A malfunctioning electrical outlet caused a house fire that killed 83-year-old Louvenia Goldson and her son, 62-year-old Eugene Goldson in Temple Hills, MD. The house had no working smoke alarms

TEMPLE HILLS, Md. (AP) —

Investigators in a Maryland suburb of Washington say a malfunctioning electrical outlet caused a house fire that killed a woman and her adult son.


A spokesman for Prince George's County Fire said in a statement Monday that there were no working fire alarms in the Temple Hills house that burned on Nov. 15.


Officials say 83-year-old Louvenia Goldson and her son, 62-year-old Eugene Goldson, who lived in the home, died at a hospital after being removed from the basement of the home.

The house — located in the 5200 block of Lorraine Drive in Temple Hills — had no working smoke alarms, the fire department says.



Two firefighters were taken to a burn unit with burns to their ears. They were expected to be OK after treatment, fire officials said.

At the time of the fire, neighbors said they had rushed to the house to help, but the flames were too intense for them to continue.

"All I heard was, 'Help, help! Please help me!'" neighbor Brandon Clay said.

Anyone who in Prince George's County needs a working smoke alarm but cannot afford or install one is urged to call 311. A firefighter will install a smoke alarm for free.

Worker with McCownGordon Construction killed after a high-pressure valve explodes at the expansion of the Garmin corporate headquarters under construction in Olathe, Kansas

OLATHE, Kan. —

  The Olathe Police Department has released the identity of the man killed in a workplace incident at Garmin's headquarters on Monday.

Jubal D. Hubbard, 28 of Holden, Mo., was killed when a high pressure valve ruptured at a construction site at Garmin's warehouse. 

Garmin director of corporate communications Ted Gartner confirmed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident.

“Unfortunately, an employee of one of the construction contractors was killed during this incident, which was immediately brought under control,” Gartner said.

“Local authorities and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating the incident, and it is inappropriate for Garmin to comment on any specifics at this time. Our sincere condolences go out to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers.”



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

28-year-old worker killed at Garmin work site was ‘family guy that loved to fish’

By Toriano Porter


November 28, 2017


The man who died Monday after a pipe ruptured on the construction site of the new Garmin expansion was described by a long-time friend as an avid outdoorsman and a doting father to an 8-year-old son.

Jubal D. Hubbard, 28, of Holden, was working on a high-pressure valve when it ruptured about 2:20 p.m. near a loading dock area of a warehouse at 1515 S. Mahaffie Circle.  

Thadius Paul Plemons, 24, of Cement, Okla., said he’d known Hubbard since Plemons was a 6-year-old growing up near a farm in Holden.

“He loved to fish and was a big, big family guy,” Plemons said Tuesday.


The pair, Plemons said, were keen on hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.

“If were doing something outside we were happy,” Plemons said.

Plemons said Hubbard was a former Army National Guardsman and a loving and protective father to 8-year-old son, Daniel.

“Daniel idolized his dad and vice verse,” Plemons said.

Plemons said he last saw Hubbard during a trip to Holden this past weekend. The two talked about family and shot guns on a private range.

Funeral arrangements for Hubbard are pending, but Plemons and family will make an unwanted return trip to Holden on Wednesday to meet with Hubbard’s parents.

“He wasn’t just a friend, he was a brother,” Plemons said. “His mom and dad and my mom and dad are best friends. We’ve been best friends since Day 1.”

The site where Hubbard died has been under construction since last year when Garmin announced its plans to build a new warehouse and distribution center on 29 acres near 151st Street and Mahaffie Circle.
=======================

November 27, 2017

OLATHE, Kan. -- 

A worker has died Monday afternoon after an explosion at the new Garmin headquarters under construction in Olathe, officials say.

Olathe Fire Department spokesman Mike Hall told Fox 4 a subcontractor was working on a high-pressure valve in a warehouse near a loading dock when the valve ruptured around 2:30 p.m. Monday.

The worker was killed instantly. No one else was injured. Officials have not yet released any identifying information about the victim.

"We've transitioned into a death investigation where we will continue to investigate exactly what occurred here to the best of our ability," Olathe Police Sgt. Logan Bonney said.

The new headquarters is currently under construction at 1550 S. Mahaffie Circle in Olathe.

The company overseeing the construction of the new headquarters issued the following statement:

"McCownGordon Construction would like to express our firm’s deepest sympathy to the victim’s family, friends and co-workers. We understand that local authorities, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are currently investigating the incident. It is inappropriate for us to comment at this time."


Due to significant success, Garmin is expanding its corporate headquarters. McCownGordon and Gould Evans are collaborating to complete the multi-phased, $200 million project including a parking garage, warehouse and manufacturing facility, office space and associated site work and landscaping.

The new parking facility—an extension of the existing garage—was constructed while the current garage remained active. The warehouse and manufacturing expansion includes more than 720,000 square feet of new space to house Garmin’s growing business. The new space will feature a creative setting for R&D, engineering and industrial design teams. With a focus on employee wellbeing, the expanded campus will also feature a fitness center, recreation fields, running trails and an outdoor event space. Phase II of the expansion includes new office environments for Garmin’s expanding workforce. =====================

Worker dead after pipe ruptures on Garmin construction site

By Kaitlyn Schwers And John Sleezer
November 27, 2017




A contractor working on the construction site of the new Garmin expansion in Olathe died Monday after a pipe ruptured, the fire department said.

Olathe Fire Capt. Mike Hall said the person who died was working on a high-pressure valve when it ruptured. Hall said the accident happened near a loading dock area of a warehouse.

The fire department said the accident was reported at 2:18 p.m. Monday at 1515 S. Mahaffie Circle.

No other injuries were reported.

The fire department spokesman said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Olathe police were investigating the accident.


The site where the death happened Monday has been under construction since last year when Garmin announced its plans to build a new warehouse and distribution center on 29 acres near 151st Street and Mahaffie Circle. 

McCownGordon is the general contractor, and Gould Evans is the designer and architect. The company said the $200 million expansion would create 150 new jobs.

A driver died after he lost control of his truck due to a medical condition, hit a propane tank, and then crashed into a bedroom of a house; trapping two kids, killing one (Louis Lopez), critically injuring the other (Matthew Lopez) in Madera Ranchos, CA

MADERA, Calif. (FOX26 News) — 

An 11-year-old boy is dead and his 9-year-old boy is in critical condition after a truck crashed into their bedroom in the community of Madera Ranchos, according to the Madera County Fire Department. The driver of the truck also died at the scene.

Witnesses say the truck was heading southbound on Road 37 around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, when the driver appeared to have a medical emergency.


The man lost control of the truck, hit a propane tank causing the truck to go airborne and crashed into a garage that was made into a bedroom, witnesses say.

According to fire crews, the 11-year-old, identified by family members as Luis Lopez, and his brother, Matthew Lopez, were sleeping in that bedroom at the time of the incident.

Firefighters say when they arrived on scene both the driver and the 11-year-old boy had died.

They say the other child was taken to the Valley Children's Hospital with moderate to major injuries.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The boys' family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

You can click here to help.



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


Saturday, November 25, 2017 11:13PM
MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- 

Authorities say that at 9:20 Saturday morning a 36-year-old man was driving his truck southbound on Road 37.

He had a medical emergency causing him to drift into the other lane -- entered the shoulder and then hit a propane tank. The tank then launched the car into the garage of a home that was converted into a bedroom.

"There was two children ages 11 and nine sleeping in the room on a bunk bed. The truck landed on top of the children," said CHP Officer Rafael Rivera.

Anthony Lopez was driving by the area and witnessed the aftermath.

"I get outside and I everybody panicking and I see cars getting off the driveway and I see everybody crying and say hey, is everything ok and they said no, somebody is stuck," said Lopez

The nine-year-old boy was rescued by the fire department, but the 11-year-old boy named by his family as Tito was pinned under the truck -- he died and so did the driver.

CHP says the accident could have been much worse given the circumstances.

