Two workers died Tuesday after getting trapped inside a 20-foot deep culvert at the John C. Holland landfill in Suffolk, VA

2 workers dead after becoming trapped inside concrete pipe at Suffolk landfill

By Scott Daugherty
The Virginian-Pilot

SUFFOLK

Two workers died Tuesday after getting trapped inside a vertical concrete pipe at the John C. Holland landfill, according to a city spokeswoman.

The landfill employees were identified as Eric O’Brien Williams, 35, of Portsmouth and Stephen Louis Wilk, 60, of Moyock, N.C.

What exactly happened at the privately owned landfill remains unclear. City spokeswoman Diana Klink said she did not know, but the Suffolk Police Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.

The cause of death wasn’t known, she added.

A man in a truck outside the landfill’s office who identified himself as “the person in charge right now” declined to comment.






Suffolk Police at the entrance to the John C. Holland Landfill in Suffolk Tuesday afternoon, Oct.18, 2016, where two workers died when they were trapped in a concrete pipe. Bill Tiernan | The Virginian-Pilot

Dispatchers received a call about the incident at 4801 Nansemond Pkwy. shortly after 11 a.m.

According to Klink, the men were trapped inside a vertical concrete pipe, or culvert, that was 20 feet deep and 3 feet wide.

Technical rescue crews from Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake responded to the 70-acre landfill, which was cited for another worker’s death in 2000.


Klink said rescue workers needed four-wheel-drive vehicles to reach the scene.

Family members of at least one of the victims gathered Tuesday afternoon at a church about a half-mile away. They met with police and paramedics. Several were crying.

A Suffolk detective said the family didn’t want to talk to reporters.




Two workers died at the John C. Holland landfill in Suffolk on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. City of Suffolk photo

According to OSHA, another employee of the landfill died March 10, 2000, while he and a co-worker installed wooden support blocks under a bulldozer. The workers lifted a wooden support beam to place it on top of two other beams.

The 18-year-old employee who died was straddling the beam and shoving it into place when he lost his balance and fell forward. He became wedged between the beam and the belly of the bulldozer and suffered crushing injuries to his chest. He died before medics could arrive 10 minutes later.

Police at the time described the death of Brian G. Dedmond as an accident.

According to online records, OSHA issued the landfill a violation related to medical services and/or first aid in July 2000. The case was closed – and marked “abated” – the following month. No fines were listed.

In late 2011, the president of the landfill entered into a consent order with the state regarding several environmental problems. In all, he agreed to pay $15,000 to the state and $35,000 to the city.

Omega Demolition Corp. has been fined $152,000 in the death of worker who was killed by a falling 45-ton beam at a construction site on the Jane Addams Tollway in April.

Elgin co. fined, cited in fatal construction accident on I-90 bridge






A construction worker was killed and three other workers injured when a beam fell on a crew of workers in Des Plaines on April 5, 2016. (WGN-TV / Chicago Tribune)
Lee V. Gaines Chicago Tribune


An Elgin-based company has been fined $152,000 in the death of worker who was killed by a falling 45-ton beam at a construction site on the Jane Addams Tollway in April.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Omega Demolition Corp. earlier this month for "over-stressing" the beam during demolition of an Interstate 90 bridge near Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines, according to a statement from the agency. Vicente Santoyo, a 47-year-old Omega Demolition employee from Berwyn, was standing in an aerial lift cutting steel bracing between two beams supporting the highway when one of the beams collapsed on him, according to the statement from OSHA.

OSHA fined the company $152,433 and issued citations for safety and health violations. A spokesperson for the agency, Scott Allen, said OSHA representatives are due to meet with Omega Demolition executives next week to discuss the agency's determination. At that time, he said, Omega representatives will either indicate they intend to abide by the findings and pay the penalties or contest the citations before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.





The scene of a fatal construction accident that occurred underneath the I-90 expressway at Touhy Road in Des Plaines early morning on April 5, 2016. A construction worker was killed and three others injured when a 45-ton beam fell on the crew of workers. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Ken Nishiyama Atha, OSHA's regional administrator in Chicago, called the incident "preventable" in the statement. "Federal safety standards for demolition address specific procedures for preventing steel structures from being overstressed, a safety violation that directly contributed to the death of this worker," he said.

