May 22, 2015
MIAMI, FLORIDA
A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter crew rescued two American
sailors whose vessel ran aground approximately 25 miles north of Gibara,
Cuba, Friday.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 7th District command center were
first notified of the emergency Friday morning when a distress signal
from the vessel’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, commonly
referred to as an EPIRB, began transmitting. The signal was determined
to be from the 39-foot sailing vessel Boxer.
A Coast Guard aircrew was immediately launched to the scene and
quickly discovered the sailboat was hard aground and had sustained
significant damage.
The aircrew safely embarked the men and transported them to Matthew Town, Great Inagua.
“This case highlights the tremendous importance of having the proper
life saving equipment onboard,” said Lt. Cmdr. Gabe Somma, Coast Guard
7th District public affairs officer. “This critical piece of boating
equipment likely saved the lives of these two sailors.”
The sailboat had departed Puerto Rico May 18th en route to Key West, Florida, before running aground in Bahamian waters.
May 22, 2015
NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard is responding to a report of a platform fire near Breton Island, Friday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at
2:50 a.m. from the offshore supply vessel Miss Katherine reporting a
fire on board an oil production platform in Breton Sound Block 21. All
28 people aboard the platform were evacuated to the offshore supply
vessel and were taken to Venice. No injuries were reported.
The well was shut in and production has ceased. The platform has an
estimated 4,000 barrels of crude oil on board in storage tanks.
The Coast Guard has conducted an over flight and observed a 1.4 nautical mile rainbow sheen drifting southwest of the platform.
An incident command post has been established with the responsible party and state/local stakeholders.
Initial response vessels are on scene with additional vessels en route.
A small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Venice is on scene, as
well as an HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircraft crew from Aviation
Training Center Mobile, Ala.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Coast Guard reminds boaters to make safety a priority this Memorial Day weekend
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Coast Guard is reminding boaters to make safety a priority during this busy Memorial Day weekend.
There are several important safety measures boaters can take prior to going out on the water:
- Get a free vessel safety check
conducted by the Coast Guard Auxiliary to ensure your vessel is
seaworthy. Auxiliarists will also ensure you have necessary safety
equipment.
- File a float plan
with a responsible friend, family member or local harbormaster. A float
plan should include your information, the information of your boat,
where you intend to go, when you intend to return and other data. If you
do not return at the designated time, a search and rescue mission can
be initiated for you.
- Check the weather
before venturing out on the water. Weather conditions at sea can change
quickly and without warning. Ensure the weather is safe and if
conditions do not look suitable, it is advised you alter your plans
until weather conditions improve. If in doubt, don’t go out.
- Do not mix alcohol
use with boating. If you’re planning to drink alcohol, ensure you have a
designated boat operator. Operating a boat while intoxicated is not
only dangerous, it is illegal.
- Wear a lifejacket.
Personal floatation devices significantly increase your chances of
survival if you fall overboard. More than 80 percent of drowning victims
were not wearing lifejackets.
Boaters are also encouraged to purchase and register an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
An EPIRB is an important and highly effective piece of life-saving
equipment that can send a distress signal to the Coast Guard via
satellite.
Other essential safety equipment includes a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a GPS.
It is highly recommended boaters maintain a VHF radio aboard their vessels at all times. A cell phone can be useful, but it should not be relied upon as the primary piece of communications equipment.
Cell phone signals can weaken greatly as you go offshore, as well as in
some inland areas, and may not be useful during an emergency.
Boaters are discouraged from using the term “Mayday” when conducting
radio checks; “Mayday” should be used in distress situations only.
Flares and emergency signaling devices
are other key pieces of safety equipment. Boat operators should know
how to properly use flares in the event of an emergency. Signal flares
are for emergencies only. Improper use of flares often becomes a false
alarm. Anyone who accidently fires a flare should notify the Coast Guard
immediately.
While boaters in distress should not hesitate to call the Coast Guard
immediately, it is important that mariners remember to notify the Coast
Guard if they are no longer in need of assistance. If you do require
assistance or rescue, notify the Coast Guard through VHF channel 16
immediately. Boaters in distress should not hesitate to call for help;
the Coast Guard does not seek reimbursement for rescue services
provided.
The Coast Guard highly advises boaters to not place hoax calls. Hoax
calls needlessly waste time, money and divert resources from responding
to actual emergencies. Penalties, under federal law, for knowingly
placing a hoax call can include prison time, a $5,000 civil fine, a
$250,000 criminal fine and restitution to the Coast Guard for costs
incurred while responding to the hoax.
Boaters are encouraged to teach
children how to properly use the radio for emergencies but also instruct
them that it is not a toy. Parents will be held responsible for
improper radio use committed by their kids.
For tech-savvy boaters, the Coast Guard has released a new Coast Guard mobile app.
The smart phone app allows users to find the latest safety regulations,
check safety equipment, request a vessel safety check and perform
several other functions.
The mobile app does not replace the VHF radio,
which is still considered the primary and most reliable method of
requesting Coast Guard assistance.
The Coast Guard wishes all boaters a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.
May 22, 2015
BROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA
Alfa Laval Inc. faces $477,900 in proposed penalties after U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspections discovered dozens of serious workplace safety violations, five of which were identified in previous inspections.
Federal investigators found five repeated and 45 serious violations
on a range of health and safety issues at the company's Broken Arrow
facility, including inadequate protection of workers from machinery, a lack of respiratory equipment and training for hazardous chemicals. Alfa Laval employs about 220 people there.
Alfa Laval also had no procedure to prevent machines from starting during maintenance or service,
and failed to maintain written fire protection and emergency management
plans. OSHA levied a $218,500 penalty for the repeated violations that
it had cited the employer for in 2010 and 2011, and an additional
$259,400 for the serious violations. OSHA has placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
"Alfa Laval has no excuse for repeatedly exposing workers to
dangerous conditions," said David Bates, OSHA's area director in
Oklahoma City. "A continued failure by the company to make needed
changes to its safety program may well result in severe injuries or
worse."
The citations can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/AlfaLaval_1012280.pdf*
and here http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/AlfaLaval_1012281.pdf*.
A global provider of heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid
handling products, Alfa Laval employs about 18,000 employees at
locations in Sweden, Denmark, India, China, the U.S. and France.
The
company serves industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and
petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol. Alfa
Laval's products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, oil and
gas exploration, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining
industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate
and refrigeration applications. It reported annual sales of $4.2 billion
in 2014.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and
proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's
area director in Oklahoma City, or contest the findings before the
independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or
report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing
imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free
hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Oklahoma City Area Office
at 405-278-9560.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970,
OSHA's role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for
America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and
providing training, outreach and education. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
May 22, 2015
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A foundry, its owner and three
members of its safety consultant company have been found in criminal
contempt by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips after resisting and
disobeying a court order to allow federal inspectors to investigate a
report of an employee with an elevated level of lead in his blood at the
foundry.
Martin Foundry Co. Inc., owner Darrell Stone and representatives of
Compliance Professionals Inc., all based in Kansas City, admitted they
resisted and disobeyed an administrative search warrant issued by
Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer on April 6 to cooperate with a U.S.
Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration
inspection.
The U.S. District Court in Kansas City has ordered the defendants to
jointly pay $10,778 to reimburse departmental costs. Martin Foundry and
Stone are also each liable for $1,000 in fines for their failure to
cooperate.
The three third-party consultants will each pay fines of
$2,000, based on a finding that they willfully impeded OSHA's
investigation and refused to comply with the warrant.
"We are pleased that the courts put the workers' welfare first by
enforcing the warrant requiring the employer to allow OSHA to inspect
the foundry," said Marcia Drumm, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas
City. "Martin Foundry's refusal to allow a comprehensive health
inspection led OSHA to seek court intervention to ensure its workers are
safe."
OSHA investigators attempted to inspect the foundry March 27, after
the Missouri Department of Health reported that an employee had an
elevated blood lead level. Stone refused to allow inspectors into the
foundry, leading agency officials to obtain a warrant and return April 7
to complete the inspection.
At that time, Stone and representatives
from Compliance Professionals again refused entry in violation of the
warrant. Inspectors returned later that day with U.S. Marshals. Martin
Foundry and Compliance Professionals persisted in obstructing OSHA's
investigators after the U.S. Marshals left the workplace.
OSHA was only
able to complete the inspection after U.S. Departments of Labor and
Justice attorneys initiated contempt proceedings.
Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, and
kidney and brain damage. Each year more than 50,000 American workers die
from occupational exposure to lead, asbestos and other substances.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or
report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing
imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free
hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the Kansas City Area Office at
816-483-9531.
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 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 http://www.osha.gov.