This blog presents Metropolitan Engineering Consulting & Forensics (MEC&F) claim management and claim investigation analyses of some of the typical claims we handle
1 dies in small plane crash in Montgomery Co. WUSA 9:42 PM. EDT September 27, 2016
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD (WUSA9) - One person has been confirmed dead after a small plane crashed near Davis Airfield in Montgomery County on Tuesday, according to Montgomery County fire officials.
The plane crashed on Laytonsville Road near Hawkins Creamery Road. Officials say the crash is in the vicinity of Davis Airfield.
The small aircraft crashed in a field and caught fire. Officials say it was a single engine plane and one person did not survive.
Witnesses told fire department investigators that the plane crashed during takeoff from Davis Airfield.
No further information has been released at this time.
We will update this story when more information becomes available.
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Montgomery County, north Laytonsville, MD - United States of America Phase: Unknown Nature: Unknown Departure airport:
2 workers seriously injured in West Seattle construction accident
by KOMO Staff
Monday, September 26th 2016
SEATTLE, WA - Two construction workers were severely injured Monday morning when a crane hit a power line in West Seattle.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene, near 42nd Avenue Southwest and Southwest Oregon Street about 10:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a serious construction accident.
Both construction workers were rushed to Harborview Medical Center with severe burn injuries.
Both are in critical condition.
The work site was evacuated and shut down as investigators from the Department of Labor and Industries tried to find out what led to the mishap.
Several witnesses say they heard workers yelling, "whoa, whoa, whoa" before the crane hit the power lines.
Power was out during the day to some businesses as Seattle City Light crews waited for Labor and Industries to complete its investigation.
Some of the power lines are marked with flags to warn crane operators. But there no no flags on this line where the crane hit.
A City Light worker says flags are required and that they are the construction company's responsibility.
The construction company did not respond to requests for comment.
========
UPDATE: 2 workers in critical condition after crane touches wires at West Seattle construction site; power outage nearby
September 26, 2016 10:38 am
(UPDATED 2:48 PM with victims’ condition)
10:38 AM: Big SFD medical response for an incident at the 42nd and Oregon construction site. 2 workers are reported injured, and an electrical problem was involved. Avoid the area.
10:51 AM: Road closure update – SW Oregon is closed east of California.
Police tell us the incident involved some part of a crane reportedly making contact with the power line that runs north-south along the alley.
11:04 AM: SFD’s Lt. Harold Webb tells us one worker was taken to the hospital in critical condition, one in serious. They were on the ground near the crane when it happened. The crane operator is being evaluated to see if medical treatment is needed. (The helicopter overhead is TV.)
11:31 AM: As noted in comments, this has affected power to some others in the area. The Senior Center, just west of the construction site, has lost part of its power, we’re told. Seattle City Light was dispatched to the scene early on.
The project that is under way at the site, just north of one of the West Seattle Junction Association parking lots, is 4505 42nd SW, a seven-story mixed-use building with apartments, “lodging” units, and retail. Work has been under way at the site since June.
SIDE NOTE: Just last year, a similar type of mobile crane caught fire after touching wires during a residential project near 47th and Andover; no one was hurt.
11:57 AM: Just went back to the scene. SW Oregon is still closed between California and 42nd. Work was halted at the construction site immediately after the incident.
The aforementioned parking lot south of the construction site is open. No further word about the workers or their conditions; we’ll be checking with Harborview a bit later.
Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, Photo Editor Several
spill booms can be seen in the Willow Marsh Bayou near East Lane on
Friday. A clean up and and shelter in place was ordered for the area
after a solvent spill into the water at General Electric: Betz Water and Process Technologies, an industrial water processing facility,
Chemical spill in Willow Marsh Bayou damaged natural resources, killed wildlife
By Brandon Scott and Elizabeth Robinson Updated 10:03 am, Monday, September 26, 2016
Texas
environmental investigators might take days to determine the severity
of a chemical spill into the Willow Marsh Bayou west of Beaumont that
damaged natural resources and killed wildlife, according to local and
state officials.
