ULTRALIGHT PLANES CONTINUE TO CRASH AT HIGH RATES: ULTRALIGHT PLANE CRASH IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

MAY 5, 2015

WASHINGTON COUNTY, GA - WJBF

News Channel 6 has learned a pilot suffered minor injuries when his plane crashed into a field in Washington County Tuesday morning.
Washington County Sheriff Thomas H. Smith issued the following release:
"At approximately 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2015, the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a dispatch call that a small plane had crashed into a field off of Roberson Bridge Road in Bartow, Georgia. 

The plane was a 2012 RV7 Experimental Home Built plane, piloted by David Lee Malmin of Cumming, Georgia. Mr. Malmin was flying from Swainsboro to Atlanta when he experienced mechanical issues with the engine, causing him to seek a safe landing area.  

Mr. Malmin, the only occupant on the plane, was checked out by medical personnel and only suffered minor injuries.  The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration."
Sheriff Thomas H. Smith thanks the FAA, Sandersville Fire Department, Riddleville Fire Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Washington County Emergency Medical Services for their prompt response, cooperation, and assistance in this matter.

The Windy City has turned into a Weeping City: 5 killed, 29 wounded in Chicago weekend shootings

5 killed, 29 wounded in Chicago weekend shootings

Posted: 05/03/2015

 

Chicago Police at the scene of a fatal shooting in the 7900 block of South Aberdeen. | Image from NVP video

 

Five people were killed and at least 29 others have been wounded – including an off-duty Oak Park policeman – in separate shootings across Chicago since Friday afternoon.

The most recent fatal shooting happened early Sunday in the South Side Marquette Park neighborhood.

Nyerere Lloyd, 26, was standing on the sidewalk in the 3100 block of West 64th Street about 12:40 a.m. when two males walked up and fired shots, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Lloyd was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene at 1:05 a.m., authorities said. He lived in the 6600 block of South Troy.

About 10 p.m. Friday, another man was shot to death in the South Side Gresham neighborhood.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired in the 7900 block of South Aberdeen found a 26-year-old man lying on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the chest, police said.

He was dead at the scene, police said. The medical examiner’s office confirmed the fatality but his name was still being withheld pending family notification.

The other two fatal attacks happened within half an hour of each other Friday evening on the South and West Sides.

About 5:20 p.m., a 24-year-old man was shot dead in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side.

Kelvin L. Davis was standing on a sidewalk about 5:20 p.m. in the 1300 block of East 75th Street when a gunman in a gray vehicle shot at him, authorities said.

Davis, who lived in the 7500 block of South Dorchester, was shot in the neck and chest, and taken to Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m., authorities said.

About 5 p.m. Friday, two men and a woman were outside in the 4200 block of West Grenshaw when a gunman walked up and opened fire, police said.

Both men, ages 29 and 30, suffered gunshot wounds to the head, authorities said.

The older man, identified as Justin M. Banks of Hebron, Ind., was found unresponsive on the ground and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The younger man was found in the driver’s seat of a bullet-riddled pickup and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he later died, police said. His name was not being released Monday morning pending notification of his family.

The 54-year-old woman was shot in the left leg and taken to Saint Anthony Hospital, where her condition stabilized, police said.

On Sunday morning, an off-duty Oak Park police officer was shot on Chicago’s Far South Side. The shooting happened in the 300 block of West 103rd Place at 5:13 a.m., police said.

The 57-year-old officer was getting out of his personal vehicle  in the 300 block of West 103rd Place at 5:13 a.m. when he was approached by two males, police said. One of them fired shots at the officer, striking him in the arm and leg, police said. The officer returned fire and shot one of the suspects.

The off-duty officer was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was in serious condition.

A few minutes later, responding Chicago officers found two “males of interest” in the 9900 block of South Princeton, police said. One of them had a recent gunshot wound and was also taken to Christ in serious condition. They were both in police custody but no charges had been filed as of Monday morning.

The most recent nonfatal shooting left a 16-year-old boy injured in the West Side Austin neighborhood Sunday evening.

