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OSHA to Investigate Act of God

bicycleman

bicycleman

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Not sure what an investigation like this will accomplish when you have a tornado with winds of 150 mph. It's doubtful any building is built to withstand that kind of wind and from what direction it came from.

www.newsmax.com

Labor Official: Probe Launched of Amazon Illinois Warehouse Collapse

An investigation into an Amazon.com building collapse in Illinois on Friday night has been opened by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an official at the U.S. Department of Labor said on Monday.
www.newsmax.com www.newsmax.com

"
OSHA has six months to complete its investigation, issue citations and propose monetary penalties if violations of workplace safety and or health regulations are found, Scott Allen, a U.S. Department of Labor regional director for public affairs, said via email. He added that compliance officers have been on site since Saturday.

Six workers were killed when the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, buckled under the force of the devastating storm, police said. A barrage of tornadoes ripped through six U.S. states, leaving a trail of death and destruction at homes and businesses stretching more than 200 miles (322 km).
"
 
I saw on the news that some of those buildings had no procedure for severe weather, and also no "safe place" for people inside to go to (e.g., no basement).

I was at a Walmart one time when a tornado suddenly threatened, Everybody was herded to the geometric center of the building, which was near the rear of the merchandise area (due to the storage and loading dock areas in the back). We had to just trust them that they knew where the safest place was.

(After the warning was over, there was a stampede to the restrooms. Humans are human. :) )
 
 
BlueTex said:
www.nbcnews.com

Factory workers threatened with firing if they left before tornado, employees say

Exclusive: At least eight people died in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory. Its destruction has become a symbol of the tornado's ruinous power.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
Click to expand...
Who is to say, who was right. If the employees were allowed to leave before the tornado but were caught up in the whirlwind while driving, then would there be another investigation of Amazon for allowing employees to leave early rather than shelter in place? It is a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. These Amazon facilities are nothing more than distribution warehouses, not built to withstand tornadoes. I doubt if this area considered tornado alley? There is a facility just built in my hometown and built the same way as all these facilities. Where was OSHA when the facility was being built? Did they sign off on its construction?
 
Emily L said:
I saw on the news that some of those buildings had no procedure for severe weather, and also no "safe place" for people inside to go to (e.g., no basement).
Click to expand...

Basement for a whole warehouse would be super expensive, however you'd think they could build shelters.

Emily L said:
I was at a Walmart one time when a tornado suddenly threatened, Everybody was herded to the geometric center of the building, which was near the rear of the merchandise area (due to the storage and loading dock areas in the back). We had to just trust them that they knew where the safest place was.

(After the warning was over, there was a stampede to the restrooms. Humans are human. :) )
Click to expand...

Anywhere near the edges would be dangerous, due to 50% a wall falls on you. The very center would only be safer though, if there was some concrete structure or a "box" of lateral braces. From what you said, the main entrance might have been safer. More bracing there to account for the door system, also if they leave the doors open, less chance of a wall falling on the people. But I'm just generalizing from buildings I've seen and am definitely not an engineer.
 
bicycleman said:
Not sure what an investigation like this will accomplish when you have a tornado with winds of 150 mph. It's doubtful any building is built to withstand that kind of wind and from what direction it came from.

www.newsmax.com

Labor Official: Probe Launched of Amazon Illinois Warehouse Collapse

An investigation into an Amazon.com building collapse in Illinois on Friday night has been opened by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an official at the U.S. Department of Labor said on Monday.
www.newsmax.com www.newsmax.com

"
OSHA has six months to complete its investigation, issue citations and propose monetary penalties if violations of workplace safety and or health regulations are found, Scott Allen, a U.S. Department of Labor regional director for public affairs, said via email. He added that compliance officers have been on site since Saturday.

Six workers were killed when the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, buckled under the force of the devastating storm, police said. A barrage of tornadoes ripped through six U.S. states, leaving a trail of death and destruction at homes and businesses stretching more than 200 miles (322 km).
"
Click to expand...

newsmax? Ok, the fact that someone reads that basically admitted propaganda tells me what I need to know, so more of a PSA.. . . .

I would imagine that the point is seeing whether people skimped on any safety skimping that may have caused people to die who needn't have died, because maybe their shelters should have protected them even if they didn't protect the rest of the building (know what the "S" stands for in OSHA? Christ.)

