Quality Control
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
France: Drugmaker On Trial, Suspected In Deaths
May 21, 2013 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe makers of a diabetes and weight loss drug suspected in the deaths of hundreds of people went on trial Tuesday, facing charges they misled the public about the product's safety. But after years of delays in one of France's biggest recent health scandals, the proceedings could still be pushed back further.
Texas Sues BP For Damages Related To Oil Spill
May 20, 2013 2:27 pm | by Juan A. Lozano, Associated Press | News | CommentsTexas on Friday became the fifth state to sue British oil company BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, seeking damages related to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The lawsuit is seeking lost tax revenue, lost revenue from state parks, damages to natural resources and civil penalties for each day that oil was spilled and for every barrel of oil that was illegally discharged.
12 Dead In China Factory Explosion
May 20, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA massive blast ripped through an explosives factory Monday in eastern China, killing at least 12 people and leaving others buried in the debris, state media reported. Rescuers were take care to avoid setting off additional explosions as they went through the site of the mid-morning explosion in Shandong province's Caofan township, the China News Service said.
Authorities: Crime Not Ruled Out In TX Blast
May 17, 2013 11:18 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press | News | CommentsInvestigators working in the remnants of an exploded Texas fertilizer plant sifted by hand through untold kernels of corn, moved tons of debris and conducted more than 400 interviews, while searching for the missing piece to solve what many officials compared to an extraordinary puzzle. One month after a fire triggered a massive blast killing 15 people, officials on Thursday had to declare the cause of the blaze as "undetermined."
TX Plant Explosion Findings To Be Released
May 15, 2013 2:04 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsState and federal agents will release this week the findings of an investigation into a deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant. The State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will announce their findings on Thursday.
TX Firefighters Focused Concern On Toxic Gases
May 15, 2013 10:13 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsWhen they saw 30-foot flames licking the sky inside a massive fertilizer plant, firefighters in this tiny Texas town rushed to evacuate nearby buildings and raced to spray water on tanks of chemicals, hoping to prevent a catastrophe. They didn't know, and probably could not imagine, that the plant would soon explode into a deadly fireball and lay waste to much of the community.
GM: Supercomputers To Keep Recalls In Check
May 14, 2013 10:22 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. says a new supercomputing data center and a fledgling shift to bring software development in-house should help it limit the size of future safety recalls. The Detroit automaker, which formally opened the giant data storage center in suburban Warren, Michigan, said the changes are examples of how it is moving faster to cut costs and serve its customers better by bringing more computer technology inside the company.
Pest Birds And Corrosive Droppings
May 13, 2013 8:00 am | by Chrissy Hansen, Bird-X Media Correspondent | Articles | CommentsPest birds cost individuals and businesses millions of dollars each year in clean-up expenses, repairs, and damaged equipment. Some large industrial facilities spend as much as six figures to combat pest bird problems. Facility managers must understand the important of implementing a preventative bird control program as means of reducing these costs.
Texas Launches Criminal Probe Into Plant Explosion
May 10, 2013 2:04 pm | by Angela K. Brown, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsTexas law enforcement officials on Friday launched a criminal investigation into the massive fertilizer plant explosion that killed 14 people last month, after weeks of largely treating the blast as an industrial accident. The announcement came the same day a paramedic who helped to evacuate residents the night of the explosion was arrested on a charge of possessing a destructive device.
Defendants: No Remorse For Weapons Plant Break-In
May 8, 2013 2:31 pm | by Erik Schelzig, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn 83-year-old nun and two other protesters accused of defacing a Tennessee nuclear weapons plant said Wednesday they have no remorse for their actions and were pleased to reach one of the most secure parts of the facility. Sister Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed testified on their own behalf during their federal trial on charges related to the July intrusion at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.
Safety Agency Watches Ford Vans For Rust Signs
May 7, 2013 10:05 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. auto safety regulators are monitoring about 100,000 Ford and Mercury minivans that were not covered by a recall issued earlier this year for rust problems. Ford recalled about 230,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans in March to fix rust in the wheel wells that can cause the third-row seats to come loose.
FAA Safety Oversight Of Aircraft Repairs Faulted
May 6, 2013 2:21 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe government's oversight of hundreds of domestic and overseas repair stations that service U.S. airliners is ineffective and doesn't target the factors most likely to present safety risks, the Department of Transportation's inspector general said Monday.
Adidas: Asia Laborers Can Send Complaints Via Text
May 6, 2013 2:16 pm | by Juergen Baetz, Associated Press | News | CommentsGerman sports gear maker Adidas said Monday it is encouraging workers in factories of some of its Asian suppliers to anonymously share possible grievances directly with the company via text message. The new hotline service will help bridge the communication gap between management and workers, enabling employees to "simply send an SMS when they feel their rights are breached," Adidas AG said.
