Headlines April
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Fire at Radboudumc in Nijmegen, patients housed in other departments
A fire has raged in one of the buildings of the Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen. Due to the smoke development, patients were transferred to other departments of the hospital. The Radboud University Medical Center reports that this concerns 31 patients.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Gelderland-Zuid Safety Region reported that approximately sixty patients and seventeen staff members had been evacuated. According to the spokesperson, the fire is now under control. No one was injured.
The fire was discovered in building A of the hospital complex just before 7:30 p.m. The fire raged in a server room on the sixth floor. People on the third, fourth and fifth floors were moved according to the safety region. Nothing is yet known about the cause of the fire at the Radboud university medical center.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2514995-brand-in-radboudumc-in-nijmegen-patienten-ondergebracht-op-andere-afdelingen
Millions of euros in damage at waste processor due to exploding nitrous oxide cylinders
Since nitrous oxide has been added to the list of prohibited substances, deposits are no longer paid and therefore not paid out on empty nitrous oxide cylinders. These cylinders are now thrown into the waste and end up in the incineration plants of waste processor Twence. With exploding cylinders and damage of three million euros for the waste incinerator. To prevent this, Twence and Twente Milieu pay five euros per nitrous oxide cylinder that is handed in to the waste companies.
Since last year, when nitrous oxide was banned, thousands of nitrous oxide cylinders have exploded in incinerators. It also happens repeatedly at Twence. "We regularly have to shut down incineration lines as a result," reports Twence communications manager Ilse Jansink. The exploding nitrous oxide cylinders not only cause unsafe situations, but also cause significant damage.
5 euro reward
"The counter at Twence has now reached three million euros in damage in one year," says Jansink. "That's why we're looking for solutions." Twence is therefore starting a special pilot together with waste collector Twente Milieu: from Monday, people will receive five euros in cash per returned nitrous oxide cylinder. Jansink: "If you know someone who owns nitrous oxide cylinders, please inform them of this bonus."
The trial runs from Monday, April 15 to Thursday, July 11. It must then be clear whether this 'reward' indeed leads to fewer nitrous oxide cylinders in the waste and in the bushes or, for example, on the street. Cylinders can be handed in anonymously at the Environmental Park in Hengelo and the Waste Delivery Point East in Enschede.
Source: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/2335375/miljoenen-euros-schade-bij-afvalverwerker-door-ontploffende-lachgascilinders
Chipmaker Nexperia from Nijmegen hacked
Nexperia, the Nijmegen manufacturer of computer chips, has been hacked. This is what RTL Nieuws writes and is confirmed by the company itself. In a statement, Nexperia said that hackers gained access to the company's IT servers last month. This concerns hundreds of gigabytes of important data, such as chip designs and customer data from SpaceX, Apple and Huawei, among others. The hack was done by a relatively new group of cybercriminals. As evidence, the criminals have published dozens of confidential documents on the dark web, the hidden part of the internet.
When the hack became known, the systems were disconnected from the outside world as quickly as possible to limit the damage, the chipmaker says. The hack is being further investigated with cybersecurity experts. In addition, Nexperia reported the incident to the police and the Dutch Data Protection Authority. Nexperia is located in Nijmegen, but has been owned by a Chinese company since 2019.
Dunghill
The digital burglary is claimed by the hacker group Dunghill. As far as we know, they first struck in April last year, at the American game developer Incredible Technologies. The twelve victims that followed were also mainly large American companies, except for the Brazilian conglomerate Andrade Gutierrez, the British public transport company Go-Ahead and Nexperia.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2516457-chipmaker-nexperia-uit-nijmegen-gehackt
Empty shelves in the Jumbo because the company wants to offer low prices
Coffee drinkers who prefer Douwe Egberts or fans of Milka chocolate are out of luck in some Jumbo branches. The shelves of these products are empty there. The reason is that the Veghel supermarket chain is currently negotiating sharply with suppliers about the prices of mainly A-brands. Jumbo did not want to say exactly how many products were involved on Friday to RTL News.
At the beginning of this year, the Veghel-based company expressed its ambition to offer customers cheaper prices 'across the board'. Jumbo said it is 'reluctant' about price increases for A-brands and its own private label. To achieve this, the supermarket chain must occasionally discuss purchasing prices with suppliers. Jumbo must reduce this or at least not allow it to increase in order to sell groceries cheaper.In addition to production or delivery problems, for example, this is one of the reasons why there are empty shelves. Because if stock runs out and suppliers do not agree with a lower purchasing price, no new products will be supplied.
