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An explosion at a plant in Struthers, Ohio in the spring of 2012 claimed the lives of two workers and resulted in fines for the city, according to sources. Two city employees, Kenny Stiver and Gary Wilson, were working in a compressor room when the explosion occurred. Both men suffered severe burns and died a few weeks later.
The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation completed an investigation in September and issued 10 citations to the city related to the explosion. The investigation claims that workers were not properly trained and did not have proper equipment. Other citations include a failure to post warning signs.
“The workers were not given enough space to work away from grounded and ungrounded pipes and other equipment,” read the report. “The workers didn’t have training on electrical hazards. The workers didn’t de-energize the current-carrying paths.”
The city has until February 1 to correct some of the violations, or they can be fined up to $10,000 per violation.
“We’ve got the citations, and we’ve got them under advisement,” said Mayor Terry Stocker. “We’ll have our say and we’ll do whatever we can to work on making it safer for our employees.”
Please visit our site for more information on workers comp, and contact our office for a free consultation if you need to file.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys.