Latest news with #CCH
CBS News
04-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Report: Martinez refinery fire caused by inadequate training and monitoring of contractors, California workplace rules
A new report on the fire and chemical release at the Martinez Refinery Company in February blames inadequate training and supervision of contractors, as well as regulatory hurdles that created a lack of qualified workers. Contra Costa Health hired an independent firm to perform a root cause analysis to determine why the fire happened and how it can be prevented from happening again. The Feb. 1 fire lasted for three days, injured six workers, and emitted a host of harmful chemicals, prompting a shelter-in-place alert and public health advisory for the surrounding communities. Consultant JEM Advisors was set to present the report to the CCH's Martinez Refining Company Oversight Committee at its meeting on Tuesday. The report determined that the fire at MRC began when workers mistakenly opened a flange on the wrong side of an isolation valve during maintenance work, leading to the release of hydrocarbon material, which quickly caught fire. Contractor issues resulting from California workplace rules The report concluded that the root cause of the fire was inadequate oversight of the operations and work of the contractors, who had limited organizational capability to perform the work. Their limited capability required increased monitoring and operator oversight, the report said. The report also listed four contributing causes, one of which was regulatory restrictions due to California Senate Bill 54, passed in 2013, and co-employment rules included in Assembly Bill 5, passed in 2019. SB 54 requires companies to use source contractor manpower from local union halls, meaning personnel experienced in refinery unit maintenance from other locations cannot be used, and experienced workers are more difficult to find, the report said. Meanwhile, co-employment rules for contractors prevent MRC from approving contractor safety plans and providing safety training directly to contractors. Instead, the rules require sharing such safety training with contractor company leaders, "with the expectation that contractor employees are fully trained in these prior to working on the refinery site," according to the report. "As a result of these two regulations, there is now a higher likelihood for human errors entering into maintenance work performed by contractor resources," the report stated. Other contributing causes were faulty work procedures, inadequate contractor training because of co-employment rules, and inadequate or missing contractor supervision. Among the issues affecting contractors' ability to perform was the small font on work permits, making them difficult to read, and inadequate procedures to mark or tag locations where work is to be done. Smoke billows from the Martinez Refining Company in Martinez, Calif., on Feb. 1, 2025, during a fire. Tony Hicks/Bay City News Previous incidents at the Martinez Refinery Company New Jersey-based BPF Energy acquired MRC from Royal Dutch Shell in 2020. Since then, there have been three major incidents at the refinery as well as other spills and chemical releases. On Thanksgiving Day in 2022, the refinery mistakenly released more than 20 tons of chemicals into the air, covering cars and homes in metallic dust. In July 2023, the refinery spewed petroleum coke dust, also known as petcoke, prompting a hazardous materials investigation. In February, CCH said the chemicals and combustion byproducts from February's fire and release included those that can cause cancer, and heart and lung disease. In a statement issued at the time, county health director Dr. Ori Tzvieli said it was fortunate the wind blew most of the toxic smoke north of the refinery and away from populated areas. "This could have been much worse," Tzvieli said. "We got lucky this time. But our community shouldn't have to rely on luck." CCH said in February that concentrations of chemicals in the air from the fire were mostly below the threshold considered dangerous, but there was a brief period when the particulate matter near the refinery was at a high level. The agency said it was working with toxicologists to determine whether there were any long-term health impacts from the release, including potential impacts to soil and water. The report from JEM Advisors said MRC has already implemented some changes recommended in the report, such as increasing company personnel presence during contractor maintenance work and reinforcing adherence to existing procedures. Other recommendations include increasing operations oversight, closely reviewing and endorsing safety assessment permits to ensure contractors are aware of risks, and providing consequences for poor performance as well as for excellence.