"Sometimes conversations with producers go smoothly, sometimes less smoothly."
Jumbo says it is 'in consultation with producers of A-brands'. "Sometimes it goes more smoothly and sometimes less smoothly. As a result, products are temporarily unavailable," said a spokesperson. Customers who want to buy Douwe Egberts coffee, Pickwick tea and Milka chocolate in some Jumbo stores have to rely on other brands. These are often the house brands. That is not really desirable for anyone. It saves turnover for the companies behind the A-brands. And Jumbo does not benefit from it either. If too many brands are not on the shelves for too long, consumers will switch to another supermarket.
In order to purchase cheaper, Jumbo already joined two international purchasing organizations last year. This allows the Veghel-based company to purchase larger batches at once and agree on a lower price with suppliers. In any case, it is clear that Jumbo has to do something to make more money. Last year the company only retained 22 million euros in profit. In 2021 that was still 114 million euros.
Source: https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/4451163/lege-schappen-in-de-jumbo-omdat-het-bedrijf-lage-prijzen-wil-bieden
Consumers' association goes to court to inspect Albert Heijn receipt errors
The Consumers' Association is taking Albert Heijn to court to gain access to figures from the supermarket company about errors on receipts. The association wants to demand compensation for the "years of mistakes". In recent years, the Consumers' Association has conducted research at supermarket chains into differences between prices on the shelf and at the checkout. This showed that the receipts at Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus were often incorrect. In 2023, the union held the supermarkets liable and asked for a compensation proposal.
Since then, discussions have been held with Albert Heijn several times, says Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers' Association. "The supermarket chain says that it had its own investigation into receipt errors and that the problem was very minor, but we are not given access. We are now asking the judge to order Albert Heijn to share the information with us. This way we can better investigate the damage caused. and then enforce compensation for consumers."
Millions of euros
The association points out that the damage caused by incorrect receipts per consumer per shopping round is relatively small, but that all in all it amounts to millions of euros. The Consumers' Association wants Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus to compensate the damage. The reason why things went wrong in recent years was because, for example, there were promotional signs in stores that were not removed in time. "The price in the store is in principle leading," said Babs van der Staak, spokesperson for the Consumers' Association, in the NOS radio 1 Journaal . "As a consumer, if you see that price for the item, you can assume that that is also the price you pay at the checkout." Last year, the association noted that the situation at Jumbo and Plus had improved. "We encountered virtually no errors there. But at Albert Heijn we still saw errors." That is why the association wants to inspect AH's internal investigations. "So we can see what they did, and more importantly, what the extent of the damage is."
Measurements
In a response, Albert Heijn says it is studying the summons. "We remain committed to constructive consultation with the Consumers' Association. We have already taken various measures to ensure that customers always receive the right price, such as via electronic shelf labels." Due to the errors on receipts in the past, the Consumers' Association is still waiting for a compensation proposal from Jumbo and Plus. Spokesman Van der Staak: "We hope that they will still come up with it. If that does not happen, we will also go to court for that."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2516982-consumentenbond-naar-rechter-om-inzage-in-kassabonfouten-albert-heijn
Gas leaks and power outages: excavation work causes millions in damage
Excavation work on gas pipes, electrical cables and lampposts causes millions of euros in damage in Brabant every year. This is evident from figures from Enexis. "Not all excavation work goes according to procedure and that creates dangerous situations," says Tim van Ham of Enexis.
Profile photo of Noël van Hooft
Nearly seven percent of the excavation work in our province goes wrong. To give an example of how often things go wrong: in the last two weeks there were 33 gas leaks throughout Brabant due to excavation work. The network operator has listed the number of excavation damages over the past four years. "We mainly see excavation damage on working days, because those are the times when work is being done professionally, and therefore not as a hobby, in the ground. That is also the time when our cables or pipes are hit."
The costs for the grid operator amount to 3.2 million euros. Only in Brabant. Enexis will try to recover these costs from the perpetrator. "Let me start by saying that the financial damage is not the biggest problem with excavation damage. That is safety," says Van Ham on behalf of Enexis. "The direct damage is on average around 1,000 euros. The indirect damage, for example due to the deployment of the fire brigade or the evacuation and therefore closure of companies, is even higher."
