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Tag: inspection

  • Over 60 ants on food; also unsafe food, unwashed hands at Miami pancake place

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    photo/ cm guerrero... Chocolate Chip waffles are a must at The Original Pancake House...

    photo/ cm guerrero… Chocolate Chip waffles are a must at The
    Original Pancake House…


    cm guerrero

    el

    A Kendall pancake place dished up stacks of violations, including workers “washing” hands without soap, when a state inspector dropped by last week.

    The Original Pancake House, 11510 SW 72nd St., recovered in time to pass re-inspection on Thursday, limiting its timeout time to a single day. But, Wednesday’s routine inspection found 46 total violations, 19 of which were High Priority.

    READ MORE: Roach handler didn’t wash hands. 256 poop pieces. South Florida restaurant filth

    The inspector saw “approximately 60-plus ants crawling on a wall and rack where clean whisks are stored; on top of two pots of pancake syrup; on a prep table where a tea dispenser is stored; and, behind the oven in back prep areas.”

    Stop Sales came down on the pots of pancake syrup.

    As for roaches, three dead ones were spotted, two under a prep table in the back prep area. Four living roaches were “crawling on the floor between the dish area and doorway leading to the dining room.”

    Also in that back prep area, there was a “bug zapper stored on a shelf above a prep table.”

    READ MORE: A Trader Joe’s frozen rice dish has been recalled. Customers found glass

    Now, to the handwashing problems.

    The inspector saw someone “crack raw shell eggs, then grab clean plates and utensils without changing gloves and washing hands.”

    Another employee “handled dirty dishes, then continued to handle clean plates and food without washing hands.”

    Someone else “washed their hands without soap,” then the inspector saw a “second employee rinse hands without soap at the cookline hand sink.”

    To be fair to the latter person, the inspector also noted the malfunctioning soap dispenser on that handwash sink.

    A washed and sanitzed pot sat on the floor in dry storage.

    Cooked beef was “thawing at room temperature on a table near the walk-in cooler,” instead of in a refrigerator or cooler.

    The cookline reach-in cooler drawers would’ve been suitable for thawing if they could keep food at or under 41 degrees. Failing at that one job got shredded cheddar cheese (46 degrees) and raw beef burger patties (48 degrees) hit with Stop Sales after their sleepover in the drawers.

    Hollandaise sauce sat at the wait station, out of temperature control, for more than four hours. Stop Sale. Basura.

    Standing water covered the area under the three-compartment sink and the dishwasher, creating a bad mix under the dishwasher. Along with the floor under the cookline, the dishwasher floor was “soiled with old food debris.”

    Carboard was used to line a food contact surface, specifically “used as liner on top of the stove at the cookline.”

    A food delivery came during the inspection and the inspector noticed there “no probe thermometer was used to check the temperatures of the food received.”

    The manager was “unaware of how to calibrate the thermometer and the proper calibration temperature.”

    A dishwasher didn’t know how to test the dish machine’s sanitizer.”

    A cook didn’t know the “minimum cooking temperature for raw shell eggs.”

    David J. Neal

    Miami Herald

    Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.

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    David J. Neal

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  • Inspection is gruesome, and vet’s license is revoked. Pet owner cautions, ‘Don’t stay silent’

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    A California veterinarian’s license has been revoked after an inspection that found a stomach-churning list of more than two dozen violations including “deceased neonatal puppies” discovered in open buckets in a freezer and containers of animal parts. He also was accused of botching medical procedures and causing animals to suffer.

    One pet owner told The Times that his 15-year-old Chihuahua, Mr. Tillman, still has not recovered from his ordeal.

    Rodney Ken Hatayama, of the South County Veterinary Hospital in Selma, Calif., surrendered his license on Jan. 31.

    Mr. Tillman’s X-rays show a surgical procedure done by Rodney Ken Hatayama at the South County Veterinary Hospital in 2015.

    (Eric Garcia)

    An inspection on Aug. 16, 2022, of the Fresno County facility by Jessica Sieferman, executive officer of the California Veterinary Medical Board, found “unsanitary conditions” throughout the premises, including “poor ventilation, deceased animals stored in an unsanitary manner, and unsterile surgical equipment,” according to court documents.

    The inspector also observed that nearly every room in the facility was “cluttered, dirty, dusty, unsanitary, and had a foul odor of blood or internal organs.”

    “The sinks, wet tables, and countertops in the facility were covered with trash, dirty endotracheal tubes, pet hair, used scalpel blades, used syringes, grooming supplies, buckets of animal parts, and dirty towels, among other things,” the document states.

    Mr. Tillman's owner Eric Garcia submitted a complaint to the California Veterinary Medical Board

    A year after Mr. Tillman’s 2015 operation, Eric Garcia submitted a complaint to the California Veterinary Medical Board.

    (Eric Garcia)

    In total, 25 violations were documented by the inspector, including several expired medications and misbranded drugs and storage of “several deceased neonatal puppies in five open white buckets in a freezer,” the document says.

    The violations also extended to food and beverages.

    According to the inspector, there was a can of Diet 7-Up in the refrigerator that was next to biologicals (vaccines and Gabapentin liquid). Another soda can was found in the freezer next to frozen canine semen.

    The board gave Hatayama two opportunities to address the violations in the year that followed the initial investigation but said he failed to address all of their concerns, leading to his license being revoked effective Jan. 30.

    It is unclear if Hatayama was still practicing until that date. The Times reached out to the Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the California Veterinary Medical Board, but did not hear back as of the time of publication.

    Court documents cite five incidents that took place between 2015 and 2022 in which Hatayama failed to perform the proper examination, administered a wrong dosage or failed to prescribe pain medication altogether following surgical procedures on various pets. In many instances, the documents show, he failed to properly record the medical procedures that took place or the medication he administered.

    In the first incident documented, in 2015, Eric Garcia brought his 4-year-old Chihuahua, Mr. Tillman, to see Hatayama. The dog was experiencing joint pain in his back two legs. Hatayama performed orthopedic surgery on Mr. Tillman — despite not being a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. For the procedure, he used his own surgical technique; no peer-reviewed data or studies support its use, the document states. Hatayama did not prescribe any pain medication for the dog following the operation.

    A month after the surgery, Mr. Tillman was still in a lot of pain, his owner said, prompting him to take him to another veterinarian, who had X-rays taken and said, “[T]here’s something wrong here.”

    “The doctor told me, ‘That is not how you perform this surgery,’” Garcia said in an phone call with The Times. He later learned that Hatayama had drilled holes into his pup’s bones and tied them together with wire.

    According to Garcia, he submitted a complaint to the California Veterinary Medical Board a year following the original operation. Despite pressing the board for updates on his case, he would not find out the details of the surgery until 2025, when the board filed its first malpractice allegations against Hatayama, in April.

    Mr. Tillman X-rays show the surgical procedure done by Rodney Ken Hatayama at the South County Veterinary Hospital

    Mr. Tillman X-rays show the surgical procedure done by Rodney Ken Hatayama at the South County Veterinary Hospital, who performed a non-peer reviewed operation on the chihuahua in 2015.

    (Eric Garcia)

    Mr. Tillman has since undergone four surgeries to address the original procedure performed on May 12, 2015 — but he hasn’t been the same.

    “He has his good days. On the days that it’s bad, it’s work. I have to stay up with him all night because he can’t sleep,” said Garcia, holding back tears, adding that Mr. Tillman is still unable to go on walks unless he’s being carried in a backpack.

    As a dog owner, he said he felt some guilt that Mr. Tillman has had to endure this pain, which has worsened due to arthritis. Above all, he is angry and says that Hatayama has not shown remorse or addressed victims publicly. He also questions the length of time that it took the board to act.

    He said he hoped, however, that this case could teach pet lovers to ask more questions when it comes to medical procedures involving their furry loved ones.

    “If you see something [that’s concerning],” he said, “don’t stay silent. Speak up, or ask the doctor what’s going on.”

