Beware of diacetyl. CDC finalized a warning to those in the coffee, popcorn and other food and beverage making businesses

CDC calls for protections for coffee workers, others in food industry

Raquel Rutledge , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 4:23 p.m. CDT November 1, 2016



(Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Calling the risks of contracting permanent or deadly lung disease “serious,” the CDC finalized a warning Monday to those in the coffee, popcorn and other food and beverage making businesses: Beware of diacetyl.

The chemical occurs naturally in coffee roasting and is released in higher concentrations when the beans are ground or storage bins are opened. It’s also produced synthetically and added to all kinds of foods and drinks to impart a buttery, creamy flavor.

While the FDA has deemed diacetyl safe to consume in trace amounts, inhaling it has proven deadly.

“Employers need to understand what steps can be taken to protect the health of their workers,” said Christina Spring, spokeswoman for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the research arm of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

NIOSH couldn’t say how many workers might be exposed to diacetyl nationwide, but numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show as many as 600,000 people work in the coffee industry alone.

Diacetyl attacks and inflames the lung’s tiniest airways leading to scar tissue build-up that blocks airflow. Called bronchiolitis obliterans, the damage is permanent. Exposure can also cause eye and skin irritation and other respiratory illness.

In the early and mid-2000s, scientists linked diacetyl to several deaths and hundreds of injuries to workers in microwave popcorn factories in Missouri, California, Illinois and elsewhere. Dozens of public health experts at the time petitioned the government to step in and issue regulations, noting “compelling epidemiologic and toxicological evidence linking exposure to diacetyl to severe respiratory impairment and disease.”

NIOSH drafted recommendations for exposure limits in 2011 but never finalized them and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency tasked with overseeing workplace safety in the United States, never passed regulations.

The issue gained steam last year in the wake of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation that examined how five workers in a Texas coffee processing plant contracted debilitating lung disease linked to diacetyl and exposed how workers in cafes and roasteries that don't use added flavors are also at risk.



Monday's action is dubbed a “criteria document.” The 426-page report suggests workers not be exposed to more than a time-weighted average of 5 parts per billion of diacetyl during an 8-hour day, over a 40-hour work week. Researchers calculated the exposure rate to allow no more than one worker per 1,000 to become ill in the course of a 45-year work life.

The recommendations are more stringent than those called for by other groups who have published guidelines for diacetyl exposure, such as the American Conference for Governmental Industrial Hygienists. In 2012, that group suggested workers be exposed to no more than 10 ppb over an 8-hour time-weighted-average.

Lauralynn McKernan, who helped spearhead the recommendations for NIOSH, said different groups use different criteria when setting policy.

NIOSH considers three main factors when proposing exposure limits: Quantitative analysis, meaning studying all the evidence-based, actual health risks; analytical analysis, which is how exposure is measured; and engineering feasibility, which looks at the ability for industry to achieve reduced exposures.

"We carefully considered all of that," said McKernan, associate director for science with NIOSH's Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies.

The agency responded to every public comment and considered all stakeholder concerns, she said. The cost to industry to implement engineering controls and other mitigating policies and procedures, however, was not a factor in the risk equation, McKernan said.

In addition, NIOSH's recommendation factors in the latest research, citing studies published as recently as 2015 and 2016. And it includes references to naturally occurring diacetyl.

"When it comes to natural or artificial diacetyl, diacetyl is diacetyl," McKernan said. "We're focused on getting diacetyl exposures down."
Recommendations, not regulations

The recommendations are strictly that: recommendations.They carry no regulatory teeth. Officials with OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how NIOSH's conclusions about the chemicals might influence the agency's oversight of food and beverage worker safety.

The document also includes recommended exposure limits for 2,3-pentanedione — a chemical cousin to diacetyl that also occurs naturally in coffee and has been used by many companies as a replacement. Studies have found 2,3-pentandione to be as toxic as diacetyl.

The recommendations encourage employers to test the air in their roasting and manufacturing facilities for diacetyl and 2,3 pentanedione and to take precautions, such as improving exhaust and ventilation. They also stress the importance of conducting breathing tests and monitoring the health of everybody in work environments that contain diacetyl and 2,3-pentandione.

In addition to major food manufacturing, the recommendations apply to large commercial coffee processing operations as well as small cafes with only one or two roasting ovens.

An investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last year found concentrations of diacetyl and 2,3-pentainedione at two mid-size coffee roasteries in Wisconsin exceeded the NIOSH limits.

The investigation also detailed how five workers in a Texas coffee plant became gravely ill with bronchiolitis obliterans. One was put on the waiting list for a lung transplant.

The finalized recommendations do not apply to roasting, grinding or brewing coffee at home. They do not address diacetyl in electronic cigarettes or vape juice, where the Journal Sentinel also found the chemicals. The exposure limits are designed for occupational environments only.

The National Coffee Association, which represents the estimated $74 billion U.S. coffee industry, denies diacetyl is a serious threat.

"We maintain that the levels NIOSH is recommending are exceedingly and unnecessarily low," said Joseph DeRupo, spokesman for the association. "We review the science as well and are reviewing the science day in and day out and are watching for potential hazards and addressing them as need be."

The Journal Sentinel's investigation found some of the largest coffee processors in the United States don't test the air for diacetyl or provide medical surveillance for their workers.

Perhaps because of increased attention to concussions suffered by athletes, there has been a big jump in the number of reported workplace concussions

Concussions not just a sports problem: Reports of workplace injuries on the rise




Learn exactly what a concussion is and why it is so important to allow your brain to fully recover. Traumatic brain injuries contribute to "a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability" each year, according to the CDC. In 2010, 2.5 million TBIs occurred either as an isolated injury or along with other injuries. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)



By Diane Stafford

stafford@kcstar.com


Perhaps because of increased attention to concussions suffered by athletes, there has been a big jump in the number of reported workplace concussions in the last couple of years.

SFM, a workers compensation insurer in the Midwest, charted a whopping 48 percent increase from 2012 to 2014 in reported concussions that caused employees to lose time from work.

Slips, trips, falls, bangs on the head and vehicle accidents are common causes of brain injuries incurred on the job. That head injuries happen at work isn’t new. But there’s growing awareness in the labor and human resource communities that they need to ramp up concussion education.

One of the issues is that concussions may not be detected at the time they occur. And, unlike pro sports athletes, everyday workers are unlikely to have their moment of impact recorded and available for replay analysis.

Aside from athletes, most likely concussion victims include construction workers, firefighters, police officers, loading dock workers and delivery drivers.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers concussions to be like any other workplace injury — possibly preventable if safety recommendations are followed. Hard hat protection is a must in many jobs. Even hard hats, though, are no guarantee that injury won’t occur if a knock to the head is hard enough.

Medical officers, safety administrators and lawyers who deal with workplace injuries all agree that an employee should do two things immediately upon experiencing a blow to the head: Seek medical attention and report the incident to the employer.

Because brain injury symptoms sometimes are delayed, or because people sometimes think “it’s just a little headache,” those steps often aren’t followed.

Lack of medical attention could have long-term health consequences if it’s more than a little headache. Concussions can be hard to diagnosis, but CT scans can identify skull fractures, hemorrhages and hematomas, and MRI exams can measure brain functions.

Failure to report head injuries at the time incidents occur also could have long-term financial consequences for a worker, making it difficult to tie the injury to work and harder to be judged eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, which may help cover out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, therapy bills and lost wages.

In many concussion cases, workers may never miss work or may return to work after limited rest. Sometimes, limited-duty orders may be written by physicians.

Limited work orders might say the worker temporarily shouldn’t drive, operate machinery, climb ladders or lift heavy objects. They also might limit work hours, require rest breaks or downscale responsibilities for a while.

Crane operator with A&B Sales and Rental crushed to death after crane toppled over in Michigan

HOLLAND, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A crane has toppled over at a business near Holland and one man is dead.


Allegan County Dispatch confirms that police are on a scene at 4200 block of Blue Star Highway where a crane fell on Tuesday, around 9 a.m.

Initial statements from first responders on the scene say that the operator--identified as 55-year-old Robert Jay Geurink, of the Holland area--was working alone to move a large piece of equipment from a flatbed trailer.

Somehow during the movement, the crane rolled onto its side, causing Geurink to sustain fatal injuries.

We're told Geurink is the owner and operator of A&B Sales and Rental, where the incident took place.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently investigating the cause of the accident and police said they don't believe the accident to be criminal.

We're told that at this point, the Allegan County Sheriff's Department will have no further involvement in the investigation unless requested by MI-OSHA.

Railtech Boutet Inc. fined $159K after it routinely exposed its workers amputation risks and other serious injuries as they serviced and maintained industrial core machine mixers

OSHA finds Ohio rail track repair kit manufacturer exposes workers to machine, silica, falls, noise and other hazards; proposes $159K in fines


NAPOLEON, Ohio – An Ohio manufacturer of railroad track repair kits routinely exposed its workers amputation risks and other serious injuries as they serviced and maintained industrial core machine mixers, an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

Acting on a complaint, OSHA inspectors found Railtech Boutet Inc. failed to develop procedures to power down and lockout operating parts, a process known as lockout/tag out. The agency cited the Napoleon-based employer for one willful, and 11 serious safety and health violations following its July 2016 investigation. In addition to the machine hazards, inspectors found workers exposed to air contaminants such as silica, noise and other hazards. Railtech Boutet faces proposed OSHA penalties of $159,631.

“All too often, OSHA finds employers are complacent with machine safety features and bypass them to speed production,” said Kim Nelson, area director of OSHA’s Toledo office. “Additionally, employers working with processes that can expose workers to silica, noise and other corrosive material must have procedures in place to minimize and monitor such exposure to ensure the long-term health of workers.”

OSHA’s inspection found the company failed to:

• Conduct air monitoring for contaminants such as silica.
• Implement a hearing conservation program.
• Install gates and guardrails to prevent falls at ladderway openings and around dangerous equipment.
• Guard operating parts of mixing equipment.
• Cover electrical junction boxes, unused openings in circuit breaker panels.
• Install an eyewash station near corrosive material.
• Develop a hazard communication program and train employees about hazardous materials in use.
• Store flammable liquid properly.

View current citations here.

Railtech Boutet Inc. 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 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 Toledo Area Office at (419) 259-7542.

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.
OSHA News Release:
11/01/2016

T.R. Timber Company and its majority owner, Tony M. Rosenbrugh, failed to pay truck drivers and hourly employees overtime for hours worked beyond 40 in a work week in violation of the FLSA.

Michigan logging company pays more than $193K in unpaid overtime wages, damages to 15 drivers, loggers for willful violations


Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act consent judgment

Names of Defendants: T. R. Timber Company
Tony M. Rosenbrugh

Findings: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that T.R. Timber Company and its majority owner, Tony M. Rosenbrugh, failed to pay truck drivers and hourly employees overtime for hours worked beyond 40 in a work week in violation of the FLSA.

Investigators determined that the company paid truck drivers on both an hourly and a piece-rate (per load) basis, and failed to calculate each driver’s rate for overtime properly. The employer paid piece-rated drivers without regard to how many hours they actually worked, as were other hourly employees who were paid based on a “fixed schedule,” despite the fact that they worked extra hours. Additionally, the company issued separate checks artificially labeled as “mileage reimbursement” to compensate some drivers for overtime hours, but at straight time rates. The division concluded that the violations were willful.

The West Branch, Michigan, logging and timber company also failed to maintain accurate payroll records, as required by law. In 2006, a division investigation disclosed overtime violations when the employer was found to pay straight time for overtime hours.

Resolution: Under terms of a consent judgment, the defendant employers have paid a total of $193,260, including $96,630 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 15 former and current employees. The defendants further agreed to provide their employees a fact sheet on the FLSA’s overtime pay requirements and to conduct a quarterly review of their pay practices to ensure ongoing compliance with the FLSA.

Quote: “T.R. Timber’s attempt to continue to circumvent wage requirements, including their practice of issuing separate checks under miscellaneous payment categories is unacceptable,” said Timolin Mitchell, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Detroit. “When employees such as those in this case are denied their overtime pay, it hurts not only the workers and their families, it also impacts their communities. The resolution of this case demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that workers take home every penny they have rightfully earned, and to leveling the playing field for employers who play by the rules.”

Information: The FLSA requires that covered, non-exempt employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers also must maintain accurate time and payroll records. The FLSA provides that employers who violate the law are liable to employees for their back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages.

The FLSA provides an exemption from overtime for many individuals employed as drivers, drivers’ helpers, loaders, or mechanics. That exemption did not apply to the drivers in this investigation, who drove only locally.