The damages in Brabant at a glance, on average per year between 2020 and 2023
Electricity: 1292 cables per year, an average of five per working day
Gas: 803 pipes per year, an average of three per working day
Public lighting: 1104 cables per year, an average of more than four per working day
The figures do not include damage to water pipes and data cables, such as fiber optic cables.
The greatest dangers involve damage to gas pipes. "A gas leak can cause dangerous situations, even in the open air. If excavation damage to a gas pipeline is reported immediately, strict guidelines apply and, together with the fire brigade, we ensure that the situation is quickly made safe again," says the spokesperson. from Enexis. "It becomes really dangerous if a gas leak is not reported. An uncontrolled gas outflow from under buildings can lead to safety risks for residents and bystanders."
When carrying out excavation work, you must request the location of cables and pipes in advance from the Land Registry, via a so-called 'Klic notification'. This is mandatory. "Unfortunately, not all work is carried out according to these careful procedures," says Van Ham.
“We continue to remind them that work must be done as safely as possible.”
What happens if there is a gas leak? The fire brigade first ensures that the area is cleared and safe. "We then ensure that the gas leak is repaired. We do this, for example, by 'blowing'. You place a kind of balloon in the gas pipe before and after the gas leak," Van Ham explains. This stops the gas outflow and Enexis can repair the leak. "Once the pipe is closed again, we remove the bladders and everything works again."
According to Enexis, the procedures must first be carefully observed. "That is why we have special teams for excavation damage prevention that talk to executors everywhere in our area. We continue to remind them that work must be done as safely as possible and in accordance with the guidelines."
The top 5 with the most excavation damage in Brabant
In Oirschot, 1,546 digs were made. In 207 cases (13.39 percent) damage was caused.
In Veldhoven there were 1958 digs. In 245 cases (12.51 percent) damage was caused.
In Son en Breugel, 763 digs were made. In 93 cases (12.19 percent) damage was caused.
In Valkenswaard, 1,551 digs were made. In 176 cases (11.35 percent) damage was caused.
In Vught, excavations took place 1,309 times. In 140 cases (10.70 percent) damage was caused.
Source: https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/4454940/gaslekken-en-stroomuitval-graafwerkzaamheden-zorgen-voor-miljoenen-schade
A fire has raged in one of the buildings of the Radboud university medical center in Nijmegen. Due to the smoke development, patients were transferred to other departments of the hospital. The Radboud University Medical Center reports that this concerns 31 patients.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Gelderland-Zuid Safety Region reported that approximately sixty patients and seventeen staff members had been evacuated. According to the spokesperson, the fire is now under control. No one was injured.
The fire was discovered in building A of the hospital complex just before 7:30 p.m. The fire raged in a server room on the sixth floor. People on the third, fourth and fifth floors were moved according to the safety region. Nothing is yet known about the cause of the fire at the Radboud university medical center.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2514995-brand-in-radboudumc-in-nijmegen-patienten-ondergebracht-op-andere-afdelingen
Millions of euros in damage at waste processor due to exploding nitrous oxide cylinders
Since nitrous oxide has been added to the list of prohibited substances, deposits are no longer paid and therefore not paid out on empty nitrous oxide cylinders. These cylinders are now thrown into the waste and end up in the incineration plants of waste processor Twence. With exploding cylinders and damage of three million euros for the waste incinerator. To prevent this, Twence and Twente Milieu pay five euros per nitrous oxide cylinder that is handed in to the waste companies.
Since last year, when nitrous oxide was banned, thousands of nitrous oxide cylinders have exploded in incinerators. It also happens repeatedly at Twence. "We regularly have to shut down incineration lines as a result," reports Twence communications manager Ilse Jansink. The exploding nitrous oxide cylinders not only cause unsafe situations, but also cause significant damage.
5 euro reward
"The counter at Twence has now reached three million euros in damage in one year," says Jansink. "That's why we're looking for solutions." Twence is therefore starting a special pilot together with waste collector Twente Milieu: from Monday, people will receive five euros in cash per returned nitrous oxide cylinder. Jansink: "If you know someone who owns nitrous oxide cylinders, please inform them of this bonus."
The trial runs from Monday, April 15 to Thursday, July 11. It must then be clear whether this 'reward' indeed leads to fewer nitrous oxide cylinders in the waste and in the bushes or, for example, on the street. Cylinders can be handed in anonymously at the Environmental Park in Hengelo and the Waste Delivery Point East in Enschede.
