MEC&F Expert Engineers : 07/16/15

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Cessna 162 small plane crashes shortly after takeoff from Dunkirk, New York


pilot recovering after small plane crash 

DUNKIRK, NY-- 

The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office is investigating a plane down near the Dunkirk Airport.

Francis Emmerling, 66, of West Seneca, was the pilot and sole occupant of a Cessna 162 when it took off from the airport around 11:15 Thursday morning. 

Deputies say Emmerling experienced some kind of mechanical issue shortly after; crashing the plane in a wooded area about a mile from the airport near the intersection of Newell and Middle Roads in the Town of Sheridan. 

Rescue crews, including Deputy Kevin Link, who is also an EMT, were guided to the scene by a private pilot in another plane. When they located the wreckage, they found Emmerling had already freed himself from the craft.

He was taken by Starflight to ECMC for treatment of a leg injury and some cuts to his face. The FAA has been called in to assist local authorities in investigating the accident.

Driver dies in Lee County, Iowa crash after running a stop sign and crashing into logging truck


Posted: July 16, 2015
MT. PLEASANT, IOWA (KWWL) - 
 A Waterloo man was killed after running a stop sign in Lee County and crashing into logging truck this morning.

The Iowa State Patrol says 57-year-old Ulysee Clayton of Waterloo was headed north on 330th Avenue at around 5:46 a.m. Thursday when he ran the stop sign at Highway 16 and crashed into a logging truck driven by 52-year-old William Streeter of Washington. The truck was heading east on Highway 16.

Sanders Funeral Service in Waterloo tells KWWL that services for Clayton are pending.

Streeter was not injured in the crash.

Skateboarder Struck, Killed Crossing Marked Crosswalk in Santa Clarita, California



A skateboarder was fatally hit by a vehicle while crossing in a marked crosswalk on July 16, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)
A skateboarder was fatally hit by a vehicle while crossing in a marked crosswalk on July 16, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

A skateboarder was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in Santa Clarita Thursday afternoon, sheriff’s officials said.

The pedestrian was traveling on a skateboard in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Bouquet Canyon Road and Seco Canyon about 2:45 p.m. when the collision occurred, according to Sgt. Cohen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Santa Clarita Station.

The victim’s identity and age were not immediately provided. The body, which was covered by a white sheet, remained on the side of the roadway as of 4 p.m., Sky5 video showed.

Cohen said the vehicle stayed at the scene.

A light-colored SUV was could be seen not far from the body, and appeared to have front-end damage to it, the aerial video showed.

Authorities have not confirmed that the vehicle was the same one involved in the fatal collision.

The crash was under investigation.
KTLA’s Crystal Garcia contributed to this story.

A vehicle filled with PennDOT workers crashed Thursday morning in Tioga County, killing one of the workers.

PennDOT Workers Crash, Driver Killed

UNION TOWNSHIP, PA

A vehicle filled with PennDOT workers crashed Thursday morning in Tioga County, killing one of the workers.

State police say the driver died in the crash. All five people were headed to work in Bradford County when the vehicle they were in swerved off the road and down an embankment.

PennDOT crews worked to reconstruct a crash scene that involved a PennDOT vehicle earlier in the day on Route 14 in Union Township,Tioga County.

Troopers say five PennDOT employees were in a state van when the vehicle swerved off Route 14 down an embankment before landing onto Leonards Road.
The driver, Christopher Kerns, 53, from Linden died at the scene. His four passengers were taken to the hospital for injuries.

“Traffic was backed up, the police were coming, flares along the side of the road, so I figured something bad had happened,” said Marcia Wilson.
Wilson lives near the bend in the road where the crash happened.

“There’s been, you know, incidents here and there but not like this.”

PennDOT employees have been turning people away at the driver license center in Monroeton all day. PennDOT confirms the people in the crash worked there.
In a release PennDOT said the workers were headed from a driver license center in Williamsport to the center in Bradford County when their van crashed. The statement went on to say:

“We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to all of the families impacted by this tragic event.”

Amy Marshall drove there hoping to get her son’s driver license picture taken.
“We were just turned away and told they don’t have the examiners here today.”
Now Marshall, who lives in Sayre, says now she’ll have to drive him to Williamsport over the weekend.

“It makes it easier to understand why it’s closed because at first, Yes I was upset because of having to take the afternoon off for nothing, but knowing the reason, it does make it more understandable.”

The Tioga County coroner tells us they are looking to see if Kerns may have fallen asleep at the wheel or if he may have had a medical condition which could have caused the crash.

State police are still investigating.