He was shot in the leg about 6 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Quincy and taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition stabilized, police said. Further details weren’t immediately available.

At least 25 others have been injured in shootings since Friday afternoon.

Additionally, a man suffered a possible graze wound to his head Sunday night when shots were fired at his car while he was driving in Pilsen.

The 21-year-old was driving in the 1600 block of South Loomis about 8:40 p.m. when someone fired shots from another vehicle, police said.

He drove himself to Stroger Hospital, where he was treated for a possible graze wound to the head. Police said the wound is very minor, and investigators are working to determine if he was actually struck by a bullet, or cut by glass fragments during a shooting.

WORKER CRUSHED TO DEATH WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT IN A MACHINE PRESS AT AN FCA US — FORMERLY CHRYSLER — PLANT IN DETROIT

MAY 5, 2015

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

A worker at an FCA US — formerly Chrysler — plant in Detroit was killed in an industrial accident this morning, the company and Detroit Police and Fire officials have confirmed.

Detroit Police said a 53-year-old worker was found at about 7:10 a.m. Tuesday.

The UAW identified the man as Donald Megge of Sterling Heights, a millwright and wastewater operator at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant that makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs.

The accident occurred shortly after the morning shift started. Megge was performing regular preventive maintenance after starting his shift at 5:30 a.m. and was discovered at about 6:30 a.m., Norwood Jewell, vice president of the UAW's Chrysler department, said in a statement.

The company said the man was working in the plant's on-site wastewater treatment facility, performing maintenance on a wastewater filter press.

"Until we complete our investigation, it would be inappropriate to speculate on how this accident occurred," FCA spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in a statement.

Police initially said the man was crushed and a Detroit Fire official said he died as a result of his injuries.

He was "caught in a machine press suspended a little bit above the ground," said Detroit Fire Capt. Gerod Funderburg.

Firefighters responded to the scene, but Megge was already dead when they arrived, Funderburg said.

FCA has counselors at the plant to assist employees as needed, Tinson said.

"FCA US is deeply saddened by the tragic accident that took the life of an 18-year employee at Jefferson North this morning and our heartfelt condolences go out to his family," the company said in a statement. "The safety of our employees is our first priority, and we will continue to work in cooperation with the authorities, including MIOSHA, to investigate the circumstances surrounding this terrible tragedy."

The union also expressed its sadness.

"Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to the family, friends and all those who worked with Mr. Megge," said Jewell.

The incident remains under investigation by state and federal health and safety officials as well as union and company health and safety professionals.

All three Detroit automakers and the UAW emphasize safety protocol for workers and visitors.

WORKER KILLED AFTER BEING BURIED IN 8-FOOT DEEP TRENCH IN FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY

MAY 4, 2015

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ

A worker running a drainage line around the foundation of a home under construction in the Somerset section of Franklin Township died Monday afternoon when he was buried in an eight-foot deep trench, said East Franklin Fire Chief Dan Krushinski said.

The 43-year-old worker from Salisbury, Md. died at the scene. His name is being withheld by authorities pending the notification of the next of kin, Krushinski said.

Workers attempted to rescue the man from the 3½ foot wide by eight foot deep trench, officials said. When they failed, they called 911.

The East Franklin Fire Department responded to a rescue call at 14 Neuville Drive at 3:57 p.m., Krushinski said. Upon arrival, firefighters and rescue personnel discovered the victim buried in dirt, he said.

The rescue started at 4:11 p.m. and the victim was extricated at 5:43 p.m., Krushinski said. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. by medics from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, Krushinski said.

"He was in the ground working outside the foundation of the home and the dirt fell on top of him," Krushinski said. "He was completely covered up in dirt. There were five workers on the scene but we don't know how long he was buried under the dirt before the other workers saw him."

"We had to take our time to build the shoring to extricate him. The rescue team had to build a wall around him to begin the rescue. They wanted to remove him safety."