Omega Demolition representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Illinois Tollway issued a statement that it will "take whatever actions are appropriate" after reviewing OSHA's full report on the incident.

The Tollway removed Omega Demolition, a subcontractor for bridge project, from all Tollway projects and forbade them from doing any other work for the agency after the April incident, the statement reads. The manager for the general contractor for the project, Judlau Contracting, and an engineer supervisor were also removed from all Tollway projects, and the agency said alternative contractors were hired to finish the bridge demolition and construction work.

"The Tollway offers its deepest sympathies for the families and loved ones of the worker killed in this tragic incident, as well to his co-workers who were injured," the statement reads.

 
Omega Demolition has been cited nine times by OSHA since 2006 mainly in connection with lead hazards, and the company has paid violations and penalties to the agency totaling $6,465.

OSHA has placed Omega Demolition in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which allows the agency to inspect the company's facilities and construction sites if they believe violations are present, according to the statement. The program "focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations," the statement reads.

Shortly after Santoyo's death, Adolfo Zamora, secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 225 union, described Santoyo as "a great guy, a hard worker."

An official with the union said Santoyo had spent more than two decades working in construction in the Chicago area.

=====================
OSHA says fatal I-90 construction accident was 'preventable'






A construction worker was killed and three other workers injured when a beam fell on a crew of workers in Des Plaines on April 5, 2016. (WGN-TV / Chicago Tribune)
Megan Crepeau, Tony Briscoe and Lee V. Gaines Chicago Tribune



A worker from Berwyn was killed and three others were injured early Tuesday when a 45-ton beam fell at a construction site in Des Plaines, officials said.

The crew members were in lifts on Touhy Avenue working to remove the beam under the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (Interstate 90) about 3 a.m. when the beam collapsed, officials said.

One of the workers, later identified as Vicente Santoyo, 47, was taken in critical condition to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and later pronounced dead. Three others were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, according to Des Plaines fire Chief Alan Wax. Touhy Avenue was expected to remain closed through Wednesday, officials said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in a news release Tuesday said the incident was "preventable."

"At OSHA, we're confident every incident such as this is preventable if all OSHA standards and regulations are followed," agency spokesman Scott Allen said.

OSHA, according to the release, has opened an investigation with Omega Demolition Corp. of Elgin, which employed the worker who was killed, and Judlau Contracting Inc. of New York, the general contractor on the site. Officials from Omega and Judlau were not immediately available for comment.

"OSHA is currently on scene and will conduct a thorough investigation into this tragic and preventable incident," Larry Joswiak, OSHA's acting area director in Des Plaines, said Tuesday morning.






A 45-ton beam fell, killing one construction worker and injuring three, on the I-90 expressway at Touhy Road in Des Plaines where it was being removed about 3 a.m. on April 5, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Since 2006, OSHA has issued nine citations to Omega Demolition mainly focused on lead hazards nationwide. The company has paid a total of $6,465 in penalties for the violations.

An official with Laborers Local 225 said Santoyo, the dead worker, had worked in construction in the Chicago area for more than 20 years.

"He was a great guy, a hard worker," said Adolfo Zamora, secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 225. "He always came in at least a half-hour early to his shift. He gave you a hard day's work for a day's worth of pay."

The cause of the accident was not immediately known, Wax said. He said the beam is 180 feet long and weighs 45 tons.

"An OSHA complaint officer is conducting interviews, talking to witnesses, talking to the employer to determine what might have caused the accident," said Allen, the agency spokesman.

Allen said reports indicated Omega Demolition "was removing a large support beam when part of it collapsed on workers." He said initial reports said "a strap or chain supporting the beam may have failed." OSHA investigators will be looking specifically into whether there were "enough support straps to support such a large beam."

Allen said that typically a work site where a fatality occurs is suspended until OSHA completes its preliminary investigation.

Touhy Avenue, a main artery, was expected to remain closed in the area through Wednesday, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Motorists traveling on Touhy will be asked to follow posted detours around the area. Des Plaines police Chief Bill Kushner said eight electronic message boards in the area were advising motorists what alternate routes to take.

Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane on I-90 were expected to remain closed near Touhy Avenue at least through Tuesday evening rush hour, according to Illinois Tollway spokesman Dan Rozek.

Kushner said Tuesday afternoon that OSHA completed its initial investigation and it was up to a demolition company to determine how to remove the fallen beam from the roadway. He described the beam as "bent and twisted."

"They're still trying to figure out how to cut it, where to cut it and how to lift it out of there," he said.

Once the beam is removed, Kushner said, IDOT will determine whether the roadway is safe. Kushner estimated midafternoon that the process would take another 12 to 16 hours to complete.

The beam that fell had supported the old westbound lanes of I-90, which were being rebuilt as part of the massive reconstruction project to widen the roadway between Elgin and Chicago from six to eight lanes by this year.

When asked if the incident could affect the project's work timeline, an Illinois Tollway spokesman declined to comment.

"We will immediately begin our work with local authorities and OSHA to learn the causes of this accident," Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov said in a statement. "The safety of our employees, the contractors working on our roadways, as well as the motoring public are always of the highest importance at our agency."

Temporary westbound lanes on I-90 had been in the eastbound part of the road, which has been rebuilt.

There were four beams beneath the old westbound lanes over Touhy. Two had been removed. Kushner said there was concern the beam that fell Tuesday might have compromised the fourth remaining beam, and there is concern that Touhy might have to stay closed even longer until officials can determine the condition of the fourth beam.

The accident forced longer delays than normal on the roadway, which is often delayed because of construction.

Mercedes Gasca, who lives in the 2300 block of Westview Drive, near the accident site, said she heard something early Tuesday morning but didn't think much of it because "there's always noise" coming from the construction site. Nightly disturbances, she said, have become a routine over the past eight months.

Gasca said she's praying for Santoyo's family and described the accident as "very, very sad."

Socorro Huerta said it took her an extra 20 minutes Tuesday morning to get to her parents' home in the 2300 block of Webster Lane, about a block away from the scene of the accident. She said her parents told her they didn't hear anything in the middle of the night.

"Before he went to sleep, (my father) said he went out for a cigarette and just saw sparks of fire" coming from the area, she said.

Since construction on the Jane Addams began last year, traffic in the area has been a "pain," Huerta said, but especially so Tuesday with the addition of the road closure.

Rob Stevens, who manages Barnaby's Family Inn near the corner of Wolf Road and Touhy, said he expects the traffic closure to keep customers away from the restaurant. The only people inside the pizza and burger spot shortly after it opened Tuesday morning were construction crews and restaurant employees.

Stevens said OSHA representatives asked if the construction workers could stay in the restaurant while the agency interviewed them about the accident and he obliged.

He said the monthslong construction project has taken a toll on his business but that he expected Tuesday to be especially slow.

When asked if business had slowed because of the road closure, an employee at a Speedway convenience store and gas station east of the tollway who declined to be named said, "What do you think?"

A few men in construction gear milled around the convenience store while a taxi filled up outside at a pump.

A construction worker was killed and three other workers injured when a beam fell on a crew of workers in Des Plaines

OSHA says fatal I-90 construction accident was 'preventable'






A construction worker was killed and three other workers injured when a beam fell on a crew of workers in Des Plaines on April 5, 2016. (WGN-TV / Chicago Tribune)
Megan Crepeau, Tony Briscoe and Lee V. Gaines Chicago Tribune



A worker from Berwyn was killed and three others were injured early Tuesday when a 45-ton beam fell at a construction site in Des Plaines, officials said.

The crew members were in lifts on Touhy Avenue working to remove the beam under the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (Interstate 90) about 3 a.m. when the beam collapsed, officials said.

One of the workers, later identified as Vicente Santoyo, 47, was taken in critical condition to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and later pronounced dead. Three others were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, according to Des Plaines fire Chief Alan Wax. Touhy Avenue was expected to remain closed through Wednesday, officials said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in a news release Tuesday said the incident was "preventable."

"At OSHA, we're confident every incident such as this is preventable if all OSHA standards and regulations are followed," agency spokesman Scott Allen said.

OSHA, according to the release, has opened an investigation with Omega Demolition Corp. of Elgin, which employed the worker who was killed, and Judlau Contracting Inc. of New York, the general contractor on the site. Officials from Omega and Judlau were not immediately available for comment.

"OSHA is currently on scene and will conduct a thorough investigation into this tragic and preventable incident," Larry Joswiak, OSHA's acting area director in Des Plaines, said Tuesday morning.






A 45-ton beam fell, killing one construction worker and injuring three, on the I-90 expressway at Touhy Road in Des Plaines where it was being removed about 3 a.m. on April 5, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Since 2006, OSHA has issued nine citations to Omega Demolition mainly focused on lead hazards nationwide. The company has paid a total of $6,465 in penalties for the violations.

An official with Laborers Local 225 said Santoyo, the dead worker, had worked in construction in the Chicago area for more than 20 years.

"He was a great guy, a hard worker," said Adolfo Zamora, secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 225. "He always came in at least a half-hour early to his shift. He gave you a hard day's work for a day's worth of pay."

The cause of the accident was not immediately known, Wax said. He said the beam is 180 feet long and weighs 45 tons.

"An OSHA complaint officer is conducting interviews, talking to witnesses, talking to the employer to determine what might have caused the accident," said Allen, the agency spokesman.

Allen said reports indicated Omega Demolition "was removing a large support beam when part of it collapsed on workers." He said initial reports said "a strap or chain supporting the beam may have failed." OSHA investigators will be looking specifically into whether there were "enough support straps to support such a large beam."

Allen said that typically a work site where a fatality occurs is suspended until OSHA completes its preliminary investigation.

Touhy Avenue, a main artery, was expected to remain closed in the area through Wednesday, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Motorists traveling on Touhy will be asked to follow posted detours around the area. Des Plaines police Chief Bill Kushner said eight electronic message boards in the area were advising motorists what alternate routes to take.

Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane on I-90 were expected to remain closed near Touhy Avenue at least through Tuesday evening rush hour, according to Illinois Tollway spokesman Dan Rozek.

Kushner said Tuesday afternoon that OSHA completed its initial investigation and it was up to a demolition company to determine how to remove the fallen beam from the roadway. He described the beam as "bent and twisted."

"They're still trying to figure out how to cut it, where to cut it and how to lift it out of there," he said.

Once the beam is removed, Kushner said, IDOT will determine whether the roadway is safe. Kushner estimated midafternoon that the process would take another 12 to 16 hours to complete.

The beam that fell had supported the old westbound lanes of I-90, which were being rebuilt as part of the massive reconstruction project to widen the roadway between Elgin and Chicago from six to eight lanes by this year.

When asked if the incident could affect the project's work timeline, an Illinois Tollway spokesman declined to comment.

"We will immediately begin our work with local authorities and OSHA to learn the causes of this accident," Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov said in a statement. "The safety of our employees, the contractors working on our roadways, as well as the motoring public are always of the highest importance at our agency."

Temporary westbound lanes on I-90 had been in the eastbound part of the road, which has been rebuilt.

There were four beams beneath the old westbound lanes over Touhy. Two had been removed. Kushner said there was concern the beam that fell Tuesday might have compromised the fourth remaining beam, and there is concern that Touhy might have to stay closed even longer until officials can determine the condition of the fourth beam.

The accident forced longer delays than normal on the roadway, which is often delayed because of construction.

Mercedes Gasca, who lives in the 2300 block of Westview Drive, near the accident site, said she heard something early Tuesday morning but didn't think much of it because "there's always noise" coming from the construction site. Nightly disturbances, she said, have become a routine over the past eight months.

Gasca said she's praying for Santoyo's family and described the accident as "very, very sad."

Socorro Huerta said it took her an extra 20 minutes Tuesday morning to get to her parents' home in the 2300 block of Webster Lane, about a block away from the scene of the accident. She said her parents told her they didn't hear anything in the middle of the night.

