OSHA is investigating a small explosion and fire that happened at Dietary Pros Inc. in Wausau on July 31st. A worker of Dietary Pros did suffer 3rd-degree burns as well as a broken hip from the explosion.

WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) --

The Occupational Saftey and Health Administration is investigating a Wausau chemical lab explosion from last month.

WAOW TV reports that an inspection is ongoing of a small explosion and fire that happened at Dietary Pros Inc. in Wausau on July 31st. The explostion and fire happened during a chemical process at the company's location on the west side where they make dietary supplements.

A worker of Dietary Pros did suffer 3rd-degree burns as well as a broken hip from the explosion.

OSHA has six months to complete an inspection, issue citations and propose penalties due to safety and health violations.

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WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) -- 

One worker was injured after an explosion at a Wausau dietary supplement producer on Tuesday.

WAOW TV reports it happened at Dietary Pros on Stewart Avenue. According to fire officials, the first report was made at 11 AM. Upon arrival, they noticed smoke coming out of the building and all employees were evacuated.

Fire officials remained on the scene for several hours monitoring air quality, talking with employees, and removing product from the building.

Further investigation revealed that the blast was caused by a chemical reaction involving magnesium, a naturally occurring element that's found in the human body and several foods. It's also added to supplements.

The condition of the injured worker is unknown. Officials are continuing to investigate what may have caused the small blast.


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About Dietary Pros

Dietary Pros is your custom contract manufacturing solution. Committed to quality and providing solutions, Dietary Pros will work with you no matter what stage of development you are in. Dietary Pros is built on a strong Research and Development foundation, and creates unique formulations that will keep your customers excited for your products. 

Dennis Draeger, owner and CEO of Dietary Pros, began manufacturing dietary supplements in 1999 with the mission to provide customers worldwide with high quality products to promote health and wellness. Since his start, Dennis has built a company rooted in loyalty to customers, and a diligent compulsion to find the best formula for each customer’s need.

Utility company Central Hudson Gas and Electric employee Joshua Hockx, 36, from Saugerties dies in Sturgeon Point Hydro Electric Plant accident while operatin a riding lawn mower

Central Hudson employee Joshua Hockx, 36, from Saugerties dies in Sturgeon Pool Hydro Electric Plant accident


By Freeman staff

AUGUST 10, 2018

RIFTON, N.Y. >> 

A Central Hudson maintenance employee died in an accident at the Sturgeon Pool Hydro Electric Plant, a utility spokesman said Friday.

Joshua Hockx, 36, of Saugerties, was using a riding mower at the facility when the accident happened, according to Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. spokesman John Maserjian.


He said state and federal regulators are at the site investigating the cause of Hockx’s death, which remained inconclusive Friday.


Maserjian said Hockx had worked for Central Hudson as a “roving mechanic operator” for the past three years.


“We are devastated by this tragic accident and our hearts go out to his family and friends,” Maserjian said. “This is a real tragedy for us.”


Hockx, a graduate of Saugerties High School, attended Ulster County Community College and was a corporal in the U.S. Marines who served in Iraq, according to his obituary.

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Utility worker killed in accident at Hudson Valley plant The Associated Press
Posted: Aug. 10, 2018 8:00 am Updated: Aug. 10, 2018 4:05 pm



RIFTON, N.Y. (AP) — A utility company says an investigation is underway after one of its maintenance employees died in an accident at a Hudson Valley hydroelectric plant.

Officials with Central Hudson Gas and Electric tell the Daily Freeman of Kingston that 36-year-old Joshua Hockx, of Saugerties (SAW'-ger-teez), died Wedneday while operating a riding mower at the company's Sturgeon Point plant in the Ulster County hamlet of Rifton.

The company says state and federal regulators are at the site Friday investigating what caused is death.

Central Hudson officials say Hockx had worked as a roving mechanic operator for the past three years.

According to his obituary, Hockx was a graduate of Saugerties High School who served in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps.