The victim worked for Adonai Contracting LLC in Plainfield. The company was building a trench to house the home's utilities. A man answered the phone at the business but quickly hung up when a reporter from NJ Advance Media identified himself.

"No comment," he said.

The owner of the home was on the scene but declined to comment.

Firefighters from Community Fire Department and the New Brunswick Fire Department as well as the Somerset Fire Rescue joined the East Franklin Fire Department at the scene.

On Oct. 1, 2014, two landscapers Bednar Landscape Services trapped under 10 feet of soil in a drainage trench outside a home in Boonton also died.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Bednar was responsible for one willful safety violation and nine serious safety violations. The company was facing up to $77,000 in fines.

Source: http://www.nj.com

Employers who cut safety corners: Workers found on unsafe scaffolding at fast food restaurant in Lilburn, Georgia. 5 contractors face penalties of more than $125K for safety violations

May 5, 2015

LILBURN, GEORGIA

Employers who ignore safety in search of profit put their workers at risk. This idea was apparent to safety and health inspectors as they drove by a Bojangles' restaurant under construction in Lilburn in October 2014.

Workers at the site on Lawrenceville Highway were doing stucco and brick work on an unsafe scaffolding system and were at risk of falls, the leading cause of death for construction workers. Hundreds of these workers die each year and thousands more suffer catastrophic, debilitating injuries. 

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration began an inspection as part of the agency's Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction* at the multiemployer work site. 

After the inspection, OSHA found willful, repeated and serious safety violations. It cited contractors Greenway Construction Inc., W.H. Bass Inc., Juan Diaz, MMC Construction LLC and TWS Floor Covering LLC. 

"Our investigation found that several contractors were ignoring basic rules about fall protection and created unsafe working conditions," said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office. "In this case, the project was behind schedule and the employers chose to put profits ahead of the safety of their workers."

General contractor W.H. Bass, of Duluth, was issued three serious citations for exposing workers to fall hazards by not ensuring the scaffolding system was fully planked; allowing employees to climb the frame of the scaffolding instead of using a ladder; and exposing workers below them to falling material and tools. Additionally, Greenway, Juan Diaz and MMC were each cited for one serious violation for exposing workers below them to falling debris. 

Diaz received a serious violation, and Greenway a repeated citation, for not fully planking the scaffold. Diaz was also cited for a willful, and MMC a repeated violation, for permitting workers to climb the scaffold instead of using a ladder.
OSHA cited Greenway Construction, of Doraville, for one additional repeated and two serious violations. The repeated violation was for exposing workers to falls up to 7 feet by not having a ladder at the rear of the scaffold. The serious violations involve not ensuring the scaffold boards extended beyond the centerline for support and allowing employees to stand on a pile of blocks, while on the scaffold, to increase the worker's reach. 

OSHA proposes that Greenway Construction be placed in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program for demonstrating indifference to its OSH Act obligations to provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees.

Juan Diaz, a masonry contractor, was also issued six additional serious and one other-than-serious citation. The serious violations include exposing workers to an unprotected belt and pulley on the mortar mixer and failure to install connecting pins on the scaffolding and to extend the scaffold boards beyond the centerline for support. Additional serious violations include not installing guardrails on the scaffolding and allowing employees to work at heights up to 13 feet without fall protection. The other-than-serious violation involved failure to certify that employees were trained to wear fall protection. 

MMC Construction, of Lawrenceville, was cited for three additional serious violations because it permitted employees to climb a broken and separated frame scaffold; did not install connecting pins on scaffolding; and let workers stand on stacked foam to reach a higher level.

TWS Floor Covering, a tile and terrazzo contractor, was cited for one serious and two other-than-serious violations for not establishing a written respiratory program and electrical hazards.

Proposed penalties for the five companies total $125,030. View current citations at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/juandiaz1004552.pdf* http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/greenway1004561.pdf* http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/whbass1004520.pdf* http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/twsfloorcovering1004541.pdf* http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/mmcconstruction1004572.pdf*

The companies have 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 and Health Review Commission.

