MIDDLETOWN – Oprandy’s Fire and Safety Equipment of Middletown must pay the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration $19,774 assessed to it in connection with the injury of two employees when a compressed gas cylinder exploded last February.
The company had 15 days in which to appeal the citation and penalties, but took no action to appeal. As a result, Oprandy must pay.
An inspection by OSHA investigators found the explosion occurred because the air device’s pressure exceeded the cylinder’s listed pressure limit. They also found that the company failed to train the employees on the procedures needed to fill the cylinder properly.
Other hazards involved the company failing to equip the tank and value assembly with a pressure relief device; failed to assess the workplace for hazards requiring the use of protective equipment; failed to require personnel to use personal protective eyewear and footwear; failed to stack and secure fire extinguishers and compressed gas cylinders properly; and failed to develop, implement, and/or maintain a written chemical hazard communication program and provide workers with training on hazardous chemicals.
