A 62-year-old construction worker from South Haven was struck and killed by the bucket of an excavator in Hobart, Indiana when the clothing of the machine’s operator became stuck on a lever

A 62-year-old construction worker was struck and killed by the bucket of an excavator in northwest Indiana Wednesday when the clothing of the machine’s operator became stuck on a lever, police said.

Police responded to the site near Lakeshore Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue in Hobart where workers from a local company were replacing sewer lines. Three workers, one operating the excavator, another inside a hole and a third on the ground were on the scene, police said. The worker in the excavator had turned to talk to someone before the accident occurred, police said.

“The operator of the excavator turned back to situate himself in the seat when a piece of his clothing caught a lever, which controlled the bucket on the excavator,” Hobart police said in a news release. “The bucket, which was positioned inside of the hole, moved forward and pinned the crew member against the wall."

The man struck by the bucket was pronounced dead on the scene by the Lake County Coroner's Office.

He was from South Haven, police said, and an autopsy was scheduled to determine a manner of death.

The worker operating the excavator did not display any signs of intoxication or impairment, police said.

The dead worker’s family had not yet been notified and an investigation was ongoing.



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CHICAGO (CBS) — Police in Northwest Indiana say a 62-year-old worker was killed Wednesday afternoon in a construction accident.

Around noon, Hobart Police received a call. Lt. James Gonzales says a crew was working at Pennsylvania Street and Lake Shore Drive, using an excavator to replace sewer lines.

“The worker inside the excavator had turned to communicate with a worker on the ground, and when he turned back to get situated back into his seat, the joystick that controls the bucket got caught on his pants.”


The bucket, which was positioned inside of the hole, moved forward and pinned the crew worker against the wall, police said.

The victim was pronounced dead on the scene by the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

According to a release from the Hobart Police Dept., the operator of the excavator was checked at the scene for signs of intoxication or impairment; none were found.

Lt. Gonzales says this is still an open death investigation, but appears by all accounts to have been an accident. 

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HOBART, IL - A construction worker was killed in Hobart Wednesday afternoon while working on replacing sewer lines near Lake George. An investigation continues into the workplace accident that claimed the life a 62-year-old man who lived in South Haven.

Hobart police responded to Lakeshore Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue around noon and spoke to a construction crew about the incident, according to a report from the Northwest Indiana Gazette. Crew members told police that the operator of an excavator had a piece of clothing caught on a lever that controlled the bucket on the excavator while he turned back to situate himself in the seat. The action caused the bucket to move forward and "pinned the crew member against the wall," according to the report.

Firefighters worked at the scene to recover the victim, who was pronounced dead immediately by the Lake County Coroner. Police said the victim showed no signs of intoxication or impairment and that the investigation will continue once autopsy results are known.

Worker electrocuted to death in Nashua, NH after the Genie telescopic boom lift he was in touched power lines at a condominium complex on Cannongate Road

 The electrocuted worker has been identified as Jose Valdivieso, 37, of Somerville, Massachusets.

 

 The electrocuted worker has been identified as Jose Valdivieso, 37, of Somerville, Massachusets.

The painting company that employed the man accidentally electrocuted last week on Cannongate Road has a record of serious safety violations


Had the contractor (Prime Touch Services) notified the utility, plastic shields could have been put on the power lines. These shields prevent transmission of energy to a ladder or other conductive device, that comes in contact with the power line. I'd guess that the contractor didn't want to pay to have the protective shields placed.

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Man Who Died After Lift Touched Live Power Line Identified as Father of 2

Written by NH1 News on November 9, 2017 10:38 am.



NASHUA — A man killed after a hydraulic lift he was operating came in contact with a live power line has been identified as a 37-year-old father of two.

On Nov. 2, Jose Valdivieso, of Somerville, Massachusetts, was working for Prime Touch Services of Natick, Massachusetts, at a New Hampshire job site when the fatal accident occured.

Officials said Valdivieso was originally from El Salvador and is survived by two children.

