Cause of the 4/7 fatal 4-alarm fire that killed Todd Brassner, 67, at the Trump Tower at 721 5th Ave Manhattan was accidental, electrical - sequenced power strips powering multiple components. Smoke alarm not present in fire apartment

Overloaded power strips caused the fatal Trump Tower blaze earlier this month, the FDNY said Monday.

“Cause of the 4/7 fatal 4-alarm fire at 721 5th Ave Manhattan was accidental, electrical — sequenced power strips powering multiple components. Smoke alarm not present in fire apartment,” the department tweeted.

Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of the 4/7 fatal 4-alarm fire at 721 5th Ave Manhattan was accidental, electrical - sequenced power strips powering multiple components. Smoke alarm not present in fire apartment

Resident Todd Brassner, 67, was killed and four firefighters injured in the blaze, which broke out in Brassner’s 50th-floor apartment in the Fifth Avenue skyscraper April 7.


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The cause has been determined of the raging fire that broke out in an apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan on Saturday, April 7 that resulted in the death of a Westchester native.

The fire has been ruled accidental and the resulted of multiple power strips overloaded by electronic devices, the FDNY said.

"Overloaded electrical outlets are one of the major causes of residential fires," sai d the FDNY. "Remember, power strips and surge protectors don’t provide more power, and extension cords are for temporary use only. Always plug appliances directly into wall outlets."

There were no smoke alarms in the apartment, the FDNY said.

The blaze, which was upgraded from three alarms to four alarms, erupted at the 58-story, 664-foot high mixed-use skyscraper on Fifth Avenue near West 56th Street just before 6 p.m. April 7.

Firefighters found the Westchester native, identified as 67-year-old Todd Brassner, unconscious and unresponsive when they entered the apartment.

"The apartment was entirely on fire," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "Members pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire and found one occupant of the apartment who is in critical condition."

Brassner was transported in critical condition to Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Four of the approximately 200 firefighters who responded suffered non-life threatening injuries, the FDNY said.

A Harrison native, Brassner was a 1969 graduate of the New Rochelle Academy, a private school that closed in 1987.

Randy Wilson, 44, a worker with Thyssenkrupp Elevator was killed in an elevator shaft at the construction site for the new Mount Carmel Grove City hospital in Grove City, OH

Randy Wilson, 44 was pronounced dead the the North Meadows Drive site just before 1:00 p.m.

Randy Wilson, 44 was pronounced dead the the North Meadows Drive site just before 1:00 p.m.

GROVE CITY, Ohio — 

 

The family of a construction worker killed in an accident Tuesday at the site for the new Mount Carmel Grove City hospital is thanking the Central Ohio community for the support they are receiving.

Randy Wilson, 44 was pronounced dead the the North Meadows Drive site just before 1:00 p.m. His sisters Stacie Spears, Darbie Everhart and other family gathered in Dublin Wednesday to mourn his loss.

“People know we are such a tight family. We have cousins who are like brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.Everybody is just so close. Everybody is wrapped around us . People I haven’t heard from since high school are reaching out and it, and I wouldn’t think it would help , but it helps a lot. It helps a lot,” said Spears.

Everhart said her brother was like a real-life Superhero.

“Seriously, he thought he was like Superman but so did everybody else. He was unbreakable and invincible. He had a lot of energy, never met a stranger, would help anybody. He had friends from all walks of life,” said Everhart.

Spears said they know that OSHA is investigating the accident, but have no details about what went wrong. “I do want answers. I am one of those people that needs to know exactly what happened,” said Spears.

“He was very safe. He just took a safety course. Randy was probably one of the safest workers out there. It is a dangerous job. He was completely aware of it,” said Everhart, who said she is touched by the fact his coworkers are also struggling with the loss.

Wilson shared a home with his long-time girlfriend, her daughter, and their 4-year old little girl. “His daughter has to grow up without him. That is the biggest tragedy of all,” said Everhart. “She loves her daddy, her daddy is her world. Everybody knows it. And she will ask for a long time, where’s her daddy, and that is the painful part.”

