Zippo Manufacturing settles hazardous waste violations at Bradford, Pa. plant

Release Date: 08/25/2015
Contact Information: Roy Seneca seneca.roy@epa.gov (215) 814-5567

(PHILADELPHIA – August 25, 2015) -- Zippo Manufacturing Company will pay a $186,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at its manufacturing facility in Bradford, Pa., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

EPA cited Zippo for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to protect public health and the environment, and avoid costly cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

The alleged RCRA violations included storage of hazardous waste without interim status or a permit, operation of an unpermitted thermal treatment unit, failure to properly manage hazardous waste containers, and failure to maintain job descriptions of personnel managing hazardous waste.

EPA also alleged violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), a federal law designed to inform the public and emergency responders about hazardous and toxic chemicals in their communities. EPCRA requires facilities to submit annual reports on regulated chemicals, and routine and accidental chemical releases. According to EPA, Zippo did not submit annual toxic release reports for three chemicals – copper, nickel and chromium -- for three years when the facility used or processed chemicals in reportable quantities.

The settlement penalty reflects the company’s compliance efforts, and its cooperation with EPA in the resolution of this matter. As part of the settlement, Zippo has neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but has certified its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements.

For more information on RCRA, see http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/index.htm
For more information on EPCRA, see http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/content/epcra/

Atlanta’s American Air Filter Co. continues to expose workers to serious safety hazards. OSHA proposes penalties of nearly $120K for employer with history of safety violations

U.S. Department of Labor | 

August 25, 2015

Atlanta’s American Air Filter Co. continues to expose workers to serious safety hazards.

OSHA proposes penalties of nearly $120K for employer with history of safety violations

Employer name: American Air Filter Co. Inc., doing business as AAF International

Inspection site: 2624 Weaver Way, Atlanta, Georgia 30340

Citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued two repeated, two serious and one other-than-serious violation to the air filter manufacturer on Aug. 21.

American Air Filter employs temporary workers from two staffing agencies: JTJ Staffing Inc., doing business as True Staffing; and JEZ Staffing Inc., doing business as Microtech Staffing. OSHA did not issue citations to the staffing agencies.

Investigation findings: The safety violations identified during the inspection include failing to provide proper machine guarding to protect employees from amputation hazards and not following safety procedures to prevent machinery from starting up unexpectedly during maintenance and servicing.

Proposed penalties: $119,900

Quote: “This is the second significant enforcement action we’ve conducted at AAF International in the last six months,” said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office. “We found the same type of hazards during a recent inspection in a different area at the same plant. Management continues to allow workers to clean equipment without following safety procedures and without guards being properly installed. This company needs to address all workplace hazards, not just the ones for which penalties have been proposed.”

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/americanairfilter_1044804_2nd_sig-case.pdf*

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.

American Air Filter Co. Inc. is currently in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Programfor demonstrating indifference to its OSH Act obligations to provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees.

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 Atlanta-East Area Office at 770-493-6644.

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.

Firefighter Lawrence G. Sesso with the Sayville Fire Department, NYsuffered a cardiac arrest on his way home and died

Courtesy photo

An hour after responding to a commercial structure fire, Firefighter Sesso participated in a fire department parade including multiple fire departments. On his way home, Sesso suffered a Cardiac arrest. Firefighter Sesso was transported to the SouthSide Hospital but did not survive his injury.

Sesso was fire chief with the department from 2009-2011. It's the department's first line of duty death in 23 years. 

Services will be at Raynor & D'Andrea in Sayville on Aug. 25 from 7-9:30 p.m. and on Aug. 26 from 2-4:30 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. Burial will be on Aug. 27 at 10:30 a.m. at Raynor & D'Andrea.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Sayville Fire Department made out to "In Memory of Lawrence G. Sesso."

Department Information

Sayville Fire Department
107 N Main Street
Sayville, New York 11782
Chief: Christopher Chester

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.

Age:	40
Rank:	Firefighter
Classification:	Volunteer
Incident Date:	Aug 22, 2015 21:35
Date of Death:	Aug 22, 2015
Cause of Death:	Stress/Overexertion
Nature of Death:	Heart Attack
Activity Type:	Other
Emergency Duty:	No
Duty Type:	After
Fixed Property Use:	Outdoor Property

FIREFIGHTER COMMITS SUICIDE IN KATY, TEXAS FIREHOUSE

Katy firefighter kills self while on duty


The Katy Fire Department says one of its firefighters/EMTs shot and killed himself while on duty Sunday. KHOU

Drew Karedes and KHOU.com, KHOU 11 News 2:09 p.m. CDT August 24, 2015



(Photo: KHOU 11)


KATY, Texas – The Katy Fire Department says one of its firefighters/EMTs shot and killed himself while on duty Sunday.

Eleven other firefighters were at the station when the 30-year-old firefighter shot himself, Katy officials say. It happened inside a dorm before 4 p.m. Sunday.

The young man died after being taken to the hospital by Life Flight.

Katy FD Chief Rufus Summers says the entire department is devastated following the events that unfolded here inside the firehouse.

Family members asked that the fire department not identify the firefighter who took his life, and the fire department says it is respecting those wishes.

KHOU 11 News was told that he has been with Katy Fire Department for about two years and was not married.

The fire chief says he was not aware of personal trouble involving this particular firefighter. He added everyone here is doing their best to carry on as usual, to serve the people here in Katy.

“He seemed to be a happy spirited person,” Summers said. “He’s well respected, he’s well liked. The department is just in shambles right now. We’re continuing to deliver service, we’ve organized the shifts that weren’t here have stepped in and helped us out with it.”

KFD does have a policy of no guns on the premises, but the chief says this is not something that is checked up on and strictly enforced.

Grief counselors are now on hand to help firefighters and other employees through this difficult time.

Katy FD Chief comments on firefighter's death (Photo: KHOU 11)

A 67-year-old construction worker at the LaMer housing community in Parlin died Monday after he was struck by a piece of equipment

Construction worker killed at work site in Sayreville, New Jersey

  By Anthony G. Attrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
  August 24, 2015


SAYREVILLE, NEW JERSEY

A 67-year-old man working construction at the LaMer housing community in Parlin died Monday after he was struck by a piece of equipment, according to police.

Police received a 911 call shortly before 9 a.m. reporting a pedestrian accident on Nathan Boulevard.

The Morgan First Aid Squad and hospital paramedics took the man to Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, where he died of his injuries, according to police.

The man was not identified.

Police did not release further details about the accident.

The Sayreville Police Traffic Safety Bureau, New Jersey State Police and OSHA are investigating the accident, police said in a statement posted to Facebook.