"Before he went to sleep, (my father) said he went out for a cigarette and just saw sparks of fire" coming from the area, she said.

Since construction on the Jane Addams began last year, traffic in the area has been a "pain," Huerta said, but especially so Tuesday with the addition of the road closure.

Rob Stevens, who manages Barnaby's Family Inn near the corner of Wolf Road and Touhy, said he expects the traffic closure to keep customers away from the restaurant. The only people inside the pizza and burger spot shortly after it opened Tuesday morning were construction crews and restaurant employees.

Stevens said OSHA representatives asked if the construction workers could stay in the restaurant while the agency interviewed them about the accident and he obliged.

He said the monthslong construction project has taken a toll on his business but that he expected Tuesday to be especially slow.

When asked if business had slowed because of the road closure, an employee at a Speedway convenience store and gas station east of the tollway who declined to be named said, "What do you think?"

A few men in construction gear milled around the convenience store while a taxi filled up outside at a pump.

28-year-old employee of Booker Foundation and Flatwork LLC was killed when he was struck by an outrigger of a concrete pump truck.

Worker killed in construction accident identified
OSHA investigating company's safety standards


By: Joe McLean


Updated: Oct 18, 2016 06:13 PM CDT


COLE COUNTY, Mo. - The Cole County Sheriff's Department identified Korey Licklider as the construction worker who was killed Monday morning.

Investigators said the 28-year-old employee of Booker Foundation and Flatwork LLC was killed by an equipment accident at the 7723 Heritage Hwy site where a new Dollar General store is being built.

According to the OSHA report, Licklider was struck by an outrigger of a concrete pump truck.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the employee who lost his life yesterday,” said Karena Lorek, OSHA’s acting area director in Kansas City. “We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine if any violations of OSHA safety standards contributed to the incident.”

OSHA and the Cole County Sheriff's Office are still investigating the death.

Follow this link to read more about OSHA's investigative process.

OSHA proposes penalties of $256K after A-Brite Plating allows workers to continue to climb atop acid tanks despite employee's third-degree burns after fall

Cleveland, Ohio — Federal safety inspectors are recommending that a Cleveland etching company face $256,000 in penalties for safety and health violations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration posted an imminent danger notice at A-Brite Plating in April after learning a 40-year-old machine operator without protective gear received third-degree chemical burns to his foot after falling into an acid-etching tank heated to 170 degrees.

Inspectors allege workers were found climbing on top of the same tank during a subsequent inspection Sept. 9, leading to citations of one willful and eight serious safety and health violations. 

A-Brite parent company, Ontario, Canada-based Plasman Group, says it disagrees with OSHA's characterization of events. A spokeswoman says the company makes safety a priority and has been in the process of conducting its own investigation.


September 12, 2016

A-Brite Plating allows workers to continue to climb atop acid tanks
despite employee's third-degree burns after fall

Company fails to report injury; OSHA proposes penalties of $256K

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Just weeks after a machine operator suffered third-degree chemical burns to his left foot after falling into an acid-etching tank heated to more than 170 degrees, federal inspectors posted an imminent danger notice at A-Brite Plating when they found workers climbing atop the same acid tanks at the Cleveland auto parts plating facility.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors posted the danger notice April 1, 2016, when they arrived to initiate an inspection after learning of the worker's March 14, 2016, injury. A-Brite Plating failed to report the injury, as required.

As a result of its inspection, OSHA cited the company for one willful and eight serious safety and health violations on Sept. 9, 2016. A-Brite faces proposed penalties of $256,545.

Investigators found the 40-year-old machine operator was clearing a jam from a conveyor arm above the tank when he fell. They found he had no protection to prevent a fall, nor adequate personal protective equipment to protect him from chemical burns. His injuries have required extensive skin grafts to his left foot.

"Allowing workers to continue climbing on top of acid tanks after knowing an employee suffered a third-degree chemical burn when he fell into a tank is unconscionable," said Howard Eberts, area director of OSHA's Cleveland office. 

"During our investigation OSHA found the company was well aware of the dangers of falling into the tank because at least seven employees had fallen while clearing machine jams in the past five years. 

This life-altering injury was preventable by following basic safety procedures A-Brite needs to take immediate action to protect workers in its facility by re-evaluating its safety and health programs to ensure they are providing training, procedures and protective equipment to protect workers on the job."
OSHA's inspection found A-Brite also failed to:

• Develop a confined space program, despite requiring workers to climb into tanks to clean them on a routine basis.
• Implement machine safety procedures to protect workers from operating parts during service and maintenance.

View the current safety and health citations.

A-Brite Plating is a division of Ontario, Canada-based Plasma Group, which employs about 3,800 workers at 20 global locations.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal 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 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 Cleveland Area Office at (216) 447-4194.

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.

# # #

ABOUT A-BRITE PLATING
WHO WE ARE

A-Brite Plating delivers premier plating on plastics solutions for a variety of applications. Our expertise extends throughout the process to handle initial concepts all the way to finishing. You’ll be amazed at the cost-effective results we can provide.

Oldcastle Coastal concrete company in Lehigh Acres, FL fined $25,000 after serious safety violations were uncovered at their plant following the death of Zavarious Philius, 23, who was crushed to death while cleaning a concrete mixer.

Lehigh company fined by OSHA after death of employee Posted: Oct 18, 2016 11:30 AM EST Updated: Oct 18, 2016 5:52 PM EST
By Trent Kelly, Reporter

 


Zavarius "Zee" Philius



Man dies in 'workplace' incident at Lehigh concrete plant

LEHIGH ACRES, FL -
Oldcastle Coastal concrete company in Lehigh Acres, FL fined $25,000 after serious safety violations were uncovered at their plant following the death of Zavarious Philius, 23, who was crushed to death while cleaning a concrete mixer.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration started an investigation after an employee of Oldcastle Coastal was killed on the job in April.

Zavarious Philius, 23, was crushed to death while cleaning a concrete mixer.

Micah Arnstrom is close friends with Philius' two younger brothers.

"It's really terrible that they had to go through something like that," Arnstrom said.

"I can't even imagine losing my younger brother."

It was a painful loss amplified after OSHA's 11-page report, first sent to the company last week, detailed three safety violations.

"I hope that this doesn't spark up too many more bad emotions or memories for them," Arnstrom said.

The report notes Philius was inside the mixer to clean it when it suddenly powered on. Investigators say the mixer was never "de-energized," meaning power was still flowing.

They also say the company's procedures never outlined the steps for shutting down those machines, adding the safety switches were not working.

"If something's not working, there should be protocols if those things aren't working," said C.J. Lustgarten, a neighbor who supports the fine levied on Oldcastle Coastal.

"No amount of money can equal the loss of a life," Lustgarten said.

Others believe the $24,942 fine should be much higher considering those violations cost someone their life.

"I think the fines should be way more up there," Arnstrom said. "They deserve some justice."

Oldcastle Coastal has until November 1 to contest the fines.

An OSHA spokesperson said so far, they haven't received any appeal from the company.

NBC2 reached out to Oldcastle Coastal but our calls were not returned.

OSHA inspections found violations, including employees being exposed to excessive heat conditions, at the LNG construction site in Hackberry, LA

  Cameron LNG (Source: KPLC) CAMERON PARISH, LA (KPLC) - 
 OSHA inspection reveals serious violation at Hackberry construction site Monday, October 17th 2016, 7:21 pm EDTTuesday, October 18th 2016, 5:14 pm EDT
By Theresa Schmidt, Reporter


An inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found violations, including employees being exposed to excessive heat conditions, at the LNG construction site in Hackberry.

Five thousand construction workers are building a massive LNG Liquefaction Project.

The OSHA website shows two violations issued on September 29, with penalties totaling a little more than $17,000 dollars. One is characterized as serious. According to OSHA's website, the employer didn't furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards that were "causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees."

The complaint also alleges "CCJV employees were exposed to excessive heat conditions when performing concrete finishing work in an outdoor environment."

CCJV is the joint venture between CB&I and Chiyoda Corporation, headquartered in Japan.

Though some workers have made anonymous complaints about the job site, none have been willing to be publicly identified. However, Joyce Lejeune has tenants who work at the site and is concerned about them.

