MEC&F Expert Engineers : 04/11/15

Saturday, April 11, 2015

YOU LIE, YOU LOSE: CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND MAN FACES INSURANCE FRAUD CHARGES WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HIS UNCLE HAD BEEN KILLED IN A BUS CRASH




APRIL 11, 2015

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI)

Rhode Island State Police say they’ve arrested a man for filing a fraudulent $1 million insurance claim.

Authorities were first alerted to the case in October 2014 by Mutual of Omaha. Richard Dorval, 45. of Cranston submitted an accidental death insurance claim. He was the sole beneficiary of the million dollar policy.

Darvol allegedly falsified documents to the insurance company, claiming his uncle had been killed in a bus crash in Haiti. An investigation by the insurer and State Police revealed there were no serious injuries during the alleged bus crash, and there was no evidence Dorval’s uncle was on the bus as the time of the accident.

Dorval eventually withdrew his claim on the policy after being questioned by the insurance company.

He was arraigned in Kent County District, and released on $10,000 surety bail, and is due back in court later this month. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, and/or a $1,000 fine.

SABRA HUMMUS PRODUCTS RECALLED FOR POSSIBLE LISTERIA CONTAMINATION




SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Select varieties of a popular brand of hummus are being recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, the company announced Wednesday.
Sabra Dipping Co., LLC is voluntarily recalling approximately 30,000 cases of its Classic Hummus due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The measure is limited to five SKUs of Classic Hummus sold nationwide.

No other Sabra product is affected by this recall and the company has not reported any illnesses caused by the possible contamination.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious — and sometimes fatal — infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer short-term symptoms including high fever, severe headache, nausea and diarrhea, but Listeria infection can cause miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant women.
The recalled products were distributed to retail outlets including food service accounts and supermarkets in the U.S. Consumers can find code the expiry dates on the top of each package, which include:
• 040822011143/300067; Sabra Classic Hummus 10 oz; 3 059 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 11; 3 060 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 15

• 040822014687/300074; Sabra Classic Hummus 30 oz; 3 059 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 11

• 040822342049/301216; Sabra Classic Hummus without Garnish 32oz; 3 059 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 11

• 040822017497/301290; Sabra Classic Hummus 17oz Six Pack; 3 058 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 11; 3 059 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 11

• 040822342209/301283; Hummus Dual Pack Classic/Garlic 23.5oz; 3 058 Best Before/Meilleur Avant 2015 May 11
The potential contamination was discovered when a routine, random sample collected at a retail location on March 30 by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
Those who have purchased any of these products are urged to dispose of or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with any questions may call toll free 1-888-957-2272, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

WORKER STRUCK AND KILLED BY FORKLIFT AT APM TERMINALS PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA









APRIL 11, 2011

PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA

OSHA is investigating a fatality in which a worker at a marine terminal was struck by a forklift carrying a large load. 

Paula Bellamy was working as a “slinger,” someone who guides a crane operator, for Ceres Marine Terminals in Portsmouth, VA.

Bellamy was standing on a pier and using a radio to guide a crane operator when a forklift driver nearby picked up steel bins.

Police say the forklift driver’s vision was obstructed by the bins carried on the front of the vehicle. As he moved the forklift forward, he struck Bellamy.

She was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

OSHA requires forklift drivers to travel in reverse if the load obstructs forward view.

This incident serves as a good reminder to workers why the OSHA rule exists.

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PORT WORKER KILLED IN FORKLIFT ACCIDENT AT APM TERMINALS

MARCH 28, 2011

PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA

A worker at APM Terminals died Monday morning of injuries she sustained in an accident involving a forklift.

Police spokeswoman Jan Westerbeck said the longshoreman, Paula Bellamy, 38, of Portsmouth, was pronounced dead less than an hour after being struck by a forklift on the waterfront.

At the time she was hit, Bellamy was working as a "slinger," or a guide to a crane operator, for Ceres Marine Terminals Inc., a stevedoring company that provides labor for unloading cargo ships at marine terminals operated by the Virginia Port Authority.

Bellamy was standing on the pier and using a radio to guide a crane operator when a forklift driver nearby picked up steel bins, likely used for collecting locking pins removed from cargo containers as they come off ships.

