CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued four serious violations in connection with a May explosion and fire at a Putnam County business.
The incident occurred on May 13 in a concrete cylinder storage bunker outside the Airgas plant near Bancroft. Two workers suffered burn injuries. The fire sparked as the workers were releasing acetylene from some of the containers.
OSHA investigated and recently issued two citations that contain six violations, four of them termed serious violations.
Those include:
–Airgas did not ensure that the in-plant transfer, handling and storage, and use of acetylene in cylinders complied with regulations.
–Equipment, wiring methods, and installations of equipment in hazardous (classified) locations were not intrinsically safe.
–Standard railings were not provided on the open sides of all exposed stairways and platforms.
–An educational program was not provided for all workers to familiarize them with general principles of using a fire extinguisher and how to fight a fire at its initial stage.
OSHA is proposing $19,000 in penalties.
Airgas has officially contested the citations. There could be a hearing before the OSHA Review Commission sometime in the future. There also still could be a formal settlement.
Airgas issued the following statement Tuesday evening:
“The Airgas USA, LLC plant near Bancroft did receive a citation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Airgas has met and discussed the issues with the agency. By the agency’s rules, if a company does not fully agree with the citation, a company must file a contest within 15 days, which we have done. We intend to continue to work with the agency on the cited issues while the matter is under review. Airgas maintains a deep commitment to safety, the environment and the communities in which we serve and operate.”