A solvent spill into the bayou by General
Electric: Betz Water and Process Technologies, an industrial water
processing facility, on Thursday night killed creatures that call the
bayou home and prompted Jefferson County emergency management officials
to order a shelter in place for nearly 100 nearby homes Friday morning.
Monica Gonzalez, who lives near the facility, said she was awakened Thursday night by a strong smell of gasoline.
Gonzalez initially thought someone was outside of her trailer stealing fuel.
"You
can still smell it inside of my trailer," Gonzalez said Friday from her
front porch. "We weren't able to get much sleep last night."
The
industrial water processing facility is located off U.S. 90 between an
Exxon Mobil chemical plant and the Beaumont Municipal Airport.
Residents
living within 1,000 feet from East and Shady lanes were required to
shelter in place as sheriff's deputies blocked off intersections Friday
morning.
The combination of chemicals in the air were still being tested Friday afternoon, Deputy Marcus McLellan said.
Five
workers from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality responded
with air monitoring and water sampling, according to a TCEQ spokesman.
GE Betz hired private remediation company OMI Environmental to clean the spill.
McLellan
said in a prepared statement that a dirt dam was built across the bayou
south of Brooks Road to prevent the chemicals from spilling into other
areas.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conducted limited assessments on Friday, spokesman Steve D. Lightfoot said.
The
department employs groups of biologists who investigate fish and
wildlife deaths resulting from pollution and natural events.
Assessments
Friday were limited because of high vapors along the creek, causing the
Parks and Wildlife employees to work carefully at certain access
points, according to Lightfoot.
"We likely will not have a
comprehensive assessment of resource impacts for at least a few days,
maybe longer depending on conditions," Lightfoot said.
GE Betz officials were unavailable Friday for comment. OMI Environmental officials declined to comment.
Fresno County Sheriff's Ag Task Force says someone stole two tractors and then used them to destroy thousands of dollars in crops in Firebaugh. (KFSN)
Updated 39 mins ago FIREBAUGH, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County Sheriff's Ag Task Force says someone stole two tractors and then used them to destroy thousands of dollars in crops in Firebaugh.
According to deputies, around 8:00 a.m. they received a call about a stolen tractor at Brannon and Nees Avenues. The suspect placed the tractor into "creeper mode", which allowed it to move on its own at a slow pace, and then jumped from it letting it plow through six miles of fields. The tractor finally came to a stop in a dry canal near Nees and Jerrold Avenues. According to authorities, the tractor destroyed crops such as tomatoes, cotton, asparagus, peppers and pistachio trees.
The tractor was recovered and returned to its owner undamaged.
Deputies then received a call of another tractor that had been stolen at the corner of Fairfax and Nees Avenues. This tractor was used to run over pistachio trees recently planted on the farm.
The tractor was later found pinned up against a bulldozer. It had suffered about $2,500 worth of damage according to deputies.
Anyone with information on these cases is asked to please contact the Sheriff's Office.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 02:52PM FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) -- John Burrow, a Fort Bragg soldier, who intentionally drowned his 8-month-old puppy in 2015 was ordered by a judge Tuesday to keep a photo of the dog in his wallet for the next two years while on probation.
Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons handed down the unusual sentence after accepting John Burrow's guilty plea to a charge of felony animal cruelty.
Ammons also sentenced Burrow 30 days in jail and 100 hours of community service, which he may serve cleaning out the cages at Cumberland County Animal Control.
Police said Burrow tied up the pup named Riley then threw the animal into MacFadyen Pond. On Jan. 2, 2015, the dog's body washed ashore.
Investigators said Burrow told them the mixed lab-shepherd pup had run from home several times, and he and his wife could not afford the veterinarian bill after the dog was hurt.
Viscofan USA Inc., a global meat-casing manufacturer continues to expose workers to unsafe conditions at Illinois plant; $86,225 in penalties proposed by OSHA
Employer name: Viscofan USA Inc. Danville, Illinois
Investigating reports of unsafe working conditions, the agency’s May 2016 investigation found Viscofan:
Exposed workers to slip, trip and fall hazards as they walked in aisles and on top of equipment due to the accumulation of water. OSHA cited the company for this hazard in both September of 2015 and November of 2014 at the same facility.