Court: U.S. District Court for the District, Eastern District of Michigan

Docket Number: 1:16-cv-115, Perez v. T. R. Timber Company, Tony M. Rosenbrugh
WHD News Brief:
11/01/2016

Collis Roofing, Inc of Floida faces nearly $143K in penalties for failing to protect employees from dangerous, potentially deadly falls

Eight times since 2011, federal safety inspectors find Central Florida contractor exposing workers to dangerous, potentially deadly falls
Collis Roofing faces nearly $143K in penalties for failing to protect employees


Employer name: Collis Roofing Inc.

Inspection site: 202 Wellington Woods Ave.
Deland, Florida 32720

Citations issued: Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration saw Collis Roofing’s workers unprotected from falls as they installed shingles at a residence in a Wellington Woods subdivision. OSHA cited the contractor with two repeated violations and one serious violation. The agency initiated the inspection as part of its Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction.

Investigation findings: OSHA issued the repeated citations for Collis’ failure to protect workers with a fall protection system when working 6 feet or more above a lower level, and allowing employees to operate powered nail guns without eye protection. Federal standards require the use of a guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest systems when employees are working at heights greater than 6 feet.

The agency cited the company with a serious violation for not extending a portable ladder 3 feet above the landing area.

Background: OSHA has cited the employer previously seven times since 2011 for willful, repeated and serious violations for a lack of fall and eye protection.

Proposed penalties: $142,865

Quote: “Although Collis Roofing advertises that it cares about the safety of customer’s families and employees, the company continues to jeopardize the lives of their workers by not ensuring they are protected from serious injury or death when working at dangerous heights,” said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA’s area director in Jacksonville. “This employer is fully aware of OSHA’s standards and yet – seven times in five years – we have found Collis putting their workers at risk in violation of federal safety laws.”

The citations can be viewed at: https://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Collis_Roofing_Inc._10_17_2016.pdf

Based in Longwood, the employer 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 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 Jacksonville Area Office at 904-232-2895.
OSHA News Release:
11/01/2016

For manufacturing industry workers, amputation is serious risk and the cause of more than a 1,400 serious injuries each year.

OSHA focuses on reducing amputations suffered by Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas workers
Targeted enforcement to protect workers in manufacturing industry


DALLAS – For manufacturing industry workers, amputation is serious risk and the cause of more than a 1,400 serious injuries each year. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration received reports of more than 2,600 amputations nationwide – 57 percent of them suffered by manufacturing workers.

Most often, amputations occur when workers operate machines without proper or adequately safety guards.

In an effort to stem the tide, OSHA announced today a heightened focus on amputation hazards in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The goal is to enforce safety regulations and hold employers responsible for protecting workers and reducing instances of worker amputations.

“Our focus on amputation hazards reminds employers that safety and health should remain a top priority,” said Kelly C. Knighton, regional administrator for OSHA. “We can only hope that the focus on this issue will reduce the potential for continued worker exposure to unguarded machines and equipment.”

The push begins with a targeted enforcement phase, including on-site inspections and a review of employers in industries with machinery that exposes workers to amputation hazards. Federal safety and health inspectors will evaluate operations, working conditions, recordkeeping and safety and health programs to ensure compliance.

OSHA will conduct a surge of planned inspections immediately. Area offices will continue to open inspections in response to complaints, hospitalizations and fatalities.

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). Additional information is available by contacting OSHA’s Dallas Regional Office at 972-850-4145.

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 www.osha.gov.
OSHA News Release:
11/01/2016

Railtech Boutet Inc. fined $159K after exposes workers to machine, silica, falls, noise and other hazards

November 1, 2016

OSHA finds Ohio rail track repair kit manufacturer exposes workers to
machine, silica, falls, noise and other hazards; proposes $159K in fines

NAPOLEON, Ohio - An Ohio manufacturer of railroad track repair kits routinely exposed its workers amputation risks and other serious injuries as they serviced and maintained industrial core machine mixers, an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

Acting on a complaint, OSHA inspectors found Railtech Boutet Inc. failed to develop procedures to power down and lockout operating parts, a process known as lockout/tag out. The agency cited the Napoleon-based employer for one willful, and 11 serious safety and health violations following its July 2016 investigation. In addition to the machine hazards, inspectors found workers exposed to air contaminants such as silica, noise and other hazards. Railtech Boutet faces proposed OSHA penalties of $159,631.