Man killed after towboat hits Eads Bridge, knocking worker off platform in St. Louis, MO


UPDATED AT 8:27 p.m. with information from OSHA and details on three past fatal accidents with same company

ST. LOUIS, MO

A man working on the Eads Bridge was killed about 3:15 p.m. Thursday when a southbound towboat ran into the bridge, St. Louis Fire Department officials said.
The impact caused the man to fall from some scaffolding on which he was vacuuming and land on the towboat. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

No other information about the accident or the victim was available.
The bridge was closed to traffic for a time. MetroLink used a shuttle to transport its riders between its East St. Louis and Busch Stadium stops for a time, but train service resumed shortly before 5 p.m.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the case. OSHA said the man was employed by Thomas Industrial Coatings based in Peveley.

OSHA said three employees of Thomas Industrial Coatings died in separate incidents in 2006, and OSHA cited the company in each of those cases.

On Feb. 17 of that year, four employees were working on a scaffolding platform under the Jefferson Barracks Bridge when it collapsed. Three workers were rescued and the fourth worker's body was recovered two months later in the river.

On May 10, a worker died after falling through a 4-feet-by-4-feet hole in the decking of some scaffolding on the Lexington Avenue Bridge in Kansas City. On July 5, a worker died in a fall from the same bridge.

Rhonda Burke, a spokeswoman for the Department of Labor, said it may be too early in the investigation of Thursday's incident to say if the worker was wearing the proper protective equipment, but he would have been required to have water safety equipment like a life vest.

Pipeline leak at GlobalPartners' terminal contaminates soil near Hudson River


Updated 9:46 pm, Thursday, July 16, 2015
0




ALBANY, NY
 
A broken underground pipeline leaked petroleum-contaminated water into the soil at GlobalPartners' terminal at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Port of Albany, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
 
The leak was stopped, the broken pipe was removed and the rest of the pipe capped, DEC said. Contractors have begun excavating contaminated soil. It is not known how much contaminated water may have leaked.

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DEC said there was no impact on the Hudson River, which flows nearby.

In May, about 420 gallons of either crude or diesel fuel spilled at the GlobalPartners terminal after a hose carrying liquid from one tank to another came loose and sprayed two workers.

Corrupt Good Old Boy Club: Louisiana lawmakers back company responsible for decade-old Gulf leak

 

 

Louisiana lawmakers back company responsible for decade-old Gulf leak

 
 
WASHINGTON, DC


Capitol Hill lawmakers from Louisiana have intervened on behalf of a New Orleans company that has failed to stop a decade-old oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico but lobbied for a refund of money reserved for spill containment work, according to letters obtained by The Associated Press through public records requests.

Since December, at least four members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation have urged the Obama administration to take up a settlement proposal by Taylor Energy Company, the letters show. The company is down to one full-time employee and is no longer active in the offshore drilling industry, but its CEO is a prominent philanthropist and generous political donor.

The leak dates to Hurricane Ivan in 2004, when storm-whipped waves in the Gulf triggered an underwater mudslide that toppled a Taylor Energy-owned oil platform and buried a cluster of its wells under mounds of sediment. Oil is still leaking at the site more than a decade later, with slicks often stretching for miles off Louisiana’s coast.

An Associated Press investigation in April revealed evidence that the leak is worse than the company, or government, have publicly reported during their secretive response. Presented with AP’s findings, the Coast Guard provided a new leak estimate that is about 20 times greater than one recently touted by the company. The government also recently estimated that the leak could last a century or more if left unchecked.

In an effort to resolve its leak-related obligations, Taylor Energy asked federal regulators to refund an undisclosed amount of money that it deposited in a trust account to pay for response work, according to court records. The company, which embarked on a Washington lobbying campaign last year, claims nothing more can be done to eliminate the chronic slicks.

But the lawmakers’ appeals didn’t help the company cut a deal: Authorities recently rebuffed Taylor Energy’s settlement overtures and ordered it to perform more work at the site, according to Justice Department officials who were not authorized to comment publicly by name and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Taylor Energy sold all of its offshore leases and oil and gas interests in 2008. What’s left of the company is led by Phyllis Taylor, whose last name is synonymous with a popular, state-funded program that has provided free college tuition to thousands of Louisiana students.

Her credentials could help explain why Sen. Bill Cassidy, former Sen. Mary Landrieu and Reps. Cedric Richmond and Steve Scalise have sent letters on Taylor Energy’s behalf since December 2014. The lawmakers pressed officials from the Justice Department, Interior Department and Coast Guard to meet with company representatives to discuss the company’s proposed resolution, but their letters stopped short of explicitly endorsing the August 2013 proposal.
Sen. David Vitter also made a telephone call to request a meeting between company and government officials, but the Louisiana Republican didn’t send a letter on Taylor Energy’s behalf, according to a spokeswoman.