Did not mount, locate and identify portable fire extinguishers – leaving them not readily available in an emergency – potentially exposing workers to smoke inhalation, burns and other injuries.
Quote: “Viscofan USA is well aware of OSHA’s safety standards and the need to control, slip, trip and fall hazards that put workers at risk for serious injury,” said Thomas Bielema, OSHA’s area director in Peoria. “The company needs to make permanent changes to its safety program and ensure hazards are identified quickly and prompt correction of unsafe working conditions.”
Proposed Penalties: $86,225
Background: Viscofan USA in based in Lisle. Viscofan is the world’s leading producer and distributor of artificial casings for the meat industry. The company also operates casing manufacturing sites in Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, Serbia and Spain.
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 Peoria Area Office at (309) 589-7033. OSHA News Brief: 09/27/2016
Lead paint on an old window frame. Photo courtesy of US EPA.
House with lead paint undergoing renovation. Photo courtesy of US EPA.
U.S. EPA settles with Anaheim real estate firm for failure to disclose risks from lead-based paint Company to provide community health clinics with blood lead testing equipment 09/27/2016 Contact Information: Nahal Mogharabi (mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov) 213-244-1815 En español: Soledad Calvino (calvino.maria@epa.gov) 415-972-3512
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Carrington, a real estate services firm, for failing to properly disclose the potential presence of lead when selling six residential properties in Kern County.
The company will pay a penalty of nearly $20,000 and spend about $60,000 to purchase equipment to test blood lead levels in children. At least 21 blood lead analyzers will be donated to non-profit community health clinics in Kern, San Bernardino, or Orange counties. The analyzers measure lead in blood samples and give results in as little as three minutes, allowing immediate follow-up by health care providers and parents.
“Lead-based paint is one of the most common causes of lead poisoning in children," said Kathleen Johnson, Director of the Enforcement Division in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Early detection is critical, because the risks of long-lasting health problems increase with the levels of lead.”
Carrington, headquartered in Anaheim, has real estate and mortgage service offices across the country. An EPA inspection found that between 2010 and 2012, Carrington failed to provide, or to document having provided, home buyers in Bakersfield and Ridgecrest with:
• Information about the presence of lead-based paint in the home.
• A 10-day period in which to conduct a lead-based paint inspection or risk assessment.
• A sales contract that included a lead warning statement, a lead disclosure along with reports pertaining to lead-based paint, and confirmation that the seller had complied with all lead notification requirements.
• The EPA-approved brochure, Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home, which provides information on identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards.
These actions violated the federal Toxic Substances Control Act and the Real Estate Notification and Disclosure Rule. The rule requires landlords, property managers, real estate agents and others who sell or rent houses built before 1978, to provide lead hazard information, including the federal brochure, to buyers or tenants. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, but EPA estimates that it is still present in more than 37 million older homes in the United States.
Though harmful at any age, lead exposure is most dangerous to children. Children’s growing bodies absorb more lead, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to its damaging effects. Babies and young children can also be more highly exposed to lead because they often put their hands and other objects that can have lead from dust or soil on them into their mouths. The effects of lead exposure can include behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and diminished IQ.
Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Parents or caregivers who think their child has been in contact with lead should notify their child's health care provider. He or she can help decide whether a blood test is needed and can recommend treatment if necessary.
Settlement with Franklin, N.H. Manufacturer will Help Prevent Hazardous Emissions 09/27/2016 Contact Information: David Deegan (deegan.dave@epa.gov) 617-918-1017
BOSTON - A company that manufactures valves in Franklin, N.H. has taken steps to help prevent emissions of hazardous air pollutants under an agreement signed recently with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the settlement, Watts Regulator Co. will also pay a penalty of $112,200 to settle claims it violated the Clean Air Act.
Watts Regulator operates two foundry process lines at its facility in Franklin. Each line has a separate set of controls for particulate matter. These process lines are subject to two National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). One standard applies to metal fabrication and finishing operations, and the other applies to aluminum, copper, and other nonferrous foundries.
"To ensure better protection of public health and the environment, it is critical for facilities take appropriate steps to demonstrate that they can meet emission limits," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office.
According to EPA's complaint, Watts Regulator had failed to submit timely notifications and reports to EPA for both lines and had failed to conduct a performance test on one of the process lines to ensure it meets EPA's emission requirements. Watts has since submitted the late reports and completed the required testing. The company was cooperative with EPA, and once notified of the violations, it promptly took steps to come into compliance with federal air regulations.
Watts Water Technologies Breaks Ground on NH Facility Expansion
North Andover, MA May 4, 2012 Watts
Water Technologies broke ground on a multimillion dollar, 30,000 square
foot expansion to its Franklin, NH Facility, which produces products
for many of its brands. New Hampshire state and local dignitaries,
including Governor John Lynch and Franklin Mayor Kenneth Merrifield,
joined officials from Watts Water Technologies Inc. on March 26, 2012 to
celebrate the company's expansion in the city, which will bring with it
new jobs and increased capacity to meet federal Lead Free guidelines.
The
expansion reflects the company’s commitment to proactively meet the
requirements of the “The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act”, which
goes into effect in January 2014. It will enable the company to expand
its foundry capabilities, and achieve its goal to provide additional
Lead Free products to the market ahead of the 2014 law.
“We’re
continuing a legacy of industry leadership and safety that has been the
hallmark of this company since its founding in 1874,” said Watts Water
Technologies CEO and President David Coghlan. “Our goal is to help our
customers to make their own Lead Free transitions early and smoothly.
This facility will be pivotal in ensuring that capability.”
The
expansion is anticipated to create additional employment at the plant,
which has grown in recent years by more than one hundred staff due to
additional Watts Water initiatives— including the decision to transfer
manufacturing activities back from China to its Franklin, NH operation.
This will return these currently off-shore jobs and industry back to the
U.S. and New Hampshire, and also protect the hundreds of jobs the
company has already invested in the facility.
New Hampshire Gov.
John Lynch cited the dedication of the workers as a reason why Watts
Water continues to expand in Franklin: "We very much appreciate the
investment Watts continues to make," Lynch said. "Watts could have
chosen to expand anywhere and it's a vote of confidence to all of you
that it's chosen to expand this facility right here in New Hampshire."
"It
makes me proud,” said Franklin Mayor Kenneth Merrifield, “as a New
Hampshire resident and an American, that you have been able to bring
product lines back from China and bring jobs back from China.”
The
company’s primary intent is to expand its foundry manufacturing
capabilities at what has become its largest North American manufacturing
facility located in Franklin, NH. Accordingly, Watts Water Technologies
is initiating the planning and permitting process to ensure the foundry
expansion will meet all local, state and federal guidelines.
Watts
Water Technologies, Inc. with worldwide sales over $1 Billion Dollars,
designs, manufactures, and sells an extensive line of valves and related
flow control products to the Plumbing and Heating and Water Quality
markets.
Landscaping company cited after 23-year-old worker succumbs to fatal heat stroke in 110-degree weather Employee hospitalized with a body core temperature over 108 degrees
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Federal investigators have cited an Indiana landscaping company in the death of a 23-year-old ground crewman who died after being hospitalized with a core body temperature above 108 degrees. U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators determined the employee collapsed after working more than nine hours in the direct sun when the heat index soared to 110 degrees near Poplar Bluff on July 22, 2016. His is one of 16 heat-related deaths reported to the OSHA since January 2016.
On Sept. 20, 2016, OSHA issued his employer Townsend Tree Service Company LLC of Muncie, Indiana, one serious citation following its investigation.
"Heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable when employers help workers acclimate to hot environments, allow frequent water breaks, ample time to rest and provide shade," said Bill McDonald, OSHA's area director in St. Louis. "Working in full sunlight can increase heat index values by 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Employers must keep this in mind and plan additional precautions for working in these conditions."
The agency has found a lack of heat prevention and acclimatization programs by employers commonly lead to heat-related deaths and illness among workers.
"A review of heat-related deaths across industries finds most workers were new to the job and not physically used to the constant heat and sun exposure," said Bonita Winingham, OSHA's Acting Regional Administrator in Kansas City. "While the fall season may lower outdoor temperatures, employers and employees alike must remember that those working indoors in factories, bakeries and other heated environments are at-risk of heat-related illness."
In addition to acclimating workers to heat conditions OSHA also recommends employers:
Train supervisors and other employees in the proper response to employees reporting heat-induced illness symptoms, which includes stopping work, moving to a cool place, and providing help, evaluation and medical assistance.
Require trained supervisors to go into the field and conduct in-person evaluations of employees complaining of heat-induced symptoms.
Establish work rules and practices that encourage employees to seek assistance and evaluation when experiencing heat stress symptoms.
Commonly, people believe mistakenly that if they are sweating, they are not in danger of heat stroke. In fact, sweating is no indication that heat stroke is possible. One frequent symptom of heat stroke is mental changes, such as confusion or irritability. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. If there is any suggestion of heat stroke, call 911 and institute the other safety measures as quickly as possible. To learn more about heat-stress symptoms see OSHA's Heat Stress Quick Card http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf
OSHA's Heat Safety Tool App is available to employers, employees and the public for free download on iPhones and Android phones.
OSHA has proposed penalties of $12,471. View current citations here.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties 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 St. Louis Area Office at 314-425-4249.
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.
# # #
Townsend Tree Service
Townsend Tree Service is an operating unit of The
Townsend Corporation providing tree-trimming, clearance and integrated
vegetation management services for power and communication lines,
pipelines and roadways.
Clients include:
Major investor-owned utilities, municipal systems and electric cooperatives
Pipeline companies
State Departments of Transportation.
Services provided:
Utility, pipeline and transportation line clearing, maintenance and growth control
Drainage and right-of-way clearing, maintenance, and growth control
Storm and disaster emergency response
Chemical and herbicide applications
The company possesses extensive equipment capabilities and resources,
with one of the largest fleets of All Terrain Aerial Buckets (ATAB),
Right-of-Way (ROW) brush mowers, spray application equipment and other
specialty equipment.
With the use of modern IVM techniques and advanced herbicides that
target invasive species, Townsend provides the best in habitat
management. With our research partners, Townsend helps redefine right of
way stewardship, producing benefits like improved motorist safety,
better service crew access, lower maintenance costs, improved drainage
and enhanced aesthetics.
Tree Trimming Townsend Tree Service is one of the largest companies in the country specializing in tree-trimming services. With over 4000 equipment assets, the company is focused on performing right-of-way tree-trimming and line clearing services in more than 30 states.
Clients include investor-owned electric utilities, rural electric cooperatives, municipal systems, pipeline companies and other companies with similar clearance issues.
Crews from Townsend Tree Service are also well-trained and experienced in storm restoration activities requiring fast response to natural disasters such as hurricanes, ice storms and major wind storms. ============
Mom speaks out after son overheats, dies while working outside
Written by Amber Ruch, Digital Content Executive Producer
Tyler Halsey died on Saturday after overheating while working
outside in Poplar Bluff. (Photo courtesy: Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home)
POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) -
A 23-year-old landscaper died after overheating on Friday, July 22. According
to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Tyler Halsey was
working on the ground, flagging traffic, chipping limbs and stacking
brush during tree trimming work near Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He became overheated at around 4:30 p.m. when the heat index reached about 110 degrees. According
to OSHA, Tyler had been in the heat since his shift started at around 7
a.m. He was hospitalized with a core temperature of more than 108
degrees and died on Saturday, July 23. OSHA stated the employee died on his fourth day working for Townsend Tree Service of Muncie, Indiana. Tammy Kennedy said her son was ecstatic about his new job as a tree trimmer. “He just walked tall. He was walking taller," Kennedy said. She said Tyler was looking for a job for quite some time. According to Kennedy, Halsey battled with mental illness, and this job gave him a sense of being one of the guys. “When
he found out he got the job he was like – let’s go get this..I need a
lunchbox, and I need everything. He was so excited to be out there,"
said Kennedy. His friend got him the job at Townsend Tree Service. They say the Dexter, Mo. resident was part of a three-man crew that was trimming trees along overhead power lines. “He was drinking. He had his jug. I know he was tired because he wasn’t used to all the work," Kennedy said. "A
review of heat-related deaths revealed the majority of workers had just
started the job, and frequently it was their first day on the job and
the workers were not acclimated to the constant exposure to the heat and
sun," said Bonita Winingham, OSHA's acting regional administrator in
Kansas City, Mo. Kennedy agreed. “People can’t go 90 to nothing for 10 hours when they haven’t really ever had to do that before," Kennedy said. She hopes her son’s death can help others remember to take care of themselves in the field. “If you feel like you are not acting right or feeling right – stop," Kennedy said. Kennedy said she remembers the last day he went to work.