"I see them come home and they look like they've been in a war zone and they tell me their stories and I'm like, 'Gosh, something needs to be done,' " said Lejeune.

The online OSHA documents give no further details about the excessive heat, but Lejeune says her tenants tell her they don't have close and easy access to water.

Juan Rodriguez , a spokesman for OSHA, says the agency has not yet heard back from the employer. Rodriguez says the company has until Oct. 26, to decide whether to contest, comply or ask for a hearing date.

Julie Nelson, Cameron LNG's vice president of government relations and public affairs, released the following statement:


“Cameron LNG holds its EPC contractor to the highest standards and requires that they meet or exceed all local, state and federal regulations and fully comply with the CCJV Site HSSE Management Plan."

CB&I’s Gentry Brann, senior vice president of global communications and brand management, also released a statement:


“CB&I is firmly committed to ensuring the health and safety of our employees, our customers and the public while operating our facilities and projects in a safe, efficient manner that complies with all safety, health and environmental laws, rules and regulations. CB&I employs rigorous safety processes to ensure compliance with OSHA’s Process Safety Management standards."

For a link to the OSHA inspection reports click here.





Cameron Liquefaction Project, Hackberry, Louisiana, United States of America





The Cameron Liquefaction Project involves the construction and addition of natural gas liquefaction and export facilities to the existing LNG regasification facility at Cameron LNG. Initial production for the project is expected in 2018, while full commercial operation is expected in 2019.

The new facility will feature three liquefaction trains with a combined capacity of 13.5 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will enable the partners to export up to 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) or 1.7 billion cubic feet per day of LNG for 20 years.

The front end engineering design (FEED) phase for the project commenced in November 2011 and the conditional non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) approval from the US Department of Energy (DOE) was granted in February 2014. The approval enables the project partners to export LNG to countries, including those in Europe and Asia that have not signed a FTA with the US.

The final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project was issued in April 2014. Construction work is expected to start following the announcement of the final investment decision (FID), which is expected in 2014. The overall development cost of the project is expected to reach between $9bn to $10bn.


Atlantic LNG constructed two LNG trains at the Point Fortin Refinery in early 2000.

The project is expected to generate more than 1,300 onsite jobs and approximately 3,000 people are expected to be involved during the peak construction period. The project is also expected to boost the US economy by generating $2bn per year during the construction phase and $14bn to $18bn per year during the operational phase.
Cameron LNG terminal features

Cameron LNG is an LNG receipt terminal covering an area of 118.6 acres along the Calcasieu Channel in Hackberry, Louisiana. The terminal came online in July 2009 and is currently fed with natural gas by LNG carriers.

The terminal features two marine berths, three LNG storage tanks with a combined capacity of 480,000m³, and a regasification terminal for vaporisation of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of gas. It is currently owned by Cameron LNG, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy.
Partners involved in the development of the Cameron liquefaction project

The joint venture agreement and the tolling agreement will be finalised following the announcement of the FID. A subsidiary of Sempra Energy will have a 50.2% ownership in the newly planned LNG terminal, while the other partners include GDF Suez (16.6%), a consortium of Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (16.6%), and Mitsui (16.6%).

GDF Suez, the partnership of Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, and Mitsui will each have 4Mtpa of tolling capacity from the facility for 20 years.

Cameron Liquefaction Project details

The project will be constructed over an area of about 502 acres, covering around 70 acres of the existing terminal. It will make use of regasification facilities at the existing Cameron LNG receipt terminal.

In addition to the construction of the three liquefaction trains, the project also involves the construction of a 160,000m³ full-containment LNG storage tank, facilities for refrigerant make-up and condensate product storage, expansion of the Cameron Interstate Pipeline by installing a 33.79km and 42in diameter pipeline, installation of a 56,820hp compressor station, a heavy hydrocarbon removal unit and ancillary facilities.

"The new pipeline will enable two-directional flow of natural gas from the expanded terminal and the Cameron Interstate Pipeline."

