This blog presents Metropolitan Engineering Consulting & Forensics (MEC&F) claim management and claim investigation analyses of some of the typical claims we handle
Two men booked for torching Porsche for insurance money November 8, 2017, by WGNO Web Desk
Booking photos courtesy Washington Parish Sheriff's Office
WASHINGTON PARISH, La. — A Tangipahoa Parish man and a Mississippi man have been arrested in Washington Parish for reportedly torching a Porsche in an effort to collect insurance money.
According to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded Sept. 19 to a report of a vehicle fire off of Westmoreland Road in the western part of the parish.
Deputies found the remains of a burned Porsche automobile on a remote hunting road. The vehicle had been placed on concrete blocks and the wheels had been removed prior to the vehicle being burned.
Photo courtesy Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office
A detective at the scene was able to obtain two key pieces of evidence. In addition to the burned vehicle’s license plate, which was still readable, he also discovered a pair of pliers, which had a last name written on one of the handles. These two pieces of evidence were later used to solve the crime.
Investigators determined that Gary Joseph LeBlanc, the owner of a 2006 Porsche automobile, approached two of his employees and offered to pay them if they would take his car so it would appear to have been stolen, and then burn the vehicle so that he could collect full value from his insurance company.
Photo courtesy Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office
The owner was frustrated because the Porsche had water damage and he was unable to sell it for its assessed worth. The two men agreed, took the Porsche from the owner’s business in Hammond, drove it to rural Washington Parish and burned it.
Arrested were LeBlanc, 49, a resident of Robert, Louisiana, and Wesley Herndon, 28, a resident of 853 Beach Road in Pearl River County, Mississippi.
A third person is being sought for his involvement in the crime. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Neil Kelly, a resident of Curve Road in the Folsom area.
Using interviews and social media, investigators discovered that Herndon was advertising the Porsche tires and rims for sale on Facebook. That discovery led to the identification of LeBlanc as the person who orchestrated the attempted fraud.
A detective contacted the insurance company investigator, and LeBlanc’s insurance claim was never paid.
Herndon was the first to be arrested. He was placed in the Washington Parish Jail on October 26 and released the same day after posting a $5,000 bond. Herndon is charged with simple arson.
LeBlanc was arrested on November 8 and released the same day after posting a $10,000 bond. He is charged with arson with intent to defraud.
Downed tree in Lower Providence damaged electric poles, transformers; Superior Tube worker injured
By Lower Providence Township, For Digital First Media
November 10, 2017
LOWER PROVIDENCE TWP., PA
On Thursday afternoon a contractor was moving trees on an approved new townhouse community site in the 3900 block of Germantown Pike when, during the process, the contractor dropped a tree onto PECO power lines, damaging several electric poles, wires and transformers.
The damage to the PECO facilities led to a power outage for local residents and commercial properties shortly after the incident, which occurred around 2:50 p.m. The debris prevented a safe passage in the 3900 block of Germantown Pike and the power outage also disabled several traffic signals. Police and fire police had to direct traffic around the area.
Superior Tube Company is located at 3901 Germantown Pike. The power outage to their facility stopped their operations and the staff initiated a shutdown of equipment and operating systems. During that process, a piece of machinery malfunctioned and an employee was struck in the head by a metal plate. At 6:03 p.m., Lower Providence Township EMS was dispatched to the scene. Upon evaluating the injured employee, EMS personnel’s personal carbon monoxide (CO) meters indicated a dangerous level of CO in the area. EMS evacuated the injured employee along with other staff.
The injured employee was transported to Paoli Trauma Center where he underwent surgery for his injuries.
At 6:17 p.m., Lower Providence Township Volunteer Fire Department (LPFD) was dispatched for a carbon monoxide investigation. Upon the arrival of LPFD, a sampling of the area indicated high CO levels. Superior Tube staff revealed that during the shutdown process, there may have been a release of hydrogen and nitrogen inside the building, in addition to the carbon monoxide.
At 6:37 p.m., LPPD upgraded their response for additional resources including the Montgomery County Hazmat Team, operated through the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety. Fire personnel proceeded to shut down the supply of hydrogen, nitrogen and other gases/chemicals on site and ventilate the building through a manual opening of a roof top ventilator, doors and windows. PECO terminated electrical and natural services to the building. Air monitoring continued until acceptable levels were obtained.