“I
just remember him standing in the doorway to my room with his vest on,
and his stuff all ready to go, and he was happy. He was happy," Kennedy
said.
A funeral for Halsey will be at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral
Chapel in Dexter on Wednesday, July 27 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The funeral
service will be conducted on Wednesday at 6 p.m. with Eric Krapf
officiating. You can click here for more information. With
temperatures expected to continue well into the 90s and the 100s for
the next several days throughout much of the nation, OSHA is reminding
employers to protect workers that may be exposed to extreme heat while
working outdoors or in hot indoor environments. OSHA released the following tips to prevent heat-related illness and deaths:
Drink water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty
Rest in the shade to cool down
Wear a hat and light-colored clothing
Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency
Keep an eye on fellow workers
"Easy does it" on your first days of work in the heat. You need to get used to it
According
to OSHA, the risk of heat stress increases for workers 65 years of age
or older, are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure or
take medications. Those employed in hot indoor environments such
as firefighters, bakers, factory and boiler room workers are also at
risk when temperatures rise.
OSHA: Methuen cave-in “could have been prevented” ET&L Construction Corp. faces $119K in fines for willful, serious safety violations
Employer name: E.T. & L. Construction Corp., a Stow, Massachusetts, heavy construction contractor.
Inspection site: Lowell St., between North Lowell and Bolduc streets, Methuen, Mass.
What prompted OSHA’s inspection: On June 15, 2016, two E.T. & L. Construction Corp. employees were working in a 12-foot deep trench when a concrete duct encasing utility wiring that was suspended above the trench collapsed into the trench, causing a cave-in.
Specifically, E.T. & L. Construction failed to adequately protect the trench against collapse and did not provide proper support for the duct bank to prevent it from falling into the trench. In addition, the steel alloy chain used to support the duct bank was not properly labeled to show if it could carry the load and the trench’s protective system was not designed and used according to manufacturer’s specifications.
As a result of these conditions, OSHA cited E.T. & L. Construction for one willful and three serious violations.
Proposed penalties: $119,597
QUOTE: “This cave-in could have been prevented if the employer had properly protected the trench against collapse and provided effective support for the duct bank. While it’s fortunate that no one was killed or severely injured in this case, this incident should never have happened. Employers must not allow their employees to enter a trench unless it has been properly safeguarded against collapse. The workers’ lives and well-being depend on this,” said Anthony Covello, OSHA’s area director for Middlesex and Essex counties.
E.T. & L. Construction Corp. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet 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 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 OSHA’s Andover Area Office at 978-837-4460. OSHA News Brief: 09/27/2016
Tyson recalling chicken nuggets due to plastic contamination
Updated 1 hr 24 mins ago
Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling approximately 132,520 pounds of fully cooked chicken nugget products that may be contaminated with hard plastic.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service made the announcement Tuesday.
The Panko Chicken Nugget items were produced on July 18, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:
- 5-pound bag of Tyson Fully Cooked Panko Chicken Nuggets with a "best if used by" date of July 18, 2017 and case code 2006SDL03 and 2006SDL33.
- 20-pound bulk packages of Spare Time Fully Cooked, Panko Chicken Nuggets, Nugget Shaped Chicken Breast Pattie Fritters with Rib Meat with a production date of July 18, 2016 and case code 2006SDL03.
According to the USDA, the 20-pound bags were shipped for institutional use in Pennsylvania and the 5-pound bags were shipped to national retail locations.
