OSHA is investigating an incident at Challenge Manufacturing in Holland after worker Scott Howard Teusink, 56, was struck and killed by a coil of steel while working.

The man died several days after being struck by a steel coil.

HOLLAND — Following a workplace accident that resulted in the death of a 56-year-old man, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is investigating an incident at Challenge Manufacturing in Holland.

At 6:38 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, a man was taken to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids after getting hurt at Challenge Manufacturing, located at 1401 S. Washington Ave. According to Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority, the man, identified as Scott Teusink, 56, of Holland, was struck by a coil of steel while working.

Holland Police Department officers and Holland firefighters responded to the scene, along with an AMR ambulance. The ambulance took Teusink to the hospital, and he was conscious when he was taken to the hospital.

Eight days later, Teusink died on Dec. 30 at the Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids with his family by his side. Teusink is the son of well-known Holland High School and Hope College tennis coach Tiger Teusink and Shirley Teusink. He graduated from Holland High School, where he played basketball.

Teusink was a certified emergency medical technician and practiced podiatry medicine in New York City for 25 years before moving back to Holland to be with his family two years ago.

“He was an extremely dedicated individual,” said Tiger Teusink. “He was always a leader and always did his best, and that is all you can ask of someone. That made us really proud.”

According to MIOSHA’s public information officer Jeannie Vogel, Challenge Manufacturing is now under investigation for the workplace fatality, as is standard practice for fatal workplace accidents.

“MIOSHA was notified of this fatality on Jan. 2 and opened an investigation the same day,” Vogel said.

While Vogel was unable to comment on an open investigation, she said this type of investigation may take “several weeks or months to complete.”


Challenge Manufacturing is an automotive parts manufacturer founded in 1981 in Walker. The company has 3,000 employees and manufacturing plants in Walker, Holland, Pontiac, and several other locations throughout the U.S. Challenge Manufacturing did not return several requests from The Sentinel for comment about Teusink’s death.

Teusink’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Christ Memorial Church Chapel at 595 Graafschap Rd and visitation will be from 12:30-2:30 p.m. with a service following visitation.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks people to donate to The Warm Friend senior living community at 5 E. Eighth St. in Holland.

“Obviously we are going to miss him,” said Tiger Teusink. “We don’t get to choose when we go, God makes that decision. We have a strong faith in our family and have tremendous support and love from our family and friends.”

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Scott Howard Teusink

Tuesday, January 02, 2018 11:49 a.m. by Patty Vandenberg

Scott Howard Teusink, DPM, 56, died on December 30, 2017 in the Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids. His family was by his side.

Scott was born April 26, 1961 in Grand Rapids to Tiger and Shirley (Dykstra) Teusink. He was a graduate of Holland High School, De Pauw University, and The Ohio School of Podiatry Medicine, Scott played basketball for Holland High School, where he was selected All-State honors. At De Pauw University, he played basketball, practiced as a certified EMT, excelled in the classroom, and spent a semester in Haiti working with a selected medical team.

Scott practiced Podiatry Medicine in New York City for 25 years working at various clinics. He returned to Holland two years ago to be near his family and was working at a local manufacturing plant.

CSB Releases Final Report into Chemical Release at MGPI Industries; Report Emphasizes Key Safety Lessons to Prevent Future Inadvertent Mixing Incidents

CSB Releases Final Report into Chemical Release at MGPI Industries; Report Emphasizes Key Safety Lessons to Prevent Future Inadvertent Mixing Incidents

Washington D.C., January 3, 2018 - Today the U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its case study titled “Key Lessons for Preventing Inadvertent Mixing During Chemical Unloading Operations,” which examines a mixture of incompatible materials at the MGPI Processing Plant in Atchison, Kansas on October 21, 2016. The mixture resulted in a chemical release containing chlorine and other compounds that traveled into the community. The CSB’s investigation examines several key issues including the design of chemical transfer equipment, automated and remote shut off systems, and chemical unloading procedures. 

The MGPI facility produces distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches. The chemical release occurred when sulfuric acid was inadvertently unloaded from a tanker truck into a fixed sodium hypochlorite tank at the plant. The two materials combined to produce chlorine gas and other by-products that sent over 140 individuals, both workers and members of the public, to area hospitals, and resulted in shelter-in-place and evacuation orders for thousands of local residents.

Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland said, “High risk operations, like the delivery and handling of hazardous chemicals, require strict adherence to safety protocols. An inadvertent mixture can result in a chemical reaction with extremely dangerous consequences. Our findings reaffirm the need for facilities to pay careful attention to the design and operation of chemical transfer equipment to prevent similar events.”

• The CSB’s final report includes 11 key lessons and outlines clear safety improvements that can be implemented at similar facilities across the country.  Among these are facilities should evaluate chemical unloading equipment and processes and implement safeguards to reduce the likelihood of an incident, while taking into account human factors issues that could impact how facility operators and drivers interact with equipment. 
• Facility management should evaluate their chemical transfer equipment and processes and, where feasible, install alarms and interlocks in the process control system that can shut down the transfer of chemicals in an emergency.

Lead Investigator Lucy Tyler added, “Facilities need to work collaboratively with their chemical distributors to conduct a risk assessment and develop and agree upon procedures for chemical unloading to ensure responsibilities are clearly defined.”

The CSB’s investigation found that on the morning of the incident, a tanker truck arrived at the MGPI facility to deliver sulfuric acid. A facility employee escorted the driver to the locked loading dock and unlocked the gate to the fill lines and the sulfuric acid fill line.

But unknown to the operator, the sodium hypochlorite fill line was also unlocked. And the two lines, which were only 18 inches apart, looked similar but were not clearly marked. The driver inadvertently connected his truck’s sulfuric acid hose to the sodium hypochlorite line and sulfuric acid began flowing inside.

As a result of the incorrect connection, thousands of gallons of sulfuric acid from the tanker truck entered the facility’s sodium hypochlorite tank. The resulting mixture created a dense green cloud that traveled northeast of the facility until the wind shifted the cloud northwest towards a more densely populated area of town.

CLICK HERE to view the CSB’s safety video detailing the events leading to the release and featuring interviews by the CSB’s lead investigator and Chairperson.

Chairperson Sutherland said, “Every day facilities throughout the country receive bulk amounts of chemicals by cargo tank motor vehicles. Industry needs to review their own safety practices to ensure that such every delivery is executed safely.”

The CSB’s report issues safety recommendations to the companies involved in the incident as well as the County’s department of emergency management. The recommendations focus on proper guidance regarding unloading procedures, planning, and training for personnel as well as emergency responders. The case study also reiterates an existing recommendation for ventilation guidance for control buildings.

The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency whose mission is to drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment. The agency’s board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical incidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. For more information, contact public@csb.gov. 

Workers exposed to extreme cold or who work in cold environments may be at risk for cold stress and other cold-related illnesses and injuries.

COLD STRESS

Workers who are exposed to extreme cold or work in cold environments may be at risk of cold stress. Extreme cold weather is a dangerous situation that can bring on health emergencies in susceptible people, such as those without shelter, outdoor workers, and those who work in an area that is poorly insulated or without heat. What constitutes cold stress and its effects can vary across different areas of the country. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for cold stress. Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat can more rapidly leave your body. These weather-related conditions may lead to serious health problems.

Working in the Cold

Depending on where you reside and work this season, Old Man Winter might be knocking on your door, bringing you snow, ice, and chilling temperatures. 

For those in warmer areas of the country, it may be difficult to imagine some winter weather extremes. For instance, according to the NOAA National Climate Extremes Committee, the existing record for lowest temperature in the United States was -80°F (-62.2°C) in Prospect Creek, Alaska, in 1971. Luckily, most workers will not encounter conditions quite so extreme.

Workers exposed to extreme cold or who work in cold environments may be at risk for cold-related illnesses and injuries. Susceptible workers, such as those working without shelter, outdoors, or in an area that is poorly insulated or without heat, may be put into a dangerous situation when cold weather prevails. What constitutes cold stress and its effects can vary across different areas of the country. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, even near freezing temperatures can put unaccustomed workers at risk.

Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat can more rapidly leave the body. If workers are unable to keep warm, these cold conditions may lead to serious health problems, such as chilblains, trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia. Hypothermia in particular, can be deadly. If a worker experiences an abnormally low body temperature, the brain is affected, making it difficult or impossible to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is occurring and may be unable to take actions to warm themselves or seek medical care.

There are a few recommendations that employers can follow to protect workers from cold stress:

• Schedule routine maintenance and repair jobs in cold areas for warmer months.
• Schedule cold jobs for the warmer part of the day.
• Reduce the physical demands of workers.
• Use relief workers or assign extra workers for long, demanding jobs.
• Provide warm liquids to workers to consume.
• Provide warm areas for use during break periods.
• Monitor workers who are at risk of cold stress.
• Provide cold stress training that includes information on the following:
  • risk factors
  • prevention
  • symptoms
  • the importance of monitoring yourself and coworkers for symptoms
  • first aid
  • personal protective equipment

In addition, workers should avoid exposure to extremely cold temperatures when possible. When cold temperatures cannot be avoided, workers should follow these recommendations:

• Wear appropriate clothing.
  • Wear several layers of loose clothing. Layering provides better insulation.
  • Tight clothing reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities. When choosing clothing, be aware that some clothing may restrict movement, resulting in a hazardous situation.
• Make sure to protect the ears, face, hands, and feet in extremely cold weather.
  • Boots should be waterproof and insulated.
  • Wear a hat; it will keep your whole body warmer. Hats reduce the amount of body heat that escapes from your head.
• Move into warm locations during work breaks; limit the amount of time outside on extremely cold days.
• Carry cold weather gear, such as extra socks, gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of clothes, and a thermos of hot liquid.
• Include a medical and environmental thermometer and chemical hot packs in your first aid kit.
• Avoid touching cold metal surfaces with bare skin.
• Monitor your physical condition and that of your coworkers.

Stay safe and warm this winter! For additional information on cold stress, visit NIOSH Cold Stress.

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Cold Stress - Cold Related Illnesses

Types of Cold-related Illnesses

Hypothermia | Frostbite| Trench Foot| Chilblains

Hypothermia

When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body's stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. A body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and will not be able to do anything about it.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hypothermia can vary depending on how long you have been exposed to the cold temperatures.

Early Symptoms

• Shivering
• Fatigue
• Loss of coordination
• Confusion and disorientation

Late Symptoms

• No shivering
• Blue skin
• Dilated pupils
• Slowed pulse and breathing
• Loss of consciousness

First Aid

Take the following steps to treat a worker with hypothermia:

• Alert the supervisor and request medical assistance.
• Move the victim into a warm room or shelter.
• Remove their wet clothing.
• Warm the center of their body first-chest, neck, head, and groin-using an electric blanket, if available; or use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets.
• Warm beverages may help increase the body temperature, but do not give alcoholic beverages. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
• After their body temperature has increased, keep the victim dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck.
• If victim has no pulse, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Frostbite

Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in the affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage body tissues, and severe cases can lead to amputation. In extremely cold temperatures, the risk of frostbite is increased in workers with reduced blood circulation and among workers who are not dressed properly.

Symptoms

Symptoms of frostbite include:

• Reduced blood flow to hands and feet (fingers or toes can freeze)
• Numbness
• Tingling or stinging
• Aching
• Bluish or pail, waxy skin

First Aid

Workers suffering from frostbite should:

• Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes-this increases the damage.
• Immerse the affected area in warm-not hot-water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body).
• Warm the affected area using body heat; for example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers.
• Do not rub or massage the frostbitten area; doing so may cause more damage.
• Do not use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.

