In addition to damaging hearing, loud noise can cause other physical stress as well as mental stress.

Workplace Noise: More than just “All Ears”

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Ellen Kerns, MPH, CPH, COHC and Elizabeth Masterson, PhD, CPH, COHC

Noise is everywhere, but how loud does it need to be to cause harm? While many people know that loud noise can hurt their ears, they don’t know how loud is too loud or how long they can listen before it becomes harmful.

• Noise around 85 decibels (dBA) – which is loud enough that you must raise your voice to be heard by someone three feet away (arm’s length) – can damage your hearing after repeated exposures lasting 8 hours or more. Equipment, like printing presses and lawn mowers, and activities like vacuuming, or using earbuds or headphones with the volume set around 70%, all average about 85-90 dBA.
• When noise reaches 95 dBA – which is loud enough that you must shout to be heard by someone at arm’s length – it can put your hearing at risk in less than an hour. Bulldozers, ambulance sirens, chain saws, bars/nightclubs and large sporting events are all louder than 95 dBA.

Noise Can Hurt More Than Your Ears

In addition to damaging hearing, loud noise can cause other physical stress as well as mental stress. Often the short-term effects of such stress go unnoticed or are blamed on other things. These symptoms can range from feeling tired and/or irritable to having temporarily high blood pressure or muffled hearing. Over time, with repeated exposure to loud noise, more lasting conditions can develop, such as hearing loss (a permanent condition), and it is unknown if these exposures may also lead to more lasting cardiovascular conditions, such as high blood pressure.

While it has been established that noise causes hearing loss, there is new research exploring whether noise can also contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Recently, a new NIOSH study, titled “Cardiovascular Conditions, Hearing Difficulty, and Occupational Noise Exposure within U.S. Industries and Occupations,” looked into the relationship between loud noise at work and conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and hearing difficulty. This study found:

• Twenty-two million workers experience loud noise on the job each year.
• Most hearing difficulty cases among workers (58%) were linked to loud noise on the job and could be prevented if the noise was reduced to safe levels.
• Nine percent of high cholesterol and 14 percent of high blood pressure cases among workers could be linked to loud noise on the job.
• Workers with a history of loud noise on the job were less likely to have had their blood pressure or their cholesterol checked.

Fortunately, workplace noise exposure can be reduced and occupational hearing loss entirely prevented with today’s hearing loss prevention strategies and technology. This NIOSH study also highlighted the importance of workers getting screened regularly for hearing loss, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, and the benefits of workplace health and wellness programs. These programs have been shown to have a substantial return on investment, by reducing losses in productivity from disease progression and boosting morale. Workers exposed to loud noise may especially benefit from these programs.

If you want to help get a discussion started please pose a question in the comment section below.
Visit the NIOSH Occupational Hearing Loss Surveillance website for more information, including industry sector-specific statistics on hearing loss, tinnitus, and noise exposure.
Visit the NIOSH Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention website for guidelines and recommendations for employers and workers to help reduce noise exposure at the workplace.

Michael Bruggman, 43, working for Lochridge-Priest, Inc. killed in the Coryell Memorial Gatesville, Texas hospital explosion, which left 15 other workers injured, some critically.

2nd Worker Dies From Injuries in Texas Hospital Explosion
July 2, 2018
 

A second worker has died from an explosion at a Central Texas hospital that left more than a dozen injured.

Police reported the death of 36-year-old Filiberto Morales of Round Rock, Texas, who died June 28 after being injured in an explosion on June 26 at Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville. Police say Morales was working at the construction site.


Authorities have reported that more than a dozen construction workers were hurt from the explosion and that most had burn and blast injuries. Police also identified the first person killed by the explosion as 44-year-old Michael Bruggman of Rogers, south of Temple.

Witnesses said an electric generator inside an uncompleted hospital expansion exploded, spreading shrapnel. Yet, Dave Byrom, the hospital’s chief executive, said the blast possibly started with a gas line. ================================

We are deeply saddened by the event that occurred Tuesday, June 26th, at our job site at Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville, Texas.  Today we are mourning the loss of a valued LPI family member in addition to offering our prayers and support to others who were injured, wishing them a speedy recovery.  Right now, our priority is to provide any manner of support possible to valuable members of LPI, along with their families.  As an active member in the Central Texas community, we take seriously any event that impacts the lives of Central Texans, and we are dedicated to helping our Lochridge-Priest family move forward.

WACO, Texas (KWTX)

A candlelight vigil is scheduled this weekend for Michael Bruggman, 43, of Rogers, the Lochridge-Priest worker killed in the Gatesville hospital explosion, which left 15 other workers injured, some critically.

The vigil begins at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Lakes at Central Pointe at 4001 Central Pointe Parkway in Temple.

A source close to the investigation said Bruggman was installing an air conditioning unit on top of the building at the time of the explosion Tuesday afternoon.