According to Tyson, the plastic material ranged in size from 21 mm in length and 6.5 mm in diameter and may have come from a round, hard plastic rod used to connect a plastic transfer belt.
Officials said there have been no confirmed reports of reactions due to consumption of the products.
Officials said anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. Anyone who has purchased the products are urged not to eat them. The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Anyone with questions about the recall should contact Tyson Foods' Consumer Relations at (866) 328-3156.
NJ man pleads guilty in dog death after truck falls through ice
Pickup truck falls through ice in Toms River
Updated 1 hr 21 mins ago TOMS RIVER, N.J. -- A New Jersey man whose dog was inside a pickup truck that plunged through the ice on a frozen river has admitted his responsibility for the dog's death.
Ocean County prosecutors say Andrew Mayer pleaded guilty Monday to animal cruelty. They will recommend the 29-year-old Toms River man receive a 364-day county jail term when he's sentenced Dec. 9 and be barred from owning a pet.
Mayer also will have to pay restitution.
Mayer's 2-year-old boxer mix, Rolo, was found dead after the truck sank in March 2015. A witness told police that the truck was driven to the center of the river and began spinning in circles.
Another man got out of the truck before it went onto the ice. Neither he nor Mayer were injured.
==========
Man tried to save dog after truck sank in Toms River, relative says
By MaryAnn Spoto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 03, 2015 at 10:59 AM, updated March 03, 2015 at 4:08 PM
Rolo, the 2-year-old boxer-lab mix who died when his owner's car sank in the icy waters of the Toms River (Photo courtesy of Helecia Morris)
PINE BEACH — The man whose pickup truck sank in the Toms River after he drove out onto the ice tried to save his dog as the vehicle was slipping into the frigid water, his relatives said.
But the frightened animal wouldn't leave the vehicle as the water rushed in, the relative said. The dog's owner, Andrew Mayer, struggled to save the 2-year-old boxer-lab named Rolo until he was submerged up to his neck in the freezing water, said Mayer's cousin, Donna Jung.
Mayer's friends had to pull him from the water after his 1989 blue and gray Mazda B2200 pickup broke through the ice shortly after midnight on Sunday, Jung said.
"Andy jumped on the roof of the truck to get back in as the truck was going under the ice," Jung said. "His friends pulled him out a second time."
"He did almost die," Morris said of Mayer. "He did almost kill himself trying to save his dog." Jung and her fiancée Helecia Morris said Mayer risked his life to save his dog.
Rolo was not with Mayer and his friend Daniel Jolly as they did donuts in the truck on the iced-over river off the shore of Pine Beach, Jung and Morris said.
They said that after driving on the ice, Mayer and Jolly walked to shore to play with Rolo, who was with another friend and another dog. In the meantime, Mayer left his empty truck, still on the ice, running, Jung and Morris said.
After a while, they heard police sirens and decided to get the truck off the ice, Jung said. She said that's when Rolo followed Mayer from shore and into the truck. A photo from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter of the truck that sank in the Toms River. (U.S. Coast Guard)
Almost immediately after getting into the truck, Mayer heard two loud bangs, which he now thinks was the ice, melting from the heat of his vehicle, cracking under the weight of the truck, Jung said.
When the truck fell into the water, Mayer tried to grab his frightened pet.
"Rolo was so scared he was pulling back from him," Morris said.
Jung said her cousin was submerged up to his neck in the freezing water.
Morris said Mayer is "infuriated" with himself for what he admits was his "stupid" actions.
"He's completely devastated. His truck, his dog - everything is in this bay," Morris said.
She said Mayer's priority now is trying to arrange to get Rolo out of the river. On Tuesday morning, a tow truck operator went to Pine Beach to try to retrieve the vehicle, but couldn't. Jung said Mayer was advised the recovery process requires using air bags to float the truck to the surface.
"We just want him out," Morris said.