None of the lawmakers’ letters acknowledged that Taylor Energy has recommended against doing any more work that could stop oil from leaking at the site. The government has ordered the company to design and install a better containment system for collecting oil. However, Taylor Energy says experts agree that the risks of additional work at the leak site outweigh the possible benefits.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, called it unacceptable that oil is still leaking from the site. In a statement, he vowed to “keep doing everything I can to make sure the Interior Department holds this company accountable.”
Landrieu, in contrast, told federal officials in a 2014 letter that Taylor Energy should be “commended for its diligent, collaborative, and environmentally responsible work on this matter.”

Taylor Energy has paid an estimated $212,000 to Capitol Hill lobbyists over the past year, according to congressional records. One of those lobbyists, Norma Jane Sabiston, once served as Landrieu’s chief of staff. Another, Lauren Jardell, worked as a projects coordinator for Landrieu.

Lobbying disclosure reports say Sabiston and Jardell have been working with Congress to resolve issues with the Coast Guard and the Interior Department section that oversees Taylor Energy’s response efforts. John Jaskot, a Washington-based partner at the Jones Walker law firm, registered as a lobbyist for Taylor Energy last January.

In an interview, Landrieu said she thought it was wrong for the government to hold Taylor Energy’s money “hostage” without making a decision on its settlement proposal.

“At some point, this issue has to be resolved,” she said. “I don’t think the government should hold that money indefinitely.”


Phyllis Taylor’s late husband founded Taylor Energy in the late 1970s and died in 2004, shortly after the leak began. Patrick Taylor was the driving force behind what is now known as the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. Phyllis Taylor, who also oversees the family’s charitable foundation, remains an influential advocate for the tuition program. She has declined to be interviewed about the leak.

State and federal campaign finance records show that the Taylors and their companies have contributed more than $1 million to dozens of candidates and political action committees, mostly Republican ones, since the late 1990s.

Phyllis Taylor and Taylor Energy have contributed $24,100 to Scalise and $5,950 to Cassidy since 2007. Both are Republicans. She has donated $3,600 to Richmond, a Democrat, since 2008. Although she hasn’t donated any money to Mary Landrieu’s campaigns, Taylor and her company have made several contributions to the Democrat’s brother, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, since 2003.

A Scalise spokesman said the congressman joined Richmond in sending their letter in hopes of “encouraging both sides to come to the table and find a solution.” A spokeswoman for Cassidy said he makes it a priority to help any constituent who “doesn’t receive an answer from a federal agency.”

Landrieu acknowledged that she discussed the matter with Phyllis Taylor but said she wasn’t showing Taylor Energy preferential treatment.
“I would do this for any company in Louisiana. This is the nature of their business,” she said.


Richmond’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
In a letter to federal officials last January, Richmond and Scalise lamented the “continued uncertainty” and said they were “deeply concerned with the apparent lack of engagement or action by the Federal government to resolve this matter.”
Landrieu sent a similar letter to federal officials on Taylor Energy’s behalf on Dec. 23, 2014, less than a month after she lost a re-election bid but before she left office. Separately, on the same day, Richmond sent a letter containing identical language.

Both letters said the spill response work has cost Taylor Energy more than $469 million over the past decade. The company was offering to keep $55 million set aside for future work, they added. The letters didn’t specify how much money would have been refunded to the company if the government had accepted that offer.

Environmental groups led by the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance sued Taylor Energy in 2012, accusing the company of withholding vital information from the public about the leak’s extent and potential impact on the Gulf’s ecosystem. A trial for the groups’ lawsuit is scheduled for later this year.

Welders and grinders face toxic metal, noise hazards at Abec Inc. Springfield, Missouri, plant. Abec Inc., a Storage tank manufacturer ignores toxic exposure rules, faces $74K in fines

July 16, 2015

Welders and grinders face toxic metal,
noise hazards at
Abec Inc. Springfield, Missouri, plant.

Abec Inc., a Storage tank manufacturer ignores toxic exposure rules, faces $74K in fines

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.

A storage tank manufacturer exposed workers to hazardous levels of hexavalent chromium and potentially deafening noise as they welded and grinded stainless steel and other alloy steels. At high levels, hexavalent chromium can cause lung cancer and respiratory, eye and skin damage. 

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors issued 12 serious safety violations on July 13 to Abec Inc., which manufactures food-grade stainless steel tanks for use by the biopharmaceutical industry. Proposed penalties total $74,000. 