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Joshua Hockx, 36, of Van Vlierden Road, Saugerties, NY died unexpectedly Wednesday August 8, 2018. Born August 4, 1982 in Kingston New York he is the son of Gladys V. Shultis and Jacobus Hockx, the step-son of Joseph R. Berardi III and the fiancé of Stephanie Hughes whom he was to marry on October 6, 2018.

Joshua was a graduate of Saugerties High School and attended Ulster County Community College. He was a Corporal in the United States Marines serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was employed as a mechanic for Central Hudson Gas and Electric. Joshua was previously employed by Precision Pipeline Solutions for many years. He was an avid NASCAR fan, rode Harley motorcycles, and enjoyed playing video games.

Surviving in addition to his parents are his siblings; Anna Hockx, Jacobus Hockx II, Joseph Berardi IV, Rebecca Berardi, and Brandon Berardi; his grandmother Dorothy J. Shultis. Many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and his canine puppy Harley also survive.

Analysis and investigation of the death of volunteer Asst. Chief Jamie Middlebrook of the New Carlisle Fire Department at the massive fire at K-Fex storage building in Indiana

Friday marks four years since Assistant Chief Jamie Middlebrook, of the New Carlisle Fire Department, died in the line of duty.

Around 8 p.m. August 5, 2014, a fire broke out at K-Fex, Inc, an excavation and septic company just west of the St. Joseph County line, in La Porte County.

Firefighters from multiple departments, including the New Carlisle Fire Department, battled the massive fire for several hours.

At least one explosion was heard and captured on video.

While fighting the fire, the roof of the building collapsed and killed Middlebrook. He had just turned 41-years-old.

Within two weeks, the State Fire Marshall stated a cause of the fire could not be determined. Foul play was not suspected, but there wasn’t enough evidence to list it accidental.

IOSHA found no violations related to Middlebrooks’ death.

IOSHA stated all training records were up to date and everyone involved was up on training. They also found appropriate procedures were followed while fighting the fire.

A memorial plaque in honor of Middlebrook was placed in New Carlisle’s Memorial Park in March 2015.=============================

 

Volunteer Assistant Chief Killed and One Fire Fighter Injured by Roof Collapse in a Commercial Storage Building—Indiana

Death in the Line of Duty…A summary of a NIOSH fire fighter fatality investigation

F2014-18 Date Released:  July 18, 2018

Executive Summary

On August 5, 2014, a 40-year-old male volunteer assistant fire chief died after being trapped under a roof collapse while fighting a fire in a commercial storage building. The county dispatch center transmitted Box 9101 for county Fire Station 91 at 2059 hours to a septic tank cleaning business for a confirmed commercial structure fire. The fire chief of Fire Station 91 (Chief 9101) communicated to the county dispatch center that the response was incorrect. A fire station from another county was first-due at this address. 

Note: The boundary for both fire stations runs through the center of this property. Chief 9101 also relayed to the county dispatch center that Fire Station 91 would continue their response. Chief 9101 was the first unit on the scene at 2105 hours in a vehicle designated as Battalion 9 and assumed command. The fire was in a pole barn-style building with metal siding and a roof with wood-truss supports and a pan ceiling (a metal ceiling that blocks the truss, creating a cockloft). 

Heavy fire was showing through the roof on Side Bravo and Side Charlie of the structure when the first-due company arrived. After a brief conversation with the assistant fire chief (victim), the incident commander decided to open the doors on the north end (Side A) of the building to set an unmanned ground monitor to keep the contents of the building cool. Access was made through both a doorway and overhead door on the north side. Smoke conditions were light with good visibility. The assistant fire chief was assigned to the north side of the building.

A defensive fire attack was initiated. The assistant fire chief was one of three fire fighters who had entered Side A of the structure to stretch a 2½-inch hoseline to protect equipment and acetylene cylinders. The crew was operating approximately 50 feet inside the structure and then decided to change the 2½-inch nozzle to a portable ground monitor (deck gun). During the changeover, one fire fighter left the interior to go outside and charge the hoseline. 