Rolo was one of a litter of 11 puppies born to Jung's dog just weeks before Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Morris said Mayer is also upset by the reaction of the public on social media labeling him as an uncaring and selfish owner. She and Jung said that is far from the man they know who took his dog everywhere except to his job as a roofer and made sure the animal's medical needs were met quickly
Mayer left the scene only after he knew he couldn't save his dog. She said his friends left him when they heard police sirens, Morris said. He couldn't call anyone because his cell phone was under water, she said. Once he got warm and dry, he surrendered to police, she said.
"He did everything by this dog," Morris said. "His dog was his child. He was his kid. Everywhere Andy went, he was right there next to him."
Police, who on Monday released the identities of the people in the vehicle, are still determining whether to charge Mayer, 27, and Jolly, 25, both of Toms River. Early Sunday morning, New Jersey State Police and U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue teams were launched after a witness reported that a vehicle was on the frozen river at the end of Gladney Avenue, authorities said.
California wildfires scorch parched hillsides and destroy one home in sweltering heat
The Loma Fire in Santa Clara County has burned 1,000 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Len Ramirez reports. Veronica Rocha
A fast-moving wildfire burning in the Santa Cruz Mountains has scorched at least 1,000 acres, destroyed a home and triggered evacuations, as firefighters continued to battle multiple blazes across the state Tuesday.
Flames from the Loma fire are threatening at least 300 structures near Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads, 10 miles northwest of Morgan Hill, in the mountains north of Santa Cruz, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Mandatory evacuations were issued to residents living in the Loma area.
Triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions are driving the explosive blaze, which started about 3 p.m. Monday, according to Cal Fire Capt. Brian Oliver. The fire is 5% contained.
“The biggest challenge with these types of fires is the geography,” he said.
Flames are burning in canyons and hillsides where hundreds of people live – some with large animals on rural properties, Oliver said.
More than 400 firefighters worked overnight to tackle the flames, but Oliver said he expects that number to increase over the next 24 hours.
The area hasn’t seen a major blaze in about 15 years, he said. Most recent fires have been confined to a few hundred acres.
As flames and smoke inched closer to homes, the National Weather Service in San Francisco announced Monday that the fire forced them to power down a radar station and radio transmitters at Mt. Umunhum.
The Loma fire is one of several wildfires in Northern and Southern California that have threatened homes and triggered evacuations amid record-breaking heat. The volatile fire conditions are due largely to years of drought and the presence of extremely dry vegetation, according to fire authorities.
In the Bay Area, eight record temperature highs were set Monday: Salinas reached 104, making it the second warmest September high since 1958, the weather service said.
The only good news for firefighters battling the Loma blaze is that winds will be tamed Tuesday, forecasters said. Although temperatures will cool down slightly, the Bay Area will remain warm.
“At this elevation, the fire will see little or no relief from any marine air today, especially with it all burning on the Santa Clara county side of the Santa Cruz [mountains],” the weather service said.
In Sonoma County, more than a 1,000 firefighters have gained the upper hand on the Sawmill fire, which started Sunday off Big Geysers and Geysers Resort roads.
Burning 10 miles east of Cloverdale, the blaze is 1,500 acres and 55% contained.
“Firefighters made good progress overnight increasing the containment line and are working on pockets of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter,” a Cal Fire press release said. “Firefighters will continue to work on constructing and improving the fire line.”
In the Los Padres National Forest, the Soberanes fire continues to burn.
The blaze began July 22 by an illegal, unattended campfire and quickly spread into the Garrapata State Park, areas near Big Sur and communities south of Carmel Valley.
At least 2,048 firefighters are tackling the 128,380 acre fire. The fire is 81% contained.
Farther south in Los Angeles County, two brush fires broke out Monday night as gusty Santa Ana winds blew through the mountains and valleys and warm temperatures soared past 100 degrees.
In La Cañada Flintridge, roughly five-acres of brush behind a YMCA were reported burning around 9 p.m. The blaze was quickly extinguished, officials said.
A second, 21-acre blaze erupted at 11:24 p.m. in Lake View Terrace near the 210 Freeway. More than 100 firefighters doused flames burning close to structures 10500 block of Woldrich Street. No homes were destroyed, but fire crews remained in the area Tuesday to ensure the blaze was contained. Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-wildfires-southern-northern-california-20160927-snap-story.html
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