Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers respond to cannery fire in Uyak Bay, Alaska

Jun 2nd, 2016

Responders assess a fire at the Park’s Cannery near Uyak Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska, June 2, 2016. The Coast Guard launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to assist with rescue efforts. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

KODIAK, Alaska — Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrews, Alaska State Troopers and the crew of the good Samaritan fishing vessel Alaskan responded to a fire at the Park’s Cannery in southern Uyak Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska, Thursday.

The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted three survivors with burn injuries and transported them to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center.  In addition to the three injured, there was one confirmed fatality.

Coast Guard watchstanders in Anchorage and Juneau received report of the fire from the mayor of Larsen Bay, along with a request for Coast Guard air assistance.  Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders coordinated with Alaska State Troopers and launched the Jayhawk crew to the scene to transport personnel and assist with the injured.

“The Coast Guard offers its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased,” said Cmdr. James Binniker, Sector Anchorage command duty officer. “Coast Guard aircrews were able to work with our Alaska State Trooper partners to consolidate information and plan response efforts to rescue three people and transport them to a medical facility.  We also thank the crew of the Alaskan for their assistance with this response.”

A construction worker is in critical condition after falling three stories when staging collapsed in Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford scaffolding collapse puts construction worker in hospital

Posted 2:08 PM, June 2, 2016, by Jim McKeever, Updated at 04:02pm, June 2, 2016

HARTFORD – A construction worker is in critical condition after falling three stories when staging collapsed Thursday morning.

The incident happened at around 10:45 a.m. on the Hartford Hospital campus at 31 Seymour Street when scaffolding fell at the Bone and Joint Institute construction site, according to the hospital.

One worker from Total Wall Systems of Bloomfield was unconscious and had to be taken to the emergency room,police said and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. The Hartford Fire Department wasw also on scene.

“Safety is of utmost importance and one of our core values,” said Rebecca Stewart, director of media relations for Hartford HealthCare. “We are thankful to everyone who reacted so quickly.”

Alstom Transportation said Thursday it is working to correct 17 violations alleged against it by OSHA

Alstom says it's fixing OSHA issues

David Hill, dwhill@gannett.com | @NY_newsguy_Hill 6:43 p.m. EDT June 2, 2016

(Photo: Provided, The Elmira Star-Gazette Copyright 2001)

Alstom Transportation said Thursday it is working to correct 17 violations alleged against it by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration over employees at its rail-car factory in Hornell exposed to unsafe levels of cancer-causing chemicals and to noise, including not making sure employees removed protective equipment before entering lunchroom and break areas, which left dining tables contaminated with lead.
OSHA announced it responded to a complaint, inspected the facility and found employees exposed to cadmium, lead, nickel and silica beyond permissible limits. The agency said Alstom failed to provide changing and shower areas to employees working with cadmium and lead, increasing the chances of contamination outside the work area and exposure while eating or drinking.
OSHA said it found the company also did not provide medical surveillance to employees exposed to lead and cadmium, allowed chromium, copper fume, iron oxide and silica in sandblasting and welding operations to exceed permissible limits, and did not train painters to properly use or store respirators.
The inspections were conducted at various times from Nov. 30 through Feb 11.
Proposed fines total $105,000.
"Employers who work with hazardous materials like these need to first determine if the materials can be removed by replacing them with something less hazardous," said Chris Adams, Syracuse OSHA area director. "If not, employers must use the correct ventilation to reduce airborne exposure levels to below the OSHA limits. These hazards are preventable when employers ensure safety guidelines are followed."
Alstom released a statement Thursday saying it will respond to the notice through proper channels and is working on ways to address concerns OSHA raised.
“These include, among others, purchasing and installing additional mechanical and supplemental ventilation systems, regularly monitoring air levels, reviewing and updating training procedures, and providing retraining and education for employees,” the company said. “Alstom will continue to research additional improvements to ensure the health and safety of our employees – now and in the future.”
A subsidiary of Alstom SA based in France, Alstom operates the largest passenger rail manufacturing facility in North America producing more than 8,000 new or refurbished rail vehicles to customers across the northeastern U.S., including 1,000 subway cars to the New York City transit system. It says it had about $7 billion in sales in its 2015-16 fiscal year that ended March 31, up 12 percent.

A lightning strike cause a major blaze at a home in West Bexar County in Texas

Lightning strike sparks house fire on far West Side

By Mark D. Wilson
Published 8:43 am, Thursday, June 2, 2016








Authorities say a lightning strike cause a major blaze at a home in West Bexar County on Thursday morning.


Firefighters from the Bexar County, Leon Valley, Balcones Heights and Shavano Park fire departments responded to the blaze around 3 a.m. in the 8500 block of Cedar Hill Way.

Authorities said lighting blew bricks of a portion of the structure when it struck, and fire quickly spread across the roof.

Firefighters said the ceiling of the home collapsed, causing about $300,000 in damage.

Investigators say the home is a total loss

Hail Loss Claims Under Auto Insurance Policies Slip Over 3-Year Period

  June 2, 2016

  by Jenna Reed

The graph shows the top 10 states for all hail loss claims. Source: NICB

Hail loss claims under personal auto insurance policies from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015 declined by 16.4 percent. This is according to a three-year analysis just released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
“If auto glass was damaged by hail and a claim was processed for that damage, then it likely would have been captured in this data,” says Frank Scafidi, a spokesperson for the NICB.
Automotive hail damage claims accounted for 34 percent of all claims, or 723,743, filed over the three-year period, according to the report.
The number filed under personal auto insurance policies was second only to homeowner policies.
Hail loss claims filed under commercial auto policies were 21,621 for the three-year period. These dropped 55.6 percent over the three-year period from 8,470 to 5,444.
“Tell a claims adjuster in Texas today that hail damage claims decreased over the past three years and they might consider you crazy,” according a statement released by the NICB. “Dealing with thousands of claims from the recent record storms in the Dallas and San Antonio areas, insurers and their customers know how much Mother Nature can be peaceful one day and in a fury the next.”
From January 2013 to December 2015, the country experienced 10 major hail-producing storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each of these storms resulted in more than $1 billion in property damage.