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Construction Safety Dispatch Articles
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Wyoming workplace safety regulators are seeking $13,500 in fines against a Glenrock company for an oil facility explosion that killed three workers northeast of Casper.
The Wyoming Workers' Safety and Compensation Division on Thursday released seven citations it has issued against Wild West Construction in Glenrock. One alleges the company failed to adequately instruct employees on how to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions.
Another says the company did not put a stairway, ladder or ramp to help workers get out of a trench in which they were working.
"The closest means of egress from the trench excavation measured over 35 feet away from the location in the trench where the employees were working," the citation stated.
In all, 19 worker safety citations issued against three companies for the Aug. 29 explosion carry proposed penalties adding up to $48,150.
Killed were James Turner, 55, of Mills; Llewellyn Dort, 32, of Casper; and Gerardo Alatorre, 46, of Mills. Turner worked for Double D Welding and Fabrication in Mills while Dort and Alatorre worked for Wild West Construction.
A flammable substance of some kind flowed from an oil storage tank through a 2-inch pipe being connected by the workers, according to the citations.
An ignition source then caused the tank containing some 33 barrels of crude oil to explode. The workers either died in the blast or ensuing fire that burned about 10 acres in a remote area 40 miles northeast of Casper.
Wild West Construction had no listed phone number and could not be reached for comment on its citations. All seven citations were classified as "serious," meaning they carried possible penalties of up to $7,000.
Three citations against Wild West carried proposed penalties of $2,700 each. The other four had penalties of $1,350.
Wyoming allows alleged worker safety violators opportunities to seek lower penalties. They are afforded an opportunity for an informal conference with the worker safety administrator.
They may then appeal citations to the state Office of Administrative Hearings, state Occupational Safety and Health Administration commission, and finally the court system. As of Thursday, none of the companies was pursuing any sort of appeal.
Tulsa, Okla.-based Samson Resources operated the oil production site. Samson has received four citations for the explosion. Eight others went to Double D Welding and Fabrication.
The state workers' safety office mailed the citations last week and released them to The Associated Press this week after the news agency filed a records request and the companies acknowledged to the state they had received the citations.
Source: Canadian Business
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