“Jose’s death is a double tragedy – both for his family and loved ones, and because it was 100 percent preventable with proper safety precautions and training,” said Susi Nord, co-director of the N.H. Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. “2017 has been a particularly deadly year for construction workers in New Hampshire, with six out of seven work-related fatalities this year occurring in the industry.”

According to the 2017 AFL-CIO report on workplace fatalities, Latino and immigrant workers are at a higher risk of death on the job that other workers.

The fatality rate for Latino workers in the U.S. was 18 percent higher than the national average overall and increased significantly in 2015, with 903 deaths compared to 804 in the prior year. Of the 943 immigrant workers killed on the job in 2015, two out of three were Latinos, OSHA said.

Employers and construction contractors in New Hampshire are required by federal law to provide a reasonably safe workplace for all workers including proper safety training and protective equipment. They must also ensure the work environment does not prevent or discourage workers from using safe work practices.

Prime Touch Services was cited by OSHA for two serious safety violations in 2013.===========================

NASHUA, N.H. —

A worker was killed Thursday in Nashua when the hydraulic lift (a Genie telescopic boom lift) he was in touched electrical wires, officials said.

Fire crews were called to a condominium complex on Cannongate Road shortly after noon.


The victim's name has not been released.

Residents of the complex said they are still trying to come to terms with the horrifying scene.

Anna Townsend said she at first thought the emergency response was a drill.

"I thought it was a dummy. I really thought it was a dummy," she said. "Everybody was just panicking. It was just horrible. There was a woman on the second floor trying to throw water on the situation just to try and keep it under control."

Firefighters said they were called to the area for reports of a medical call, but they weren’t sure what to expect.

Power had to be cut so the crews could respond.

“When firefighters arrived, they found a construction worker up in a hydraulic lift. He had come into contact with power lines,” Nashua Deputy Fire Chief Glen MacDonald said.

“It was just terrible. It was almost like it was an exercise. You know what I mean, for traumatic things happening. And then I found out it was a real person,” Townsend said.

Fire officials and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.

“It's just really sad to have something like that happen. You get up in the morning, you go to work, you expect to go home at the end of the day and something horrible like that happens,” Townsend said.

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NASHUA, N.H. – A construction worker in Nashua has died from his injuries after being electrocuted while using a hydraulic lift.

The Nashua Fire Department said work was being done at the Cannongate Condos when the lift came in contact with electrical wires.

Witnesses said the scene was very somber once people realized what had happened.

“I came out my side door and noticed flames looked like it was coming from the building through the trees," Walter Markewich said. “All the employees, there were about five of them, they were all crying."

The man who died was part of a painting crew that had been working at the condo buildings in recent days.

“To be really close to the power line and painting, I do think that is a real safety issue to really be that close," Jonah Simmons said.

The victim has not been identified at this point and an investigation by the State Fire Marshall and OSHA is still underway.

Jose, Valdivieso resident of Somerville, Ma. passed away on November 2nd at the age of 37. He was born in Metapan, Santa Ana, El Salvador on May 30, 1980.
Beloved father of Joseph and Jareny Valdivieso
Dear brother of Maria Helena, Gloria, Rene, Juan Angel, Carlos, Antonio and Hector.
Also survived by many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.
Family and friends will honor Jose’s life by gathering at Ruggiero Family Memorial Home 971 Saratoga St. East Boston on November 9th from 4:00 P.M to 8:00 P.M.  A Funeral service in celebration of Jose’s life will be held on November 10th in the Vida Real International at 404 Broadway, Somerville, Ma. at 11:00 A.M.

Jersey City police officers, Lt. Leith Ludwig, MD Khan, Eric Kosinski and Francisco Rodriguez have been indicted, including two for attempted murder, after they were caught on camera kicking innocent driver Miguel Feliz on fire as he crawled from the burning wreckage of a crash involving a pursuit suspect

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A group of New Jersey police officers have been indicted, including two for attempted murder, after they were caught on camera kicking a bystander as he crawled from the burning wreckage of a crash involving a pursuit suspect, the Hudson County prosecutor announced Thursday.
The officers face a slew of charges each:

• Lt. Leith Ludwig has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of official misconduct.
• MD Khan has been charged with 13 counts, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, official misconduct and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
• Officer Eric Kosinski has been charged with five counts, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and official misconduct.
• Officer Francisco Rodriguez has been charged with four counts, including aggravated assault, official misconduct and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Prosecutors say the officers began chasing Leo Pinkston shortly after 11 p.m. on June 4 near Ocean and Cator avenues in Jersey City after the driver failed to stop for them.