The fire was already in the overhead truss system above the assistant fire chief and the fire fighter, and the fire was likely concealed by the ceiling. As the third fire fighter got to the overhead door, a loud crash occurred. The truss system failed and the ceiling and roof assembly collapsed on the assistant fire chief and fire fighter. The assistant fire chief was killed by the collapsing truss system. The fire fighter, who suffered a broken leg, was able to crawl under some equipment before being rescued by a rapid intervention crew from Squad 18.

Contributing Factors

• Incident management
• Incident action plan and risk assessment
• Offensive action in a defensive fire (hidden fire above pan ceiling)
• Communications/Mutual aid
• Collapse/exclusion zones and situational awareness
• Lack of a safety officer

Key Recommendations

• Fire departments should ensure that a single, effective incident management system is established with a single, designated incident commander, especially when multiple fire departments respond together.
• Fire departments should ensure that an incident action plan is developed and a risk assessment is performed throughout the incident and the tactics match the conditions encountered.
• Fire departments should ensure offensive actions are not performed in a defensive strategy and enforce clear procedures for strategic mode changes.
• Fire departments should work together to develop mutual aid SOPs for fireground operations that include incident management, communications, and operations and train on those procedures.
• Incident commanders should ensure that collapse zones and exclusion zones are established, marked, and enforced on defensive fires and incidents where dangerous or hazardous conditions exist and that a RIC is assigned even on defensive fires.
• Fire departments should ensure that a safety officer is appointed at working structural fires.

 

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LaPorte County, Ind. --

Funeral and visitation arrangements have been announced for Middlebrook. 

Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday at Bethel College in Mishawaka. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, August 11, also at Bethel College. Burial will follow in New Carlisle Cemetery.

ORIGINAL STORY

The firefighter who died in a massive business fire in LaPorte County Tuesday night has been identified as 41-year-old Asst. Chief Jamie Middlebrook. Middlebrook was a volunteer firefighter with the New Carlisle Fire Department.

The blaze broke out around 9 p.m. local time near U.S. 20 and 800 East. Multiple agencies from several counties responded to the fire at K-Fex, a septic pumping business. The address is listed as New Carlisle but technically this is in LaPorte County. 

Two large explosions occurred just before 10:30 pm.

One of the major issues crews faced was accessing a reliable water supply. There were no fire hydrants at the scene and water was being transported in large tankers, before the fire was finally brought under control Wednesday morning.

Crews were able to recover Middlebrook's body around 1:30 a.m.

Middlebrook's father, Bob, is also a firefighter and was at the scene Tuesday night. He has been with the department for about 40 years. He is also survived by his wife, Julie, and mom, Carol. 

Middlebrook had been a volunteer member of the department for 22 years. He was also a career EMT with New Carlisle EMS. 

"You never want this to happen," said LaPorte Co. Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer. "These guys put their lives on the line all the time just to help the community. This is volunteer departments. They don't get paid for it. They do it because it's in their blood and they want to help people."

Middlebrook's body will be taken to a Lafayette hospital for an autopsy on Wednesday. His fellow firefighters lowered the flag outside the department after his death in his honor and many passers by have been honking their horns in support. 

The LaPorte County coroner told NewsCenter 16 Middlebrook died from blunt force trauma and suffered a broken neck; injuries consistent with having a roof collapse on top of him. 

Many have also shown support on Facebook by changing their profile picture to a New Carlisle Fire Dept. emblem with a black and red line across it. We're not sure where it originated from, but you can see it by clicking on "view gallery". 

A second firefighter, Matt O'Donnell, was rescued from the blaze and taken to a local hospital. He suffered a broken ankle, minor burns and smoke inhalation, but has been released from the hospital. 

Middlebrook and O'Donnell were partners on the New Carlisle ambulance and went into the fire together. 

You may remember Asst. Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook from a past story we did on NewsCenter 16. He was one of many who organized an event for one of their own battling cancer in the department. Middlebrook could relate because he, too, had battled cancer. 

Here is a link to that story from Barbara Harrington in May 2013.

Community members have begun leaving flowers outside the fire station by the flagpole in Middlebrook's honor; and a local church bought out all of the muffins from a nearby coffee shop to give to the firefighters who have been up all night and are exhausted both physically and emotionally. 

Governor Mike Pence issued the following statement Wednesday morning:

“I was saddened to learn of the death of New Carlisle Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook, who lost his life protecting the safety of Hoosiers. Today, Indiana mourns the loss of a true Hoosier hero. On behalf of the state, the First Lady and I extend our condolences to his family and friends and hold them in prayer during this difficult time.”
Details about Middlebrook's funeral and final honors should be released in the coming days. The Indiana FOP Critical Incident Memorial team is coming to assist with funeral arrangements.
 

SHITTY SALADS: The CDC says 436 people have fallen ill due an outbreak of cyclospora, an intestinal parasite found in poop and linked to McDonald's Fresh Express salads

The number of people getting sick from an intestinal parasite linked to McDonald's salads is now growing.

The CDC says 436 people have fallen ill. The outbreak of cyclospora began in May in the Midwest. At least 20 people were hospitalized.

Investigators are looking at bad romaine lettuce and carrots.

McDonald's says it switched to another salad supplier last Month.



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36 sick, 20 hospitalized due to parasitic illness linked to McDonald’s salads
Posted 11:57 AM, August 10, 2018, by CNN Wire


The CDC now says 436 people have been diagnosed with a laboratory-confirmed intestinal illness linked to salads sold at McDonald’s.

The cyclospora infection is part of an ongoing outbreak that began in May.

Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a statement confirming 395 illnesses. That number increased to 436 this week.

At least 20 people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.

The cyclospora parasite causes intestinal illness in people who consumed contaminated food or water. Symptoms can begin a week or more after consuming the parasite. They include diarrhea and frequent, sometimes explosive bowel movements, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who are infected might also experience loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps or pain, nausea, gas, and fatigue. Vomiting, headache, fever, body aches and flu-like symptoms can also occur.

The illness can last a few days to a few months, and patients might feel better but then get worse again. Cyclosporiasis can be treated with antibiotics.

Illnesses have been reported in 15 states: Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. However, the patients in Connecticut, Michigan, Tennessee, and Virginia bought their salads in Illinois while traveling, and the Florida patient bought the salad in Kentucky.

The FDA said an unused package of a Fresh Express salad mix of romaine lettuce and carrots that had been distributed to McDonald’s tested positive for the presence of Cyclospora though it was past its July 19 expiration date.

“Epidemiologic evidence indicates that salads purchased from McDonald’s restaurants are one likely source of these infections. The investigation is ongoing, and FDA is working to determine the sources of the ingredients that were in common to the salads served at McDonald’s,” the CDC said in an outbreak update posted on its website Thursday.

McDonald’s said in a statement on July 13 that it had removed the salad mix from it’s impacted restaurants and replaced it with a different supplier.

In a recall statement on the Fresh Express website, the company said it had launched a “precautionary recall” of the institutional food service product on July 27 of a “limited number of cases.”

The statement said, “Fresh Express follows rigid food safety requirements and preventive controls throughout our supply chain that are carefully designed to mitigate against potential health risks.”

The company’s salad mix recall was connected with a public health alert issued on July 30 by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service advising consumers that certain salad and wrap products might be contaminated with cyclospora. The products were sold by grocery stores including Kroger, Trader Joe’s and Walgreens.

In the alert, the USDA said the issue was discovered when Indianapolis-based food distributor Caito Foods “received notification from their lettuce supplier, Fresh Express, that the chopped romaine that is used to manufacture some of their salads and wraps was being recalled.”

The lettuce from McDonald’s that tested positive for the cyclospora parasite was in the same lot as the lettuce distributed to Caito Foods, the CDC said Wednesday. “Fresh Express also reported that no romaine lettuce from the lot that was positive for cyclospora was packaged for direct retail sale to consumers,” the CDC said.
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Prevention & Control


On the basis of the currently available information, avoiding food or water that may have been contaminated with feces is the best way to prevent cyclosporiasis. Travelers to cyclosporiasis-endemic areas (such as tropical and subtropical regions) should be aware that treatment of water or food by routine chemical disinfection or sanitizing methods is unlikely to kill Cyclospora. No vaccine for cyclosporiasis is available.