"It was a pretty chaotic when we all first arrived, it is a huge propane tank and it was still leaking, so you had the danger of the propane being lit and exploding," explained Officer Rivera.

With this tragedy friends and family are trying to do whatever they can to help the family in their time of grief.

Lopez said, "Really from the bottom of my heart I hope they make it through this and they all stick together as one because that's the only way you can get through something as tragic as this."

3 workers employed by Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation, which was contracted by Baker Hughes to build a new building, suing Baker Hughes alleging brain damage due to contact with the corrosion inhibitor chemical “RE31151CRW” in Kenai, Alaska

A group of construction workers on the Kenai claims an oil company they worked with back in 2014 poisoned them and knew about it.


All three men claim they have the same medical problem (brain damage) and are seeking justice before they say it’s too late.


“That was the biggest mistake of my life was to take that job,” said Chris Lovely who lives in a constant state of disbelief and anger.


He says after he took temporary work in 2014, his dark hair came out in clumps. When it finally grew back, it was blonde and as fine as a baby’s.


Meanwhile, former co-worker, Steve Adams, says it’s rare for his hands to stop shaking. Both say the outlook is grim.


“My prognosis is five years right now as we’re sitting,” says Lovely.


Adams and Lovely are suing one of the world’s largest oilfield service companies, Baker Hughes.


Superior Court documents filed by their attorneys call the working conditions at Baker Hughes’ Kenai chemical transferring building a “ridiculous situation”. Toxic gasses exhausting out of a building and aimed right at Lovely and Adams. Both were employed by Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation, which was contracted by Baker Hughes to build a new building, which they say was only 40 feet away from the old one.


“It smelled like sulfur or rotten eggs. I attributed it to the port-a-potties,” Lovely said.


Adams and Lovely say they smelled it for months, but on May 8, 2014, it was especially bad.


“It felt like 500 bees were stinging me in the face, it was so caustic. I took my glove and held it on [to my face and] screamed 'Chris'! and with the other hand, I dropped the lift down and Chris stood up and his eyes were about this big,” Adams described, making his thumb and pointer finger into a big circle.


Adams points to what he says is an internal Baker Hughes document, which shows the company was working with chemical “RE31151CRW” and transferred it to the construction site through a vent that was just a few feet where Lovely and Adams were working. The document says the vent “was not in good shape or design.”


An Office of Safety and Health Administration investigation issued Baker Petrolite, a subsidiary company of Baker Hughes, a serious violation, accusing them of releasing emissions that could injure others. They were fined $1,050.


Other Baker Hughes documents show the chemical, a corrosion inhibitor, is considered hazardous by OSHA. Documents warn not to breathe its vapors, which could cause central nervous system depression, a condition the men’s doctor says they have in severity.


MediCenter Dr. R. Lynn Carlson says both Lovely and Adams have brain damage because of toxic exposure at the workplace. In a letter, Dr. Carlson says both men are 100 percent disabled.


Adams and Lovely claim Baker Hughes ignored the dangerous faulty vent for months until they were injured.


“We complained to our superintendent and he complained to their superintendent where something was supposed to be done about it but there was still that smell,” says Lovely, who couldn’t take it anymore.


He quit. However, he says, the damage was already done. Even a simple task like walking down the stairs is painful.


“It makes me really dizzy and the walls shake back and forth when I walk down a narrow path. I haven’t gone to the grocery store in nearly three years because of that.” Lovely says.


Because of the exposure, he can’t work, can’t drive and can’t go fishing.


“It’s like David and Goliath, you know, we’re the small guys we’re the expendable ones and there’s another guy there waiting for our job when we’re not there anymore.”


Three and a half years later, Adams and Lovely say they’ve each racked up medical bills over one $1 million. They both spend as much time with family as they can because they claim they don’t have much of it left.


“Everyone I’ve talked to, besides the opposing doctors, you know how that goes, said that’s it, that’s game over for you that’s a wrap,” said Lovely.


Baker Hughes is trying to get the lawsuit thrown out under a law called the VECO Act, which says if you get workers compensation, you can't sue the owner of the property. The judge should rule on that in the next month. If the suit does not get thrown out, the case will go to trial in January.