China City Quashes Protest Against Petro Plant
May 6, 2013 10:28 am | by Didi Tang, Associated Press | News | CommentsResidents say they are worried the plant would pollute the air and water, and question why the plant is being built in a region prone to earthquakes. Pengzhou is in the same fault zone as the 2008 Wenchuan quake that left 90,000 people dead or missing, and for an earthquake last month that killed at least 196 people.
Texas Fire Official: 'Debris Could Give Answers'
May 3, 2013 5:08 pm | by The Associated Press | Videos | CommentsKelly Kistner, an assistant state fire marshal in Texas, said that investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a deadly fertilizer plant explosion that killed at least 14 people. He said that debris there could provide answers.
LA Gov: $340M More From BP For Gulf Restoration
May 3, 2013 9:50 am | by Janet McConnaughey, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP PLC has agreed to pay $340 million to restore four of the barrier islands that act as hurricane buffers for Louisiana's mainland and create two fish research hatcheries in the state, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday. The money is part of $1 billion the oil giant agreed two years ago to pay for early restoration work after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Porsche 911, Viper Probed For Safety Problems
April 30, 2013 1:48 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. safety regulators are investigating coolant leaks in Porsche 911 sports cars that could cause roadway spills and send vehicles careening out of control, and complaints that a rear suspension part can fail on the iconic Dodge Viper muscle car.
Lawsuits From Fertilizer Plant Blast Now Total 6
April 29, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe deadly Central Texas fertilizer plant explosion has now spawned six lawsuits, including one from the family of a volunteer firefighter killed in the blast. Fourteen people died and more than 200 were injured by the April 17 blast in the small Central Texas town of West. Dozens of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.
Climate Curtain Protects U.S. Glass Block Manufacturer
April 29, 2013 9:00 am | by Marcus Mohwinkel, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Goff’s Enterprises, Inc. | Articles | CommentsPittsburgh Corning is a world leader in innovative glass block products for commercial, institutional, government and residential building applications. The company is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of glass block. The company needed to create a climate-controlled, low-dust environment. Further, the warehouse measured 100 feet wide by 400 feet long—but assembly operations required only a portion of the total area.
Environmentally Friendly Pest Management
April 29, 2013 8:00 am | by Patrick T. Copps, MS, B.C.E., Technical Services Manager, Orkin, LLC | Articles | CommentsThe push to use environmentally friendly methods in plant operations, including pest management, continues to gain traction. Conservation and recycling efforts now play a major part in our daily lives, whether at home, at work or at another public place. But what about your facility?
FAA Approves Resumption Of Boeing 787 Flights
April 22, 2013 10:13 am | by Joan Lowy, Joshua Freed, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing's beleaguered 787 could be flying again within a week after federal officials approved a fix for its batteries, even though the root cause of a fire on one plane and smoke on another still isn't known. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it would send airlines instructions and publish a notice next week lifting the 3-month-old grounding order that day.
Federal Inspectors At Scene Of Texas Blast
April 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA dozen investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board are inspecting the site of this week's fertilizer plant explosion in the Central Texas town of West. A spokeswoman for the federal agency that's charged with investigating chemical accidents says the group arrived in the small farming town on Thursday and was "inspecting the areas of impact" midday Friday.
Rescuers Search Ruins Of Texas Fertilizer Plant
April 18, 2013 2:14 pm | by John L. Mone, Michael Brick, Associated Press | News | CommentsRescue workers searched the smoldering ruins of a fertilizer plant Thursday for survivors of a monstrous explosion that leveled homes and businesses in every direction across the Texas prairie. As many as 15 people were feared dead and more than 160 others injured.
FAA Orders Inspection Of Boeing 737 Jets
April 16, 2013 1:08 pm | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsAfter reports of faulty parts on plane tails, the Federal Aviation Administration has asked for inspection of more than 1000 U.S.-registered Boeing 737 jets. The mostly late-model aircraft will be examined to see if a part of the plane's tail need to be replaced. NBC’s Brian Williams reports.
CA DA Says Toyota To Pay $16M Settlement
April 8, 2013 10:11 am | by Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, Associated Press | News | CommentsA $16 million settlement over the safety recall of Toyota vehicles that were at risk for unintended acceleration and braking issues was announced Friday by Orange County prosecutors and Toyota Motor Corp. The suit was one of a flood of cases brought against the automaker after more than 14 million vehicles were recalled in 2009 and 2010 - many of them still waiting to be heard or settled.