According to OSHA reports for the elevator company, ThyssenKrup has had one death of a maintenance worker killed when he fell down an elevator shaft in 2013 in Dallas. As for injury reports in Ohio, there have been four since 2015. The latest in Columbus happened in September of 2016 when a cinder block hit an employee in the head and broke his neck.

Funeral arrangements for Wilson, an Olentangy High School graduate are pending.
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By Beth Burger
The Columbus Dispatch



  April 18, 2018


Grove City, OH

Grove City police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating after a worker was killed in an elevator shaft at the construction site for the new Mount Carmel Grove City hospital.

Jackson Township paramedics were called at 12:53 p.m. Wednesday to the fatal incident at the hospital, 5300 N. Meadows Drive. The male worker was pronounced dead shortly afterwards by responding paramedics.

The identity of the worker was not released publicly Wednesday.

Sean McKibben, president and chief operating officer of Mount Carmel West, said the health system was sad to learn that a Thyssenkrupp Elevator employee had been killed.

“We will work with all of the relevant authorities and regulators to investigate the circumstances of this accident,” he said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Thyssenkrupp Elevator likewise said the company is cooperating with authorities and investigating: “Our deepest sympathies go out to our Thyssenkrupp Elevator employee, his family and colleagues.”

Work has been ongoing on a new five-story hospital to include an expanded emergency department, a new patient tower and surgical suite and intensive care, maternity, oncology an palliative care services. It is scheduled to open in November.

Worker Phillip Dehart, 58, with Quality Cable and Fiber Services was critically injured after he fell from a bucket truck as he was working at the historic Gulfview Hotel in Fort Walton Beach, Florida

FWBPD Active Investigation: Fall with Serious Injury During Gulfview Hotel Relocation

Fort Walton Beach - On Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 3:08 a.m., Fort Walton Beach Police and Fire Departments, as well as Okaloosa County EMS, responded to a fall that occurred at a pole on the eastbound side of Miracle Strip Parkway, across from Circle K Convenience Store. Mr. Phillip Dehart, 58, of Milton, Florida, was rendered immediate aid at the scene by City personnel who were staged in the area and subsequently transported to the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center with serious injuries. He is currently listed in critical but stable condition and has his daughter with him for support.

Further investigation by the Fort Walton Beach Police Department indicated that Mr. Dehart was in a bucket truck in efforts to relocate cable lines during the relocation of the Gulfview Hotel. An employee of Gulf Power was operating a truck on Miracle Strip when he ran over a cable that was draped from a pole that Mr. Dehart was working on. This contact with the cable pulled Mr. Dehart out of the bucket and caused him to fall 20” 4” to the roadway. Mr. Dehart was wearing a safety harness, but it was not secured to the bucket.

Mr. Dehart is a contractor with QFCS (Quality Cable and Fiber Services), a contractor for Cox Communications. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Fort Walton Beach Police Department at 850-833-9546 or Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS, emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com or by using the P3 Tips Mobile application.

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FORT WALTON BEACH, FL (WKRG) -



A worker was critically injured early Wednesday morning while helping move the historic Gulfview Hotel to its new location on Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.

The man fell out of a bucket truck around 3 a.m., according to Jo Soria, the city's public information officer.

The worker, who has not been identified, was rushed to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. He was responsive but in critical condition, Soria confirmed.

The 112-year-old Gulfview Hotel reached its final location at 115 Miracle Strip Parkway S.E. before the accident. U.S. Highway 98, which was closed between Beal Parkway and Florida Place for several hours for the move overnight, has reopened.

The hotel will eventually reopen as the Fort Walton Beach Welcome Center.



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Gulfview move seriously injured in fall


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By Staff report


Posted at 8:16 AM Updated at 3:45 PM




FORT WALTON BEACH, FL — 

A contractor who was helping the Gulfview Hotel down U.S. Highway 98 Wednesday was seriously injured when he fell from a bucket truck.

Phillip Dehart, 58 of Milton, was working to relocate cable lines at about 3 a.m. Wednesday when he fell over 20 feet onto the road, according to a press release from the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.

An employee of Gulf Power was operating the truck on Miracle Strip Parkway when he ran over a cable that was draped from a pole Dehart was working on, the press release said. The truck’s contact with the cable pulled the victim out of the bucket.

Dehart was wearing a safety harness but it was not secured to the bucket, the press release said. Spokeswomen Jo Soria said there is no information at this time as to why the safety harness wasn’t attached.

The victim was a contractor with Quality Cable and Fiber Services working with the Gulfview Hotel relocation project, where crews moved the 5,500-square-foot historic building a quarter-mile down Miracle Strip Parkway in downtown Fort Walton Beach. The move began at 9 p.m. Tuesday and the hotel was secured in its final location just past 4 a.m. Wednesday.

The fall occurred at a pole on the south side of U.S. 98 across from the Circle K convenience store and Gulf Coast Seafood Market, the press release said. The hotel already had been moved beyond that spot when the accident occurred.

Crews with the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department were already staged on site in case of emergencies, and immediately rendered aid to the man. The Fort Walton Beach Police Department and Okaloosa County EMS also responded.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday Dehart was listed in critical but stable condition. His daughter was by his side for support, the press release said.



Fort Walton Beach Police is investigating the fall.

This story will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

Construction worker Logan French, 25, an employee of Thompson Construction in Fremont, Nebraska, suffered a severe cut to his face when a concrete saw he was using kicked back and struck him

Logan French

Intro

• Works at Thompson Construction Inc.
• Studied at University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Studied Education at Masarykova univerzita
• Lives in Arlington, Nebraska
• In a relationship with Martina Rybnikárová
• From Arlington, Nebraska

Worker cutting concrete pipe flown to hospital with saw injury to face

By Nancy Gaarder / World-Herald staff writer


A construction worker suffered a severe cut to his face when a saw he was using apparently struck him.


Logan French, 25, was flown from 180th Street and Cornhusker Road to the Nebraska Medical Center in serious condition.


The work site injury occurred about 11 a.m. Tuesday. Emergency personnel from the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Gretna Fire Department were called to the scene. Initial reports indicated that French was injured by a saw, according to the Sheriff’s Office.


French was lying on the side of the road when sheriff’s officers arrived. Paramedics from Gretna EMS stabilized French and called for a medical helicopter.

French was using a saw to cut a concrete pipe, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

French is an employee of Thompson Construction in Fremont, Nebraska.


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GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) -



Authorities say a construction worker was injured by a saw while cutting concrete in eastern Nebraska's Sarpy County. The accident occurred around 10:50 a.m.

Tuesday at a construction site just southwest of Omaha. Gretna fire department medics treated the man for a severe face laceration, and then he was flown to Nebraska Medical Center for treatment.

He's been identified as 25-year-old Logan French. 


Kickback can occur whenever the blade stops suddenly by binding up, jamming or hitting a foreign object. Saw blades build up tremendous kinetic energy during cutting and when they stop suddenly the energy must go somewhere, causing the blade to strike the operator or causing the operator to drop the saw on their legs or feet.
There are two main ways to reduce saw kickback: prevent the blade from stopping suddenly and reduce your chances of being struck if the saw does stop. There are four elements that you can control to reduce the chances of kickback.
Saw:

• Do not use a saw that is too heavy for you to control.
• Do not try to remove or pull back the blade guard.
• Do not cut with the upper front quadrant of the saw’s blade.
• Operate the saw at the manufacturer’s recommended speed.
• Set the blade at no greater than 1/8″ to 1/4″ more than the thickness of the material to avoid contacting foreign items while cutting.

Blade: 

• Keep your blade sharp. Dull blades are more likely to bind up in cuts.
• Keep your blade clean. Blades sticky with sap or other materials increase the chance of binding.
• Avoid using tooth blades as these increase the risk of kickback.
• Never allow the blade to overheat.
• Make sure your blade is the right size for the saw.

