Tag: Probe

HOSPITAL WORKERS ILL FROM FUMES; OPERATING ROOMS TEMPORARILY SHUT

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Friday, January 4, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B01

The Valley Hospital operating-room staff was reassigned and all non-emergency operations were suspended Thursday after six employees were treated for illness from an unknown odor, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The employees, including nurses and technicians, smelled the odor while they were in a lounge for the operating-room staff, said Eileen Lumpkin, director of marketing and public relations for the Ridgewood hospital.
Lumpkin declined to identify the employees who became ill, but said they suffered headaches, itchy eyes, and nausea.
About 50 patients will be rescheduled because of the suspension of non-emergency operations, she said. The suspensions will remain in effect today to allow for analysis of the air in the area and inspection of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, Lumpkin said.
Two of the hospital’s six operating rooms will continue to be used for emergency operations, she said.
Lumpkin said workers in areas adjacent to the operating rooms, which are served by the same heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, were told of the problem, but no illness was reported in those areas.
Some employees complained Wednesday about fumes in the lounge, but the smell became “dominant” Thursday, she said, adding that fumes were noticed in the past but they weren’t strong enough to cause sickness.
Lumpkin said Michael W. Azzara, president of Valley Hospital, met with the hospital staff Thursday morning to assure them that the hospital is doing all it can to find the source of the fumes.
Richard Van Hassle, hospital vice president, said: “We don’t know what it was, and that is what we are trying to find out. What we have done is called in this environmental company to test the air and a professional engineer to review the air-handling equipment to determine the cause of the problem. “
Atlantic Environmental Inc. of Dover and Chet Vogel, an engineer from New York City, were hired by the hospital to do the work, Lumpkin said.
The hospital also is investigating whether the fumes came from trucks at a construction site near the operating rooms, she said.
Lisa Levy, industrial-hygiene supervisor for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency was notified of the incident but did not investigate because the employees were treated and released.

Keywords: RIDGEWOOD; HOSPITAL; EMPLOYMENT; HEALTH; PROBE; AIR

ID: 17328545 | Copyright © 1991, The Record (New Jersey)

BURGLARY STREAK IN ENGLEWOOD; WAVE OF BREAK-INS IS 2ND OF THE SEASON

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 28, 1990

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B03

One month after police arrested a suspect in a series of burglaries, the East Hill section of the city is again experiencing a wave of break-ins, including two in broad daylight on Monday, police said.

Most of the 22 burglaries happened during the day, while residents were away at work, Capt. C. Kenneth Tinsley said. Eight garden apartments and 14 homes were hit, he said.

Englewood detectives and patrol officers, with assistance from the Bergen County Canine Unit, swarmed the area Tuesday afternoon and will continue to patrol until a suspect is caught, Tinsley said.

“For the first time since the burglaries began in early November, we got a good description of this guy yesterday,” he said.

A Linden Avenue resident saw the suspect before his apartment was broken into about 3:30 p.m. Monday, Tinsley said.

The resident, who police declined to identify, said he looked out of his second-floor window after someone rang the doorbell. He did not recognize the person and, thinking the caller was a salesman, did not open the door.

“A few minutes later, he heard a noise in his bedroom. He went to investigate and he found the suspect in his bedroom,” Tinsley said. The burglar fled when he saw the resident.

Although police are waiting for a full list of items stolen in the burglaries, at least $14,000 in cash and $80,000 in jewelry, televisions, and videocassette recorders have been taken, Tinsley said.

A composite of the suspect will be drawn from the description given by the Linden Avenue resident, Tinsley said.

He urged residents, as a precaution, to remove air conditioners from windows and to leave lights on.
“This is the ideal time for burglars. It gets dark early. If you can, put lights on timers. Although this is occurring during the day, light is definitely a deterrent.”

Tinsley said the latest wave of burglaries is frustrating, since a suspect in about 40 cat burglaries in Englewood and three other Bergen County communities during September and October is behind bars. Celious Lee Harmon of Teaneck is being held without bail for violation of parole and faces burglary charges.

ID: 17324925 | Copyright © 1990, The Record (New Jersey)