During the pursuit, Pinkston, 48, tried to drive between two lanes of traffic and hit several cars. Officers fired multiple shots at his car, prosecutors said.
Pinkston crashed into another car then collided with a utility pole on Tonnelle Avenue, sparking a fire and hurting the other driver.

That's when the second driver, on fire, crawled away from the wreckage -- and was kicked by the officers, cellphone video shows.

At the time, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop called for the officers' termination.
On Thursday, Fulop released this statement:

"As we stated at the outset, the actions taken that night required serious investigation. We took immediate and appropriate action and will now abide the judicial process. Our internal investigation will now begin into all the actions or inactions of department members that night. We want the community to continue to have full confidence in the Jersey City Police Department and its officers."

Pinkston, the driver who police were chasing, was indicted on Aug. 23.
He faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault while eluding and aggravated assault by auto, prosecutors said. He's expected to be in court again on Dec. 11.

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Four Jersey City police officers have been indicted on charges ranging from aggravated assault to attempted murder, prosecutors said Thursday, months after shocking video emerged showing them kicking and dragging a flaming bystander following a car chase and fiery crash.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said that a grand jury had returned an indictment against Lt. Keith Ludwig, MD Khan and officers Eric Kosinski and Francisco Rodriguez in the case of the June 4 beatdown.

All are charged with aggravated assault and official misconduct. All but Ludwig are accused of possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and Kosinski and Khan face charges of attempted murder.

Officers had been trying to stop a vehicle near Ocean and Cator avenues in Jersey City late that night; the driver, Leo Pinkston, fled and the cops gave chase. Pinkston was involved in a number of crashes during the pursuit, and multiple shots were fired. Eventually, he crashed into a vehicle on Tonnelle Avenue, leading to a collision with a utility pole that sparked a major fire and injured the driver of the other vehicle, bystander Miguel Feliz.


When Feliz got out of his car, the four Jersey City officers descended on him, kicking and dragging him in apparent belief he was the man they had been chasing. The June 4 video showed Miguel Feliz, on fire, exiting his car before being kicked by the officers. Feliz was hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns and broken ribs after the encounter, his family said.

The four officers were suspended in late June, then had their jobs reinstated, though they were on administrative duty, not active patrol. Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill told NorthJersey.com at the time that federal investigators had asked the department not to bring departmental charges against the men pending a federal investigation.

Attorney information for the officers wasn't immediately available. Previously, a union representative had said they were trying to put the flames out and pull Feliz to safety. At the time, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the video appeared to contradict that claim and demanded he be fired.

Pinkston also faces a number of charges in connection with the pursuit.

Under California law, if it turns out that any PG&E equipment provided a spark, the company can be responsible for damages -- even if it did everything by the book. Negligence isn’t required.

The 911 calls began before midnight, with reports of downed power lines and exploding transformers. What would swiftly grow into the deadliest wildfires in California history were ablaze -- and fingers were soon pointing at PG&E Corp.
Investigators may never be able to determine what ignited the wine country fires, but PG&E, one of the nation’s largest utilities, is struggling to fend off catastrophe anyway. The mere suggestion its equipment might be to blame was enough to send shares tumbling, wiping out about $6 billion in value. The stock was trading at $57.06 Friday, down 17 percent since Oct. 9, the first trading day after the fires started.

Fire glows on a hillside in Napa, California on Oct. 9.

Photographer: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

One reason: Under California law, if it turns out that any PG&E gear provided a spark, the company can be responsible for damages -- even if it did everything by the book. Negligence isn’t required.

Investors are spooked, said Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. analyst Jonathan Arnold. “Why would they continue providing capital to a private utility if that utility could be held liable for property damage in a major catastrophe regardless of finding of fault in their operations?”