Operator:

• Wear all the appropriate personal protective equipment while cutting.
• Make sure you are trained in proper cutting techniques, safety, and how to hold the saw.
• Maintain your balance and footing at all times. Avoid overreaching and sawing in awkward positions.
• Don’t stand directly behind the saw. This reduces the chances of being struck if it does kick back.
• Avoid long-term, repetitive cutting. Cutting while tired will cause you to stand closer to the saw and increase your risk of being struck.

Technique:

• Be careful.
• Allow the saw to reach full speed before starting the cut.
• Don’t lean into the cut. Leaning in places you closer to the saw and makes it more likely to be struck if the saw kicks back.
• Don’t make off-center or crooked cuts. Only cut in straight lines.
• Take your finger off the trigger or power switch if the blade binds up, the saw stalls or the power is interrupted.

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Common Defects and Design Flaws Found in Circular Saws

There are a number of safety features that must be included in the design of modern circular saws that include the presence of a safety guard, kickback dog and saw stop device. While the design of the saw may include these features, it is possible for them to fail during use, which could result in catastrophic injury or death. Some common defects we have noticed include the following.

• Defective safety guard— the safety guard is designed to keep the saw from contacting the operator’s hand during use. If the guard fails and the operator’s hand slips, it can result in the loss of fingers or the victim’s hand.


• Kickback dog failure— the kickback dog is meant to keep material that has been cut from being propelled back in the direction of the person using the saw. When the device fails, the objects being cut can become high speed projectiles and cause injuries to the face, head or brain.


• Defective blade— if the saw blade does not perform its intended function, it can fracture and send debris flying into the operator’s face or body. Others in the area around the saw may also be injured by flying pieces of metal if they are in the path of the objects when the blade fails.


• Device alterations— an employer may alter a circular saw after purchase in order to make it more efficient for its intended use. Such alteration may compromise safety, however, putting an employee at risk of injury.

Types of Injuries Experienced Due to Circular Saw Defects

The most commonly associated injury linked to circular saws is the loss of fingers or a hand, but there are a number of injuries that may result from the saw’s failure or a poor design. These can include the following.

• Crushed limbs or digits— it is possible for the circular saw to crush the operator’s hand or fingers when it fails rather than removing the affected body parts.


• Injuries to the eyes— if the safety guard or kickback dog fails, projectiles can cause injury to the eyes. In some cases, the worker may be blinded.


• Facial injuries— blade fractures, explosions, projectiles and other failures can send materials into the victim’s face. This may result in permanent scars, disfigurement and blunt force trauma.


• Traumatic brain injuries— when objects strike the head at a high velocity, it is possible for the victim to experience an injury to the brain even if he or she doesn’t notice any symptoms immediately. Microtears inside of the brain can cause swelling over time that may lead to permanent brain damage.

ROOFING CONTRACTORS CAUSE THE MASSIVE HINSDALE, ILLINOIS FIRE OF AMERICAN BEAUTY HISTORIC MANSION: 130-year old historic home goes up in smoke in massive fire in west suburban Hinsdale, Illinois; fire may have been caused by owners' efforts to restore roof

The house was constructed without fire stops in the walls, so the flames were able to spread quickly through the walls

 Fire that ravaged historic Hinsdale home may have been caused by owners' efforts to restore roof, they say


HINSDALE, Ill.:

The owners of the nearly 120-year-old Hinsdale house damaged by fire Wednesday said they will try to rebuild it, but they do not know if that is possible.

“The irony is we were trying to preserve it, by putting a new roof on,” said Neal Reenan.

“The very last bit was the flat roof,” said Jennifer Reenan.

The Reenans believe the blowtorch the roofers were using may have caused the fire.

The Hinsdale Fire Department said the contractors working on the house on the 300 block of East Sixth Street called 911 at about 3:30 p.m. and said the house was on fire.