At 10:15 p.m., the building was released back to Superior Tube. At 11:20 p.m., PECO completed the restoration to their facilities and Germantown Pike was reopened to traffic.
Fire Marshal Charles DeFrangesco said Superior Tube staff and their contractors worked closely with emergency personnel to return the building to a safe condition. Utility services remain off until further evaluation of their operating systems.
The fire marshal will work with Superior Tube and other agencies to identify the root cause for this event. The fire marshal added that there was no known release of gases/chemicals off site that needed a notification or evacuation of Superior Tube’s neighbors.
Assisting agencies were fire companies from Collegeville, Trappe, Perkiomen, Skippack and Jeffersonville; EMS from Lower Providence and Trappe; Hazardous Materials Team from Montgomery County Department of Public Safety; and police from Lower Providence Township.
Hillsborough County man killed in Tuesday night construction accident in Baldwin
A worker killed Tuesday afternoon at a construction project at Interstate 10 and U.S. 301 has been identified as 37-year-old Paul Isaiah Hall-Rhanes of Ruskin in Hillsborough County, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Officers were called about 4 p.m. to the site near the intersection on a report of a victim pinned under a steamroller along I-10 in Baldwin, police said.
Witnesses said Hall-Rhanes was working on a hilly section when he fell out of his seat as the vehicle rolled over and pinned him under it, the incident report said. It took several minutes to get the vehicle off him using other construction equipment to move it. Hall-Rhanes was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
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Jacksonville, FL -
A day after a man was killed in an industrial accident in Baldwin, an incident report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is revealing new details.
According to that report, the man was working at a construction site at the intersection of I-10 and US 301 on a hilly portion of land, and was driving a construction vehicle.
At some point, the vehicle rolled over, causing the man to fall out his seat. He was then pinned underneath it.
Witnesses say it took several minutes to free him from the vehicle, as they had to use heavy machinery to lift it off of him.
The man was taken to UF Health, where he died from his injuries.
Police have identified him as Paul Hall-Rhanes, 37.
============ BALDWIN, Fla. -
A
worker died after an industrial accident Tuesday afternoon at a highway
construction site along Interstate 10 at U.S. 301, the Jacksonville
Sheriff's Office said.
Officers were called about 4 p.m. to the
site near Baldwin, where police said they found a 37-year-old man
underneath an asphalt compactor that had tipped over.
Police
said the man, who was a construction worker, was taken to a hospital,
where he later died. His name has not yet been released.
SKY 4
captured an aerial view of the scene, showing police tape around the
piece of heavy equipment where a new I-10 overpass over U.S. 301 is
being built.
Investigators said multiple companies work at the site, and it's not yet known which company the victim worked for.
Sheriff's
Office homicide detectives are investigating the incident as an
accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also
investigating.
The
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) scheduled to begin
construction early February 2017 on a bypass around the Town of Baldwin.
Superior Construction Company is expected to complete the $60 million
project by Spring 2020.
The project includes constructing a new
four-mile, four-lane divided highway beginning north of the I-10
westbound on-ramp and two new signalized intersections at Beaver Street
(U.S. 90) and Brandy Branch Road. Plans also include building an
overpass across two CSX railroad crossings and an additional overpass
over the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail to alleviate traffic congestion
and improve operational efficiency of U.S. 301, which is part of the
National Highway System and Florida’s Strategic Intermodal System (SIS).
An open house was held Monday, January 9. Topics discussed
included timeframe, construction activities, traffic impacts and other
details.
================
Construction aims to improve I-10, US-301 interchange
Safety for truck drivers, other motorists the focus
By
Crystal Moyer
- Traffic/reporter
BALDWIN, Fla. - Construction at I-10
and US-301 is underway to help alleviate the traffic and accommodate the
growing number of trucks that use that interchange.
Baldwin has become a hub for truck drivers
transporting products to and from Jacksonville. The I-10/US-301
interchange is a popular spot for truck drivers to refuel and rest. But
engineers with the Florida Department of Transportation noticed there
were some flaws to the interchange.