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    Andrea Flores

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  • Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud probes

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    President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota amid ongoing investigations into fraud allegations. Related video above: Group of Minnesota House and Senate Republicans calling on Gov. Tim Walz to resign over fraud investigationsActing director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jim O’Neill announced on the social platform X that the step is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.”“We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,” he said.O’Neill said all payments through the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, will require “justification and a receipt or photo evidence” before money is sent. They have also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address, he said.The announcement comes after years of investigation that began with the $300 million scheme at the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, for which 57 defendants in Minnesota have been convicted. Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scam, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.A federal prosecutor alleged earlier in December that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen. Most of the defendants are Somali Americans, they said.O’Neill also called out a conservative influencer who had posted a video Friday claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud. O’Neill said he has demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz submit an audit of these centers that includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections.Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has said fraud will not be tolerated and his administration “will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.”Walz has said an audit due by late January should give a better picture of the extent of the fraud. He said his administration is taking aggressive action to prevent additional fraud. He has long defended how his administration responded.Minnesota’s most prominent Somali American, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, has urged people not to blame an entire community for the actions of a relative few.

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota amid ongoing investigations into fraud allegations.

    Related video above: Group of Minnesota House and Senate Republicans calling on Gov. Tim Walz to resign over fraud investigations

    Acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jim O’Neill announced on the social platform X that the step is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.”

    “We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,” he said.

    O’Neill said all payments through the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, will require “justification and a receipt or photo evidence” before money is sent. They have also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address, he said.

    The announcement comes after years of investigation that began with the $300 million scheme at the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, for which 57 defendants in Minnesota have been convicted. Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scam, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.

    A federal prosecutor alleged earlier in December that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen. Most of the defendants are Somali Americans, they said.

    O’Neill also called out a conservative influencer who had posted a video Friday claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud. O’Neill said he has demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz submit an audit of these centers that includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections.

    Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has said fraud will not be tolerated and his administration “will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.”

    Walz has said an audit due by late January should give a better picture of the extent of the fraud. He said his administration is taking aggressive action to prevent additional fraud. He has long defended how his administration responded.

    Minnesota’s most prominent Somali American, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, has urged people not to blame an entire community for the actions of a relative few.

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  • Rodent poop on a prep table among disgusting South Florida restaurant violations

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    Rodents on a prep table, roaches running and flies on food went a long way toward six South Florida restaurants failing state inspection and making this week’s Sick and Shut Down List.

    Inspections are done by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, either on rotation or by customer complaint to the agency. We merely report the results. Restaurants reopen after passing re-inspection, the first of which usually occurs the next day.

    In alphabetical order:

    Bond Street Ale & Coffee, 1626 S. Federal Hwy., Boynton Beach

    Complaint inspection, 12 total violations, eight High Priority violations

    A fly on the wall near the three-compartment sink? Problem. Two flies on a rack with dirty dishes? Problem. Fly sitting on a Dutch apple pie? Stop Sale on the pie.

    Stop Sales also crashed down on sausage and home fries that were left on the grill to cool down from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours. But after 2 1/2 hours, they still measured 98 degrees.

    An “employee touched her bare body part, her mouth, while eating, then started handling utensils on the grill without washing her hands.”

    Standing water covered the bottom of a bar area glass door reach-in cooler.

    Charleys Philly Steaks in the Broward Mall, 8000 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation

    Complaint inspection, six total violations, two High Priority violations

    Roach problems were the main reason this Broward Mall tenant got shut down for a day last week.

    READ MORE: Roaches get a South Florida mall food court restaurant closed by inspection

    How Ya Doughin, 8240 S. State Rd. 7, Unincorporated Palm Beach County

    Routine inspection, two total violations, two High Priority violations

    An expired license alone isn’t enough to get shut down for the day.

    But when the inspector counts 36 flies on dining room seats and walls, a fly on a pan of cookies, another on a seasoning shaker, seven flies on a dish rack, five flies on pizza boxes and 22 flies elsewhere, you’re going to get put in inspection timeout.

    Los Catrachos, 4663 Lake Worth Rd., Greenacres

    Routine inspection, four total violations, three High Priority violations

    Los Catrachos made this list in October with live roaches, dead roaches and a dishwasher that could wash but not sanitize.

    This time, there were only three live roaches in a bucket in front of a food prep table and seven dead roaches elsewhere, including two on a lid to a cinnamon bucket.

    A monsoon of Stop Sales for temperature abuse — food in cold storage not being at or under 41 degrees — came down on diced tomatoes, cut lettuce, cheese, raw beef, raw chicken, cooked beans, raw chicken, cut cabbage, milk, raw steak and raw fish.

    Mi Tierra Food Truck, food truck, Palm Beach County

    Routine inspection, three total violations, two High Priority violations

    Six live roaches were in dry seasoning cabinets. Seven roaches played on a storage rack with single-service items. One was on top of paper liners. One live roach hung out on a takeout box. Another was on the door to a reach-in cooler. And 16 live roaches were elsewhere.

    Mi Tierra’s food truck “has a water line hooked up to a great water tank to dump waste water into nearby mulch.” The inspector told the food truck operator to yank the hose and “properly dispose of the water.”

    On the first re-inspection, the inspector saw “two live roaches inside the pizza oven where breads are being stored on the cookline.”

    The second re-inspection got ruined by “one live roach on the floor in front of the flat top grill” and “one live roach inside the oven of a stove top unit, where clean pots are stored.”

    The truck rolled again after passing the third callback inspection on Tuesday.

    Saveur Tropical Restaurant, 515 NE 24th St., Pompano Beach

    Routine inspection, eight total violations, four High Priority violations

    Next to on top of food, the last place you want to see 20 rodent droppings is where the inspector saw them — on a kitchen food prep table. Fifty more poop pieces were “on container lids on the prep table’s bottom shelf.”

    “Three live roaches in a can opener holder at the food prep table.”

    The hot water at the kitchen handwash sink wasn’t hot enough, 78 degrees, when it needed to be 85.

    There were “cooked noodles in direct contact with a plastic ‘Thank You’ bag in a three-door reach-in cooler.”

    The re-inspection managed to be worse. In addition to 30 rodent droppings behind a storage-area chest freezer, the inspector saw “three dead rodents in a compartment with a motor at the single-door kitchen reach-in cooler.”

    David J. Neal

    Miami Herald

    Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.

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  • Roaches get a South Florida mall food court restaurant closed by inspection

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    Inspection problems got a restaurant in trouble.

    Inspection problems got a restaurant in trouble.

    There’s no worse time for a shopping mall food court restaurant to get closed by failing inspection, and that happened to a place at a South Florida mall last week.

    Thursday, a complaint brought a Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation inspector to Charleys Philly Steaks at Plantation’s Broward Mall and the inspector found enough bugginess to shut down the chain location.

    Passing Friday’s callback inspection got Charleys back open for the weekend shopping rush. But, here are some of the six total violations and two high priority violations that the inspector noted.

    READ MORE: Rodents in Little Caesars pizza dough among the worst South Florida inspections

    Two dead roaches, one under a prep table near the mop sink and one near the office.

    Three roaches in the kitchen, under the single service item storage area.

    An “in-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees,” as in the iced tea nozzle sitting in standing water that was room temperature (75 degrees).

    “No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device” at a handwash sink.

    David J. Neal

    Miami Herald

    Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.

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    David J. Neal

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  • Trashed pastelitos and croquetas, hot water issues at a Coral Gables area bakery

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    Employees unable to properly wash their hands and food storage units that can’t keep the hot food hot or the cold food cold got a West Miami-Dade bakery in hot water with state inspectors.

    Monday’s checkup of Gilbert’s Bakery, 5777 Bird Rd., by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors Wenndy Ayerdis and Lourdes Chantez completed a hat trick of bad inspections at the Red Bird Shopping Center.

    READ MORE: Roach stuck on wall, swarming flies, stink in a restaurant near Coral Gables

    Gilbert’s shares the Red Bird Shopping Center with, among other businesses, Japanese restaurant Matsuri and Milam’s Market. Both failed state inspection in September.

    READ MORE: Ancient food among the inspection problems at a Milam’s Market near Coral Gables

    Among other businesses, Gilbert’s Bakery, Milam’s Market and Matsuri Japanese restaurant in Red Bird Shopping Center at Red Road and Bird Road. Gilbert failed inspection Nov. 4, Milam’s and Matsuri failed inspection in September.
    Among other businesses, Gilbert’s Bakery, Milam’s Market and Matsuri Japanese restaurant in Red Bird Shopping Center at Red Road and Bird Road. Gilbert failed inspection Nov. 4, Milam’s and Matsuri failed inspection in September. DAVID J. NEAL dneal@miamiherald.com

    There was “no hot water available at all the handwash sinks and warewash sinks in the establishment.” All means all — food service, processing and backroom areas.

    “The food establishment has 30 calendar days to make the necessary changes so that hot water is available at the employee restroom handwash sink.”

    Other issues included:

    An “employee rinsed hands without soap at three-compartment sink.”

    Dead roaches lay where they died, under the handwash sink next to the oven.

    “No disposable towels or air drying device available at multiple hand wash sinks.”

    In the food service area, the “tongs used to serve pastries/empanadas/croquettes from the hot box and the coffee machine steam wand were not washed, rinsed, and sanitized after more than 4 hours of use.”

    “Black, mold-like grime was encrusted on the ice-making portion and the interior housing of the ice machine.”

    The hot box has one job — keep the food inside at 135 degrees or more. Instead, all of the following ranged from 72 degrees to 101 degrees: ham pastelitos, sausage inside dough, chicken empanadas, meat/cheese croquetas in mini cups, spinach pastelitos, guava and cheese pastelitos, beef-stuffed potato, beef empanadas, spinach empanadas, ham empanadas, and croqueta party platters.

    Stop Use Order on the hot box. Stop Sales on all the food. All trashed.

    The sandwich party tray cold unit and two reach-in cold units had one job — keep food at or under 41 degrees. Instead, ham spread sandwiches, churrasco beef sandwiches, carne fria, regular milk, milk with guava mix, and oat milk all were too warm.

    Stop Use Order on the reach-in cold units. Stop Sales on the milk.

    There weren’t any drainboards for “soiled items accumulated at the warewash sink.”

    Gilbert’s Bakery, 5777 Bird Rd.
    Gilbert’s Bakery, 5777 Bird Rd. DAVID J. NEAL dneal@miamiherald.com

    David J. Neal

    Miami Herald

    Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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    David J. Neal

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  • More rain, more car-damaging potholes. Here’s how you can get repaid for damage

    More rain, more car-damaging potholes. Here’s how you can get repaid for damage

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    Rain breeds potholes in aging roads around Southern California. You can file a claim for damage your car incurs, but reimbursement is not guaranteed.

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    Jon Healey

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  • ‘Everything was rushing out’: Riverside couple describe harrowing midair blowout on Alaska Flight 1282

    ‘Everything was rushing out’: Riverside couple describe harrowing midair blowout on Alaska Flight 1282

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    Three weeks ago, retirees Joan and Gilbert Marin were traveling home to Riverside aboard a Boeing 737 Max 9 on Alaska Airlines. Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion and saw a gaping hole in the side of the plane two rows in front of them.

    “The wind, the noise, the roar,” said Joan Marin, 71. “Everything was rushing out.”

    Just ahead of the couple, a young man holding his cellphone had it sucked out of the plane, and the tremendous wind ripped the shirt off his back, she said. Joan’s husband looked down at their dog, Toby, who was in a carrier at his feet.

    “His eyes were bulging out,” said Gilbert, 74. He lunged to hold onto their 13-year-old dog, fearing the force from the blowout “was going to suck him right under the seat and everything.”

    This week, Federal Aviation Administration officials announced that Boeing 737 Max 9 planes would be allowed to fly again, following an inspection and maintenance process for the 171 aircraft grounded following the Jan. 5 flight. Most of those planes belong to Alaska Airlines and United Airlines.

    Alaska’s first Max 9 flight since the blowout departed Friday, landing in San Diego in the early evening.

    “Let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement Wednesday.

    “The quality assurance issues we have seen are unacceptable,” he added. “That is why we will have more boots on the ground closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities.”

    As airlines prepare to return planes to service, the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the Flight 1282 midair cabin panel blowout is ongoing.

    “Our long-term focus is on improving our quality so that we can regain the confidence of our customers, our regulator and the flying public,” Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive, wrote in a message to employees Friday evening. “Frankly, we have disappointed and let them down.”

    Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 passengers Gilbert Marin, 74, and Joan Marin, 71, pictured with their dog.

    (Courtesy of Joan and Gilbert Marin)

    Boeing has promised to cooperate with the investigation. Following the incident, Chief Executive David Calhoun acknowledged that “a quality escape” had occurred, telling employees, “This event can never happen again.”

    “This blowout — we’ve seen this pattern before. Something big happens, and Boeing makes all of these promises,” said Ed Pierson, a former senior manager at the company’s 737 factory. “Then what happens is that it fades in memory, and then Boeing asks for special exemptions and special treatment from the FAA. And the cycle continues.”

    The safety problems on the Boeing Max planes go far beyond this one incident, said Pierson, the executive director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety, a watchdog group that has tried to bring public attention to issues related to Boeing 737 Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. In September, the group published a study that found airlines filed more than 1,300 reports about serious safety problems on Max 8 and Max 9 planes to the FAA.

    “These same issues that were there in 2018 and 2019 [at Boeing] that were the precursors to the accidents are still there,” Pierson said. “This is a culture where money is everything. They measure success by how many airplanes are delivered, instead of how many quality airplanes are delivered. … When you factor all of this together, it’s just a disaster waiting to happen.”

    Boeing did not comment on Pierson’s remarks.

    Alaska Airlines announced Friday that it had completed inspections on a first group of Max 9s that were returning to service, starting with Flight 1146 from Seattle to San Diego on Friday afternoon. The flight departed more than an hour late, according to FlightAware.

    “Each of our 737-9 MAX [planes] will return to service only after the rigorous inspections are completed and each plane is deemed airworthy according to FAA requirements,” Alaska said in a statement.

    On Wednesday, United Airlines told employees that the company planned to return their Max 9s to the skies on Sunday. Both it and Alaska had reported finding loose bolts on Max 9 planes during in-house inspections in the weeks following the Jan. 5 flight.

    “In the days ahead, our teams will continue to proceed in a way that is thorough and puts safety and compliance first,” United Chief Operations Officer Toby Enqvist wrote in a message to employees.

    Deal, the Boeing executive, said the company had taken “immediate actions to strengthen quality assurance and controls across our factories.”

    “We are deeply sorry for the significant disruption and frustration for our customers, some of whom have been publicly and unfairly criticized,” he wrote to employees.

    Meanwhile, the Marins said they’re still reliving the incident and want answers.

    “What we want to see is the airline and Boeing step up and accept responsibility and say, ‘This is what went wrong, this is how we’re going to make sure it never happens again,” said Nick Rowley, an attorney representing the Riverside couple, who noted they had not taken any legal action as of yet.

    Next week, Joan Marin plans to fly on Alaska again, this time from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

    “I did look to see what kind of plane it was to make sure it wasn’t a Max 9,” she said.

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    Kiera Feldman

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  • HAZON Passes Major Bridge Inspection Milestone

    HAZON Passes Major Bridge Inspection Milestone

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 22, 2017


    VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., August 22, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
     HAZON Solutions (“HAZON”), the national leader in drone inspection services, announced today that the company has recently surpassed the inspection of more than 100,000 linear feet of railway bridges.  Since early 2016, Norfolk Southern has commissioned HAZON to conduct the most comprehensive drone-based inspections in the industry.

    “We’re very proud to announce this remarkable milestone,” said CEO and co-founder David A. Culler, Jr. CAPT USN (ret). “We are absolutely the industry leader for the inspection of critical infrastructure and Norfolk Southern is leading the rail industry with the safe and practical integration of unmanned systems into their operations.”

    We’re not just getting exterior shots, we’re flying underneath and inside the voids of bridges to make sure critical load bearing areas are covered from every possible angle.

    Sean Cushing, Co-Founder and COO

    In just 18 months, HAZON has conducted over 64 complete bridge inspections across the eastern United States. HAZON’s inspections include complete coverage of the entire bridge using high definition (HD) still frame, video and thermal imaging cameras. HAZON inspection teams fly within 15 feet of the rail bridges to capture the highest quality pictures possible. Additionally, HAZON inspection teams utilize proprietary techniques to fly under and inside bridge spans, collecting imagery from angles previously unavailable.