After KTVA’s interview with Lovely and Adams, Baker Hughes filed a motion to prevent pre-trial publicity. That means everyone involved in the lawsuit, including Lovely and Adams, can no longer talk to the media. Baker Hughes sent KTVA this statement about the suit:



“Baker Hughes will continue to defend the case; however, in light of the Court’s order issued today, we cannot comment at this time.”

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

Baker Petrolite LLC
Private Company



Company Profile
Sector: Materials
Industry: Chemicals
Sub-Industry: Basic & Diversified Chemicals
Baker Petrolite Corporation provides chemicals and engineering technology solutions. The Company specializes in oil and water separation technology solutions, as well as delivers pipeline integrity services.
 

PETROLITE Copolymers
Specialty polymers and waxes to meet your needs

Chemical nature and physical properties



The PETROLITE™ copolymers are copolymers of propylene and ethylene. The addition of propylene results in short chain branching, which reduces the polymer’s crystallinity as compared to our POLYWAX™ polyethylenes. The copolymers have the narrow molecular weight distributions offered by the POLYWAX polyethylene line, but the branching provides a more flexible and softer polymer with improved solvent solubility.



Solubility characteristics



Additional branching provides increased solubility of the PETROLITE copolymers as compared to POLYWAX polyethylenes of the same weight. These products are most soluble in cyclic and bicyclic saturated hydrocarbons (decalin), tri- and tetra-chloro substituted methanes and ethanes (carbon tetrachloride) and aromatics (benzene, xylene, and toluene).



Baker Petrolite FACT Services
Baker Petrolite FACT Services can help you keep your business functioning and maximize your profitability

Baker Petrolite FACT™ Services fuel additive consultants can help you select the right fuel additives to help you meet your goals, whether your business relates to fuel terminals, pipelines, marine, biofuel plants, railroads or power plants. Our dedicated fuel additives specialists provide superior services, and logistical support - from detailed product recommendations to comprehensive laboratory support. We help you through every step of the process.




Baker Hughes Corrosion Control Chemical Services

Maximize value and longevity of producing assets

CRONOX™ corrosion control solutions protect the lifetime and productivity of your assets by reducing equipment failure, maximizing production time, and reducing leaks and spills. By combining innovative chemistries, knowledgeable experts and continuous monitoring, we ensure the right chemical treatment program is implemented to solve your corrosion challenge.



Target corrosion challenges under any circumstance

Whether applied at the first sign of corrosive activity or later to mitigate further damage; our comprehensive line of inhibitors protects against corrosion in any production, storage, transport, or processing equipment–regardless of the cause or conditions. This includes inhibitors specially formulated to protect against corrosion in:
sour or high-CO2 environments
systems with oxygen ingress
HP/HT and high-velocity environments.

Tailored treatment designs

Baker Hughes corrosion experts understand how field conditions, application types, and chemistries affect treatment results. Therefore, each of our corrosion inhibitors undergoes extensive testing to ensure we develop the best treatment design for your asset integrity needs. After implementation, we continue to monitor and fine tune your treatment to ensure consistent and cost-efficient performance.


Green Corrosion Inhibitors

Our unique combination of field services, development capabilities, and dedicated environmental lab services bring new and innovative green chemistries to market.


Extended Treatment Life Inhibitors

Our extended-life oilfield treatment products and services simplify chemical programs and reduce cost.


Extreme Production Conditions

Our chemical products and services are specifically designed to deliver asset integrity and flow assurance under the harshest operating conditions.



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


Prevent rust and reduce cost

Baker Hughes TOLAD™ rust inhibitors extend pipeline and storage tank life, reducing maintenance cost and preserving fuel quality. The product line includes a rust inhibitor for gasoline, diesel, LPG, and jet fuel.



These proven, cost-effective, oil-soluble rust inhibitors maintain the integrity of pipelines and storage tanks by forming a protective film on pipe walls or other steel surfaces. The polar molecule is adsorbed onto the metal surface to prevent a water-and-oxygen attack on the metal.