"All too often, OSHA finds employers are complacent with machine safety features and bypass them to speed production," said Kim Nelson, area director of OSHA's Toledo office. "Additionally, employers working with processes that can expose workers to silica, noise and other corrosive material must have procedures in place to minimize and monitor such exposure to ensure the long-term health of workers."

OSHA's inspection found the company failed to:

• Conduct air monitoring for contaminants such as silica.
• Implement a hearing conservation program.
• Install gates and guardrails to prevent falls at ladderway openings and around dangerous equipment.
• Guard operating parts of mixing equipment.
• Cover electrical junction boxes, unused openings in circuit breaker panels.
• Install an eyewash station near corrosive material.
• Develop a hazard communication program and train employees about hazardous materials in use.
• Store flammable liquid properly.

View current citations here.

Railtech Boutet Inc. 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 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 Toledo Area Office at (419) 259-7542.

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.

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Colonial Pipeline explosion was caused by a strike by a track hoe; 1 worker killed, 6 injured in Alabama

Threat of North Carolina price hike and gas shortages after pipeline explosion

Flames and thick black smoke soared over a forest in northern Alabama 

The subcontractors were attempting to flush out the lines. When they started to dig, that is when the explosion happened


Updated 18 mins ago
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- For the second time in two months, a pipeline that supplies gasoline to millions of people is shut down, raising the specter of another round of gas shortages and price increases.

"I don't think it is too early to say there will be an impact. I think that is all but guaranteed at this point based on what we know now," said Patrick DeHaan, Sr. Petroleum Analyst with Gasbuddy.com. "I would tell motorists to be prepared for gas price increases and to cut back on travel if they don't have to."

The disruption occurred when a track hoe - a machine used to remove dirt - struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and caused an explosion Monday that sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over a forest in northern Alabama, Colonial Pipeline said. One worker was killed and a half-dozen were injured.

Speaking about the incident Tuesday morning, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said: "As you know, that Colonial pipeline has a tremendous impact on North Carolina's fuel supply. We are in ongoing communications with the Petroleum Institute, Colonial and all the other organizations."
McCrory said the good news is that there are two pipes that run side-by-side. Only one is ruptured, so it's not as bad as it could be.

A September leak that spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline occurred not far from the location of Monday's explosion. That leak led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made.

The cause of that leak still has not been determined.

Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, operates 5,599 miles of pipelines, transporting more than 100 million gallons daily of gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil and other hazardous liquids in 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to company filings. Authorities have not said which type of fuel was involved in the explosion Monday.
Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading.
Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out.

Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, Vansant said.

"We'll just hope and pray for the best," Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement.

Houses around the blast scene were evacuated, and sheriff's Capt. Jeff Hartley said it wasn't clear when people might be able to return home.

Eight or nine subcontractors were working on the pipeline when it exploded about 3 p.m. Monday, sheriff's Maj. Ken Burchfield told Al.com. The conditions of those hurt weren't immediately known.

"Colonial's top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public," the company said in a brief statement.

 

6 dead, many injured after school bus T-bones an MTA bus in southwest Baltimore, MD

Photos from the scene of a fatal collision between a school bus and commuter bus Tuesday morning in Southwest Baltimore.  
Sean Welsh The Baltimore Sun

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Six people have died after a school bus and commuter bus collided early Tuesday in Southwest Baltimore, police said.

No students were on the school bus during the crash, police said.

Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said "significant injuries" were reported, and that closures should be expected in the 3800 block of Frederick Avenue.

The crash prompted significant response from Baltimore Fire Department medics, and closed Frederick Avenue near Monastery Avenue.

"We are in the process of gathering information on the bus crash. We will advise once we have more. Understand this is a fluid situation," Smith wrote on Twitter.

Images from television news helicopters showed the yellow school bus crashed head-on into the front, driver side of the MTA bus, crumpling the front of the school bus and ripping the side off the commuter vehicle.

The scene is about two blocks from Mount St. Joseph High School.

Baltimore schools spokeswoman Edie House Foster said the bus was contracted for the city school system. She could not immediately say early Tuesday which school the bus was for.