    “When we say comprehensive, we truly mean it,” said COO and co-founder Sean Cushing, CDR USN (ret). “We’re not just getting exterior shots, we’re flying underneath and inside the voids of bridges to make sure critical load bearing areas are covered from every possible angle. We also capture shots of every single bottom lateral and gusset plate; best of all, we don’t consume any track time. We collect actionable information and trains keep moving.”

    HAZON has also made a name for itself inspecting power transmission lines in the energy sector and launched the drone fleet management software known as the HAZON DMS. HAZON has a third vertical in providing training and consulting services to large enterprises helping them to build organic drone programs.

    “This milestone is great for HAZON, but also great for the entire drone industry,” said Culler. “Norfolk Southern has proven that UAS technology is a safe and effective tool for critical infrastructure inspections. The experience and expertise that HAZON has gained on the UAS inspection front have been invaluable; it has allowed us to move beyond proof-of-concept and into the transition period of integrating drones into the daily workflow. It’s a very exciting time for the entire drone ecosystem and the customers we serve.”

    About HAZON Solutions
    Based in Virginia Beach, HAZON Solutions is the leading U.S. developer of small unmanned systems operations, capability development, training, safety and testing programs. The mission of HAZON Solutions is to conduct, support, develop and validate small unmanned systems operations. Our goal is to provide unmatched quality, safety and value to our customers.

    HAZON has deep roots in naval carrier aviation and intelligence systems. The company’s leadership team has more than 100 years of cumulative command and operations experience in the most challenging and hostile aerial environments in the world. Its members share a common background of flying fighter jets from aircraft carriers. HAZON CEO David Culler, Jr., spent 26 years flying for the United States Navy, capping off his career as the Commanding Officer of Norfolk Naval Station, the world’s largest naval base. For more information visit www.hazonsolutions.com.

    ###

    Media Contact:
    Ed Hine
    Vice President – Marketing and BD
    ed@hazonsolutions.com
    757-962-9000 o

    Source: HAZON Solutions, LLC

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  • API 1169 TRAINING CLASS – November 2016 (Beaumont, Texas)

    API 1169 TRAINING CLASS – November 2016 (Beaumont, Texas)

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    Press Release
    –

    Sep 27, 2016


    Beaumont, Texas, September 27, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​​​Velocity Training is pleased to announce they are bringing their successful online course to in-person training classes. This course is taught by an API 1169 Certified inspector in an easy to follow and proven learning method. The class will combine in-person discussions on code reviews, federal regulations, and Body of Knowledge lessons covering the four main categories of the API 1169 Exam. The VTES™ API 1169 Exam Prep courses have the industry’s highest passing percentage and offer a 100% guarantee that if, in the unlikely circumstance that an applicant does not pass, they will be provided access to a 90 day course for free. 

    When asked why they provide such a comprehensive policy for their students, Matt Wearsch said, “Velocity Training believes in their training program and are not afraid to stand behind it. Many training companies will tend to shy away from going that far because they think it is the student’s fault for not performing well on the exams. While it may be true that the student didn’t apply themselves properly, sometimes it can be a reflection of course product. Constantly improving their training program to capture various learning styles is a process Velocity Training excels at and the instructors take seriously.” Mr. Wearsch is a consultant and lead developer for VTES and other training companies that service the oil and gas industry. He holds multiple industry certifications, including the API 1169 Pipeline Inspector. 

    Velocity Training believes in their training program and are not afraid to stand behind it. Many training companies will tend to shy away from going that far because they think it is the student’s fault for not performing well on the exams. While it may be true that the student didn’t apply themselves properly, sometimes it can be a reflection of course product. Constantly improving their training program to capture various learning styles is a process Velocity Training excels at and the instructors take seriously.

    Matthew Wearsch, Consultant/Lead Developer

    According to the class lesson topics, this course looks to be solid. Plus, Velocity Training states the course is qualified to be accepted by AWS for the CWI recertification professional development hours requirements and is worth 40 hours.