OSHA has inspected W.H. Bass, a commercial builder, nine times since July 2010. MMC Construction, a buildings finisher, was inspected eight times since August 2010, and Greenway Construction, a masonry contractor, four times since April 2011. Juan Diaz and TWS Floor Covering, both of Lilburn, have no OSHA inspections in the last five years. 

OSHA has created a fall prevention Web page at http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page offers fact sheets, posters and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report 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.

Responsible Employer: Sabel Steel Service Inc. exposes workers to unsafe levels of lead, fall and electrical shock hazards

May 05, 2015

Employer name: Sabel Steel Service Inc.

Inspection site: 2811 Day Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36103

Date inspection initiated: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated the inspection on Nov. 4, 2014, as part of the agency's Regional Emphasis Program on Lead.

Investigation findings: OSHA issued nine serious citations for failing to complete the initial sampling to determine if employees were exposed to lead hazards; not providing proper clothing for workers exposed to lead levels greater than the permissible exposure limit; not providing a room for employees to change their work and street clothes; failing to train workers exposed to lead levels above the permissible exposure limit; not having a warning sign where lead exposure could be present; and not establishing a medical surveillance program for employees. 

Lead exposure can cause impaired kidney function, high blood pressure and other negative health effects. Other violations include not having standard guardrails where employees were working from a roof that exposed them to a fall up to 14 feet, not having specific procedures for performing maintenance and servicing of equipment and exposing workers to electrical shock hazards. One other violation was cited for not performing a periodic inspection of the locomotive crane in 12 months. 

Quote: "Lead exposure is a serious health concern and employers such as Sabel Steel need to understand that the fumes produced when cutting metal could exceed OSHA's permissible exposure limits. As a result, they need to evaluate health hazards employees are exposed to in the workplace," said Joseph Roesler director of OSHA's area office in Mobile. "OSHA holds employers accountable for correcting conditions that threaten workers' safety and health." 

Proposed Penalties: $51,476

Link for citations: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/OSHA20150795fs.pdf* 

Sabel Steel Service, a scrap metal processing facility, has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report 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 Mobile Area Office at 251-441-6131.

Employees of Pacemaker Steel & Piping Co. Inc, a Utica, New York, steel and pipe manufacturer, face laceration, crushing, exit access and fall hazards. Pacemaker Steel & Piping Co. Inc. faces $45,500 in OSHA penalties

May 5, 2015           

Employer name: Pacemaker Steel & Piping Co. Inc., provider of steel, aluminum and other metals and pipe to the construction trade.

Inspection site: 501 Main St. Utica, New York 13501

Date inspections initiated: The Syracuse Area Office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an inspection on March 3, 2015, under OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting Program, which directs enforcement resources to high-hazard workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur.

Investigation findings: The inspection found several hazardous conditions similar to those cited during OSHA inspections of company facilities in Binghamton and Manchester, New York, in 2010 and 2014. These included laceration and amputation hazards from inadequately guarded saw blades and crushing hazards from damaged and unsecured storage racks that could fail and drop materials on employees and from struck by hazards caused by improperly loaded forklift attachments. 

Newly identified hazards included an exit door blocked by snow and other deficiencies that could prevent employees from exiting the workplace swiftly and safely in the event of a fire or other emergency; falls from a stairway that lacked a required safety railing; and slipping hazards from water on the shop floor. As a result of these conditions, OSHA cited Pacemaker Steel & Piping for three repeat and four serious violations of workplace health and safety standards.

Proposed Penalties: $45,500



Quote: “Left uncorrected, these hazards could cost employees their lives or their well-being. The fact that a number of these hazards are similar to those found during prior inspections shows that Pacemaker Steel must take additional and effective steps to adequately identify, eliminate and prevent future hazards at all its locations,” said Christopher Adams, OSHA’s area director in Syracuse.

Next: Pacemaker Steel & Piping Co. Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet informally with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report 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 Syracuse Area Office at 315- 451-0808.