And if PG&E is found to be directly at fault? Bad blood between the state and its largest power provider runs deep, with the utility cited in previous wildfires and still under review for a 2010 natural-gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people. One legislator has already demanded regulators disband it if its carelessness or neglect is discovered to be the culprit.

“The patience level of California is very low” with PG&E, said Shahriar Pourreza, a Guggenheim Securities analyst. “It’s not outside the realm of reason to see a situation where the utility is broken up, sold or taken private.”

Investors began dumping the San Francisco-based company’s stock on Oct. 12. The first lawsuit came five days later, filed by a Santa Rosa couple who lost their home and contend PG&E failed to maintain and inspect transmission lines.

‘Extreme Gusts’

The suit claims PG&E equipment “came in contact with vegetation and caused a wildfire,” without specifying when or where.

The trigger is what the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, known as Cal Fire, are probing. The PUC on Wednesday expanded to eight counties from three the scope of its directive that PG&E “preserve all evidence” in the fires’ paths, and increased the number of wildfires to 15 from seven.

Homes destroyed by wildfires in Santa Rosa on Oct. 12.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

While investigators are looking at power-line failures as a possible agent, “they may never sort it out,” Michael Picker, the PUC president, said last week. There may simply not be enough evidence left in the wake of ferocious flames that consumed more than 245,000 acres and claimed 42 lives.

PG&E has said it won’t speculate about what set the multiple conflagrations off. “What caused them? The simple answer is we don’t know yet,” Chief Executive Officer Geisha Williams wrote in an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle. She did note, though, that there were “extreme gusts” of wind in Northern California and quoted a Cal Fire official who said winds contributed to the worst “fire event” in his 30-year career.

The company said Friday it was making some billing changes to help support fire victims, waiving deposits for those seeking to re-establish service and suspending collections.

PG&E equipment has been implicated in previous wildfires. Two weeks ago, Cal Fire sued the utility to recover $3.9 million spent containing a 670-acre blaze near Hollister in 2015 that was allegedly ignited when an insulator with a live line broke off a power pole.

The company was found guilty of criminal negligence in a 1994 blaze in the Sierra Nevada, for failing to trim trees near power lines. It was fined $8.3 million for not maintaining a line that sparked the Butte Fire in 2015, which killed two people; a judge in a lawsuit in that fire said the utility couldn’t escape responsibility for damages because of the inherent danger of transmitting electric power near trees, and it didn’t matter how much effort PG&E put into vegetation management.

But the disaster most damaging to PG&E’s reputation in California was no doubt the deadly pipeline explosion in San Bruno seven years ago. Regulators imposed fines of $1.6 billion, and PG&E was found guilty in federal court of safety violations. When the state was weighing an even larger $2.25 billion penalty, then-CEO Tony Earley warned that such a cost could push the company to the brink of bankruptcy.

Now with the wine country fires, Pourreza said, “they are facing a situation here that could turn out to be worse than San Bruno.”

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PG&E shares plunge on concern its power lines may have started California wildfires



The California Public Utilities Commission sent a letter on Thursday to PG&E reminding them to preserve "all evidence with respect to the Northern California wildfires in Napa, Sonoma and Solano Counties," according to multiple reports.
The commission was investigating whether electrical lines that were knocked down by a windstorm on Sunday played a role in sparking the most lethal wildfire event in the state's history.

October 2017 CNBC.com







Eric Risberg | AP
A Pacific Gas and Electric crew works at restoring power along the Old Redwood Highway Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Shares of electric utility company PG&E plunged 7.7 percent Friday on concerns its power lines may have started the massive wildfires that have ravaged California recently.

The stock was also on track for its worst day since September 2010.



The California Public Utilities Commission sent a letter on Thursday to PG&E — California's largest electrical utility company — reminding them to preserve "all evidence with respect to the Northern California wildfires in Napa, Sonoma and Solano Counties," according to multiple reports.

The commission was investigating whether electrical lines that were knocked down by a windstorm on Sunday played a role in sparking the most lethal wildfire event in the state's history.