Trench Foot

Trench foot, also known as immersion foot, is an injury of the feet resulting from prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions. Trench foot can occur at temperatures as high as 60 degrees F if the feet are constantly wet. Injury occurs because wet feet lose heat 25-times faster than dry feet. Therefore, to prevent heat loss, the body constricts blood vessels to shut down circulation in the feet. Skin tissue begins to die because of lack of oxygen and nutrients and due to the buildup of toxic products.

Symptoms

Symptoms of trench foot include:

• Reddening of the skin
• Numbness
• Leg cramps
• Swelling
• Tingling pain
• Blisters or ulcers
• Bleeding under the skin
• Gangrene (the foot may turn dark purple, blue, or gray)

First Aid

Workers suffering from trench foot should:

• Remove shoes/boots and wet socks.
• Dry their feet.
• Avoid walking on feet, as this may cause tissue damage.

Chilblains

Chilblains are caused by the repeated exposure of skin to temperatures just above freezing to as high as 60 degrees F. The cold exposure causes damage to the capillary beds (groups of small blood vessels) in the skin. This damage is permanent and the redness and itching will return with additional exposure. The redness and itching typically occurs on cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes.

Symptoms

Symptoms of chilblains include:

• Redness
• Itching
• Possible blistering
• Inflammation
• Possible ulceration in severe cases

First Aid

Workers suffering from chilblains should:

• Avoid scratching
• Slowly warm the skin
• Use corticosteroid creams to relieve itching and swelling
• Keep blisters and ulcers clean and covered

Cal/OSHA has issued citations to Hadley Date Gardens Inc. of Thermal for serious workplace safety and health violations following a bee swarm that stung and killed tree worker, Gerardo Balbuena.

Cal/OSHA Issues Citations Following Fatal Bee Attack on Tree Worker

San Bernardino—Cal/OSHA has issued citations to Hadley Date Gardens Inc. of Thermal for serious workplace safety and health violations following a bee swarm that stung and killed a tree worker. The incident serves as a reminder that employers must protect tree workers from these types of hazards.

On July 3, 2017, a tree worker was spraying water on date palm fruit from the elevated bucket of a spraying rig when a beehive was disturbed. The bees repeatedly stung the worker, who suffered anaphylactic shock and died at the site.

“Recognized workplace hazards for tree workers include bee and other harmful insect exposure,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. “Employers must identify and evaluate workplace hazards, and provide appropriate personal protective equipment and effective training to their workers.”

Cal/OSHA issued four citations totaling $41,310 in proposed penalties for workplace safety and health violations, two of which were classified as serious accident-related. Hadley Date Gardens, Inc. failed to evaluate the worksite for hazardous bee and insect exposure, and failed to establish appropriate safety protocols, which include providing appropriate personal protective equipment and training that could have prevented this incident.

Cal/OSHA’s Tree Work Safety guidelines specifically cite bee stings as a potentially fatal hazard of which employers must be aware.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, is the division within the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) that helps protect California’s workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace. Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their safety and health programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services. 


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Coroner Identifies Man Who Died Following Bee Stings

 July 04, 2017

Gerardo Balbuena died after going into cardiac arrest following bee stings.

 
Thermal, CA -

The coroner Tuesday released the name of a 49-year-old field worker who died in Thermal after being stung by bees.

He was identified as Gerardo Balbuena of Thermal, the coroner's office reported.

Riverside County firefighters responded at 9:31 a.m. Monday to the area of Avenue 73 and Fillmore Street, where Balbuena was stung while working in a field and began suffering a medical emergency, April Newman of the Riverside County Fire Department said.

Balbuena went into cardiac arrest and firefighters tried to resuscitate him, but he died on the scene, Newman said. It was unclear how many times he was stung.

The exact cause of death remained under investigation.

The family has set up a gofundme page to help with costs.

A 13-year-old girl died and more than 20 others were injured, some critically, from carbon monoxide poisoning in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

PERTH AMBOY, New Jersey (WABC) --

A 13-year-old girl died and at least 35 others were injured in an apparent incident of carbon monoxide poisoning in New Jersey.

It happened on Thursday evening inside a three-story residential building on Fayette Street in Perth Amboy.

The girl was rushed to the hospital, but died.

35 other victims, including 7 officers, were evaluated and treated for CO poisoning. Many of the victims were children, seen passing out and getting lightheaded.

They all lived in a multi-family home.

"I heard the doorbell ring and it was the police and they just went quickly upstairs," said Joshua Coria, a resident. "Then I heard screaming. There was a knock at the door and they told everybody to get out."

Police started to get people who could walk on their own out of the building as quickly as possible. Medics set up a triage on the front lawn.

"We proceeded to evacuate the entire building which required them to kick in several doors, there's 12 apartments in the building," said Chief Roman McKeon, Perth Amboy Police.

Six of the victims were unconscious upon arrival to the hospital. Their conditions are not yet known.

"We immediately knew it was some kind of toxin that was taking everybody over, we knew that if we went in there we would put ourselves in danger, but that's our jobs, that's what we need to do to get the people out to be able to do what we need to do and attempt to save their lives," said Cep. Chief Lawrence Cattano, Perth Amboy Police.

The incident is under investigation as a criminal offense because there were many carbon monoxide detectors in the building that allegedly did not work.

The building is closed at this time.

First responders were present within 60 seconds of the call. They stressed the importance of having working carbon monoxide detectors in your home.



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PERTH AMBOY, NJ -


A 13-year-old girl has died and over 20 more people were sickened in an apparent carbon monoxide poisoning incident in Perth Amboy.

City officials say that several people are in critical condition following the leak. Many more, including some police officers and firefighters, were treated for carbon monoxide exposure.

The incident happened Thursday afternoon at an apartment building located at 185 Fayette St.

The building was evacuated, and residents were taken to a nearby warming shelter due to the frigid temperatures.

Officials say that they have not yet found the source of the carbon monoxide leak. They will go through every appliance inside the building to make sure that it is safe to be inhabited, they say. The building is being ventilated to clear out the fumes.

Ice and snow builtup contributes to facade collapse at the Middlewood Senior Citizens Complex in Nanuet, NY

NANUET, Rockland County (WABC) --

A wall collapsed at a senior complex in Rockland County Thursday.

It happened at the Middlewood Senior Citizens Complex on North Middletown Road in Nanuet.

The wall, part of a breezeway that is a roofed outdoor passage, is believed to have collapsed because of snow and ice buildup on the roof.

No one was injured, but three apartments were evacuated as a precaution.

Inspectors are working to determine if the building is stable. The supervisor believes they will be able to clear two of the apartments shortly, but the third has a large crack in the wall and is pending further study.

The Middlewood Senior Citizens Complex was built in the 1970s.



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Partial roof collapse at senior housing, motor vehicle accidents with snowfall



Section of the roof facade collapsed at this senior housing complex
MID-HUDSON, NY – The first snowstorm of the year on Thursday dumped several inches of the white stuff on the region.

There were several accidents on area roads all day long. The Thruway and Interstate 84 remained open; however, driving conditions were very dangerous. On I-84 in a tractor-trailer skidded off the highway in the area of the Lime Kiln Road exit in East Fishkill.

The high winds tore a façade off an exterior wall at the Middletown senior citizen apartment complex at 80 North Middletown Road in Nanuet to come loose from its foundation. The weight of ice and snow are believed to have contributed to the collapse, Clarkstown Police said.

There were no injuries to any residents.

One apartment was determined to be uninhabitable and that resident was placed in a hotel until repairs can be made.

High winds resulted in the Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge speed limit being reduced to 35 mph and empty box trucks were prohibited earlier.