A truck loading / unloading area and a marine work dock will also be built to assist the construction works. Electricity required for the project will be conveyed through a 12mi long double-circuit 230kV transmission line to be constructed by Entergy. Three 1.5MW diesel-fuelled stand-by generators will also be installed at the site to provide power back up.

The new pipeline will enable two-directional flow of natural gas from the expanded terminal and the Cameron Interstate Pipeline by further connecting with five major interstate pipelines. The new pipeline will traverse the Cameron, Calcasieu, and Beauregard Parishes. The compressor station will comprise of 12 CAT G3616 natural gas-driven compressors and minor adjustments will also be made to the existing metering and interconnection facilities.

Contractors involved with the liquefaction project

The EIS for the project was prepared by the staff of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with assistance from the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, US Department of Energy, and the US Department of Transportation.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, valued at $6bn, was awarded to Chiyoda and CB&I. The FEED work was carried out by Foster Wheeler, who is also providing technical assistance for the project development.

Workers using a blow torch to heat a holding-tank valve ignited the vapors of liquid asphalt, causing the explosion and fire that injured three people at Mohawk Asphalt Emulsions

OCTOBER 18, 2016
Glenville, NY

Workers using a blow torch to heat a holding-tank valve ignited the vapors of liquid asphalt, causing the explosion and fire that injured three people at Mohawk Asphalt Emulsions, Thomas Corners Fire Chief Gregg Petricca said on Tuesday.

Monday's explosion, which sent two people to the hospital with serious burns, is under investigation by federal labor officials. Six years ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Mohawk Asphalt $1,500 for a safety violation on a paving project.


At 1 p.m. Monday, workers were transferring liquid asphalt from a holding tank to a big rig when they took a blow torch to a valve, Petricca said. The torch ignited fumes from the combustible mix of kerosene, diesel fuel and tar, he said.

Petricca said he's not sure if blow torches are commonly used at the plant.

"I hope not," he said.

OSHA officials arrived at the 6 Freemans Bridge Road plant Monday and continued on Tuesday what is expected to be a six-month investigation.

"Our purpose right now is to determine if there were any violations of our safety and health regulation," OSHA's Albany office director Robert Garvey said.

Mohawk Asphalt Emulsions is owned by the Albany-based Gorman Group, a highway construction and materials company. Company officials have declined to discuss the incident but a lawyer for Gorman issued a brief statement Tuesday.

"Right now our thoughts, prayers and concerns are with our employees and their families," the Gorman Group said in the statement. "Once we have all the facts concerning the events which occurred at our Glenville facility, the information will be shared as appropriate."

Gorman Group operates the largest deep-water asphalt terminal on the East Coast, a rail facility terminal, asphalt emulsion-manufacturing plants, transportation facilities and engineering services, according to its website.

The company was cited for a "serious safety violation" in 2010 after a planned inspection focused on construction injury, amputation and fatality prevention.

OSHA fined the company $1,500 for failing to properly signal a paving project taking place on Route 302 in Ryegate, Vt.

Garvey said OSHA has no history with the Glenville plant, so this will be the first inspection by its agents at the facility.

OSHA inspects a workplace when there is an accident, fatality or imminent danger; when a programmed inspection is planned; or when a complaint or referral is made, Garvey said.

The federal agency has six months to complete its investigation into the Glenville asphalt plant.

Several fire crews battled the afternoon blaze Monday while paramedics treated three workers. One burn victim was taken by medical helicopter to Westchester Medical Center and another was taken by ambulance to Albany Medical Center Hospital. The names of the burn victims have not been released.

The third injured worker, Brian Jones, reached by phone Monday, said his injuries were minor. He declined further comment.

Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle praised the emergency crews for their quick response to what he described as a tragic accident and reassured town residents that there were no safety concerns.

The county hazmat team conducted air samples that came back clean, Petricca said.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation said all runoff from the tank was kept from spilling into the nearby Mohawk River or surrounding areas.

Elmo's Auto Body Shop sits in the shadow of the plant and employees were shaken by the explosion. Technician Richie Bryan said he ran toward the fire when he heard the booms, pushing the thought of further explosions at a site dominated by large storage tanks out of his mind.

"It would be devastating to this neighborhood if those big tanks blew," he said.