technology employee dies after being pinned by machinery

Oct 6, 2017


WATKINS, MN — An industrial accident at International Barrier Technology in Watkins resulted in the death of an employee Wednesday morning, according to Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze.


At 11:36 a.m. the Meeker County Sheriff's Office received a report of an industrial accident at International Barrier Technology in the 500 block of Fourth Street North in Watkins. The initial report was of an employee pinned in a piece of equipment.


Rescue workers were able to free the individual from the equipment and began life-saving efforts, but the victim succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.


The employee has been identified as Todd Shoutz, 51, of Litchfield. The preliminary investigation revealed that Shoutz, a maintenance worker, was working on the machine at the time of the accident.


Meeker County deputies, Watkins Ambulance, Watkins Fire Department and Life Link III all contributed to on-scene efforts. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office is continuing the investigation.


International Barrier Technology processes building materials to make them fire-resistant.

Tetra Tech employee Aaron Bunger, 36, died horrible death after he fell in an ash pond at Kentucky Utilities' Ghent Generating Station.

CARROLL COUNTY, Ky. —

One person was killed in a workplace accident Thursday afternoon at a coal-fired power plant in Carroll County.


The accident happened at Kentucky Utilities' Ghent Generating Station.

Officials said an employee of Contractor Tetra Tech was working near an ash pond when he slipped in.

The coroner identified the man as Aaron Bunger, 36, of Trenton, Ohio.

Officials are still working to recover his body. The coroner said the process may be slow because the area is unstable.

 

Tetra Tech is working on the closure of the ash ponds.

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Contractor dies in workplace accident at Ghent Power Plant
Posted On October 06, 2017
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A man died Thursday after a workplace accident at a coal ash pond at the Kentucky Utilities power plant in Ghent, Kentucky.

KU spokesperson Natasha Collins said the man “slipped into” the pond about noon.

Emergency responders had not recovered the man’s body from the pond as of 5:20 p.m. Thursday, Carroll County Coroner David Wilhoite said.

The worker was a KU contractor employed by Tetra Tech, an engineering consulting firm, Collins said. She had no further details on how the incident took place.

Wilhoite withheld releasing the man’s name and hometown until he and Tetra Tech could notify family members.

A Tetra Tech spokesperson said the incident was under investigation and could not answer further questions about the circumstances.

Tetra Tech is a consulting engineering firm based in California. It has offices in Lexington and Louisville. 



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Kentucky Utilities announces plans to cap, close coal ash ponds at five power plant sites
January 13, 2016


Kentucky Utilities Company plans to cap and close its remaining coal ash ponds at E.W. Brown and Ghent Generating Stations and at the now-retired Green River, Pineville and Tyrone coal-fired power plants.

The details of the plans will be laid out in the utility’s environmental compliance plan, which will be submitted to the Kentucky Public Service Commission on Jan. 29. The $678 million plan is necessary to meet the environmental regulations required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including the Coal Combustion Residuals Rule (CCR) that became effective late last year.

The EPA’s CCR Rule established new requirements for the disposal of the byproducts left over after coal is safely burned to make electricity.


KU announced plans to cap and close its remaining coal ash ponds at E.W. Brown and Ghent Generating Stations and at the now-retired Green River, Pineville and Tyrone coal-fired power plants (Creative Commons Photo)

In order to make these operational changes, KU will seek Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity from the KPSC to begin construction projects, and receive approval of the environmental compliance plan. The projects, which ensure that KU meets the CCR and Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rules, include additional mercury control systems, ash pond closures, construction of process-water facilities and the second phase of the Brown landfill.

The EPA determined that coal combustion residuals are non-hazardous materials and can continue to be beneficially used to make certain authorized products and for specific uses. The CCR Rule additionally established new standards that are expected to require over the next three years commencing, or completing in some cases, the closure of ash ponds and some other on-site wet storage sites that contain coal byproducts. KU expects to begin these latest investments in the environmental improvements in 2016 and continue through 2023.

“We have managed our coal combustion residuals in a safe and compliant manner for decades; however, as regulations change, so must our operations,” said Paul W. Thompson, chief operating officer. “We extensively studied our compliance options under the new rule and determined the lowest reasonable cost option would mean capping and closing our existing ash ponds while continuing to beneficially use byproducts in a safe and practical manner that continues to meet the new requirements.”

For many years, KU beneficially reused as much of the coal byproducts produced by the facilities as economically reasonable given the demand for such applications. For example, in the last year more than 25 percent of the byproducts produced at Ghent and Trimble stations were beneficially reused offsite to create products such as concrete, wallboard and fertilizers.

KU and sister utility, Louisville Gas and Electric Company, have been moving toward dry storage facilities for a number of years. Ghent and Mill Creek stations already use dry storage facilities, and the utilities are well underway to capping and closing the former dry special waste landfill and ash pond located at the now-retired Cane Run coal-fired power plant. Dry storage site facilities at Brown, expected to be in service in 2016, and Trimble County stations also have been approved by the KPSC.

From KU Communications 

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Coal Combustion Residuals Pond Closures at American Electric Power Plant

American Electric Power (AEP) retired one of its plants in West Virginia, as part of its compliance plan with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mercury Air Toxics Standards. The plant is located along the Ohio River and the closure of the coal yard and ash disposal sites is part of the overall disposition of the plant site. AEP retained Tetra Tech to provide engineering, design, and permitting services required to close the fly ash and bottom ash ponds and the coal yard.

The bottom ash pond and coal yard are designed to be clean closures and consisted of a grading plan that prevents impounding water, provides a vegetated surface, and drains toward the Ohio River. The fly ash pond will be closed by capping with soil. Following a geotechnical investigation and evaluation of the dam, a grading plan was designed to prevent ponding. The sequence of planned construction was structured to balance cut and fill between the three closure areas.

Tetra Tech provided services related to the design for removal and closure of the principal spillway, rerouting wastewater pipelines, reducing seepage from the earthen dam, re-grading the existing fly ash materials and dikes, designing a soil cap, and preparing the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPP) for the closure and borrow areas. Closure of the fly ash pond also required development and use of two borrow areas to obtain the necessary topsoil for the cap. Tetra Tech investigated and designed the borrow areas and prepared no-rise certifications for work within the Ohio River floodplain for submittal to the county floodplain manager. 

Closure is being reviewed for approval by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection with currently no revisions to the original design. Tetra Tech maintained AEP’s aggressive design schedule.


Tetra Tech is a leading provider of consulting and engineering services. The Company supports government and commercial clients by providing innovative solutions focused on water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development. With 16,000 associates worldwide (minus the dead fellow, Aaron Bunger), Tetra Tech's capabilities span the entire project life cycle.