    Classroom, assigned homework, and computer-based practice exams will cover the following topics to help better prepare inspectors for the API 1169 exam:

    QUALITY & INSPECTION REFERENCES​
    1. API 1169 Recommended Practice Document, Basic Inspection Requirements (entire document)
    2. API 1110, Pressure Testing of Steel Pipelines (areas of exam focus)
    3. API Q1, Specification for Quality Programs (sections listed below)

    • Section 3 – Terms, Definitions and Abbreviations
    • Section 4 – Quality Management System Requirements
    • Section 5 – Product Realization 

    4. CGA (Common Ground Alliance) Best Practices (areas of exam focus)
    5. INGAA, Construction Safety Guidelines

    • CS-S-9 Pressure Testing (Hydrostatic/Pneumatic) Safety Guidelines
    • Natural Gas Pipeline Crossing Guidelines – Definitions

    6. ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems – Fundamentals and Vocabulary 
    7. ANSI Z49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes (areas of exam focus)

    CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION REFERENCES​
    ​1. API 1104, Welding of Pipeline and Related Facilities​ (areas of exam focus)
    2. ASME B31.4, Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquids and Slurries (areas of exam focus)
    3. ASME B31.8, Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems (areas of exam focus)
    ​4. Title 49 CFR 192, Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline (areas of exam focus)
    5. Title 49 CFR 195, Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline (areas of exam focus)

    Plus topics including: 

    • Clearing and Grading, Ditching, Stringing, Pipe Bending
    • Coating Basics, Lowering In, Back-fill, Cathodic Protection
    • Clean-Up, As-Builts, HDD Basics, Bores, Road Crossing, Foreign Utility Crossings 

    ​SAFETY REFERENCES​
    1. Title 29 CFR 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards (areas of exam focus)
    2. Title 29 CFR 1926, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction (areas of exam focus)
    3. Title 49 CFR 172 (brief overview)

    Plus topics including: 

    • Overall/Basic Safety, Confined Space, Elevated Work Surfaces, Excavation, Pressure Testing, Radiation
    • Soil classification, One call, Atmospheric testing requirements, OQ requirements, Permit definitions
    • Specialized inspectors, locating requirements, line sweep, uniform color code, daylighting requirements​

    ENVIRONMENTAL REFERENCES​
    1. Title 33 CFR 321, Permits for Dams and Dikes in Navigable Waters (areas of exam focus)
    2. Title 40 CFR 300, National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (areas of exam focus)​
    3. Migratory Bird Permits
    4. Endangered Species Act of 1973
    5. Wetland and Water-body Construction and Mitigation Procedures
    6. Upland Erosion Control, Re-vegetation, and Maintenance Plan

    Plus topics including: 

    • Environmental protection plans , project specific drawings, specifications
    • Groundwater handling, Storm-water handling, Water intake, use and discharge requirements
    • Erosion controls, Waste handling, Top soil segregation, Upland and wetland requirements
    • Frac out, drilling mud, containment and disposal, Notification requirements, Bank stabilization techniques 

    When is the class being held? November 6th – 10th in Beaumont, Texas

    How much is the class? $950 per person before discount (If this article is referenced, individuals can receive $200 their enrollment)

    How do you enroll? Visit the class registration website page at: www.mypipelinetraining.org

    More about VTES™

    How long has Velocity Training been involved in the offering of API 1169 exam preparation courses? Their senior instructors and subject matter expert (all former inspectors with extensive backgrounds) spent nearly a year developing the course material before becoming the world’s first on-line training platform for the API 1169 in early 2015. Since that time, they have released many updates and revisions to adapt to changes in the API 1169 requirements. 

    Answering the industry’s need for better exam training has also led the Velocity Training team to begin offering API 1169 instructor-led classroom training combined with their on-line supplemental training; creating a blended learning tool capable of extending the depth of retention for inspectors. Either option inspectors choose, will significantly improve their chances of successfully passing the API 1169 Pipeline Inspector certification exam. 

    Major organizations, in the United States, Canada, and Australia, that offer inspection resources to the oil & gas pipeline transportation companies, have teamed up with Velocity Training to assist their inspection staff and ensure they have the resources to prepare themselves for the exam. The ultimate goal is that they have the certified staff ready for when the industry will implement the API 1169 requirement across all projects.  

    Source: VTES™ – On Demand Inspector Training

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