The vice president of Montaplast of North America, the Frankfort, KY factory where two employees died in separate accidents issued a statement Wednesday addressing their deaths and the temporary closing of the plant. Frankfort factory where two employees died in separate accidents issued a statement Wednesday addressing their deaths and the temporary closing of the plant.

Montaplast executive issues statement in wake of employee deaths

By Greg Kocher

gkocher1@herald-leader.com

The vice president of the Frankfort, KY factory where two employees died in separate accidents issued a statement Wednesday addressing their deaths and the temporary closing of the plant.

Holger Ramcke, vice president of Montaplast of North America, reiterated that “the safety and security of every employee at Montaplast is of the utmost priority to us.” (a.k.a. "lip service").

Angela Mitchell, 35, died Sunday after suffering a head injury Thursday night in an accident involving an overhead crane. Then, on Monday, Ben Cermak, 23, of Lawrenceburg died after suffering an electric shock.

Another employee in the Thursday night accident suffered a shoulder injury, but that person’s name was not released.

In his letter, Ramcke wrote: “The Montaplast and Frankfort communities have been shaken by the recent tragic, accidental deaths of Angela Mitchell and Ben Cermak. Angela and Ben were valued members of our Montaplast family of employees. Our employees are the backbone of our company. The safety and security of every employee at Montaplast is of the utmost priority to us.

“We feel it is important for the community to understand what we have done after these accidents. Once we voluntarily shut down the facility the afternoon of October 17, we began the important process of inspecting every piece of equipment. We engaged outside, third-party investigators to inspect our equipment at the same time governmental authorities were present investigating the accidents,” Ramcke wrote.

“Prior to re-opening our facility and resuming production on October 19, we re-certified the facility’s equipment with a focus that our team was coming back to a safe and secure workplace,” Ramcke added.

Ramcke wrote that grief counselors remain on site and “we plan to keep those counselors available to our employees until they are no longer needed. Our employees are encouraged to share questions or concerns with their supervisors, and we have a safety hotline available for our employees’ use.”

Ramcke said the company is “determining the most meaningful way to remember and honor Angela and Ben. We look forward to sharing that news with the Frankfort community soon.”

The Kentucky Labor Cabinet is investigating the two accidents.

Montaplast is a supplier of center caps, exterior trim parts, and cloth molded interior trim parts for vehicles, according to the Kentucky Directory of Manufacturers.

Montaplast of North America, Inc. - Frankfort, KY - Montaplast of North America Inc. is a technological leader supplying the automotive industry with state of the art composite air intake manifolds as well as highly engineered plastic components. Rapid growth and our technological capabilities have increased our need to continue staffing our Frankfort, KY. facility. Position Requirements and Description 

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Cars can always do more. They get better, more versatile, and safer. With our innovative, high quality plastic systems for the engine compartment, exterior, and interior, Montaplast is making its own valuable contribution to progress.

Cars can always do more. They get better, more versatile, and safer. With our innovative, high quality plastic systems for the engine compartment, exterior, and interior, Montaplast is making its own valuable contribution to progress.

At Montaplast we understand "plastic" in its original artistic sense too. We apply our creativity to ensure that today"s finest automobiles meet our customers" increasing demands for safety, stability, durability, environmental compatibility, design, and comfort. The fact that tomorrow"s car can do so much more than yesterday"s without becoming heavier or more unstable due to new components has a lot to do with Montaplast. We work to ensure that metal parts are replaced wherever possible by modern plastics that integrate the maximum number of functions. With the help of the very latest processing and material technologies we develop temperature and pressure-resistant modules that are optimized for function, cost, and weight - destined for the vehicles of the future, today.

This proactive approach characterizes Montaplast today. Our high-quality plastic parts comprise the heart of all systems "Made by Montaplast" just as before.

The history and development of a special family business

Founded in 1958 by Albert Stulz Sr. in Morsbach, Germany, Montaplast is a mid-sized company representing five decades of experience in the production of plastic precision parts and systems - first for household appliances and now for the automobile industry. When Montaplast of North America, Inc. was founded in 1992 in Frankfort, Kentucky, the family business moved into a new and expansive phase. Since then, Montaplast sales offices and development centers have sprung up in Detroit, Suzhou, Nagoya, London, Paris, Stuttgart, Munich, and Cologne. In 2006 a third production location was added, the Montaplast Automotive System (SIP) Co., Ltd. in Suzhou near Shanghai.

History

1958	Company foundation by Albert Stulz Sr. Manufacturing of plastic precision parts for household appliances Start of the toolshop and extrusion technology
1968	Introduction of vibration welding of plastic parts
1979	Start of the lost core technology
1980	Start of the first paint line
1985	Introduction of CAD and CAM systems
1990	SOP of the first plastic air intake manifold in lost core technology for Porsche
1992	Opening of the Sales and Engineering Office in Detroit
1993	Foundation of Montaplast of North America, Inc. in Frankfort, Kentucky
1999	Inauguration of the technology center at the head office in Morsbach
2006	Establishment of Montaplast Automotive System (SIP) Co., Ltd. in Suzhou, China

A&A Environmental Services Inc. fines almost $250,000 after failed to monitor carbon monoxide exposure for workers inside an asbestos containment area, and violated required procedures for safe handling of the dangerous known carcinogen at nursing home renovation

October 19, 2016

OSHA inspectors responding to report of workers sickened by carbon monoxide,
finds dangerous asbestos exposure, other hazards at nursing home renovation

NEW GLARUS, Wis. - After five employees became ill from carbon monoxide exposure as they renovated a New Glarus nursing home, federal safety inspectors responding to the scene found their employer also exposed the workers to asbestos hazards.

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors determined A&A Environmental Services Inc. failed to monitor carbon monoxide exposure for workers inside an asbestos containment area, and violated required procedures for safe handling of the dangerous known carcinogen. A local hospital later treated the five employees sickened by the gas exposure on April 19, 2016.

On Oct. 19, 2016, OSHA issued four willful and nine serious health violations to the Poynette-based company. A&A faces proposed fines of $243,716. The agency found workers' exposure exceeded 50 parts per million over an eight hour time-weighted average and that the company failed to implement engineering controls to reduce employee exposure.

"A company like A&A Environmental Services that specializes in asbestos abatement should be setting the standard in employee protection while handling known carcinogenic material," said Ann Grevenkamp, OSHA's area director in Madison. "No worker should ever become sick on the job or suffer long-term health issues because their employer failed to take the necessary precautions to protect them."

Asbestos exposure occurs when workers cut, sand, remove and/or disturb asbestos containing materials, releasing asbestos fibers that can be inhaled without proper protection. Asbestos can cause lung disease and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or stomach that is often fatal. Asbestos fibers also remain on clothing and transfer to other surfaces such as upholstery and carpets, creating a danger of secondary exposure for others.

In its citations, OSHA alleges that A&A Environmental failed to:

• Provide a separate room for asbestos containment equipment.
• Create a decontamination area with a separate area for employees to shower and remove work clothing before leaving the worksite.
• Ensure employees did not consume beverages inside an asbestos containment area.
• Monitor worksites for carbon monoxide exposure.
• Train workers on carbon monoxide hazards.
• Smoke test the containment area and glove bags used to contain asbestos.
• Provide ground fault circuit interrupters inside containment areas where wet techniques are used for asbestos removal.
• Provide medical evaluation and fit-testing for employees required to use respirators.

View current citations here.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, 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 Madison office at 608-441-5388.

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.

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OSHA issued almost $100K in fines, repeat violations to the workers' employer Seneca Steel Erectors Inc., Construction Labor Contractors, the temporary employment agency that provided the workers, and The Daimler Group, the site's general contractor.

Oct. 19, 2016

Temporary workers rigging steel at Columbus building site at risk
of 6-story falls as employers failed to provide fall protection, training
OSHA cites general contractor, Seneca Steel and employment agency after investigation



COLUMBUS, Ohio - The absence of fall protection equipment exposed six temporary employees to falls of up to 60 feet as they welded and attached steel braces on a commercial construction site in Columbus. A dangerous oversight given that falls account for nearly 40 percent of work-related fatalities - the construction industry's leading cause of death.

Responding to a report of unsafe working conditions, inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed inadequate fall protection for workers at a building site for Alliance Data System in the 3000 block of Loyalty Circle, on July 12, 2016.

On Oct. 19, 2016, OSHA issued violations to the workers' employer Seneca Steel Erectors Inc., Construction Labor Contractors, the temporary employment agency that provided the workers, and The Daimler Group, the site's general contractor.

Since 2010, OSHA has recorded more than 100 safety and health violations at Dollar General stores nationwide, and assessed more than $1 million in proposed fines.

"Asking workers to walk steel and work in aerial lifts at heights of 60 feet without fall protection is reckless and needlessly exposes them to the risks of serious injury and death," said Larry Johnson, OSHA's area director in Columbus. "Temporary staffing agencies and host employers share control over the employee, and are jointly responsible for a temporary employee's safety and health. General contractors also have a responsibility to inspect job sites and ensure safety procedures are followed."

The agency cited Seneca Steel Erectors Inc. of Dublin, for eight serious and two repeated violations carrying proposed penalties of $92,286. The agency found Seneca failed to:
Ensure workers attached themselves to the basket of the aerial lift and stood firmly on the floor of the lift basket during operations. OSHA cited the company for these same violations in February 2013 at a job site in Dublin.
Provide required fall protection.
Prevent loads on the boom and lift basket from exceeding limits.
Train employees on how to operate aerial lifts and understand fall hazards.
Provide a qualified rigger.

View citations here.

OSHA also issued three serious violations to Construction Labor Contractors for failing to provide a qualified rigger, to train employees about fall hazards and proper operation of aerial lifts. OSHA has proposed penalties of $37,413 to Richfield-based company. View citations here.