"Safety is our top priority," said Donald Cutler, a spokesperson for PG&E. "Our customers are our neighbors and friends and we're doing everything we can to help out."

Unfortunately, California has a history of power company lines becoming the sources of fires. It is still not clear if PG&E was to blame for the fires, but it has been found guilty before of negligence in fires.

Past fires where PG&E was faulted include the deadly Butte Fire in California's Amador County in 2015. Cal Fire investigated the fire, which destroyed 549 homes, and ended up sending a bill to PG&E for about $90 million to cover firefighting expenses.

In 2007, the Malibu fires that burned more than a dozen structures were caused by Southern California Edison utility poles that fell during heavy winds; they paid $63.5 million in fines. Also, San Diego Gas & Electric power lines started three major fires the same year and paid nearly $700 million to insurers to settle claims.

PG&E shares are down 13 percent this week.

The drop in the stock "reflects the following assumptions: 1) the fire was caused by PCG's negligence, 2) insurance coverage for 3rd party liabilities will be very limited, 3) damage costs per acre far larger than those for the 2015 Butte fire and 4) material fines and penalties will be assessed," Christopher Turnure, an analyst at JPMorgan, said in a note Thursday. "We appreciate the severity of the fires and the legal challenges of operating in California, but estimate this loss of value as approaching a worst-case scenario for PCG shares."

PCG is the stock ticker for PG&E.

Turnure is maintaining his overweight rating on the stock on the notion these fears are overblown.

The wildfire has killed at least 31 people in Northern California and has left hundreds missing in the heart of wine country. The toll from the more than 20 fires raging across eight counties could climb, with more than 400 people in Sonoma County alone still listed as missing.

The Coast Guard reminds commercial fishing vessel operators to be aware of the dangers of icing and vessel stability as the winter fishing season gets underway across Alaska.

Coast Guard reminds icing dangers, vessel stability for winter fishing season in Alaska
November 2nd, 2017


Coast Guard file photo showing fishing vessel Mar-Gun grounded on the north end of St. George Island. North winds and below freezing temperatures caused icing on the vessel. (photo by MST2 Gerald Holle)

JUNEAU, Alaska –The Coast Guard reminds commercial fishing vessel operators to be aware of the dangers of icing and vessel stability as the winter fishing season gets underway across Alaska.

A vessel’s center of gravity can rapidly rise when freezing spray accumulates high above the main deck. Icing conditions exceeding 1.3 inches increase the risk of capsizing and sinking.

Operators should use all available resources to determine if icing and freezing spray is forecast in their location for the next 48 to 72-hour time window. If icing conditions are forecast or present, operators should seek shelter, reduce speed, change course and manually remove ice. Operators should also consider reducing the amount of bait, gear and pots onboard the vessel prior to departure.

Vessel owners, operators and crews are advised to give special consideration to vessel stability concerns after multiple fatalities and complete loss of the fishing vessel Destination occurred in the Bering Sea Feb. 11, 2017.

“The amount of ice can change in an instant depending on a number of variables such as loaded condition and freezing spray,” said Anthony Wilwert, Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator for the 17th Coast Guard District. “Some ways to mitigate ice build up on a vessel include slowing speed, changing heading and tarping deck loads to shed water. Boaters should also remain diligent about monitoring weather forecasts and staying out of icing conditions in the first place.”

Operators and crew should seek out opportunities to further their knowledge of stability with courses, training, workshops and visits from naval architects. They should also take advantage of other initiatives, both mandatory and voluntary, to discuss and complete a vessel’s current Stability Instructions to the actual load condition prior to departing port. An independent review of a vessel’s loaded condition, equipment and operations can often provide important insights.

Operators should confirm the accuracy of their SI whenever a vessel undergoes any of the following actions:

Major conversions or substantial alterations (See 46 CFR 28.50 and 28.501);

Changes to a vessel’s rigging, deck or fishing equipment, including pots;

Changes in principal dimensions, cargo hold or tank capacities;

Circumstances of weight creep, which is the accumulation of extra gear, equipment and parts carried aboard the vessel, and any other weight change variations that may occur.