Neal Reenan was out of the country and his wife was volunteering at their children’s school, the Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove. As she was leaving the school with one of their three children between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. to head back home, she looked at her phone and saw she had many messages, including one from the roofer. She called him back and heard what was happening.

When she arrived at the house, where firefighters were putting water on the flames, she learned the family’s dog Ruby was still inside.

The firefighters knew the family had a dog and found the black Labrador hiding in the walk-in closet in the master bedroom.

“That is her hiding place when there are storms,” Jennifer Reenan said.

Her son breathed a big sigh of relief when he saw Ruby safely outside the house, she said.

The Reenans said they are overwhelmed by the support from friends and neighbors. They are offering to take the kids to school and sports. They’re loaning and buying clothes for the children to wear. One neighbor is keeping Ruby the dog at his house.

“They’re opening their homes to us,” Neal Reenan said. “Some of these people we have known for a long time and some we really don’t know.”


A neighbor picked up their other two children from track practice Wednesday.

One neighbor got her a glass of wine in the middle of it all, Jennifer Reenan said.

The Reenans are very grateful no one was injured and for the kindness everyone has shown.

“I wouldn’t have made it without them,” said Jennifer Reenan, with emotion in her voice.

The Reenan family in the summer of 2016 moved from Naperville into the Hinsdale house that local historians know as the American Beauty, because the first owner grew American Beauty roses commercially.

Parts of the two-and-a-half story house, built in the Colonial Revival style in 1899, have been modified through the years, but the original family’s history and architectural elements, such as canvas ceilings painted with rose motifs in the living room and drawing room, the sun parlor, china cupboards and fireplace mantels all from 1899, warranted its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.


The house’s historic character attracted them, as did the tennis courts on the side of the house, Neal Reenan said.

The former owners, the McGues, did a phenomenal job of restoring the house, Neal Reenan said, and he was continuing that effort.

“We are sad for the community,” Neal Reenan said. It is too soon to know whether the house can be restored, he said. “We hope it can.”

Hinsdale Fire Department officials said firefighters saw light smoke around the second-floor balcony on the west side of the house when they arrived. The contractors were there, but the house was locked and firefighters had to force their way inside.

While trying to find the origin of the fire, firefighters quickly determined the fire had extended into the walls and other empty spaces throughout the house. The house was constructed without fire stops in the walls, so the flames were able to spread quickly through the walls, Hinsdale Fire Chief John Giannelli said.

Nearly 100 firefighters from 20 different departments and fire protection districts responded to the fire to help. The fire was not extinguished until 8 p.m., the Hinsdale Fire Department reported. The cause is still being investigated, the department said late Wednesday.



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HINSDALE, Ill. (WLS) -- Firefighters battled a massive blaze at a historic home in west suburban Hinsdale Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency crews responded to the scene in the 300-block of East 6th Street.

The home was built in 1899 and is considered a national treasure once known as "American Beauty."

"It's heartbreaking. That house has been a mainstay in Hinsdale for 130 years," said Julie Laux, neighbor. "We've just lost a piece of history. We've lost a way to connect to our past. This is elegant and gracious and just a reminder of when life was so much different than it is right now."

Firefighters said the historic home was built in a much different way than modern construction, which made it burn more intensely.

"It's actually a balloon frame house, so the fire spreads very quickly," said Hinsdale Fire Chief John Giannelli. "Balloon frame means there is no fire stopping in that building, so once you get a fire inside a wall it can drop all the way to the basement, it can go all the way to the roof."

Firefighters fought flames and smoke inside the home for as long as they could, but eventually had to leave for their own safety.

"Conditions made it almost impossible to keep them on the third floor," Giannelli said.

Outside, crews doused the flames for hours, saturating the entire house with water.

The home's new owners were out of town, fire officials said. Firefighers were able to rescue their dog from the home.

"I'm devastated for these people. I don't know them but it's got to be absolutely heartbreaking. They've got little kids and all your personal belongings and memories," Laux said.

The cause of the fire is not known and an investigation is ongoing. No injuries were reported.



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