Consumers and retailers should always follow safe fruit and vegetable handling recommendations:

Wash: Wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling or preparing fruits and vegetables. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with soap and hot water between the preparation of raw meat, poultry, and seafood products and the preparation of fruits and vegetables that will not be cooked.

Prepare: Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. Fruits and vegetables that are labeled “prewashed” do not need to be washed again at home. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.

Store: Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible, or within 2 hours. Store fruits and vegetables away from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) publishes detailed food safety recommendations for growers and suppliers. In its Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, CFSAN describes good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for fresh fruits and vegetables. The guidelines address the growing, harvesting, sorting, packaging, and storage processes; following the guidelines can help reduce the overall risk for microbial contamination during these processes. The precise ways that food and water become contaminated with Cyclospora oocysts are not fully understood.

CDC monitors the occurrence of cyclosporiasis in the United States and helps state health departments identify and investigate cyclosporiasis outbreaks to prevent additional cases of illness.

Oil tanker STI POPLAR collided with pier at Ploce Port in Dubrovnik, Croatia causing a portion of the quay wall and the unloading infrastructure to fall into the sea and sink. Oil terminal inoperable for at least 7 days

Oil tanker STI POPLAR collided with pier at Ploce, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Oil terminal inoperable for at least 7 days 

Aug. 10, 2018 at 13:12 by Mikhail Voytenko in Accidents 365

Product tanker STI POPLAR loaded with some 27000 tons of fuel collided with oil terminal pier at Ploce, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Adriatic sea, understood on Aug 5, while maneuvering to berth. 

Pier and oil transfer equipment were said to be heavily damaged, with some crushed parts falling into water. 

Tanker’s stern was also damaged, according to officials, but no leak occurred. 

Tanker was brought to anchor at Ploce anchorage, for assessment of damages, damages costs and investigation. 

It is said, that damages sustained by terminal amount to millions of euro, and with terminal being inoperable for at least 7 days, oil supply of Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro may be hampered. 


STI POPLAR current position is 43.03689 N / 17.3789 E on Aug 11, 2018 04:23 UTC. Vessel STI POPLAR (IMO: 9696589, MMSI: 538005408) is a Chemical/Oil Products Tanker built in 2014 and currently sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. 


IMRRA, FleetMon’s official Vessel Risk Rating Partner, risk assessed this tanker as having a ‘green’ risk rating, with a specific risk rating of 26% (27-MAR-18), compared to the fleet average 34.8%. New risk assessment reports can be purchased via FleetMon.
Red: Poorest performing; Amber: Average value; Green: Good indicator. 

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Tanker Damages Dock at Ploce Port, Croatia


A tanker loaded with oil rammed into a dock in the Croatian Port of Ploce, causing significant damage that left the port’s liquid cargo terminal inoperable.

According to local media, the tanker smashed into the dock causing a portion of the quay wall and the unloading infrastructure to fall into the sea and sink.

The vessel in question has been identified as STI Poplar, a Marshall Islands-flagged oil/chemical tanker built in 2014.

Based on the vessel’s latest AIS data from Marine Traffic, it is anchored in the Croatian port, where it arrived from Sarroch, Italy on August 8.

The port authority said that due to the damages inflicted by the collision it has banned utilization of the docking facility.

It is not clear when the terminal will resume operation, however, the authority said it was taking all necessary activities to avoid further damages being inflicted and reopen the docking facility as soon as possible.

The cause of the accident is yet to be determined, however, several causes are being investigated including the role of pilots, tugs that were pulling the vessel into the dock as well as the vessel’s captain and crew.

Since the unloading facility has been closed, oil supply across Dalmatia is likely to be affected, taking into account that other vessels will also have to wait for a solution to be made to unload oil.

World Maritime News is yet to receive a comment from the port authority on how many vessels are pending unloading and what alternatives are being considered for their unloading.