You know...like you wouldn't build an atomic shelter out of wood, maybe you shouldn't have your tornado shelter in an open hallway with all sorts of corridors/etc winding. Maybe you put it in a contained congrete basic bunker? Etc.

That'll be my guess and I don't want to hear that of Newsmax. I'll wait for others.


BlueTex said:
www.nbcnews.com

Factory workers threatened with firing if they left before tornado, employees say

Exclusive: At least eight people died in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory. Its destruction has become a symbol of the tornado's ruinous power.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
Click to expand...
bicycleman said:
Who is to say, who was right. If the employees were allowed to leave before the tornado but were caught up in the whirlwind while driving, then would there be another investigation of Amazon for allowing employees to leave early rather than shelter in place? It is a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. These Amazon facilities are nothing more than distribution warehouses, not built to withstand tornadoes. I doubt if this area considered tornado alley? There is a facility just built in my hometown and built the same way as all these facilities. Where was OSHA when the facility was being built? Did they sign off on its construction?
Click to expand...

Plus, he's calling everything but the most open pro-Trump propaganda "fake news". Ok, heard enough.
 
BlueTex said:
Does OSHA not have jurisdiction in Illinois?
Click to expand...
OSHA has jurisdiction over the entire United States and its Territories.

Something I don't understand, is why extreme weather readiness is so patchwork across the Nation; in Minnesota, mobile home parks built after 1988 are required by State law to have storm shelters available for residents...the number of residents dictating the size or number of shelters built.

Yet in places like Oklahoma, no such law exists.
 
Bum said:
OSHA has jurisdiction over the entire United States and its Territories.

Something I don't understand, is why extreme weather readiness is so patchwork across the Nation; in Minnesota, mobile home parks built after 1988 are required by State law to have storm shelters available for residents...the number of residents dictating the size or number of shelters built.

Yet in places like Oklahoma, no such law exists.
Click to expand...

What is not to understand? FREEDOM!
 
Spirit of The Millennium said:
Basement for a whole warehouse would be super expensive, however you'd think they could build shelters.



Anywhere near the edges would be dangerous, due to 50% a wall falls on you. The very center would only be safer though, if there was some concrete structure or a "box" of lateral braces. From what you said, the main entrance might have been safer. More bracing there to account for the door system, also if they leave the doors open, less chance of a wall falling on the people. But I'm just generalizing from buildings I've seen and am definitely not an engineer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, Spirit! I, too, have always heard that doorways were good because of the structure around them.
 
bicycleman said:
Not sure what an investigation like this will accomplish when you have a tornado with winds of 150 mph. It's doubtful any building is built to withstand that kind of wind and from what direction it came from.
Click to expand...

WRONG.
 
bicycleman said:
Who is to say, who was right. If the employees were allowed to leave before the tornado but were caught up in the whirlwind while driving, then would there be another investigation of Amazon for allowing employees to leave early rather than shelter in place? It is a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. These Amazon facilities are nothing more than distribution warehouses, not built to withstand tornadoes. I doubt if this area considered tornado alley? There is a facility just built in my hometown and built the same way as all these facilities. Where was OSHA when the facility was being built? Did they sign off on its construction?
Click to expand...

You've clearly never lived in a tornado area.
The amount of "wrong" spewing from you is legendary.
 
bicycleman said:
Where was OSHA when the facility was being built? Did they sign off on its construction?
Click to expand...

OSHA doesn't regulate building standards.
They inspect construction sites but that's to find out if the construction workers have safe working conditions, has nothing to do with the architecture.
You might as well be asking if OSHA inspected one of your bicycles.

Stick to arguing on a bicycle forum, this does not appear to be your strong suit.
 
Hamish Howl said:
Below ground is best. Especially when the window pop out from the pressure differential. Shit goes flying everywhere.
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah--I forgot about that window thing! And underground is definitely the best place to be. I was visiting a local TV station one time when severe weather approached. They had all of us go into the station's control room--where all the equipment and tape machines were--because it was actually below ground level. (Oddly--or maybe I should say "stupidly"--the weathercaster's office was on one of the upper floors, which is not a good place to be in bad weather.)
 
Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois said at a news conference that a state investigation into whether the building was constructed according to building codes was ongoing, while federal workplace safety regulators said they had opened an investigation after the collapse.

It seems Illinois is looking into the construction aspect of it. Maybe a little weird since buildings are inspected before being completed, but maybe not weird. As far as OSHA, my guess is they would be looking into storm safety procedures that were or were not in place.
 
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