Source: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/2335375/miljoenen-euros-schade-bij-afvalverwerker-door-ontploffende-lachgascilinders
Chipmaker Nexperia from Nijmegen hacked
Nexperia, the Nijmegen manufacturer of computer chips, has been hacked. This is what RTL Nieuws writes and is confirmed by the company itself. In a statement, Nexperia said that hackers gained access to the company's IT servers last month. This concerns hundreds of gigabytes of important data, such as chip designs and customer data from SpaceX, Apple and Huawei, among others. The hack was done by a relatively new group of cybercriminals. As evidence, the criminals have published dozens of confidential documents on the dark web, the hidden part of the internet.
When the hack became known, the systems were disconnected from the outside world as quickly as possible to limit the damage, the chipmaker says. The hack is being further investigated with cybersecurity experts. In addition, Nexperia reported the incident to the police and the Dutch Data Protection Authority. Nexperia is located in Nijmegen, but has been owned by a Chinese company since 2019.
Dunghill
The digital burglary is claimed by the hacker group Dunghill. As far as we know, they first struck in April last year, at the American game developer Incredible Technologies. The twelve victims that followed were also mainly large American companies, except for the Brazilian conglomerate Andrade Gutierrez, the British public transport company Go-Ahead and Nexperia.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2516457-chipmaker-nexperia-uit-nijmegen-gehackt
Empty shelves in the Jumbo because the company wants to offer low prices
Coffee drinkers who prefer Douwe Egberts or fans of Milka chocolate are out of luck in some Jumbo branches. The shelves of these products are empty there. The reason is that the Veghel supermarket chain is currently negotiating sharply with suppliers about the prices of mainly A-brands. Jumbo did not want to say exactly how many products were involved on Friday to RTL News.
At the beginning of this year, the Veghel-based company expressed its ambition to offer customers cheaper prices 'across the board'. Jumbo said it is 'reluctant' about price increases for A-brands and its own private label. To achieve this, the supermarket chain must occasionally discuss purchasing prices with suppliers. Jumbo must reduce this or at least not allow it to increase in order to sell groceries cheaper.In addition to production or delivery problems, for example, this is one of the reasons why there are empty shelves. Because if stock runs out and suppliers do not agree with a lower purchasing price, no new products will be supplied.
"Sometimes conversations with producers go smoothly, sometimes less smoothly."
Jumbo says it is 'in consultation with producers of A-brands'. "Sometimes it goes more smoothly and sometimes less smoothly. As a result, products are temporarily unavailable," said a spokesperson. Customers who want to buy Douwe Egberts coffee, Pickwick tea and Milka chocolate in some Jumbo stores have to rely on other brands. These are often the house brands. That is not really desirable for anyone. It saves turnover for the companies behind the A-brands. And Jumbo does not benefit from it either. If too many brands are not on the shelves for too long, consumers will switch to another supermarket.
In order to purchase cheaper, Jumbo already joined two international purchasing organizations last year. This allows the Veghel-based company to purchase larger batches at once and agree on a lower price with suppliers. In any case, it is clear that Jumbo has to do something to make more money. Last year the company only retained 22 million euros in profit. In 2021 that was still 114 million euros.
Source: https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/4451163/lege-schappen-in-de-jumbo-omdat-het-bedrijf-lage-prijzen-wil-bieden
Consumers' association goes to court to inspect Albert Heijn receipt errors
The Consumers' Association is taking Albert Heijn to court to gain access to figures from the supermarket company about errors on receipts. The association wants to demand compensation for the "years of mistakes". In recent years, the Consumers' Association has conducted research at supermarket chains into differences between prices on the shelf and at the checkout. This showed that the receipts at Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus were often incorrect. In 2023, the union held the supermarkets liable and asked for a compensation proposal.
Since then, discussions have been held with Albert Heijn several times, says Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers' Association. "The supermarket chain says that it had its own investigation into receipt errors and that the problem was very minor, but we are not given access. We are now asking the judge to order Albert Heijn to share the information with us. This way we can better investigate the damage caused. and then enforce compensation for consumers."