The agency cited the Daimler Group for failing to train workers in fall hazards and conduct site inspections. The company faces penalties of $17,460. View citations here.

Federal safety and health officials are determined to reduce the numbers of preventable, fall-related deaths in the construction industry. OSHA offers a Stop Falls online resource with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page provides fact sheets, posters and videos that illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection be in use when workers perform construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level.

The ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign was developed in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda program. Begun in 2012, the campaign provides employers with lifesaving information and educational materials on how to prevent falls, provide the right equipment for workers and train employees to use gear properly.

All three companies have 15 business days from receipt of its 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.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, 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 Columbus Area Office at (614) 469-5582.

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.




As the construction industry continues to grow, falls continue to be the leading cause of death. Source: http://www.bls.gov

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Things have changed a lot since then.

Slow down and move over when you see a police or other vehicle with its emergency lights on: Pickup Truck Driven by Minnesotan Rear-Ends Hudson, WI Police Squad Car on I-94 Bridge

Pickup Truck Driven by Minnesotan Rear-Ends Hudson, WI Police Squad Car on I-94 Bridge


 Photo: Hudson Police Department/Facebook

October 17, 2016 12:50 PM

Police in Hudson, Wisconsin, are reminding drivers to slow down after a Hudson squad car was rear-ended while an officer was helping a stranded motorist on the Interstate 94 bridge.

The crash was reported at 9:24 a.m. Monday on the Hudson Bridge in Washington County.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Hudson police officer was helping with a stalled vehicle that was blocking the left lane of the bridge when a 2012 Ford pickup rear-ended the squad car, causing it to cross all lanes of traffic and crash into the right wall.

The state patrol says the squad’s emergency lights were activated at the time but that no one was inside.

The driver of the pickup was identified as 31-year-old Derik Sands of St. Paul. He had non-life threatening injuries, according to the state patrol.

“Please remember to slow down and move over when you see an emergency vehicle with its emergency lights on,” the Hudson Police Department posted on Facebook in response to the crash.

Massive natural gas explosion destroys the Dosha Salon Spa building in Portland, Oregon; 8 injured, including firefighters and police officers

Gas explosion destroys NW Portland building, 8 injured
Firefighters were inside the building at the time of the explosion

KOIN 6 News Staff Published: October 19, 2016, 9:54 am Updated: October 19, 2016, 1:01 pm




A gas explosion took place at NW 23rd and Glisan in Portland on Wednesday morning. October 19, 2016, (KOIN)
Related Coverage
 

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Three firefighters, 2 police officers and three others were injured in a large gas explosion on Wednesday morning in Northwest Portland. The gas explosion damaged buildings. (Twitter/@suppleleopard/PF&R)

The incident happened at NW 23rd and Glisan in the Dosha Salon Spa building. Portland Fire and Rescue confirmed the injuries and said no one died.

Lt. Rich Chatman said the injuries to the firefighters were not life-threatening and included broken legs. One of the firefighters was being taken into surgery on Wednesday afternoon for the broken leg.

The officer’s injuries were not significant, he said.

Two of the firefighters and the officer were taken to Legacy Emanuel hospital. The others were taken to OHSU.

By 12:30 p.m. only one person remained at Legacy Emmanuel. Three people were released and the 4th person is a firefighter suffering from a broken leg.

Firefighters were inside the building at the time of the explosion investigating a reported gas leak.

Around 100 firefighters were on still scene fighting hotspots and assessing damage around noon, Chatman said.  

The COO of Dosha Salon Spa Kimberly Johnson tells KOIN 6 News that the salon was evacuated before the explosion happened. She said all of her employees were safe.

Allison Williams, who was inside Dosha at the time, told KOIN 6 News, “We came in to start our day at 9 a.m. and smelled something funny, so we called the gas company. They promptly told us to get out of the building. We were outside and not that far from the building when we heard and saw these huge booms, the building exploded, the glass was shattered and it instantly burst in flames. It was pretty scary.”

Williams said firefighters and police were already on scene to test for gas. Once the explosion happened, Williams said the firefighters “were instantly in action. Smoke made it hard to see, but they were instantly doing their job. They were amazing.”


Johnson said Dosha recently celebrated 25 years in business. They had a flood and recently rebuilt, she said, and had been back open for about the past 7 months.

The building has won many architectural award and currently has owner-occupants, Johnson said.

Employees at Portland Bagelworks say they were evacuated before the explosion as well and that all of their employees are accounted for. They tell KOIN 6 News a construction crew warned them to evacuate after hitting a gas line. This is what the building looked like before the gas explosion. October 19, 2016, (Google Maps)

Gas company NW Natural says a 3rd party caused damage to a gas line. The cause of the ignition is unknown and the gas is now off.

Many witnesses told KOIN 6 News they heard a loud explosion and buildings in the area shook. Plumes of smoke could be seen from many places in the city.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is on scene investigating the explosion. It is protocol for them to come when large explosions occur, Lt. Chatman told KOIN 6 News.

The three blocks surrounding the building in all directions are closed.