MEC&F Expert Engineers : 08/23/18

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Instructor and student pilot died after their 1968 Champion 7KCAB plane operated by Three Point Partners, Inc. of Santee, CA crashed in a rugged area in Descanso, California





Wreckage of small plane discovered in Descanso 


August 23, 2018


SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - 


The wreckage of a small plane has been discovered in Descanso. It was found in the area of Conejos Valley Road Thursday.

The single engine plane was supposed to land at Gillespie Field Wednesday night, but never did.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department says they found wreckage of the missing plane in a rugged area in Descanso.

When the plane didn’t arrive at Gillespie Field, the Sheriff’s Department aired an overdue aircraft advisory message, which gave the tail number as #N1682G with two people on board, possibly a student and instructor.

Just before 9 pm Wednesday night, Gillespie Field reported to Sheriffs that the single-engine Champion CH7B plane had fallen off radar. Sheriffs dispatched their helicopter to start searching for the plane along its flight plan.

Around 1:30 Thursday morning they found what could be possible plane wreckage in a rugged area of Descanso, near three sisters Falls. The area is near 17 miles north-east of the airport.

Once the sun came out, it was clear that, that was the plane that crashed, with two people on board.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating. Neither agency identified the people involved in aircraft accident.



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Narrative:
The missing plane crashed under unknown circumstances. The aircraft was discovered by rescuers in a rugged area the day after at 01:30 LT.
The both occupants, possibly a student and instructor, were found dead.

Sources:
http://www.cbs8.com/story/38946448/wreckage-of-small-plane-discovered-in-descanso
___________________________
https://fr.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N1682G
Date: 22-AUG-2018
Time:

Type:
Champion 7KCAB
Owner/operator: Three Point Partners INC
Registration: N1682G
C/n / msn: 137
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: near three sisters Falls, Descanso,CA - United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature: Training
Departure airport:

Destination airport: Gillespie Field 


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

This plane had been involved in another crash in 2008.  Here is the NTSB report.


NTSB Identification: MIA08CA095
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, April 23, 2008 in Alexander City, AL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/28/2008
Aircraft: Champion 7KCAB, registration: N1682G
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
 
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot stated that he was conducting a personal flight with the owner of the airplane. The owner did not have any flight time in make and model. The airplane had a pre-buy inspection conducted two days before the accident and no anomalies were noted. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection before the flight and no anomalies were noted. The pilot and the owner departed on runway 36 and remained in a left closed traffic pattern. The pilot made a three-point landing in the first 1,000 feet of the runway, and was on the landing roll out, when the tailwheel started to shimmy. He applied forward pressure on the control stick and raised the tailwheel off the runway. The shimmy ceased and the pilot applied aft pressure on the control stick and lowered the tail wheel onto the runway. The airplane immediately veered to the right. The pilot applied left brake and rudder, but the airplane continued to the right off the right side of the runway and collided with a ditch. The right main landing gear separated and the right wing received structural damage. Examination of the airplane revealed the right spring on the tailwheel control had separated from the rudder and the tailwheel attachment. The tailwheel spring was located about 20 feet off the right side of the runway and there was no visible damage to the tailwheel spring or the upper and lower attachments points. The previous owner stated that he informed the new owner of the tendency for the tailwheel to shimmy during the three-point landings.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
  • The separation of the right tail wheel spring on landing roll out for undetermined reasons, resulting in a loss of directional control and collision with a ditch.

OSHA has cited Sperry & Rice LLC for 44 safety and health violations at its rubber and plastic manufacturing plant in Killbuck, Ohio. The company faces penalties totaling $400,775







U.S. Department of Labor Finds 44 Safety and Health Violations After Inspection of Ohio Manufacturing Facility


KILLBUCK, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Sperry & Rice LLC for 44 safety and health violations at its rubber and plastic manufacturing plant in Killbuck, Ohio. The company faces penalties totaling $400,775.

OSHA inspected the facility in response to a complaint, and cited Sperry & Rice LLC for failing to provide newly hired employees with information on the use and safe handling of hazardous chemicals. OSHA also cited the company for failing to provide adequate machine guards, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, and fall protection; exposing employees to electrical safety, and tripping hazards; and failing to train workers on lockout/tagout procedures to prevent machines from unintentionally starting.

“Employees are at increased risk when they are not adequately trained and effective safety and health procedures are not implemented,” said OSHA Columbus Area Office Director Larry Johnson. “Employers are required to train employees on their first day about on-the-job hazards and safe handling procedures, and provide personal protective equipment to keep them safe.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov


Sperry & Rice LLC, is an American company that extrudes rubber, sponge rubber and plastic. We specialize in cost effective solutions in profile extrusions and hose for the appliance, automotive, construction, and truck & bus industries. We manufacture parts that meet or exceed your requirements and do it cost effectively through part design assistance, in-house tooling, rubber mixing and compound development, state-of-the-art extrusion and molding equipment, and complete fabrication capability.

Sperry & Rice LLC has been in the rubber, sponge and plastic business since the 1940’s. We are proud to offer innovative engineering solutions, advanced manufacturing processes, and comprehensive quality controls to produce precision rubber and cellular components.

Sperry & Rice LLC specializes in products for the following industries:

Unique to the industry, Sperry & Rice LLC raises the bar on quality by controlling the manufacturing process from start to finish, beginning with helping our customers identify their needs and make any recommendations which in our experience will assist in delivering your expectations.

Sperry & Rice LLC is diversified in the industries we serve. We consistently produce high-quality components according to the exact specifications of our clients. We have the capability to customize products with our in-house mixing, compounding and custom rubber formulations. In addition, our rubber lab testing facilities, and statistical process controls throughout the processes ensure you receive the highest quality parts available. We utilize the latest technology, and tooling in all aspects of our process to make sure your project is on time and meets your specifications.

OSHA has cited National Material Company LLC for failing to protect workers from tip-over hazards after an employee, Andrew Cooper, 56, died at the steel supply plant in Mansfield, Ohio.






U.S. Department of Labor Cites Ohio Steel Supplier After Employee Fatally Struck at Mansfield Plant


MANSFIELD, OH – 


The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited National Material Company LLC for failing to protect workers from tip-over hazards after an employee suffered fatal injuries at the steel supply plant in Mansfield, Ohio. OSHA cited the steel supplier for one willful violation, and proposed the maximum penalty allowed by law of $129,336.

Investigators determined that six steel coils - weighing approximately 1,775 pounds each - struck the employee after the coils tipped while being moved. Three other instances of coils tipping over occurred at the plant in the past two years. No injuries resulted from those incidents.

“Employers are required to ensure safe work procedures in their facilities,” said OSHA Toledo Area Office Director Kimberly Nelson. “This tragedy could have been avoided if the company had changed its coil transfer procedures after experiencing this serious hazard in the recent past.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970,employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.


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(Photo: Brian Smith/News Journal)

National Material employee who died Friday identified
Emily Mills, Reporter 


February 26, 2018


MANSFIELD, Ohio - 


An employee who died while working at National Material Company on Friday morning has been identified.

Corporate manager Robert Wisdom said Andrew Cooper, 56, was working with a large roll of steel that fell on top of him, according to a police report on the incident.

Wisdom reported Cooper was injured, but by the time the Mansfield Fire Department arrived, "(Cooper) had succumbed to his injuries," according to the police report.

"There was an industrial accident," a police dispatcher said Friday afternoon.

The call for the incident came to dispatchers at 9:06 a.m. Friday, the dispatcher said. Police, paramedics and the Richland County coroner responded to the scene.

National Material is at 101 Cairns Road, near Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport.

According to its website, the Chicago-based company primarily produces metal products for various industries.

Air Force left hazardous waste in Idaho landfill owned by Idaho Waste Systems - and needs to fix it, lawsuit claims



Air Force left hazardous waste in Idaho landfill - and needs to fix it, lawsuit says


By Cynthia Sewell And Nate Poppino

csewell@idahostatesman.com

npoppino@idahostatesman.com


August 22, 2018 06:59 AM


Almost everyone agrees on this: Early last year, a shipment of hazardous waste was taken from Mountain Home Air Force Base to a municipal landfill on Simco Road.

But discussion of who’s at fault for the prohibited shipment has devolved into disagreements, pointed fingers and now, a lawsuit.

In the midst of it all, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is working out how the base and a contractor it hired will address the now-buried waste.


The company that owns the landfill, Idaho Waste Systems, sued the Air Force and two contractors this spring in a bid to force action. “Hopefully, we can get this thing resolved to everybody’s benefit,” said Jack Yarbrough, the company’s president.
Today's top news by email

Even the exact amount of hazardous waste involved is in dispute. Idaho Waste Systems’ lawsuit cites an early estimate of 4,000 pounds — 2 tons — of hazardous materials that made it into the landfill. DEQ used that figure as well, but now agrees with the lead contractor’s much smaller assessment of 371 pounds of improperly buried waste, said Albert Crawshaw, waste and remediation manager in DEQ’s Boise regional office.

Specifically, the waste contained hexavalent chromium, a trace metal that in this particular form can cause cancer and at certain concentrations is considered dangerous. The chromium was mixed in the powdery remains of floor coatings removed from one building of the Air Force base.

The Simco landfill is only licensed for municipal solid waste and cannot accept any hazardous waste.
The floor project and the waste shipment

According to court documents and public records obtained from DEQ, in 2016 the Air Force contracted with ProTech Coatings of Salt Lake City to remove and replace chemical-resistant urethane floor coatings in three large buildings at the base. The work created 24,360 pounds of debris, which was placed into plastic bags and deposited into dumpsters at the project site.

The waste was tested for one hazardous substance, lead. Meanwhile, ProTech on Feb. 8, 2017, had Glenns Ferry-based Snake River Rubbish empty the dumpsters and deliver all of the waste to the Simco landfill.

The Air Force received the test results March 1: Lead levels were within proper limits, but high enough to merit additional hazmat testing. A followup test March 7 found material from one of the buildings contained chromium, which at certain concentrations is considered hazardous waste.

An Air Force environmental manager reported the possible contamination to DEQ. Crawshaw responded the next day, saying since the Air Force generated the waste, it had to contact Idaho Waste Systems and “schedule the immediate removal of the hazardous waste” because the landfill was not permitted to handle it.

Another 10,000 tons of municipal solid waste was added to the dump site before the contamination’s discovery, the documents state.

“The initial response from DEQ is ‘you need to identify the waste and remove it,’ “ Crawshaw told the Statesman. “That was before this process.”

DEQ investigated and found the Air Force and ProTech had violated four environmental rules involving the determination, accumulation and reporting of hazardous waste, and illegal disposal of such waste. It issued the pair a notice of violation in March 2018, with combined fines of $15,605.



Snake River Rubbish was given a warning letter for not having proper documentation. Crawshaw in April 2017 recommended the state also give Idaho Waste Systems a notice of violation, but no final decision appears to have been made on that.



This image, from a report commissioned by Idaho Waste Systems, shows a satellite view of the company’s Elmore County landfill and the section where chromium waste was buried in early 2017.
Olympus Technical Services/Idaho Waste Systems, via DEQ
What will be done with the chromium now?

In a March 23, 2018, staff report, DEQ said it agreed with an Air Force proposal to leave the waste in place. The regulator said removing the contamination could cause more problems than it would solve: if workers could even find all of the powder, holes drilled during the search could break the landfill’s protective liner, and gases released in the process could start a fire.

Meanwhile, the other parties hired their own experts and attorneys. ProTech, in particular, argued the chromium waste didn’t actually violate standards to begin with, citing the fact that it was combined with another building’s waste in the same dumpster. DEQ officials rejected this approach.

The Air Force told ProTech in June 2017 that it planned to hold the contractor liable for any penalties and fallout because it didn’t wait for the test results before disposing of the waste.



And Idaho Waste Systems, in a series of emails, insisted DEQ share more information and do more to force a cleanup in line with Crawshaw’s initial response.



“It appears to IWS that MHAFB may be attempting to influence the IDEQ to lower the costs of assessment and clean up of the hexavalent chromium, for the benefit of MHAFB and at the direct prejudice and expense of IWS,” Yarbrough wrote April 17, 2017. “This will not be acceptable.”

The Statesman was unable to get comment from the Air Force or ProTech. But Yarbrough said in an interview that he’s concerned about the incident’s long-term effects.

“We’re probably going to have to continue to monitor it for years,” he said. “... It’s obviously decreased the value of the landfill.”

He spoke highly of DEQ — and of local Air Force authorities, whom he said initially took full responsibility for the mistake. But he shared “frustration” over how the process has evolved, particularly once Air Force higher-ups back East became involved.

“There’s currently no one in the government communicating to me or Idaho Waste Systems any interest in resolving this problem,” Yarbrough said while discussing the Air Force.
The landfill’s lawsuit

On May 23, 2018, Idaho Waste Systems sued the Air Force, ProTech and Snake River Rubbish. The lawsuit relies heavily on Crawshaw’s initial email, and claims the defendants have neglected any effort to fix “the environmental contamination which they have caused.”

The landfill operator makes one additional claim: that the defendants broke federal environmental law through “(a) ‘release’ of hazardous substances ... into the soils and groundwater at or around the IWS Site.” It’s unclear whether the company is claiming chromium escaped the landfill; when asked about this claim, Yarbrough replied, “I think I’ve said just about as much as I can say.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has no record of any violations at Idaho Waste Systems since 2016, a spokesman said. According to the lawsuit, Idaho Waste Systems plans to notify the EPA of its claims, a procedural step with this kind of lawsuit.

Everyone Idaho Waste Systems sued has since responded in court, uniformly denying the claims and blaming any damages on other parties. The Air Force filed a counterclaim, arguing that the federal law Idaho Waste Systems cites makes the landfill operator liable for any soil and groundwater contamination.

Yarbrough wants recovery of all the costs he’s incurred investigating the problem. Those include hiring an attorney, getting an expert from Boise to examine cleaning up the site, and expenses of changing his business practices to avoid further burying the chromium waste.

He’s worried by the idea of leaving the chromium where it is for safety: “And I guess the point is, safer for who?” he asked.

But he repeatedly emphasized his faith in state regulators, and said his lawsuit is a necessary step to get things moving.

“IDEQ is a top-notch state organization, and they’re pretty sharp on these sort of things,” Yarbrough said. “So we’re just going to proceed with this lawsuit and try to come out with a reasonable solution.”

Seven people were taken to local hospitals following carbon monoxide release into the ventilation system at a Walmart store in Greenville County, South Carolina




GREENVILLE, S.C. —

Firefighters and sheriff's deputies are investigating a gas leak at a Walmart in Greenville County.

Crews were stripping floors inside the Walmart on White Horse Road late Tuesday when several people reported feeling ill.


A propane tank being used sent high levels of carbon monoxide into the store's ventilation system, spreading the gas throughout the store.

The Walmart was quickly evacuated.

Seven people were sent to the hospital. There is no word on their conditions.

Firefighters stayed at the scene until about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday when they deemed it was safe to go back inside the store.

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




7 hospitalized after gas leak at Greenville Walmart


Elizabeth LaFleur, The Greenville News 


August 22, 2018



Seven people were taken to local hospitals following a gas leak at a Walmart store in Greenville County on Tuesday night.

Berea Fire Department was called to the Walmart on White Horse Road for an odor investigation around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday.


Upon arrival, firefighters called HAZMAT to respond to the scene, according to a representative of the Berea Fire Department.

The HAZMAT team cleared the building.

The situation was cleared overnight.

The cause of the odor has not been released.

This was the second gas call in Greenville County overnight. A gas leak shut down part of Main Street late Tuesday.

Recent explosions, fires and other incidents at cannabis cultivation facilities have caused concern









Recent safety incidents at US cannabis cultivation facilities have caused concern at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) autumn meeting. ‘I have a level of professional and personal concern about this new-born industry – while marijuana has been around a long time, at the industrial production level it is an infant,’ stated Neal Langerman, a safety consultant and founder of Advanced Chemical Safety in California, during a session of the 256th American Chemical Society meeting in Boston, US on 20 August.

In July, there were reports that 16 employees at a large cannabis cultivation facility, Copperstate Farms, in Arizona sought emergency medical attention following a spill of the commercial greenhouse cleaner Strip-It. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has now inspected the facility and sanctions could follow.

Earlier this month, there was also an explosion at the Arizona Development Services cannabis facility that was caused by ‘improperly stored hazardous materials’, according to the Casa Grande Dispatch.

‘These were not home-grown idiots,’ remarked Langerman, a corporate liaison to the ACS’s committee on chemical safety. ‘These were industry sites.’ He also referred to an assessment by Colorado researchers that found that there was ‘an imminent need to establish formal health and safety training to implement best practices’ across the cannabis industry.

Andrew Pham, the new chairman of the ACS’s cannabis chemistry subdivision, also expressed concern that the safety aspects of the rapidly expanding legal cannabis are being ‘pushed aside’. ‘What are the real repercussions, and are there any real dangers to public safety that we have to consider with cannabis being legalized?’ asked Pham, who is scientific director at BelCosta Labs, a cannabis testing lab in California.

Since recreational marijuana was legalized in California in November 2016, there has been a ‘huge increase’ in the number of arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) of that drug, according to Pham. ‘This is near and dear to my heart,’ he said, having testified as an expert witness in more than 20 such DUI cases in San Diego County, mostly for the public defender’s office.

In the US, there is a legal limit for blood alcohol when driving a car but there isn’t an equivalent for cannabis. ‘There is no breathalyser for THC [the psychoactive compound in cannabis],’ Pham said. The closest thing is a blood test, which is typically administered about two hours after a suspect is arrested. This is problematic because these tests are for THC and its metabolites, but a person’s THC blood level generally peaks quickly after consumption and then drops rapidly within 20 minutes.

Since THC is lipophilic, it is distributed into fatty tissues rather than staying in the bloodstream. Therefore, if two people take an identical amount of cannabis the person with a higher BMI will have less THC in their bloodstream than someone with a lower BMI. This makes it particularly challenging to develop a sensible law to prevent people from driving after taking cannabis. ‘I like to science my way out of most problems, but this is one that is really difficult to do,’ Pham said.

Pham suggested that possible solutions to achieve a limit for cannabis intoxication that’s comparable to alcohol include establishing clear legal THC limits, field-testing a device to measure levels of the drug, as well as validating a sobriety test for THC intoxication.


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Growing Worker Safety Concerns in the Medical Marijuana Industry

Print ST. PAUL, Minn. –  To date, 30 states and the District of Columbia now allow marijuana use for medical and/or recreational use. Additionally, 16 more states have also legalized the inclusion of cannabidiols (CBDs) to be used in various forms. However, each state handles the relevant cannabis industry production safety and health issues for workers in this emerging agricultural and retail industry differently*.
Moreover, as more marijuana grow operations open, there are a growing number of workers who are being employed in cannabis production. Have you assessed the hazards as well as health and safety risks that your workers might be exposed to and what personal protective equipment (PPE) may be able to keep them safe? Let’s explore this issue.

Historical Overview

Marijuana was first regulated as a taxable substance under the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. In 1970, Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act that classified cannabis as a Schedule 1 narcotic, which made possession and use federally illegal. Then, in 1996, voters in California ratified Proposition 215, which granted legal access in that state to marijuana for medical purposes. Since then, many other states have visited the marijuana legalization issue. Although marijuana is still prohibited under federal law as a Schedule 1 narcotic, it is not widely being enforced by federal officials in any of the 30 states/localities and the District of Columbia where marijuana legalization and/or decriminalization legislation has passed.
Historically, the illicit nature of marijuana often led people to try to grow it in rooms with poor ventilation and no windows to prevent detection. These practices created dangerous safety conditions with potentially hazardous health effects on growers and cultivators. Yet, these concerns can still exist today for legal indoor marijuana producers who are not aware of the proper health and safety precautions they should be taking to protect their workers.
Guidelines about how to deal with and handle marijuana were traditionally drafted to help protect law enforcement who came across marijuana during drug raids. These policies typically do not address how to protect against cannabis production safety hazards that come from prolonged exposure and continuous handling, such as those that workers in grow farms, retail clinics and storefronts might be expected to face.
Harvesting Hemp Infographic

Cannabis Industry Production Safety – The Hazards

Local and state government entities, as well as grow operation owners, are recognizing a need across many states to have better health and safety protocols and programs to protect workers in the marijuana industry. For instance, issuing guidelines about care, handling and protection might address any of several hazards workers may encounter, such as:
  • Respiratory, eye and dermal exposures to 8-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) while handling plant buds
  • Exposures to different pesticides and fertilizers used for certain strains of the plants
  • Excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure from grow lamps used in indoor facilities for the vegetative states and flowering cycles
  • Disproportionate carbon dioxide (CO2) exposure in greenhouses calibrated to optimize growing environments
  • Accidental carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) exposure from CO2 producing devices used to help promote plant growth
  • Burn and shock risks resulting from the improper wiring of grow lamps and other equipment, including butane extraction
  • Cuts, nicks, scrapes that may occur while harvesting the buds, flowers and other elements of the plant
  • Pinches, carpal tunnel and repetitive stress injuries of shears and gardening equipment during harvesting
  • Mold exposure related to indoor growing operations caused by improper ventilation
  • Heat-stress from working in outdoor facilities, especially greenhouses
Interest in the chemical properties of cannabinoids (CBN) and CBDs, different strains of the Cannabis Indica and Sativa subspecies as well as the demand for hemp products, such as edibles, have increased to an all-time high. As this industry grows and more workers become involved in the marijuana production industry, there is an increased risk of these types of injuries and exposure to industrial hazards.
Harvesting Marijuana

Resources for OHS Actions of Cannabis Production

Many of the same principles associated with the agricultural production apply to the cannabis industry production safety. That said, several sources have created information customized to cannabis.
For example, Colorado currently has the most licensed dispensaries and grow operations in the US with more than 1,000 legally registered entities. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment published a comprehensive guide for developing a worker health and safety program.
In addition, Washington State also has many resources that can help producer/growers as well as processors and retailers with establishing cannabis industry production safety protocols. As its website points out, “Preventive efforts make good business sense when you begin to consider the possible costs associated with a tragic accident.”
Overall, a lack of information about what equipment is needed, how to protect your workers and how to put these programs in place has been a chief complaint from stakeholders in this emerging industry. As noted earlier, Washington and Colorado are leading the OHS charge on the government side so far. In addition, the Technical Service team at 3M is another resource that can help evaluate EHS issues in your operation and provide suggestions to help you run a safe operation.

Personal Protective Equipment Considerations for Cannabis Employees

There are several types of PPE and programs that can be put in place to help protect the health and safety of marijuana growing, production and retail workers. Check out our infographic that outlines legal cannabis growing operation hazards and health risks as well as PPE that may be able to help protect workers.
For instance, different types of respirators may be needed to help protect against the short and long-term exposure to the plants, mold or pesticides. 3M has a Center for Respiratory Protection that offers a free online guide, education, information and step-by-step tools to help companies assess their respiratory protection needs and establish a respiratory protection program. (Check out our blog discussing tips on how to implement and successfully document a respiratory program generally.) Again, the state of Washington does provide guidance about respiratory air quality and odor controls that growers should take into account. You should check with your jurisdiction’s clean air regulations and agencies that issue rules to make sure you are in compliance and protecting your workers.
Additionally, safety eyewear and safety sun wear can help protect from sun, UV grow lamps, pesticides, other chemicals, and debris while cultivating, harvesting and processing. Gloves, protective clothing, and eye protection can help prevent injury while cultivating, as well as the harm that can result from contact with the plants and pesticides. Installing monitors for detection of dangerous levels of carbon dioxide and monoxide should also be a priority for indoor and hydroponic operations.
We encourage you to download our Tech Service Bulletin 249: Legal Cannabis Growing Operations, which discusses what types of PPE can be used to help protect from some of the most common the hazards.
Being proactive can help build a culture of safety and help workers be more productive and prevent injury. Contact us today to learn how we can help you protect your workers.
*Note: Cannabis growing or use may not be legal in your jurisdiction; always follow all applicable laws and regulations.

Road worker Jacqueline E. Ohly died as she was helping to install cable guide rails along Interstate 90 in Harborcreek, PA when she was struck by drunk driver 19-year-old Erie resident Eric M. West



26-year-old Jacqueline Ohly died as she was preparing to install guide rail wires as a contracted worker for PennDOT. The driver left the scene but was later identified as 19-year-old Eric West, of Erie. Police are alleging that West was over the legal limit for alcohol when he crashed into Ohly in a 2010 Buick. Police believe he left the scene despite heavy damage to the vehicle and traveled toward Corry before being apprehended

 Construction worker killed by drunken hit-and-run driver


Updated: August 22, 2018 07:01 AM CDT


HARBORCREEK, Pa. - 


Authorities say a man was driving drunk when he struck and killed a Wisconsin woman who was working at a construction site in western Pennsylvania.

Jacqueline Ohly was helping to install cable guide rails along Interstate 90 in Harborcreek when she was struck around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The 26-year-old Stevens Point resident was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

An autopsy determined that she died from multiple blunt-force trauma.

Authorities say the driver, 19-year-old Erie resident Eric West, fled the scene but was captured about 30 minutes later in Cory.

West faces several charges, including involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence. He was being held without bond, and It wasn't known Wednesday if he's retained an attorney.


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By Tim Hahn

August 22, 2018



The woman was working on a construction project when she was hit by a vehicle and killed Tuesday morning.

A 19-year-old Erie man was charged with involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle while driving drunk in the death of a female construction worker along Interstate 90 in Harborcreek Township Tuesday morning.

The driver, Eric M. West, was taken into custody after authorities stopped him along Route 89 in an area of Erie County covered by state police in Corry on Tuesday morning, according to state police. He was apprehended about a half-hour after state police issued an alert to law enforcement agencies in the Erie region to be on the lookout for the suspected hitting vehicle, which was described by witnesses as a tan Buick LeSabre.

The alert was issued roughly 30 minutes after the accident was reported at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday on I-90 eastbound near Exit 35, the Harborcreek exit. Authorities reported that a pedestrian had been struck, and the pedestrian was on the roadway and was not breathing. The first emergency crews to arrive on scene reported that the pedestrian was deceased.

Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook identified the pedestrian as Jacqueline Ohly, 26, of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:23 a.m., Cook said.


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Guide Rail Safety Work Suspended After Contractor Killed By Hit and Run Driver
Contractor killed by hit and run driver while working on safety guide rail project on Interstate 90 for Penndot
Tuesday, August 21st 2018



State Police have arrested Eric Matthew West, 19 of Erie and charged him in a homicide by vehicle case. They also suspect he was driving under the influence when he hit and killed a young construction worker on Interstate 90 in Harborcreek Township Tuesday morning.

According to investigators, Jacqueline Ohly, 26 of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, was working with her father on a project to install cable barriers on the median side of the interstate. Penndot District One Acting Press Official Jill Harry said they are mourning the loss. "You know, even though it wasn’t one of our employees, it was still part of our Penndot family," Harry said, "so you know everyone is kind of taken back and it really puts a spotlight on the importance that everyone places on safety."

Work began last week to install the cable barriers on a twelve and a half mile stretch of I-90 from Exit 30 to the New York state line. The idea is to prevent any drivers who lose control from heading through the grassy median and into the other lanes of traffic.

Coroner Lyell Cook says Ohly was wearing proper safety gear, vest and helmet when she was hit and killed by West. He was expected to be arraigned after investigators conferred with the district attorney on the charges.

An autopsy was completed as required by law for an employee killed while on the job working for the state.
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Ohly Jacqueline


Junction City - Jacqueline E. Ohly, 26, Junction City, traveled home Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Erie, Pennsylvania, as a result of an accident.

She was born Sept. 18, 1991, in Fort Polk, Louisiana, the daughter of, Vicki (Shirek) Landwer, Marshfield, and Dad, Robert Landwer, Junction City, (biological father, Walter Ohly).

Jackie was our gypsy -hippy, from her tattoos, to her piercings, to her dreadlocks. She was our loving and fun "one of a kind". Jackie was a hard, dedicated construction worker who could drive a skid steer better than any man. She was doing exactly what she loved. Her smile and free spirit was loved by everyone who knew her. Her love was construction work with her Dad Rob and learning the ropes to become the first female supervisor. She adored animals, music, potatoes whenever they were served at family functions, she never laughed without a snort. She also loved Star Wars, her family, especially her little brother, Nathan, and the love of her life, Alec.

A construction worker died after falling from the roof a two-story home under construction in McLean, Virginia








MCLEAN, Va. (ABC7) —



A construction worker died after falling from the roof of a two-story home under construction in McLean on Wednesday.

Police are calling the unidentified worker's death "accidental."  It appears that the roofer did not have the appropriate harness to prevent his death.

The incident occurred in the 6500 block of Chesterbrook Road. Police say an investigation is underway.

At least 1 person died, multiple people injured after a truck, operated by a company called Racing Transport, failed to stop and plowed through nine vehicles in the southbound lanes of Route 1 in Edison, New Jersey






Several hurt in deadly chain-reaction wreck on Route 1, officials say
Updated Aug 22, 11:55 PM; Posted Aug 22, 9:16 PM





By Noah Cohen

ncohen@njadvancemedia.com

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

At least five people - including two children - were hurt in a fatal chain-reaction crash involving eight vehicles on Route 1 in Edison during the Wednesday evening rush hour, officials said.

One motorist suffered "potentially life-threatening injuries" in the the wreck, which occurred around 5:20 p.m. on the southbound highway near Prince Street, police spokesman Lt. Robert Dudash said in a statement.

Andrea Boulton, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, confirmed the crash was fatal, but did not immediately release more details.

The prosecutor's office was responding to investigate, the spokeswoman said.

The crash involved a tractor-trailer and minivan along with six other cars. Edison firefighters cut apart five badly damaged cars to free trapped drivers, township officials said in the statement.

"Many of the people removed from those vehicles sustained cuts, scrapes and complained of legs, back and shoulder pain," said Edison Fire Department Capt. Andy Toth.

Prosecutor's office investigators, the Middlesex County hazardous materials unit, state Department of Transportation and local emergency responders remained at the scene Wednesday night.