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Report: Martinez refinery fire caused by inadequate training and monitoring of contractors, regulatory issues
A new report on the fire and chemical release at the Martinez Refinery Company in February blames inadequate training and supervision of contractors, as well as regulatory hurdles that created a lack of qualified workers. Contra Costa Health hired an independent firm to perform a root cause analysis to determine why the fire happened and how it can be prevented from happening again. The February 1 fire lasted for three days, injured six workers, and emitted a host of harmful chemicals, prompting a shelter-in-place alert and public health advisory for the surrounding communities. Consultant JEM Advisors was set to present the report to the CCH's Martinez Refining Company Oversight Committee at its meeting on Tuesday. The report determined that the fire at MRC began when workers mistakenly opened a flange on the wrong side of an isolation valve during maintenance work, leading to the release of hydrocarbon material which quickly caught fire. The report concluded that the root cause of the fire was inadequate monitoring of the operations and work of the contractors, who had limited organizational capability to perform the work. Such limited capability required increased operator oversight, the report concluded. The report also listed four contributing causes, one of which was regulatory restrictions due to California Senate Bill 54, passed in 2013, and co-employment rules included in Assembly Bill 5, passed in 2019. SB 54 requires companies to use source contractor manpower from local union halls, meaning personnel experienced in refinery unit maintenance shutdowns from other locations cannot be used and experienced workers are more difficult to find, the report said. Meanwhile, co-employment rules for contractors prevent MRC from approving contractor safety plans and providing safety training directly to contractors. Instead, the rules require sharing such safety training with contractor company leaders, "with the expectation that contractor employees are fully trained in these prior to working on the refinery site," according to the report. "As a result of these two regulations, there is now a higher likelihood for human errors entering into maintenance work performed by contractor resources," the report stated. Other contributing causes were faulty work procedures, inadequate contractor training because of co-employment rules, and inadequate or missing contractor supervision. Among the issues affecting contractors' ability to perform was the small font on work permits, making them difficult to read, and inadequate procedures to mark or tag locations where work is to be done. Smoke billows from the Martinez Refining Company in Martinez, Calif., on Feb. 1, 2025, during a fire. Tony Hicks/Bay City News New Jersey-based BPF Energy acquired MRC from Royal Dutch Shell in 2020. Since then, there have been three major incidents at the refinery as well as other spills and chemical releases. On Thanksgiving Day in 2022, the refinery mistakenly released more than 20 tons of chemicals into the air, covering cars and homes in metallic dust. In July 2023, the refinery spewed petroleum coke dust, also known as petcoke, prompting a hazardous materials investigation. In February, CCH said the chemicals and combustion byproducts from February's fire and release included those that can cause cancer, and heart and lung disease. In a statement issued at the time, the county health director said it was fortunate the wind blew most of the toxic smoke north of the refinery and away from populated areas. "This could have been much worse," county health director Dr. Ori Tzvieli said. "We got lucky this time. But our community shouldn't have to rely on luck." CCH said in February that concentrations of chemicals in the air from the fire were mostly below the threshold considered dangerous, but there was a brief period when the particulate matter near the refinery was at a high level. The agency said it was working with toxicologists to determine whether there were any long-term health impacts from the release, including potential impacts to soil and water. The report from JEM Advisors said MRC has already implemented some changes recommended in the report, such as increasing company personnel presence during contractor maintenance work and reinforcing adherence to existing procedures. Other recommendations include increasing operations oversight, closely reviewing and endorsing safety assessment permits to ensure contractors are aware of risks, and providing consequences for poor performance as well as for excellence.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Critical need': Contra Costa Health gets $98M in state funding for new facilities
(KRON) — Contra Costa Health announced on Wednesday that it has secured about $98 million in state funding to create three new facilities for mental health and recovery services. Elizabeth Holmes' boyfriend launches biotech company startup CCH says the funding comes from California's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), which is 'a multi-year state initiative to improve behavioral healthcare infrastructure paid through Proposition 1.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) revealed the award distributions this week. CCH owns the property where the new facilities will be built. 'We have a critical need for these programs to better serve Contra Costa residents throughout the County and close to their home communities,' said Dr. Suzanne Tavano, Director of Behavioral Health Services for CCH, in a news release. 'The addition of these facilities will expand access to essential care to better support people who are in need of and would benefit from the mental health treatment services to be provided. This investment will make our county healthier, safer and more able to provide appropriate care for all our residents.' CCH confirmed the $98 million will support the following projects: Delta Recovery Center (Oakley): A campus to include a 16 bed-adult residential treatment center and a 16-bed mental health rehabilitation center. Los Medanos Recovery Center (Pittsburg): A hub including a sobering center, crisis triage center, withdrawal management program and outpatient behavioral healthcare services. Sherman Recovery Center (Pleasant Hill): A 16-bed adult residential treatment and transitional residential facility designed to support adults with behavioral health needs in a structured setting. More details about the below projects and their timelines are expected by early summer. Officials say that Prop 1 funding is expected to create more than 5,000 residential treatment beds statewide and increase outpatient capacity by 21,800 people. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Insider
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Goldman Sachs Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Coca Cola HBC (CCH)
In a report released yesterday, Aron Adamski from Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating on Coca Cola HBC (CCH – Research Report), with a price target of p4,200.00. The company's shares closed yesterday at p3,772.00. Protect Your Portfolio Against Market Uncertainty Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. In addition to Goldman Sachs, Coca Cola HBC also received a Buy from Barclays's Laurence Whyatt in a report issued on May 1. However, on May 7, Kepler Capital maintained a Hold rating on Coca Cola HBC (LSE: CCH). CCH market cap is currently £13.64B and has a P/E ratio of 19.68. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 346 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of CCH in relation to earlier this year.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
10 years on, high court regularises admission of 93 BHMS students
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has regularised the admission of 93 students in Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) courses in multiple homeopathic colleges across the state which did not follow the admission process outlined in the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate) 2013 national brochure. (Shutterstock) Clause 10.6 of the brochure made it abundantly clear that homeopathic colleges were exempt from following the process under NEET-UG after the first round of admission, the court said on Tuesday in its final order on a batch of petitions filed between 2013 and 2015. The lead petition, filed by the Association of Management of Homoeopathic Medical Colleges of Maharashtra, sought regularisation of the admission of 93 students in its member colleges of the association in 2013-14 and 2014-15. According to the petition, in 2013-14, colleges under the association followed the admission process outlined in the NEET-UG 2013 national brochure during the first round of admission. Subsequently, they issued an advertisement and requested candidates had who appeared for CET to apply for 58 vacant seats in member colleges. Meanwhile, in line with routine practice since 2005 till the commencement of NEET in 2013, the association sought permission from the admissions regulating authority of the state government to admit students based on their HSC (class 12 state board exam) results, as per eligibility criteria laid down by the Central Council for Homeopathy (CCH). The committee, however, did not respond to the association's plea for several months, then stated that it did not have jurisdiction to issue such directions. In December 2013, the colleges sought approval for the admission of students based on their HSC marks from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS). In response, the university said it was necessary to seek sanction/ permission from the director of medical education and research. In 2014-15 too, member colleges of the association issued advertisements to fill seats remaining vacant after the first round of admission in accordance with NEET-UG procedures. They sought approval from the admissions regulating authority and the MUHS to admit 35 students based on their HSC results, as per CCH criteria, but did not receive a favourable response. In 2013, the high court provided interim relief to the students and allowed them to pursue the course and appear for annual examinations. In April 2015, the court directed authorities to declare the results of the affected students even as the plea seeking regularisation of their admission was subject to further orders. On Tuesday, the court observed that clauses in the NEET-UG 2013 brochure were misconstrued and overlooked by the admission regulatory committee. 'Clause 10.6 of the said brochure provided that seats that have arisen or fallen vacant after the first round shall be made available at the second round of selection (except homeopathic colleges) on the basis of preference form already submitted,' the court said, regularising the admission of 93 students 10 years after they finished the course.