Our TOLAD rust inhibitors also can prevent clogged filters and fouled nozzles while increasing the life of engine components and oil burners. They also can prevent corrosion of inline equipment, such as meters, valves, and pumps.

In addition, they reduce fuel color degradation and improve fuel thermal stability.



Our rust inhibitors meet the range of specifications for refineries, pipelines, and terminals to protect equipment and maintain fuel quality. These specifications, generally, are based upon the NACE® International test method TM0172-2001.

Jerry and our team of Baker Hughes experts are available to answer your questions. Contact Jerry today.

Four people, including two children under the age of six, died in a Garland, Texas house fire that started on an enclosed back patio Saturday: Lorenzo Castillo, Ana Castillo, daughter Alia and 2-year-old son Alan.

Four people, including two children under the age of six, died in a Garland house fire that started on a patio Saturday.


The victims were identified as 40-year-old Lorenzo Castillo, his 29-year-old wife Ana Castillo, Ana's 5-year-old daughter Alia and the couple's 2-year-old son Alan.

Five other people in the home escaped, including the family's 8-year-old son, according to the fire marshal.

Family members said the Castillo's, who live in Bridgeport, were visiting Lorenzo's brother, his wife and their two children at their Garland home. Other family, including Lorenzo's father, had just left town.

Victims Identified in Deadly Garland House Fire
A Garland Fire Department statement says the bodies of two adults and their two children were found early Saturday. Five other people in the home escaped, including the family's older 10-year-old son according to the fire marshal.(Published Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017)

They said the family had been enjoying the night together on a back patio in the hours before the fire began.

A neighbor across the street called 911 to report the fire shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday. The homeowner tried to re-enter the home when he realized his cousin and the rest of his family were missing, but the fire was too intense.

Another neighbor said he began banging on the windows.


"It really breaks my heart," said the neighbor, 16-year-old Anthony Cruz.

Back home in Bridgeport, their voices and laughter are missing from Ana's family home. The Castillos had recently moved in with her mother and stepfather to help care for him as he battles terminal cancer.

“I don’t hear my niece and nephew running around calling for my mom or me, saying our names like they used to. It’s too quiet,” said Ana’s sister, Brenda Mireles.

Now Ana's parents and siblings will step in to help raise her surviving son, an 8-year-old coping with the fact his parents and siblings won't be coming home.

"He'll always have us. We'll always love him," said Mireles.

Authorities traced the fire to an enclosed back patio and don't believe the blaze was intentional. The fire marshal said there was a space heater, refrigerator and other electronics in the room and a fire pit outside. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.





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



GARLAND, Texas -- The Garland Fire Department is investigating what caused a fire that killed four people, including two children, early Saturday morning.

The victims have been identified as 41-year-old Lorenzo Castillo, 29-year-old Ana Castillo, Ana's 5-year-old daughter, and the couple's 2-year-old son. They were visiting from Bridgeport, Texas and staying with relatives over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Just after 1 a.m., firefighters were called to a home at 1416 Williams Drive, off South Garland Avenue and just north of West Miller Road.

The house was engulfed in flames with people still inside as crews arrived.

Neighbor Anthony Cruz said the man living at the home tried to go in for the rescue.

"The family was running towards my house and the husband was trying to go in and rescue them while I was knocking on the window," said Cruz.

A neighbor called 911 and firefighters also tried to save those inside once they arrived but were unable.

There were a total of nine people inside the home at the time of the fire. Five were able to escape, including a third son of the couple.

Ashley Snead said the family living at the home is liked by all their neighbors and family gatherings were not uncommon.

"They are always having families over for get-togethers and just really enjoying life," she said.

Officials say the family of four was sleeping in a bedroom in the back of the house when the fire broke out inside an enclosed patio.

While the fire doesn't seem to be intentional, the cause is under investigation. The owner of the home told officials they heard a "popping noise."

The home had one smoke detector in the hallway, but it's unclear if it was working.

A neighbor across the street called 911 to report the fire.