The highway was blocked from Main to Prince Street, according to an alert from police.

====================================
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 11:37PM
EDISON, New Jersey (WABC) --

Multiple people were injured and several cars were seriously damaged in a multi-vehicle crash in New Jersey Tuesday night.

The incident was reported in the southbound lanes of Route 1 in Edison just before 5:30 p.m.

Officials said a tractor-trailer lost control and caused a crash with at least nine other vehicles.

Seven people, including two children, were injured and taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. At least one person was critically injured.

"From the information I got from my daughters, my wife said oh my God, and that was it. It was all chaos after that," said Paul Castignetti, the husband of one of the victims.

His wife Victoria and their two teen daughters were in a minivan when the tractor-trailer crunched into it and spun them around. The girls were cut up, but OK. Victoria, however, is in critical condition.

"She has bleeding on the brain, a couple of rib fractures, that's really all I know so far," said Castignetti.

The accident happened at the height of rush hour on Route 1. "We were all stopped at the red light and this tractor trailer just didn't stop," said 19-year-old Austin Brooks, who was in one of the cars.

"And it was just a domino effect of cars you know spinning around," he said. "And next thing I know I get hit really hard from behind and then we spin out and next thing I realize I'm face first in the median."

The truck, operated by a company called Racing Transport, plowed through nine vehicles before it finally stopped. The driver also went to the hospital, where he was facing questions from Edison police.

"Some of the people in this accident I could just say it was very very bad scene," said Brooks.

"It's crazy. You never know day to day, you never know what life's gonna bring you," said Castignetti.

All southbound lanes were closed after the crash and traffic was diverted onto Amboy Avenue.



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


By Tracie Strahan
August 23, 2018
NBC.com


At least one person is dead and six others, including children, were hurt in a tractor-trailer chain-reaction crash on a New Jersey highway, officials say.

The mangled wreck happened around 5:30 Wednesday evening on Route 1 in Edison, according to authorities.

One person is dead and six other people were injured when the driver of the big rig lost control and slammed into at least nine other cars. The extent of the injuries were not immediately clear late Wednesday.

Chopper 4 over the scene shows the tractor-trailer on the road with several wrecked cars strewn around it, including one that is nearly unrecognizable.

The area of Route 1 around the wreck was closed for hours, but has since reopened. It's still unclear what caused the truck driver to lose control.


tree crashed onto the home of Elizabeth Dobies at 80 Crestwood Road in Rocky Point, trapping her and her family until help arrived.











Wednesday, August 22, 2018


ROCKY POINT, Long Island (WABC) -- 


A family on Long Island was briefly trapped inside their home Wednesday morning after a tree came crashing down onto it.

The enormous tree crashed onto the home of Elizabeth Dobies just after 8:00 a.m. at 80 Crestwood Road in Rocky Point, trapping her and her family until help arrived.

First responders rescued the family from the home approximately a half hour later.

No one was injured.

The family has lived in the home for 40 years.

Authorities have condemned the home, which will leave the family out of it for what could be a while as repairs may take several months.

One person in a 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan was killed in Valley Stream, LI after the vehicle collided with a "roll up" dump truck at the intersection of Mill Road and Brookfield Road








Wednesday, August 22, 2018 05:06PM
VALLEY STREAM, Long Island (WABC) --

One person was killed and four others injured when a minivan and a dump truck collided on Long Island Wednesday.

The accident happened at about 11 a.m. on Mill Road in Valley Stream.

Witnesses said the minivan was struck and then rolled over several times until it came to rest on its side.

Two people had to be cut out of the wreckage.

The road was littered with car parts and broken glass. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

The speed limit in the area is 30 miles an hour, but residents say it is not unusual to see cars going by at 50 or 60 miles an hour.

Mill Road was closed for about six hours after the accident.



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



By Joan Gralla 

joan.gralla@newsday.com @JoanGralla

August 22, 2018



One person in a minivan was killed on Wednesday in Valley Stream after the vehicle collided with a "roll up" dump truck, Nassau police said. Two people were taken to a hospital with injuries, police added.

No pedestrian was involved in the accident between the brown 2011 Honda Odyssey and the truck, police said, correcting earlier, preliminary statements as they continue to investigate.

The truck apparently overturned, a spokesman said, but no further information was immediately available.

Mill and Brookfield roads reopened about 4:45 p.m. They had been closed so investigators could probe the accident, which occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m, police said.