When those bins fill, forklifts similar to those used in warehouses and other industrial operations pluck them off the concrete berth and move them out of the way.

On Monday, the forklift driver moved the forklift forward, running into Bellamy, Portsmouth police said.

The driver's vision was obstructed by the bins carried on the front of his vehicle, according to police.

According to marine terminal regulations published by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, forklift drivers are supposed to travel in reverse if the load their vehicle is carrying obstructs the forward view.

A port authority spokesman said Bellamy was immediately rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Police said she was pronounced dead at 8:59 a.m.
"It's tragic," said Joe Harris, a port authority spokesman. "Any time there's a loss of life at the terminals, it's a tragedy."

Harris said the port authority will review the accident in cooperation with the Portsmouth Police Department and OSHA.

"Any time something like this happens, you take a look at all circumstances to see if there's a way to make things safer, or if this was an (isolated), horrible industrial accident," Harris said.

Westerbeck said investigators were questioning the forklift driver, also employed by Ceres. Police did not identify him on Monday.

Two Ceres executives did not return calls seeking comment.

Wayne Cochran, president of the International Longshoremen's Association Local 970, said he could not provide any additional details about the accident.

Bellamy is the seventh person to die in industrial accidents at the state's marine terminals since 2005.

The last reported death was when 43-year-old dock foreman David B. Weiland was killed in December 2009. Weiland died after a vehicle used to transport cargo containers struck a 105-foot light pole that fell and crushed his car.

Following an investigation into that accident, OSHA levied a $7,000 fine against Virginia International Terminals, the state-owned port authority's operating arm, for what it called a "serious" violation of the safety agency's regulations.

1 KILLED AFTER TRUCK GOES THROUGH OVERPASS GUARDRAIL, CRASHES ONTO I-5 BELOW IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON











APRIL 10, 2015

TACOMA, WASHINGTON

One person is dead after a truck struck a guardrail on the L Street overpass and fell onto Interstate 5 southbound lanes. 

No other cars were hit. 

Authorities advised drivers to take alternate routes after a crash on the southbound lanes in Tacoma Friday afternoon, but the highway still backed up to Federal Way during the evening commute.

The crash happened before 4 p.m.

At about 4:40 p.m. WSDOT officials said the backup was about 12 miles.
All lanes on I-5 have since been opened. 

All lanes of I-5 reopened by about 6:30 p.m.

Authorities are still investigating what caused the driver to leave the road.  They are not releasing any information about the driver and are referring most questions to the medical examiner.

Shon Sullivan was traveling along southbound I-5 when he saw debris flying off the overpass.  He swerved in time to avoid being hit by the falling truck.
“It was quite startling,” Sullivan said.  “[The road] was wide open, and I was about to move right into that lane.”

Sullivan has a dash camera that recorded video of the falling debris.  Another video sent to KIRO 7 shows concerned drivers stopping to do what they can for the person in the truck.  About a dozen people can be seen flipping the truck over to try and get the person out.
Source: http://www.kirotv.com

CAR TURNED INTO THE PATH OF A SEMI TRUCK, PUNCTURING ITS DIESEL FUEL TANK AND SPILLING AT LEAST 70 GALLONS OF FUEL




FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

EMMETT TOWNSHIP, MICH. (NEWSCHANNEL 3)

A Calhoun County road is back open after a crash spilled 70 gallons of fuel Friday morning.
It happened on 11 Mile Road, near Michigan Avenue in Emmett Township.

Public safety officers tell Newschannel 3 that a car turned into the path of a semi truck, puncturing its diesel fuel tank.

An environmental company was called in to block off storm drains and clean up the fuel.

"It's still a chemical and a lot of the reason we close everything down is because we have to get it picked off the road; it also has a tendency to be very slippery, so it can be dangerous for motorists," said Lieutenant Tony Geigle, with Emmett Township Public Safety.

HAZMAT crews also had to be called, because the truck was loaded with printing chemicals. None of them spilled in the crash.

The driver of the car was taken to the hospital, but is expected to recover.

It took crews about 6 hours to get the mess cleaned up.