Bruggman was a Temple native who graduated in 1992 from Academy High School and went on to attend Sam Houston State University.

A memorial service for Bruggman begins at 11 a.m. Monday at the Dossman Funeral Home Chapel at 2525 North Main St. in Belton.

Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Five other Lochridge-Priest employees were injured in the explosion, the company said in a press release Thursday.

They and Bruggman were among 15 Lochridge-Priest workers on site at the time of the explosion Tuesday afternoon.

The other nine employees weren't hurt.

Adolfson & Peterson Construction, the general contractor for the project, issued a statement Wednesday in which it said Bruggman and the 15 injured workers were all employees of Lochridge-Priest and were working near the central utility plant building when the explosion occurred.

It wasn’t clear Thursday afternoon by whom the other injured workers are employed.

The company says it’s focused on making sure that its workers and their families are provided with all possible support and is working to determine whether “protocols were followed during this incident.”

“First and foremost, our priority is to provide any manner of support possible to our valued LPI family, along with their loved-ones. As an active member in the Central Texas community, we take seriously any event that impacts the lives of Central Texans, and we are dedicated to helping our Lochridge-Priest family to move forward. Please pray for us,” said Skip Burch, president of Lochridge-Priest, Inc.
================================
Lochridge-Priest, Inc is a family owned and operated company that has served the Central Texas area for over 50 years. We are the largest provider of residential, commercial and industrial heating and air-conditioning services, as well as, plumbing services in Central Texas. We have recently expanded our electrical and building automation service areas. We have our own engineering team and a sheet metal shop, Advanced Sheet Metal. With over 400 employees, we are dedicated to serving your home, business, and industrial comfort needs. We work as a team to deliver best in class service to our customers.

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Officials release name of construction worker who died in Gatesville explosion

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula | Herald staff writer
June 27, 2018

UPDATE 2:30 p.m.: Four of the injured construction workers who initially were sent to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple were transferred to Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, according to a Seton official on Tuesday.

UDPATE 1:15 p.m.: The general contractor for the expansion at Coryell Memorial Hospital confirmed the construction firm on site during Tuesday's explosion as Lochridge-Priest, of Temple.

A representative from Richardson-based Adolfson & Peterson Construction said a crew from Lochridge-Priest was working on site at the time of the incident near the central utility plant where the explosion occurred.

All 15 injured workers and the one man killed during the incident were employed by Lochridge-Priest. There were no reported injuries to Adolfson & Peterson staff.

A representative from Lochridge-Priest declined to comment.

“Our team is deeply saddened by this tragedy and we are working closely with our partners at Coryell Memorial and Lochridge-Priest to provide support during this time," said Corbett Nichter, president of the Gulf States Region of Adolfson & Peterson. "Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those injured and lost.”

___________________________________________________________

Update 11:52 a.m.: Officials released the name of the construction worker who died as Michael Bruggman, 44, of Rogers.

Media outlets are reporting one of the 15 construction workers, Aaron Haveron, was in critical condition Wednesday in Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. He's the pastor of a United Pentecostal Church in Marlin.

Parkland reported one other man injured in the blast was also admitted to the Dallas hospital.

Coryell Memorial Hospital released a phone number, 254-404-2500, for families to reach the hospital.

Ambulance services in Gatesville are running but the emergency room and all other wings of the hospital are still closed. Those in need of emergency services should call 911, and an ambulance can take them to hospitals in Waco or Temple, officials said.

At a press conference at 11:45 a.m., Gatesville Police Chief Nathan Gohlke said "We are focusing the investigation on the debris field in and around the explosion site. We also will be assessing damages to the hospital and nursing home facilities there at that location with full intent of releasing those unaffected portions back to the hospital's control within the very near future."

Structural engineers are at the site today assessing the damage, Gohlke said.

"The outpouring of support for this incident has been incredible, and we certainly want to thank everyone for bringing us food, water toiletries and other needed supplies," Gohlke said.

Gohlke is asking the community to be patient, and wants to bring the hospital and services back on line as soon as possible.

Coryell Memorial Hospital CEO David Byrom said: "I'm surrounded by heroes where I work. It's very impressive."

Byrom described what happened after the blast:

"Probably within five minutes of the event, my staff had that building nearly completely empty. And for the victims of that, our physicians and nurses were already responding, and I had staff that was helping bring folks out of the rubble. They had triage centers set up on the ground. We were working that. "

The triage likely minimized some of the injuries, said, adding, then patients "were transported very rapidly."
Bob Harrell, the Coryell County emergency coordinator, said the hospital's
acute care hospital, emergency room, nursing facility and assisted living
are not open today.
The hospital's home health system and rural health clinic in Goldthwaite are open, he said.
"So our focus is getting those services back on line," he said. "Probably starting with our emergency room, which also means that our lab, radiology departments need to come back online, getting our clinics back open, then certainly focused on bringing our residents home."

Law enforcement from around Central Texas have been busy securing the scene of the explosion as investigators were searching through the rubble Wednesday morning at Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville.

“They’re gathering evidence to find out what happened, and they’re not ready to start cleaning up yet,” said Sgt. David Roberts, Department of Public Safety public information officer, on Wednesday morning.

Roberts said the Gatesville Police Department is taking the lead at the scene and that DPS and other state and federal agencies are in a supporting role.

An explosion ripped through a Coryell Memorial Hospital construction site Tuesday afternoon, killing one and injuring 15 — all construction workers, according to hospital officials. No patients or staff at the hospital were injured. On Tuesday, officials said 12 were injured, but they revised that number to 15 today.

The blast, which was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak, occurred about 2:45 p.m. knocked out power to about 900 homes and businesses in the city and led to the evacuation of the hospital and three on-campus care facilities.

Power was fully restored to the town Tuesday night, with the exception of the hospital, officials said this morning.

Roberts said the investigation will take some time.

“It’s nowhere near the scale of West (fertilizer plant explosion in 2013) but it is still a tragic event so they’ll take their time investigating to ensure they are thorough and come to a proper conclusion,” Roberts said. “The best you can do is support those involved, which is what the Gatesville community is doing.”

Roberts said he saw how the community came together.

“Yesterday I saw a huge outpouring of help by the community,” he said. “People showed up in droves to assist in evacuations and in caretaking roles.”

All patients who were in the hospital were transferred to Goodall-Witcher Hospital in Clifton, according to the Coryell Memorial Hospital Facebook page.

All long-term care and assistant living residents from the Gatesville hospital "have now been placed in the following for temporary care: Hillside Medical Lodge; Lutheran Sunset Ministries, Clifton; and Westview Manor, McGregor,” the post said. “Many of our staff went to join our residents overnight to assist in their care, and provide a source of comfort and consistency.”

“Emergency Medical Services and Coryell Home Health have continued to operate, and DaVita Dialysis will resume treating patients in the morning. The rest of the campus will be closed including; the hospital, Coryell Medical Clinic, and the emergency room (ER),” according to the Facebook page. The dialysis center across the street from the hospital in Gatesville is open, officials said Wednesday.

The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office is involved in the investigation but could not provide details until after the investigation is over, a spokesman said on Wednesday morning.

“They are there to conduct an origin and cause investigation,” said Jerry Hagins, spokesman with Texas Department of Insurance. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is part of the department.
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Lochridge-Priest to review policies, support employees affected by Gatesville Explosion.  Toolate for Michael Bruggman, who was killed in the massive explosion.

"As an active member in the Central Texas community, we take seriously any event that impacts the lives of Central Texans, and we are dedicated to helping our Lochridge-Priest family to move forward," Lochrich-Preist President Skip Burch said. Unless of course they ask for money.






Author: Brandon Gray
Published: 3:34 PM CDT June 28, 2018
Updated: 4:05 PM CDT June 28, 2018

Lochridge-Priest said they are supporting the families and loved ones of their employees affected by Tuesday’s fatal explosion at Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville, the company announced Thursday.

Lochridge-Preist President Skip Burch said their priority is to provide any manner of support possible to their valued LPI family along with their loved ones.

“As an active member in the Central Texas community, we take seriously any event that impacts the lives of Central Texans, and we are dedicated to helping our Lochridge-Priest family to move forward,” Burch said.

The company went on to say in a press release that moving forward, their decisions will focus on ensuring the irreplaceable members of the company, along with their families, are provided with all possible support. The will continue to be active and engaged in the Central Texas community by providing and organizing resources for those affected by the blast, the company stated.

Lochridge-Priest state the nature of their work at times involves inherent risks, which is why safety their top priority.

Fifteen workers were at the scene of the explosion, six being Lochrich-Priest employees. One of the LPI Employees died and the five others were injured. The other workers injured were not LPI employees, a spokesperson said.

The company is currently reviewing all policies to ensure protocols were followed during this incident and are hopeful the investigation findings will aid them in preventing any future accidents.

Tree worker David Bova, 34, with Mayer Tree Service, killed after he fell 50 feet when his harness that attached to a Grove All-Terrain crane snapped in Rowley, Mass.

ROWLEY, Mass. —

A tree worker died Thursday when his safety equipment failed and he fell 50 feet from a tree in Rowley.

David Bova, 34, of Salem, New Hampshire, was working on a crew from Mayer Tree Service at a home on Main Street.



Bova was in a harness in a tree preparing to remove a branch when the harness snapped, officials said.

Bova was taken to Anna Jacques Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.