Millions of euros
The association points out that the damage caused by incorrect receipts per consumer per shopping round is relatively small, but that all in all it amounts to millions of euros. The Consumers' Association wants Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus to compensate the damage. The reason why things went wrong in recent years was because, for example, there were promotional signs in stores that were not removed in time. "The price in the store is in principle leading," said Babs van der Staak, spokesperson for the Consumers' Association, in the NOS radio 1 Journaal . "As a consumer, if you see that price for the item, you can assume that that is also the price you pay at the checkout." Last year, the association noted that the situation at Jumbo and Plus had improved. "We encountered virtually no errors there. But at Albert Heijn we still saw errors." That is why the association wants to inspect AH's internal investigations. "So we can see what they did, and more importantly, what the extent of the damage is."
Measurements
In a response, Albert Heijn says it is studying the summons. "We remain committed to constructive consultation with the Consumers' Association. We have already taken various measures to ensure that customers always receive the right price, such as via electronic shelf labels." Due to the errors on receipts in the past, the Consumers' Association is still waiting for a compensation proposal from Jumbo and Plus. Spokesman Van der Staak: "We hope that they will still come up with it. If that does not happen, we will also go to court for that."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2516982-consumentenbond-naar-rechter-om-inzage-in-kassabonfouten-albert-heijn
Gas leaks and power outages: excavation work causes millions in damage
Excavation work on gas pipes, electrical cables and lampposts causes millions of euros in damage in Brabant every year. This is evident from figures from Enexis. "Not all excavation work goes according to procedure and that creates dangerous situations," says Tim van Ham of Enexis.
Profile photo of Noël van Hooft
Nearly seven percent of the excavation work in our province goes wrong. To give an example of how often things go wrong: in the last two weeks there were 33 gas leaks throughout Brabant due to excavation work. The network operator has listed the number of excavation damages over the past four years. "We mainly see excavation damage on working days, because those are the times when work is being done professionally, and therefore not as a hobby, in the ground. That is also the time when our cables or pipes are hit."
The costs for the grid operator amount to 3.2 million euros. Only in Brabant. Enexis will try to recover these costs from the perpetrator. "Let me start by saying that the financial damage is not the biggest problem with excavation damage. That is safety," says Van Ham on behalf of Enexis. "The direct damage is on average around 1,000 euros. The indirect damage, for example due to the deployment of the fire brigade or the evacuation and therefore closure of companies, is even higher."
The damages in Brabant at a glance, on average per year between 2020 and 2023
Electricity: 1292 cables per year, an average of five per working day
Gas: 803 pipes per year, an average of three per working day
Public lighting: 1104 cables per year, an average of more than four per working day
The figures do not include damage to water pipes and data cables, such as fiber optic cables.
The greatest dangers involve damage to gas pipes. "A gas leak can cause dangerous situations, even in the open air. If excavation damage to a gas pipeline is reported immediately, strict guidelines apply and, together with the fire brigade, we ensure that the situation is quickly made safe again," says the spokesperson. from Enexis. "It becomes really dangerous if a gas leak is not reported. An uncontrolled gas outflow from under buildings can lead to safety risks for residents and bystanders."
When carrying out excavation work, you must request the location of cables and pipes in advance from the Land Registry, via a so-called 'Klic notification'. This is mandatory. "Unfortunately, not all work is carried out according to these careful procedures," says Van Ham.
“We continue to remind them that work must be done as safely as possible.”
What happens if there is a gas leak? The fire brigade first ensures that the area is cleared and safe. "We then ensure that the gas leak is repaired. We do this, for example, by 'blowing'. You place a kind of balloon in the gas pipe before and after the gas leak," Van Ham explains. This stops the gas outflow and Enexis can repair the leak. "Once the pipe is closed again, we remove the bladders and everything works again."
According to Enexis, the procedures must first be carefully observed. "That is why we have special teams for excavation damage prevention that talk to executors everywhere in our area. We continue to remind them that work must be done as safely as possible and in accordance with the guidelines."
The top 5 with the most excavation damage in Brabant
In Oirschot, 1,546 digs were made. In 207 cases (13.39 percent) damage was caused.
In Veldhoven there were 1958 digs. In 245 cases (12.51 percent) damage was caused.
In Son en Breugel, 763 digs were made. In 93 cases (12.19 percent) damage was caused.
In Valkenswaard, 1,551 digs were made. In 176 cases (11.35 percent) damage was caused.
In Vught, excavations took place 1,309 times. In 140 cases (10.70 percent) damage was caused.
Source: https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/4454940/gaslekken-en-stroomuitval-graafwerkzaamheden-zorgen-voor-miljoenen-schade
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate