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Structural Problems, Dust Explosion Possible Causes Of Building Collapse
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Two-People-Reportedly-Trapped-In-Building-Collapse-241151861.html
Jan 22, 2014
Federal safety investigators are looking at structural problems and a dust explosion as possible causes of Monday's industrial building collapse in Omaha that killed two workers and injured 17 others.
Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman Scott Allen says investigators are working with structural engineers and combustible dust experts as part of their investigation into the collapse of the International Nutrition building near 77th and I streets. The plant makes nutritional products that are added to livestock and poultry feed.
Allen said Wednesday that it likely will be weeks before investigators identify a cause of the collapse. He added OSHA investigators were able to enter the heavily-damage building Tuesday and gather some evidence and photos, but declined to say what that evidence included.
Authorities recovered the body of 47-year-old David Ball from the rubble on Tuesday, a day after recovering the body of 53-year-old Keith Everett.
Co-workers tell WOWT 6 News that Everett did not have family in Omaha. They say he is from North Carolina and he had planned to leave on Wednesday to vacation there. He was going to visit his mother.
Interim Fire Chief Bernie Kanger said Tuesday evening, “We are prepared to say at this time that we don’t expect to find any other victims in that structure.”
The Nebraska Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue team was back at the site of the building collapse on Tuesday. The second body was recovered at 3:45 p.m.
Officials told WOWT 6 News the cold weather and wind have not affected the recovery effort, however, the building is still considered very unstable and dangerous.
Kanger said OSHA will be responsible for conducting the accident investigation. The Omaha Police Department will handle the death investigations of the two victims.
Meanwhile, those injured in the accident continue making progress. The two patients at the Nebraska Medical Center have been upgraded. The 37-year-old, with a collapsed lung, is now listed in fair condition, and the 50-year-old male, who came in with hypothermia, is now in good condition.
Officials at Alegent Creighton Medical Center reported the male patient there has been upgraded to fair condition. The patient who had been treated at Bergan Mercy has been released.
Kendrick Houston was one of the injured. We met with him Tuesday and he didn’t want to let go of his 1-year-old daughter Jordan. Houston operates the forklift at International Nutrition and was thrown to the ground by the collapse of the building. He was 15-feet from the blown out doors.
“It's been rough to get the news this morning. I kind of knew yesterday when I left work. The employees that were lost, good friends of mine. I'm at a loss for words."
After hours in the hospital, his back pain lingers from being thrown to the ground Monday. "It seemed like an earthquake in Nebraska. It blew me and my co-worker to the floor. There was a fire on top of us. We just got out of there."
Then they tried to go back into the chaos of the crumbling building. “We tried to go back in. We were the ones closest to the closest exit. I ran back in to call out a couple co-workers names. The fire was still going. The smoke was so thick. It was black in there. I was inhaling too much smoke."
Houston said he talked with a few co-workers on Tuesday. With 13 months on the job they feel like family. “Everybody's really distraught about the situation." He said his priority now is to get his mind and health back so he can make a living for his family. He also wants to be there for his co-workers.
Erick Ocampo was burned in the building collapse and he was transferred to St. Elizabeth’s in Lincoln for treatment.
Erik Ocampo
He tells his family that there was a time when he was in the shattered shell of International Nutrition that things looked very grim.
ON Tuesday afternoon Erik’s wife, Alison Ocampo said, ”He told me the first thing he thought about was us, his daughter and I, and he said he was not going to make it. That’s the first thing he thought: 'I don’t think I'm going to make it.'”
But he made it out and he’s been reunited with his family. They’re thankful that Erik is recovering but know he has a long way yet to go.
Erik’s mother Mariam Ocampo said, “Thank God he’s alive. It’s the most important thing now and I know he will recover from this. It will probably take time but he will recover.”
Back at the accident site, the Salvation Army was once again at the scene Tuesday. Salvation Army officials said their goal on the scene of a disaster is to help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of both the victims and the rescue workers - whatever those needs might be.
International Nutrition released the following statement Tuesday from company president Steven J. Silver:
“We would like to express our sympathies and condolences to the families of our employees who lost their lives yesterday. We also offer our thoughts and prayers for a swift recovery to those injured and affected by the accident. Many of our employees have worked with us for more than 10 years, and in a family-owned business like ours, the developments that have taken place over the last day are difficult for all involved.
We are Omaha natives, and have owned the company for more than 35 years. We are proud members of the Omaha and State Chambers of Commerce, and have always emphasized the importance of safety. We work with the Nebraska Chapter of the National Safety Council and our procedures are ISO 9001 certified
In our more than 35 years of doing business, this is the most serious incident to ever happen at our operation, and we are fully cooperating with all government investigators to find the cause.
Our thanks to the many employees who helped and supported each other in the wake of the accident, and our appreciation to the firefighters, rescuers and medical personnel who took care of those employees needing attention.
In the coming days we will assess the damage and explore alternate methods of meeting our customers’ needs. In the meantime, our focus remains on the wellbeing of employees and the search for the cause of this terrible accident.”
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners issued a statement Tuesday. It read, "On behalf of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and all of our Douglas County employees, I offer our heartfelt sympathies on the losses suffered by the families of those injured and killed in yesterday's tragic industrial accident in Omaha. Once again, we see how fragile an precious life is. Take a moment to share your feelings with those close to you."
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Two-People-Reportedly-Trapped-In-Building-Collapse-241151861.html
Jan 22, 2014
Federal safety investigators are looking at structural problems and a dust explosion as possible causes of Monday's industrial building collapse in Omaha that killed two workers and injured 17 others.
Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman Scott Allen says investigators are working with structural engineers and combustible dust experts as part of their investigation into the collapse of the International Nutrition building near 77th and I streets. The plant makes nutritional products that are added to livestock and poultry feed.
Allen said Wednesday that it likely will be weeks before investigators identify a cause of the collapse. He added OSHA investigators were able to enter the heavily-damage building Tuesday and gather some evidence and photos, but declined to say what that evidence included.
Authorities recovered the body of 47-year-old David Ball from the rubble on Tuesday, a day after recovering the body of 53-year-old Keith Everett.
Co-workers tell WOWT 6 News that Everett did not have family in Omaha. They say he is from North Carolina and he had planned to leave on Wednesday to vacation there. He was going to visit his mother.
Interim Fire Chief Bernie Kanger said Tuesday evening, “We are prepared to say at this time that we don’t expect to find any other victims in that structure.”
The Nebraska Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue team was back at the site of the building collapse on Tuesday. The second body was recovered at 3:45 p.m.
Officials told WOWT 6 News the cold weather and wind have not affected the recovery effort, however, the building is still considered very unstable and dangerous.
Kanger said OSHA will be responsible for conducting the accident investigation. The Omaha Police Department will handle the death investigations of the two victims.
Meanwhile, those injured in the accident continue making progress. The two patients at the Nebraska Medical Center have been upgraded. The 37-year-old, with a collapsed lung, is now listed in fair condition, and the 50-year-old male, who came in with hypothermia, is now in good condition.
Officials at Alegent Creighton Medical Center reported the male patient there has been upgraded to fair condition. The patient who had been treated at Bergan Mercy has been released.
Kendrick Houston was one of the injured. We met with him Tuesday and he didn’t want to let go of his 1-year-old daughter Jordan. Houston operates the forklift at International Nutrition and was thrown to the ground by the collapse of the building. He was 15-feet from the blown out doors.
“It's been rough to get the news this morning. I kind of knew yesterday when I left work. The employees that were lost, good friends of mine. I'm at a loss for words."
After hours in the hospital, his back pain lingers from being thrown to the ground Monday. "It seemed like an earthquake in Nebraska. It blew me and my co-worker to the floor. There was a fire on top of us. We just got out of there."
Then they tried to go back into the chaos of the crumbling building. “We tried to go back in. We were the ones closest to the closest exit. I ran back in to call out a couple co-workers names. The fire was still going. The smoke was so thick. It was black in there. I was inhaling too much smoke."
Houston said he talked with a few co-workers on Tuesday. With 13 months on the job they feel like family. “Everybody's really distraught about the situation." He said his priority now is to get his mind and health back so he can make a living for his family. He also wants to be there for his co-workers.
Erick Ocampo was burned in the building collapse and he was transferred to St. Elizabeth’s in Lincoln for treatment.
Erik Ocampo
He tells his family that there was a time when he was in the shattered shell of International Nutrition that things looked very grim.
ON Tuesday afternoon Erik’s wife, Alison Ocampo said, ”He told me the first thing he thought about was us, his daughter and I, and he said he was not going to make it. That’s the first thing he thought: 'I don’t think I'm going to make it.'”
But he made it out and he’s been reunited with his family. They’re thankful that Erik is recovering but know he has a long way yet to go.
Erik’s mother Mariam Ocampo said, “Thank God he’s alive. It’s the most important thing now and I know he will recover from this. It will probably take time but he will recover.”
Back at the accident site, the Salvation Army was once again at the scene Tuesday. Salvation Army officials said their goal on the scene of a disaster is to help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of both the victims and the rescue workers - whatever those needs might be.
International Nutrition released the following statement Tuesday from company president Steven J. Silver:
“We would like to express our sympathies and condolences to the families of our employees who lost their lives yesterday. We also offer our thoughts and prayers for a swift recovery to those injured and affected by the accident. Many of our employees have worked with us for more than 10 years, and in a family-owned business like ours, the developments that have taken place over the last day are difficult for all involved.
We are Omaha natives, and have owned the company for more than 35 years. We are proud members of the Omaha and State Chambers of Commerce, and have always emphasized the importance of safety. We work with the Nebraska Chapter of the National Safety Council and our procedures are ISO 9001 certified
In our more than 35 years of doing business, this is the most serious incident to ever happen at our operation, and we are fully cooperating with all government investigators to find the cause.
Our thanks to the many employees who helped and supported each other in the wake of the accident, and our appreciation to the firefighters, rescuers and medical personnel who took care of those employees needing attention.
In the coming days we will assess the damage and explore alternate methods of meeting our customers’ needs. In the meantime, our focus remains on the wellbeing of employees and the search for the cause of this terrible accident.”
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners issued a statement Tuesday. It read, "On behalf of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and all of our Douglas County employees, I offer our heartfelt sympathies on the losses suffered by the families of those injured and killed in yesterday's tragic industrial accident in Omaha. Once again, we see how fragile an precious life is. Take a moment to share your feelings with those close to you."