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“As unbelievable as this sounds, there is no law, regulation or standard or code, either in Connecticut or on the federal level, that directly regulates the ‘gas blow’ procedure in natural gas power plants,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), member of the House Education and Labor Committee. “If we are going to send workers into harm’s way, we need to ensure that they are safe and healthy at work and return to their families each day.” On February 7, a natural gas explosion ripped through the construction site of the Kleen
Energy Natural Gas Power Plant in Middletown, Conn., killing six workers, injuring dozens, and causing extensive property damage. Federal, state, and local investigators agree that the likely cause was the result of a natural ‘gas blow’ operation near an ignition source. Gas blows are used to clean out construction debris from pipes by forcing natural gas at high pressures. A similar explosion occurred at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina in June 2009, which killed three workers and injured 71.
“Together with the other tragedies that occurred, as the world of heartache and loss that have resulted, the lessons here could not be any more apparent or urgent,” said Jodi Thomas, wife of Ron Crabb who was killed in the explosion on February 7. “Failing to make good come from this would be the biggest tragedy of all.”
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent federal agency that investigates major industrial accidents including the Kleen Energy and Slim Jim explosions, agreed that there are no national protections and made recommendations to prevent such explosions from occurring.
“CSB investigators have determined that no specific federal workplace safety standards prohibit intentional, planned releases of natural gas into workplaces, as occurred here on February 7,” said John Bresland, member of the CSB. “We need to put an end to the unsafe and potentially deadly practice of venting huge volumes of natural gas in the vicinity of workers and ignition sources.”
While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues general industry and construction standards, the agency does not have a standard on the handling of natural gas or methane. In addition, national fire code standards adopted by some states developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are voluntary and do not apply to power plants.
“Particularly with 125 more natural gas power plants commissioned to be built over the next five years, it behooves us to explore exactly what went wrong here in Middletown and take the necessary steps to see it does not happen again,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
CSB recommended today that OSHA promulgate regulations addressing this procedure and the handling of explosive gasses, the NFPA update fire-protection standards, manufacturers provide guidance on using alternative methods to clean fuel gas piping, and states enact legislation preventing the use of flammable gas to clean pipes.
“While we can never undo the tragic events of February, we can honor the memory of the fallen by guaranteeing that we have the regulations and standards in place to ensure that every worker is protected,” said Rep. John Larson (D-CT).
Better Protections Needed to Regulate Purging of Natural Gas, Witnesses Tell House Panel in Middletown, Conn.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The deadly explosion at a Middletown, Conn. power plant under construction could have been prevented if there were clear national safety protections, witnesses told members of Congress today. The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of House Education and Labor Committee convened the forum to hear the cause of the explosion and examine ways to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.“As unbelievable as this sounds, there is no law, regulation or standard or code, either in Connecticut or on the federal level, that directly regulates the ‘gas blow’ procedure in natural gas power plants,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), member of the House Education and Labor Committee. “If we are going to send workers into harm’s way, we need to ensure that they are safe and healthy at work and return to their families each day.” On February 7, a natural gas explosion ripped through the construction site of the Kleen
Energy Natural Gas Power Plant in Middletown, Conn., killing six workers, injuring dozens, and causing extensive property damage. Federal, state, and local investigators agree that the likely cause was the result of a natural ‘gas blow’ operation near an ignition source. Gas blows are used to clean out construction debris from pipes by forcing natural gas at high pressures. A similar explosion occurred at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina in June 2009, which killed three workers and injured 71.
“Together with the other tragedies that occurred, as the world of heartache and loss that have resulted, the lessons here could not be any more apparent or urgent,” said Jodi Thomas, wife of Ron Crabb who was killed in the explosion on February 7. “Failing to make good come from this would be the biggest tragedy of all.”
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent federal agency that investigates major industrial accidents including the Kleen Energy and Slim Jim explosions, agreed that there are no national protections and made recommendations to prevent such explosions from occurring.
“CSB investigators have determined that no specific federal workplace safety standards prohibit intentional, planned releases of natural gas into workplaces, as occurred here on February 7,” said John Bresland, member of the CSB. “We need to put an end to the unsafe and potentially deadly practice of venting huge volumes of natural gas in the vicinity of workers and ignition sources.”
While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues general industry and construction standards, the agency does not have a standard on the handling of natural gas or methane. In addition, national fire code standards adopted by some states developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are voluntary and do not apply to power plants.
“Particularly with 125 more natural gas power plants commissioned to be built over the next five years, it behooves us to explore exactly what went wrong here in Middletown and take the necessary steps to see it does not happen again,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
CSB recommended today that OSHA promulgate regulations addressing this procedure and the handling of explosive gasses, the NFPA update fire-protection standards, manufacturers provide guidance on using alternative methods to clean fuel gas piping, and states enact legislation preventing the use of flammable gas to clean pipes.
“While we can never undo the tragic events of February, we can honor the memory of the fallen by guaranteeing that we have the regulations and standards in place to ensure that every worker is protected,” said Rep. John Larson (D-CT).
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