Engineers believe there's not enough space for
trucks to slow down on the ramps from I-10 to US-301. Truck traffic
often backs up on US-301 northbound waiting to make the turn onto I-10
eastbound. They also said the overpasses on I-10 in Baldwin need to be
higher to accommodate larger trucks.
FDOT crews were working to make improvements, but they say there have been some bumps in the road.
Recent storms like Hurricane Irma have delayed
progress along the I-10/US-301 interchange. The project completion date
has been pushed back to fall of 2019. But when it's done it's going to
help drivers behind the wheel of big rigs.
That includes reconstructing the entrance
ramps from US-301 to I-10 eastbound. A new ramp will allow US-301
northbound traffic to smoothly exit onto I-10 after the intersection.
This will cut down on the backup of traffic at the exit.
There will be an additional lane to give
trucks and other cars more space and time to merge onto I-10, and the
exit lanes on I-10 will be wider to accommodate semis.
Truck drivers said the changes will make their
jobs a little easier and safer. But they say other drivers need to be
more mindful.
"Cars are going to cut in front of trucks,"
truck driver Steven Brown said. "They're going to be in a hurry. Not
much you can do about that." ===================
I-10 at U.S. 301 Improvements
The Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT) started work in late February 2016 on a project on the Interstate
10 and U.S. 301 interchange near Baldwin. The reconstruction project is
designed to accommodate increased truck traffic making the northbound
U.S. 301 to eastbound I-10 movement. Northbound trucks using U.S. 301
are primarily heading to Jacksonville or points north.
Florida is a major player in the global economy, ranking seventh in the
U.S. for exports. In 2013, Florida exported more than $85 billion in
goods, with most of those loads moving on Florida highways on the way to
seaports and rail centers.
The $65 million project was awarded to Superior Construction of
Jacksonville and comes on the heels of the $67 million widening of U.S.
301 north of Baldwin completed last summer.
A Baldwin Bypass project is scheduled for construction next year.
"This route is a critical part of the regional transportation network,"
said Pete Sheridan of VIA Consulting Services, which will oversee the
construction.
The existing I-10-U.S. 301 interchange features two major truck stops that attract a sizable concentration of truck traffic.
The interchange project includes new ramps and bridges to correct the following deficiencies:
Substandard loop ramps
Insufficient deceleration ramp length
Insufficient queue storage on U.S. 301
A short weaving distance between loop ramps and southbound U.S. 301
Substandard vertical clearance under the bridges
Because of these deficiencies, truck traffic often backs up waiting to make the northbound U.S. 301 to eastbound I-10 movement.
I-10 and U.S. 301 improvements include:
Reconstruct
the entrance ramp from U.S. 301
southbound to I-10 eastbound in the southwest quadrant of the
interchange which will
ultimately merge into the single-lane entrance ramp from U.S. 301 northbound to I-10 eastbound providing dual lanes and allow for merge room
onto I-10
Construct a new single-lane entrance ramp from U.S. 301 northbound
to I-10 eastbound in the southeast quadrant of the interchange which
will ultimately merge into the entrance ramp from U.S. 301 southbound to
I-10 eastbound providing dual lanes and allow for merge room onto
I-10. This will ultimately eliminate the current left turn movement at
the signal and allow a free-flowing right turn lane.
Realign and widen the exit ramp from I-10 eastbound to U.S. 301 from
a single left turn lane to a dual left turn lane to U.S. 301 northbound
and maintain a single right turn lane to U.S. 301 southbound.
Construct a new single-lane exit ramp from I-10 westbound to U.S.
301 in the northeast quadrant. The ramp will ultimately split allowing
for separate exit ramps for northbound and southbound U.S. 301 traffic.
The new ramp design will provide a dual right turn lane controlled by
a signal for northbound U.S. 301 and provide a two-lane ramp controlled
by a signal for southbound U.S. 301. The new ramp will also improve I-10
westbound and provide more capacity during peak times.
Realign the westbound entrance ramp from U.S. 301 southbound to I-10
westbound in the northwest quadrant controlled by a yield sign.
Reconstruct turn lanes which will extend and/or eliminate both left and right turn lanes at the interchange.
The Companies
Superior Construction Company, Inc.
Superior Construction Company is a Midwest based Heavy-Civil,
Transportation, and Industrial Services contractor, operating throughout
North America, proudly employing a Union Labor force.
Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC.
Superior Construction Southeast is a Florida based Heavy-Civil and
Transportation contractor, established in the late 80’s, that operates
in a variety of open shop environments.
General Scope
The interchange at I-10 and US 301 is being reconfigured to alleviate
traffic congestion for vehicles entering and exiting I-10 to and from
US301. Improvements for this project include milling and resurfacing,
base work, shoulder treatment, drainage improvements, traffic signals,
lighting, highway signing, guardrail, box culverts, bridges, MSE walls
and other incidental construction.
ADAMS TOWNSHIP, PA – Coroner Jeff Lees has identified a Cambria County man who died after a scaffolding fall.
Lees said Jason Jones, 41, died at 12:25 a.m. Saturday.
Lees said Jones fell eight feet from scaffolding and hit his head around 8:30 a.m. Oct. 27.
Jones died of a head injury, Lees said. Lees ruled the death accidental.
Jones was found by a co-worker who called 911 and was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, according to Lees.
Lees said Jones was contracted out as a drywaller by Easley & Rivers, a construction company in Monroeville, and was working at the new health care facility on the 1400 block of Scalp Avenue in Richland Township.
Easley & Rivers has launched a GoFundMe page to help support Jones’ family. You can donate here.
Conemaugh Health System is building a new three-story medical facility in Richland Township. The 130,000-square-foot center is being built behind the existing Conemaugh East Hills Outpatient Center along Scalp Avenue, which it will replace.
The new center is to include primary and specialty care physician offices, an ambulatory surgery center, gastroenterology/endoscopy suites, a women’s diagnostic center, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation and physical therapy. The new facility should be opened in the beginning of 2018.
=======================
Richland Township, Cambria County, Pa. - A Cambria county man is dead after a scaffolding fall.
Cambria county coroner Jeff Lees said that 41-year-old Jason Jones died on Saturday after the fall on October 27.
Jones died of a head injury.
His death was ruled as accidental.
Lees said jones was working at a new health care facility on the 1400 block of Scalp Avenue in Richland Township when he fell.
================================
Jason Jones Family Support Fund
It is with deepest sympathy and sorrow that we are informing you that Jason Jones was called home to be with God shortly after midnight on November the 4th.
Please keep the entire Jones family in your thoughts and prayers during this time of grief.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jason Jones an Employee of Easley & Rivers was injured in an accident that occured on Friday October 27th.
This Go Fund Me account has been created by Easley & Rivers, Inc. in response to multiple requests from people that know and work with Jason and have requested a way to give assistance to the family during a time of need.
About Easley & Rivers
People take notice when a local plastering company becomes one of the region’s most trusted leaders in commercial drywall construction.
They take notice when operations spread from state to state while being kept 100% union. They take notice when performance bonds in excess of $20 million are obtained or waived altogether as a result of our proven track record. They take notice when an office furniture division is launched and twenty years later the quality of selection, planning, and installation is still unparalleled.
60 plus years of growth, financial stability and quality service will get you noticed. That’s because in the sixty years since our beginning, the founding principle of Easley & Rivers has remained constant: deliver results to our customers on time and on target. Because of our history and reliability, we’ve been able to forge relationships with suppliers, meaning stronger purchasing power for both us and our clients.
Visit our Portfolios to see our high quality of work, or visit the contact page to see how one phone call or email can open up your next project to a diverse range of possibilities.
================
A new $70 million outpatient center planned for Richland Township represents the best of the future for local medical care, leaders said during groundbreaking ceremonies Friday off of Scalp Avenue.
“We all know health care is changing every day,” Conemaugh Health System Chief Medical Officer Dr. Susan Williams said.
“With the opening of the facility here, Conemaugh can change with the times.”
The 135,000-square-foot Conemaugh East Hills Outpatient Center will be constructed at the rear of the parking lot behind today’s Conemaugh East Hills building, which was originally built in the 1940s as Richland High School, said Steven Tucker, CEO of Conemaugh’s hospitals division and president of Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.
“This will be a three-story building that will change the way health care is delivered,” Tucker said, adding that the total cost of more than $70 million will include construction, furnishing and the latest in medical technology.
About 100 people gathered under a large tent in the Conemaugh East Hills lot Friday afternoon, bracing themselves against the gusty, biting wind. Tucker said wind Thursday night required crews to remove sides from the tent, leaving the interior open to Friday’s weather.
“I came to Conemaugh for a lot of reasons,” Williams quipped. “Weather was not one of them.”
She said she saw opportunity for the health system to make a real difference in people’s lives under ownership of Duke LifePoint Healthcare. By expanding ambulatory surgery, imaging, laboratory and rehabilitative services in one facility with primary care physician offices, Conemaugh is creating a one-stop location for a majority of health care, Williams said.
The model will not only be more convenient for patients, it will reduce health care costs, she said.
The construction in Richland further illustrates Duke LifePoint’s fulfillment of commitments made during the acquisition process last year, Tucker said.
A $50 million-plus overhaul of information technology with the introduction of a recognized leading medical records system is already underway, he said.
“Isn’t this a great thing for Richland Township?” township Supervisor Bob Heffelfinger said at the groundbreaking.
Plans are also being finalized for an outpatient center near Ebensburg. Although the location has not been announced, leaders say it will be along Route 22 near the Route 219 interchange.
That facility represents more than $20 million in investment, Tucker said.
The Richland project will get underway immediately, with site work continuing until winter weather shuts it down. Construction will begin early next spring, with completion expected in autumn of 2017, Conemaugh CEO Scott Becker said.
When the new building opens, demolition will begin on the existing structure.
The former school building also houses Fox 8 and ABC 23 television studios. Company President Frank Quitoni said the stations will move into a larger facility near The Galleria mall, also in Richland.
Quitoni is board chairman for Conemaugh Health System under Duke LifePoint ownership. The stations’ expansion paralleling the health system’s growth illustrate the benefits to the local economy, he during Friday’s ceremony.
“We are expanding,” he said. “That’s what good economy is all about. It is about the ability of a company to grow.”
The new Richland building will feature a glass-enclosed entryway and common reception area, helping direct patients to the services they need, said Douglas F. MacMillan, vice president of support services.
Some services will be moved from Conemaugh Richland outpatient location at the corner of Eisenhower Boulevard and Theatre Drive, MacMillan said.
But Conemaugh Richland is not being closed, Tucker stressed. It will continue to house physician offices, with the possibility of more doctors.
“We are still programming for conversion of the Conemaugh Richland building,” Tucker said.
Conemaugh’s MedWell urgent care center, its corporate care operations and Laurel Highlands Advanced Imaging Center will move from the current Scalp Avenue building into the new facility, and West Penn Orthopedics & Sports Medicine of 2 Celeste Drive in Southmont plans a second location in the new outpatient center, MacMillan said.
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Preventing the Most Common Scaffolding Accidents
2007 was the year that two brothers were involved in a deadly New York scaffold accident in the Upper East Side. A faultily constructed scaffold collapsed, sending the pair crashing 47 stories to the pavement below and their eventual deaths. Whether the window washing company they worked for had proper scaffolding insurance in place is not the issue but rather the types of safety training programs, including scaffolding training that may have possibly prevented these fatalities.
Since the 2007 incident, there have been many other instances of problems with improperly constructed scaffolding, including that most recently in 2014 when a construction worker in Midtown fell 80 feet to his death. These occurrences give rise to the need for better practices and safety training programs designed to enhance awareness and safety when working on highly constructed scaffolds. Although scaffolding accidents, which is a risk that is inherent to working on these structures, may not necessarily be preventable, their severity may be lessened by recognizing the presence of the risk and taking certain measures to avoid and reduce instances of scaffolding accidents on your job site.
Common Scaffolding Accidents
According to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) based in Washington, D.C., there were 54 fatalities that occurred in 2009 from scaffolding and staging. 72 percent of workers injured in scaffolding accidents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), claimed that the reason for their accident was the result of problems with planks or required scaffold supports giving way, which led to injury or death. Slipping and being caught between falling objects were also contributing causes to common scaffolding accidents.
The data provided by both OSHA and BLS suggests that more attention needs to be paid to the safety standards set forth that help reduce and possibly prevent the occurrence of common scaffolding accidents. The demonstration of your observance of these standards can also serve to lower any required insurance premiums you currently pay for scaffolding insurance or other related construction project insurance.
Ways to Reduce Scaffolding Accidents
OSHA, which revised its standards regarding the construction of scaffolding in 1996, found that in a quarter of the cases where a scaffolding accident occurred, no scaffold training or safety training programs were in place. In more than three-quarters of these incidents, the scaffolding for which the worker was injured lacked appropriate guard railing.
Following prudent, common sense standards for guaranteeing the safety and well-being of your employees working on scaffolding structures can only serve to lower and reduce injury and death. How important is it to follow the revised standards set forth by OSHA and other agencies when it comes to scaffolds? The estimates suggest that up to 50 lives can be saved and more than 4,500 accidents prevented annually. The performance based standards set in place to protect your employees from scaffold injuries and death can serve to protect them from those common scaffolding accidents such as falls, objects that may fall on your employees, scaffold structures that may be unstable, electrocution and overloading the scaffolding structure.
What to Do When Scaffolding Accidents Occur
Should an accident occur on your job site related to scaffolding, you have an affirmative responsibility first and foremost to the health and well-being of the affected employee. You should ensure that immediate medical attention is given and all accommodations are made for the recovery of the accident victim. You also need to address any issues with respect to your required workers’ compensation insurance, including the proper reporting of the accident. In most instances you have ten days from the date of the accident to notify your insurance carrier or face possible fines and penalties. You should have in place appropriate procedures for further guidance on your responsibilities related to scaffolding accidents.
You should make sure that whenever you are engaged in a project involving the construction of scaffolding that you follow those standards set forth by OSHA to ensure the safety of those working on the project and prevent, to the extent possible, any serious injuries or death as a result of an improperly installed scaffold. Look also to work with an experienced insurance advisor for the availability of those coverage options that can be used to mitigate your risk exposure and protect your financial resources.
While there isn’t a guaranteed way to prevent scaffolding accidents from occurring, you can make sure that you and your employees are properly trained and protected in case these types of accidents occur. Don’t leave your company at risk and contact the largest insurance broker of scaffold risks in the country at Allied Insurance Brokers. With over 30 years of experience, the Allied team is able to help you minimize your company’s vulnerabilities and protect your bottom line. Contact Allied Insurance today, and discover what they can do for you!
An outsourced worker, Mokhiti Johannes Moeti‚ 25‚ at the University of Pretoria has died after he was
pulled into a powerful chipper machine used to grind tree branches
collected on the University’s Property.
A Servest employee working at the University of Pretoria was killed when he was pulled into a chipper machine at the university’s LC De Villiers campus on Monday.
Mokhiti Johannes Moeti‚ 25‚ was chopping wood for recycling and compost when the incident occurred.
A witness‚ Mulisa Mabudafhasi‚ told TimesLIVE that the incident had left him traumatised.
“I’m not okay; I don’t think I will be okay. I am traumatised. I don’t think counselling will help. All I saw was his hand gloves disappearing into the machine and within a second there was blood and minced meat all over the machine. We were working under pressure‚ that’s how we live‚ we are oppressed. So my friend was stressed like I was. They left the two of us to operate a dangerous machine without the keys‚ I could not do anything‚” said Mabudafhasi.
According to Isaac Malema‚ spokesperson for the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA)‚ the workers were not properly equipped to operate the machine.
“After investigations into this‚ I am of the understanding that the machine must be operated by a minimum of six people‚ and in this case it was only two. The workers told us that they were not properly trained or given safety equipment‚” said Malema.
Malema said that the family of the deceased were trying to trace his father‚ Joseph Ratau who is rumoured to be in the Manganeng area in Limpopo.
The memorial service will take place on Friday at the Dutch reformed church in Hatfield. The university and Servest said in a joint statement that an investigative team had been unable to conclusively identify the root cause of the fatal accident.
“Police and emergency services were immediately called to the scene. Both Servest and UP are working hand in hand with SAPS and the Department of Labour as they investigate the matter. The investigative team has thus far been unable to conclusively identify the root cause of this fatal accident‚ however‚ the SAPS and the Department of Labour are still finalising their investigation. Servest and UP has and will continue to cooperate with SAPS and the Department of Labour‚” the statement read.
The ANC Youth League branch at the university charged that workers at the university continued to be treated as “expendable appendages”.
“The death of a worker must be seen as a loss to the University as a whole. The ANCYL Tukkies branch notes and condemns the classist and seemingly racist nature of University in acknowledging deaths of workers. Outsourced workers continue to be treated as expendable appendages that mean nothing to the University community.” said Tholithembelihle Cenenda‚ branch chairperson of the ANCYL at the university.
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Worker killed at University of Pretoria
Posted by: admins | on November 9, 2017 Brutality of outsourcing exposed
By Ferron Pedro, Tshwane WASP & UP Socialist Youth Movement
Mokhiti Johannes Moeti, a worker outsourced to Servest, was killed on Monday when he was pulled into a powerful chipper machine at University of Pretoria’s LC De Villiers campus. Mulisa Mabudafhasi, Moeti’s coworker, found his body, which had been butchered by the machine.
According to accounts from workers, Moeti and Mabudafhasi had been tasked to both operate the machine and gather branches to place into it, which meant that often only one of them was actually operating the machine at a time. Mabudafhasi explains that they had not received adequate training on how to use the machines with the training session lasting only one day. Describing the management’s attitude to training, he said, “It is not qualified, good training. It is a danger to us. You brought a new machine to bring to the workers. You give them only one day training on the machine –no practical, no anything. You just say, ‘We operate the machine like this’. You never show the operators how to start the machine. You never show the operators how to switch off the machine. But you want the operators to operate the machine… It’s not training. It’s only an explanation. ”
A member of General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) and participant in the #OutsourcingMustFall campaign Moeti had been redeployed from working at the golf course, after fighting with the “client” – the bosses at the University of Pretoria – and didn’t have any experience with the machine but was forced to do the job. When asked for his job title Mabudafhasi explains, “[We] don’t have any job description because they want us to do any job they want at anytime which is not right. I have not been able to read my contract. They forced me to sign it without reading it and I didn’t receive any copies.” Mabudafhasi says they were never shown what safety measures to take when using the machine. On the day of the incident, he explains that the supervisor switched on the machine and left the campus, leaving Moeti and Mabudafhasi to operate it. Mabudafhasi describes the stress and constant pressure placed on them by management: “My colleague was under pressure… The manager shouts at us every day. Their approach to me when they speak to me is not good. They treat people differently based on whether they are white or black. You are shouting at me. Who gives you the right to shout at me at work? You have the right to talk to me. You have the right to show me the work. If I’m doing something wrong, don’t shout at me, “You are a stupid!” How can you call a worker stupid?”
He had left Moeti and the machine to fetch a van but afraid of abuse from management, Moeti continued to place branches in the machine. Mabudafhasi explains, “We have a lot of work. They look at every step we take. They look at every mistake we do. The management victimizes us and so we are stressed. It becomes harder to focus on work. That’s the cause. That’s why this thing happened that way. If your manager puts you under pressure to do your job, you are not concentrating on the machine but on your manager.” While on his own, Moeti continued to work, the branches hooked into his gloves and pulled him into the machine leading to his tragic death.
“There were supposed to be two people on each side of the machine but one of us needs to collect the branches. That machine is fast and powerful. Once it catches something then he goes out like mince meat. Mince meat. You will never see anything that shows that that was a person in the morning,“ laments Mabudafhasi. The impact on workers at the campus is plain. They have been traumatized by the unnecessary death of their comrade. Mabudafhasi says, “To be honest, I am strong but this thing is killing me. I didn’t sleep yesterday. I’m here because I’m strong but I’m not feeling well at all… If I close my eyes I can see that thing happening.“
As a result of the #outsourcingmustfall campaign, workers like Moeti and Mabudafhasi have won salary increases of over 100% from R3,000 to R6,500 with an agreement to increase it further to R10,000 by the end of 2018. The militant activism of GIWUSA trade union organizers, Workers and Socialist Party (WASP) activists and outsourced workers have gained much ground at the University of Pretoria but, as this tragedy shows, there is much work to be done for the strengthening of worker representation and access to workplace rights at this campus and elsewhere. GIWUSA President and WASP leader Mametlwe Sebei explains, “The very fact that they deny these workers their right to union representation is criminal enough firstly because workers are unable to negotiate their health and safety rights and secondly, they cannot be represented during this inquiry owing to lack of trade union representation.”
Workers are demanding the immediate recognition of their union, GIWUSA, by university management including the necessary healthy and safety representation; the immediate suspension of supervisors at their work site as well as legal inquiry into criminal liability of management; an upgrade of the equipment to make it safer including the addition of a belt; certified training in the use of the machinery required to do their work as well as more staff to make sure operations are safe; an increase in salary including hazard pay for operating dangerous machinery; safety equipment including safety trousers, gloves with clips and safety boots for all workers.
GIWUSA organizer, Isaac Malema, says, ‘We are sad by the passing away of one of our own who was chopped by compost making machine. The police have opened a case of inquest and are investigating. The case number of the inquest is 142/11/2017 and the investigation officer is Sergeant Hlongwane of Brooklyn police station. The Department of Labour is also conducting its own investigation. It is almost a week since the incident but no one has been suspended pending the investigation. We met with the family. It was very traumatic and workers received group and individual counseling. May his soul rest in peace.”
The university management has yet to release public comment on the tragic death of a worker at their facility.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, 10 November at the University of Pretoria’s LC De Villiers Campus from 12:00 -14:00.
It's been exactly one year since this massive fire started at the old Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna.
It took days for crews to put out the flames.
All the debris and smoke in the air forced some people who live nearby to leave their homes for several days.
Earlier this fall -- we got our hands on an incident report from the fire... and the cause was still listed as "undetermined".
For the residents of Bethlehem park... the big concern isn't on what happened... but what "will" happen with the long-term effects of the exposure to the smoke and chemicals.
"I think the fear is really for the unknown. For the future, what we're breathing, how long we're going to be breathing it, what they're going to do to resolve it," says Julie Redden, A Lincoln Avenue resident.
That is the big concern that lingers a year after the fire... what will they find out in the future -- as far as what was in that smoke... and what effect will that have on vegetation... water... and of course -- the health of people who live there.
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Light Bulb Sparked Massive Blaze at Former NY Steel Plant Nov 9, 2016 Source: Firehouse.com News
Photo credit: Clayton Kummer
A hot light bulb is blamed for sparking a massive fire that ripped through several buildings at the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna Wednesday morning.
The fire was reported around 7 a.m.
The fire started when the light bulb full onto a pile of combustibles, Fred K. Heinle, director of development for Lackawanna, told the Buffalo News. The building is now used for storing boat and cars.
Flames spread through three buildings, which take up about six city blocks.
Nearby residents were told to shelter in place and burning debris was reportedly falling several miles away.
Residents told the newspaper that they heard several explosions before the roof collapsed.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell W. Whitfield Jr. told the newspaper that most of the building collapsed.
Over 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, including a hazmat team from the Buffalo Fire Department.
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Cause of massive Lackawanna fire 'undetermined,' investigators say By Mark Wozniak • Sep 22, 2017
Ten months worth of investigation into the massive Bethlehem Steel site fire in Lackawanna last November has resulted in an undetermined cause.
Credit WBFO's Avery Schneider
James Otwell, Chief of the Buffalo Fire Investigation Unit, said investigators were unable to detect what started the November 7, 2016 fire, which lasted four days and disrupted area resident and commuter routines.
Otwell said he is highly certain the fire was caused by a broken light bulb as originally reported by authorities. However, no one saw it happen, so it cannot be definitively ruled as the cause of the fire.
Credit WBFO's Avery Schneider
The building on fire was owned by Great Lakes Industrial Development, located in the Steel Works Industrial Park on the former Bethlehem Steel site on Route 5 in Lackawanna. It damaged space occupied by Industrial Materials Recycling, a post-industrial plastics recycler, which grinds discarded plastic products into granular plastic that is sold to manufacturers where the material is recycled into the manufacturing process.
Some 300 homes in Lackawanna's Bethlehem Park neighborhood were evacuated the night of November 10 because of hazardous air quality from the fire. The blaze also affected nearly 20 businesses.
More than 100 firefighters from multiple area fire stations rotated on duty. Federal, state and local agencies, including the ATF, EPA and DEC also assisted.
