OSHA cites company in injury to worker

AUGUSTA – The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has handed down citations against an Orrington company for a Jan. 9, 2004, explosion that cost a worker his left hand.

ESOCO Orrington Inc., which operates the Penobscot Energy Recovery Company’s trash-to-energy plant, was issued four serious citations, carrying $11,000 in fines, OSHA reported Wednesday.

A Portland-based industrial cleaning and maintenance service – PSC Industrial Outsourcing North Atlantic Inc. – was issued 11 serious citations worth $41,000 in fines for its involvement in the accident. According to a statement released Wednesday by OSHA, ESOCO had hired PSC to remove slag from boiler tubes at the Orrington plant.

In the de-slagging process, a “shooter” places primed explosive charges in the boiler. After the “shooter” exits the boiler, the charges are then detonated from outside by a second worker. The January accident, in which an ESOCO worker lost his hand, occurred when one charge was detonated while the worker was still placing charges inside the boiler.

PSC also was issued a willful citation, carrying a maximum fine of $70,000, for failing to remove the worker from the boiler. A similar accident killed an employee in Alma, Wisc., in August 2001 and OSHA said PSC was aware of standards and industry practice that requires workers to leave the tank before detonation.

Each employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest the citations before a review commission.