"Each year, 50,000 workers die from exposure during their careers to hazardous substances, like chromium. Failing to limit exposure to this dangerous substance is inexcusable," said Barbara Theroit, area director of OSHA's Kansas City office. "Abec needs to re-evaluate its health and safety procedures. As companies expand, they must review procedures and ensure their facilities are monitored for employee exposure to hazardous materials."

Opened in February, the inspection is part of the agency's National Emphasis Program for Hexavalent Chromium.

Agency inspectors found one employee exposed to hexavalent chromium at levels exceeding permissible exposure limits while welding and grinding steel containing chromium metal. Alloy steel has chromium added to harden the steel and resist corrosion. Inspectors also found the company failed to implement engineering controls to reduce and monitor exposure levels among workers, and did not conduct additional monitoring after expanding the production process in 2006, 2008 and 2014.

The inspection also found three workers exposed to noise levels in excess of the action level for an eight-hour shift. The agency also identified violations of OSHA's respiratory protection standards and improperly adjusted rests on a grinder, which could expose workers to machinery operating parts

Based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Abec employs about 215 workers at the Springfield facility. Its workforce there has tripled in the past few years.
The company has 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 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.

Middlefield, Ohio, pallet maker allowed 14-year-old to operate machine illegally, resulting in loss of hand. OSHA cites Shady Knob Pallet Co. for 17 serious safety violations.

July 16, 2015

Middlefield, Ohio, pallet maker allowed 14-year-old
to operate machine illegally, resulting in loss of hand.

OSHA cites Shady Knob Pallet Co. for 17 serious safety violations.

MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio - A teenage worker's life was altered forever when his employer allowed him to operate machinery illegally and the 14-year-old lost his hand in the process. 

Shady Knob Pallet Co. of Middlefield received citations from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration on July 7. The citations followed an inspection that found the young man suffered the injury when he touched the operating parts of a wood planer while manufacturing pallets on March 31. 

Shady Knob violated the law by allowing an employee under 18 to work on the machine. Inspectors found the wood planer was one of several machines that lacked required safety guards to protect workers.

"Workers under age 18 are prohibited from operating power-driven woodworking machinery, such as the wood planer used here," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "Without safety mechanisms, personal protective equipment and proper training, employees are at risk. 

Shady Knob Pallet Co. must know the laws and protect the safety and well-being of its workers."

OSHA issued 17 serious safety violations to the company. Proposed fines total $43,200. In addition to missing safety mechanisms, inspectors found Shady Knob failed to:
  • Train worksite staff to provide first aid.
  • Establish an exposure control plan for employees exposed to blood during first aid.
  • Teach employees about workplace chemical hazards.
  • Provide, and train workers on, the use of personal protective equipment.
  • Store flammable liquids correctly.
  • Use self-closing valves on gasoline drums used to power equipment.
  • Install electrical equipment properly.
The Wage and Hour Division is also investigating the company for probable violations of child labor laws. 

Shady Knob Pallet Co. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Cleveland, 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 Cleveland Area Office at 216-447-4194.
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.

OSHA renews alliance with South Louisiana Service, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety Network

July 16, 2015

OSHA renews alliance with South Louisiana Service, Transmission,
Exploration and Production Safety Network

Participants: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration renewed a two-year alliance July 16, with the South Louisiana Service, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety Network

When and Where: July 16 at Safety Management Systems, Lafayette, LA. 

Alliance description: The alliance, which includes operators and contractors in the oil and gas production, exploration and product transmission industry, will continue providing information, guidance and resources to promote safety, health and environmental improvement for oil and gas workers in South Louisiana. The South Louisiana STEPS Network represents one of 23 STEPS groups in 15 oil- and gas-producing states.

Duration: Two-year agreement

Quote: "Our country's oil production is on track to set records this year, and that really underscores the importance of working together to make sure the workers who are contributing to the growth of the nation's oil and gas industry are safe. That's what this alliance is about – an ongoing commitment to the safety and health of those workers," said Dorinda Folse, OSHA's area director in Baton Rouge. 

"Though the nationwide fatality rate in the oil and gas sector is still much higher than for workers in other sectors, the STEPS Networks represent a contribution to other public and private initiatives that have led to significant gains in oil and gas safety, both in Louisiana and nationwide."

Alliance information: Through the Alliance Program, OSHA works with businesses, trade associations, unions, consulates, professional organizations, faith-and community-based organizations, and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html.

For more information about this alliance or partnering with OSHA's Baton Rouge Area Office, call 225-298-5458.

Workers risked dangerous falls at Shenandoah, Texas, worksite. OSHA cites employers Gate Precast Co. and Trueblue Inc.; fines total $74K

July 16, 2015

Workers risked dangerous falls at Shenandoah, Texas, worksite.

OSHA cites employers Gate Precast Co. and Trueblue Inc.; fines total $74K

Employer name: Gate Precast Co. and Trueblue Inc., doing business as Labor Ready

Site: Shenandoah, Texas

Date citations issued: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the employers on July 16, for exposing workers to fall hazards at a construction site.

Investigation findings: OSHA's Houston North Area Office cited Gate Precast Co. for four serious and one repeat violation. The serious violations include exposing workers to struck-by hazards, using a kinked wire rope to lift a load, failing to protect wire ropes from damage, and exposing employees to impalement. 

The repeat violation was for failing to protect employees and six temporary workers from fall hazards. Trueblue provided Gate Precast with six temporary workers and received two citations, for exposing workers to fall and impalement hazards, at the job site. 

Proposed Penalties: OSHA has proposed $65,000 in fines for Gate Precast Co. and $9,000 for Trueblue.

Citations: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/TrueblueIncLaborReady_1064765_0716_15.pdf* and http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/GatePrecastCompany_1061067_0716_15.pdf*

Quote: "Falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, but these deaths can be prevented by planning, using the correct equipment and training the workers,” said Joann Figueroa, area director in OSHA's Houston North Area Office. 

Information: Both employers have 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report amputations, losses of an eye, 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 Houston North Area Office at 936-760-3800.

Oak Harbor Freight Lines Inc. , a Pacific Northwest trucking company, retaliates against sick, tired drivers again. OSHA orders Oak Harbor Freight Lines to comply with federal safety rules

July 15, 2015

Oak Harbor Freight Lines Inc. , a Pacific Northwest trucking company, retaliates against sick, tired drivers again.

OSHA orders Oak Harbor Freight Lines to comply with federal safety rules

SEATTLE, WA


The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has again ordered Oak Harbor Freight Lines Inc. to stop retaliating against truck drivers who refuse to drive when they feel too ill or fatigued. 

The order comes after Oak Harbor suspended a 25-year commercial truck operator without pay at its Portland, Oregon, terminal after he did not feel well enough to drive. The driver filed a whistleblower complaint, citing violation of safe operating rules under the Surface Transportation Safety Act.

After its investigation, OSHA ordered the trucking company to pay $20,000 in punitive damages and $354 to the driver for his suspension. This is the second time the agency has found Oak Harbor retaliated against a truck driver who invoked federal safety rules. 

OSHA investigators also found that the company's attendance policy encouraged drivers to operate trucks while sick or exhausted. Drivers absent due to illness or exhaustion had negative notes placed in their personnel records and faced possible discipline or termination. OSHA has repeatedly asked Oak Harbor to change the attendance policy, but the company has not complied. 

"Forcing ill or tired drivers behind the wheel puts their lives and the lives of others at risk," said Ken Atha, OSHA regional administrator in Seattle. "Oak Harbor's continued refusal to revise its attendance policy shows a reckless and callous indifference to employees' rights and public safety." 

In addition to the damages and compensation for the suspension, OSHA has ordered Oak Harbor to remove any negative comments from the driver's personnel file. Both the driver and the company may file an appeal with the department's Office of Administrative Law Judges.

Based in Auburn, Washington, Oak Harbor has facilities in five Western states. OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of more than 21 statutes, protecting employees who report violations of various commercial motor carrier, airline, nuclear, pipeline, environmental, public transportation agency, consumer product, motor vehicle safety, railroad, maritime, health care reform, food safety, securities and financial reform laws.

Employees who believe that they have been retaliated against for engaging in protected conduct may file a complaint with the secretary of labor to request an investigation by OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program. Detailed information on employee whistleblower rights is available at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.

Steel fabricator continues to endanger workers, OSHA finds. Steel Fabrication Services cited for 14 violations; faces $188K in fines

July 16, 2015

Steel fabricator continues to endanger workers, OSHA finds.
  Steel Fabrication Services cited for 14 violations; faces $188K in fines

DALLAS, TEXAS

A local steel fabricator continues to put its workers in harm's way, despite its awareness of hazards at its Farmers Branch facility, and a recent federal inspection that found more than a dozen safety violations.

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors cited Steel Fabrication Services Inc. for two willful, six repeated and six serious violations in a follow-up inspection. They found the company continued to expose workers to unguarded machinery, improperly stored oxygen cylinders and other safety and health hazards. The company faces proposed penalties totaling $188,760.

"When an employer ignores hazards in the workplace, workers often suffer the consequences. OSHA will not tolerate such negligence," said Stephen Boyd, OSHA's area director in the Dallas Area Office. "Employers must find and fix hazards. In this case, Steel Fabrication has chosen to continue to expose workers to hazards willfully. OSHA will continue to pursue corrections to ensure that these workers are safe." 

Begun in January, the inspection was a follow-up visit for citations issued in February 2014. At that time, OSHA identified five serious violations involving the lack of protective guards for dangerous machines, unsafe storage of compressed gas cylinders and electrical hazards. Steel Fabrication did not respond to the citations and failed to provide OSHA with documentation that the problems had been addressed, as required by law. 

View the citations at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/SteelFabricationServicesInc_1019418.pdf* and http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/SteelFabricationServicesInc_1019221.pdf*.

Based in the Dallas Metroplex, Steel Fabrication manufactures fabricated parts, weldments and finished products in carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other materials. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the 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 Dallas Area Office at 972-952-1330.
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 .

Topy Precision Manufacturing Inc. cited by OSHA after press crushes worker's finger. Investigation finds 14 serious violations, including safety guard failure, lack of safety training

July 16, 2015

Manufacturer cited by OSHA after press crushes worker's finger.
Investigation finds 14 serious violations, including safety guard failure, lack of safety training

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill.

A 25-ton power press crushed a temporary worker's right ring finger when the machine she operated cycled through while her hand was inside. The incident, at a steel parts manufacturing plant in Elk Grove Village, occurred when light curtains that act as machine guards failed to work properly. The woman suffered the injury after just 10 days at Topy Precision Manufacturing Inc.

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors issued 14 serious safety violations to the company on July 14. Many of the violations involve exposing workers to machinery operating parts. Topy faces proposed penalties of $61,695.

"Topy Precision Manufacturing put workers at risk of injuries because they did not implement required machine safety procedures or train workers to recognize serious machine hazards," said Angeline Loftus, OSHA's area director for its Chicago North Office in Des Plaines. "Employers have a responsibility to ensure their workplaces are safe."

During its January inspection, an OSHA inspector also found numerous electrical hazards at Topy Precision Manufacturing. Workers also lacked proper training in the operation of powered industrial vehicles.

Topy manufactures spring steel fasteners, clamps, clips and other components.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in the Chicago North Office, 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 Chicago North Area Office at 847-803-4800. 

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.

Ttowing vessel Mrs. Baye sank in the middle of the Charenton Canal. It was carrying 4,000 gallons of fuel, 50 gallons of oil, and 40 gallons of waste oil on board.

Coast Guard responds to sunken vessel in Charenton Canal

Marine Safety Unit Morgan City 

NEW ORLEANS, LA

The Coast Guard is responding to the sinking of a towing vessel on the Charenton Canal, Charenton, Louisiana, Thursday.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders were notified the towing vessel Mrs. Baye sank in the middle of the Charenton Canal at approximately 5:30 a.m.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City Captain of the Port David McClellan has closed the canal to commercial vessel transits at that location due to the sunken vessel blocking the navigable channel.

The three crewmembers were safely removed from the vessel with no injuries reported.

The towing vessel is reportedly carrying an estimated 4,000 gallons of fuel, 50 gallons of oil, and 40 gallons of waste oil on board.

A small sheen was reported.  Responders deployed containment boom around incident to minimize environmental impact.

The Coast Guard is working with the vessel’s owner on a salvage plan to ensure the waterway is safely opened for commerce as soon as possible and to minimize the threat of pollution.

Commercial traffic impacted by the closure may contact the Captain of the Port, who may grant individual passages if they can be shown to be safe.

The Coast Guard is currently conducting an investigation into the cause of the sunken vessel.

A livestock carrier has sunk off the coast of the Gulf of Aden with more than 3,000 live animals perishing. Two of the 31 crew members on board are still missing.

By Milton Stuards, 

A livestock carrier has sunk off the coast of the Gulf of Aden with more than 3,000 live animals perishing. Two of the 31 crew members on board are still missing.
The vessel, which was more than 30-year-old, was en route from Somali Regions to the United Arab Emirates when it sank due to bad weather conditions in the region.

It was carrying cargo of more than 3,000 animals and 31 crew members when the accident occurred. Another ship, passing nearby was able to rescue 29 crewmembers, who have managed to escape from the sinking vessel. The search for the missing two seafarers is ongoing.

Approximately 40 percent to the Somali Community Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is delivered by livestock, which is the mainstay of the Somali economy.

Livestock carrier carrying 3,000 animals sunk off the Gulf of Aden
Image: slnnews

Every year, millions of animals are exported through the ports of Berbera in Somaliland and Bossaso in Puntland, as the majority of the livestock are headed to Middle Eastern markets.

The animals in Somaliland vastly outnumber the people in the small country on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden.

Approximately 3,5 million people live in the region as compared to an estimated 8 million goats and more than one million camels.

Somaliland’s animal traders are preparing for a busy month as the Muslim holiday, Eid, which approaches.

The conflict in Yemen this year has halted animal exports from Somalia to Gulf countries due to security reasons, but Somalia and Egypt agreed to resume the trade in June.

Around $250 million is generated from the export of goats, sheep and camels to the Gulf countries each year.

Reports released weeks ago by the Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) indicated livestock export for 2014 and estimated for nearly $360 million.

The export data collected by the FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), shows that Somaliland and Somalia exported all together 4.6 million goats and sheep, 340,000 cattle and 77,000 camels in 2014.

North Dakota's Oil Output Stabilizes but Does Not Fall, Yet


Published in Oil Industry News on Thursday, 16 July 2015

Graphic for North Dakota's Oil Output Stabilizes but Does Not Fall in Oil and Gas News
Crude oil production data published by the state of North Dakota on Friday contained something for both bulls and bears.

Bears can point to the unexpected resilience of shale production in the face of lower oil prices while bulls can point to the fact that production is no longer growing after five years of tremendous gains.

The state pumped an average of 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, an increase of 32,000 bpd compared with April, according to the Department of Mineral Resources (link.reuters.com/kan25w).

Production remained steady with an average of just 80-90 rigs drilling in May, far fewer than the 120-130 rigs the department forecast at the start of the year would be necessary to maintain 1.2 million bpd.

By concentrating remaining rigs on the most productive parts of the Bakken and raising efficiency, the state’s drillers have steadied output with fewer than half the rigs employed last October.

But production has been essentially flat for the last nine months, bringing to an end the explosive output increases that had been reported for much of the previous seven years.

State output has risen by an average of just 0.2 percent per month for the last six months, down from 3.3 percent per month in the half-year to September 2014, and the slowest rate for six years.

And production over the last nine months has risen by an average of just 0.7 percent, the slowest since the beginning of 2007 (link.reuters.com/nan25w and link.reuters.com/qan25w).

The slowdown has been the longest and deepest “pause” in the state’s oil boom since the start of the shale revolution.

Whether the data is bearish or bullish for oil prices is a bit like asking whether a beer glass is half full or half empty; it all depends on perspective.

STEADY BUT NOT FALLING

For bears, production is not falling by as much as expected, even though prices have plunged and the number of rigs drilling in the state has fallen by 60 percent since October.

Shale producers have demonstrated their resilience in the face of wellhead prices of less than $50 per barrel, just half what they were earning a year ago.
If further reductions in shale output are needed to rebalance the global oil market, wellhead prices will have to go even lower.

For bulls, shale, which provided almost all the marginal increase in global supplies over the past five years, has stopped growing at $50 per barrel.
Zero growth would remove one important source of oversupply and, coupled with continued growth in fuel consumption, promote a gradual return to balance in the global market.

The critical question is whether mere stabilization, or a slowdown in the rate of growth, will be enough to rebalance the market over the next 12-18 months.


MORE RIGS, MORE OIL?

Some shale drillers are already talking about adding extra rigs again and growing output in 2016, though there is little sign of this so far.

Pioneer Natural Resources told investors on July 8 it would add two more rigs per month through the rest of 2015 in Texas provided the oil price “remains constructive”.

Baker Hughes data shows the number of rigs drilling for oil across the United States has risen slightly in each of the last two weeks, after 29 consecutive weeks of decline. But the increase is very small so far (link.reuters.com/qag25w).

Critically, North Dakota’s own records show that the number of rigs drilling in the state has remained basically unchanged in recent weeks at 70-75 , about 10 fewer than in May.

In any case, there is an element of bravado in pronouncements from independent shale producers who must convince investors their business model is sustainable even with much lower prices.

It remains unclear what price level producers need to start growing output again. Pioneer said only that oil prices needed to remain “constructive”. Others have suggested they would be able to increase production if prices went above $70.

Since the start of the month, however, U.S. oil prices have fallen more than $6 per barrel, 11 percent, to just $52 per barrel and some analysts think they will far further in the coming months, which could prompt the shale firms to cancel plans for more rigs.

Now that shale producers have become the marginal suppliers to the market, drilling, production and prices will all be co-determined.

Strong resumption in shale output growth would likely require higher oil prices, while lower prices will leave shale growing only slowly if at all.
Source: www.reuters.com

Lights Out: UK North Sea Oilfield Power Outage


Published in Oil Industry News on Thursday, 16 July 2015

Graphic for Oil Rises After UK North Sea Oilfield Outage in Oil and Gas News
Oil prices rose on Thursday after a power outage closed the UK's largest oilfield, restricting flows to the North Sea's main oil stream that underpins the global benchmark Brent crude.

Oil prices were also supported by data on Wednesday that showed a fall in U.S. crude inventories.
Brent crude for August LCOc1 was up 55 cents at $57.60 a barrel by 1035 GMT (6:35 a.m. EDT). U.S. light crude CLc1, also known as West Texas Intermediate or WTI, was up 30 cents at $51.71.

Britain's Buzzard oilfield, which normally pumps 170,000 to 180,000 barrels per day, was closed after power supplies failed, traders said. A spokeswoman for Buzzard operator Nexen, a unit of China's CNOOC (0883.HK), declined to comment.

"There was a trip last night," said one crude oil trader, who declined to be identified.

Buzzard is the single biggest contributor to the Forties crude stream, one of four crude grades underpinning the price of over-the-counter Brent, which is linked to Brent futures.

Brent's front-month August futures contract, due to expire later on Thursday, moved to a premium of 30 cents a barrel above the September contract on the Buzzard news, its highest premium for more than two months.

U.S. crude inventories fell by 4.3 million barrels last week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), as refineries boosted throughput to a record level.

The data suggested demand in the United States, the world's biggest oil consumer, was holding up well and still absorbing fuel at a time of ample global production.

Olivier Jakob, head of Swiss energy consultancy Petromatrix, said U.S. oil demand remained very strong, driven by gasoline consumption, which was helping keep U.S. refineries working at full tilt through the northern hemisphere summer.

But the market might not be quite as well balanced later in the year, when maintenance shuts some refineries.

"U.S. crude oil stocks are still at a high level and at risk of seeing increasing builds once refineries go into maintenance in the fall," Jakob said.

Oil prices have fallen steadily over the last two months and both crude benchmarks are down more than 15 percent from June peaks.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is producing about 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) more crude than needed at the moment, analysts say, filling inventories worldwide and keeping markets under pressure.

OPEC oil supply may be about to rise as Iran increases output following a deal with six global powers over its nuclear program.
Source: www.reuters.com

Massive Chinese petrochemical plant explosion in the city of Rizhao, in Shandong province






 JULY 16, 2015

Up to 130 firefighters are fighting a massive blaze in the wake of a huge explosion at a factory on China's mid-east coast earlier today.

The explosion, which was caught on camera, reportedly happened at a petrochemical plant in the city of Rizhao, in Shandong province, according to local media.

There are reports that fire crews from neighbouring Qingdao City have rushed to help battle the towering blaze.

It is unclear at this stage whether anyone was injured in the blast.
Early reports indicate that a tank storing combustible materials exploded.

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/

Another underriding death: Southbound Interstate 35 was shut down at Rittiman Road on the Northeast Side for nearly five hours Thursday following a fatal crash involving a car and an 18-wheeler.

 




 

Fatal crash involving big rig shuts down Interstate 35 on San Antonio's Northeast Side

By Mark D. Wilson : July 16, 2015 : Updated: July 16, 2015 2:54pm

  • Emergency crews work to clear a fatal crash involving an 18-wheeler on southbound Interstate 35 near Rittiman Road on July 16, 2015. Photo: Mark D. Wilson/San Antonio Express-News
    Photo By Mark D. Wilson/San Antonio Express-News 
    Emergency crews work to clear a fatal crash involving an 18-wheeler on southbound Interstate 35 near Rittiman Road on July 16, 2015.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Southbound Interstate 35 was shut down at Rittiman Road on the Northeast Side for nearly five hours Thursday following a fatal crash involving a car and an 18-wheeler.

Emergency crews were dispatched to interstate between Rittiman and Loop 410 around 9:30 a.m. after receiving reports of the crash.

A man driving an 18-wheeler in the center lane heading southbound noticed a small car to his right before the crash, police said.

The big rig driver felt an impact on his trailer and hit the brakes, said San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Fidel Acosta.

When the driver finally came to a stop, he found a Chevrolet Cobalt wedged under the trailer. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 18-wheeler was jack-knifed across three lanes of the highway and all southbound traffic was diverted onto the access road and Loop 410.
Traffic backed up for miles while crews worked to clear the scene.

Lanes were reopened around 2:30 p.m.
No other injuries were sustained.