=======================

The worker fell from a tree outside this house on Main Street in Rowley. (WBZ-TV)

ROWLEY, Mass. (CBS) – 

A man working for a tree service company fell 50 feet out a tree in Rowley Thursday morning and died.

The 34-year-old from Salem, New Hampshire has been identified as David Bova. He was part of a crew from Mayer Tree Service of Andover, Mass. working at a home on Main Street around 8 a.m.


“The man was in the tree preparing to remove a branch when he suddenly fell from approximately 50 feet up. He was transported to Anna Jacques Hospital where he was pronounced dead,” Carrie Kimball Monahan, a spokesperson for the Essex District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement.

Emergency dispatchers at the scene could be heard talking about a severe head injury.

“While foul play is not suspected, the matter remains under investigation,” Kimball Monahan said.


The man’s name has not been made public.

There has been no comment yet from Mayer Tree Service.

According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) records, the company has had some issues with falls in the past, once in 2008 and again in 2011. An OSHA spokesman told WBZ-TV there were no violations or citations in the 2008 incident. In the 2011 inspection, Mayer was cited for one serious violation with a proposed fine of $4,900. However, the company contested OSHA’s findings and the citation and penalty were dropped.

======================

Mayer Picks Grove All-Terrain Cranes for Capacity Tree Service.

Tree removal companies in the United States choose boom trucks to help remove felled trees. However, Mayer Tree Service, Inc. prefers the additional capacity and reach of Grove all-terrain cranes.

Crane Service provided by Mayer Tree Service, Inc. includes:

• Two (2) 150' Cranes
• One (1) 278' Crane
• Professional Consultations
• Hazardous Tree Evaluation and Removal
• Overhead Line Tree Removal
• Emergency Services

About Our Cranes-From Dan Mayer

Dan Mayer, president of Mayer Tree Service, says that although the all-terrain crane is more expensive than a boom truck, he can complete the work quicker and maximize his revenue.

"Using the Grove all-terrain cranes has really increased our production and we haven't had to increase our manpower," he says. "We are able to do more volume with less manpower, and that's what it's all about." Mayer operates two Grove GMK3055 cranes rated with a 60 USt (55 tons) maximum capacity and a maximum main boom of 141 feet. The size and weight of the loads that Mayer picks depends on factors such as the type of tree, where the tree is cut and the distance the crane is from the pick. The majority of picks are in the 3,000 - 4,000 pounds range, but can go up to 7,000 - 8,000 pounds. With so many variables, Mayer says Grove's higher capacity allows more versatility on job sites.

"Because of the Grove's high tip heights we can pick an entire 70 feet (21 meters) pine tree weighing maybe 6,000 pounds (2.7 tons)," he says. "We'll pick it in one piece. It's a lot safer. The guys on the ground just need to make one cut in the tree. Using a bigger crane lowers our exposure and the number of people we need to have off the ground." The GMK3055 has obvious advantages in terms of reach and lift capacity. But it is a larger machine, so some customers may worry about access and ground pressure.

But Dan Mayer says both of these concerns are unfounded. "Everybody thinks the GMK3055 is a big truck, but the footprint is only 20-feet 6-inches between the outrigger pistons," he says. "That's important because we're often in restricted driveways. Other people look at it being heavy and wonder if I destroy many driveways. But actually I don't because of Grove's MEGATRAK suspension, which transfers weight intelligently."

Mayer also points out that the GMK has wider tires so the load spreads over a wider area. The all-wheel drive and crab steering allow it to maneuver into the tightest spots. In fact, Mayer is quick to note that the three-axle GMK3055 actually has a smaller turning circle than his pick-up truck.

Both GMK3055 cranes were supplied to Mayer through local Manitowoc dealer, Shawmut Equipment Company. Because it is relatively unusual to find all-terrain cranes working in arboreal environments, Mayer maintains close communication with his local dealer and it's a relationship that has developed well.

Mayer says the support and service from Shawmut allow him to work the Grove all-terrain cranes hard - and they consistently perform. "I couldn't say enough good things about Shawmut; they give us just incredible support," he says. "We work in a tough environment and we're putting the crane up sometimes four times a day at four different addresses. Our hours are high and the conditions are harsh, with the wood chips and the dusty environment. But sometimes it's just amazing what we get done in the day; the GMKs impress me all the time." Mayer Tree Service is headquartered in Essex, MA. Company owner, Dan Mayer, started the business 11 years ago. Today Mayer runs eight crews with two crews running the cranes. There are between three and four men per crew and 30 people in total at the company. Dan Mayer is also the current president of the Massachusetts Arborists Association.

The Manitowoc Co., Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes, tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. As a leading manufacturer of ice-cube machines, ice/beverage dispensers, and commercial refrigeration equipment, the company offers the broadest line of cold-focused equipment for the food service industry. In addition, the company is a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government, military, and commercial customers throughout the US maritime industry.