I think it's one piece of a pretty complicated puzzle.

 In this case, the linked article suggests the possibility of good safety intentions and perhaps  human error (someone forgot to isolate one pipe, someone missed it/misinterpreted a valve position on inspection ) or a procedural/training error (e.g., no accurate checklist identifying all the pipe connections on a complex system):

"Last November, DuPont officials said the storage tank had been cleaned, inspected and taken out of use.

But OSHA's investigation found the tank still was connected by a piping system to two operating slurry tanks, allowing the vapors to seep inside."

The contractor may have been remiss in not doing their own combustible gas testing, but depending on how "cleaned, inspected, and taken out of use" was presented to them and the nature of their working arrangements with the owner, this may have been understandable.  OSHA clearly saw things differently, and one sentence from a news article isn't enough information to know all the particulars.

                Don

---

 Is this the only way to make business look out for safety above profits?.

 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Beth Shepard
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 9:12 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] The Memorial Wall

 

Good morning--

The individual in this story from Friday's news collection is also missing.

LAX SAFETY BLAMED IN DEATH AT DUPONT - BUSINESS - THE BUFFALO NEWS, http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article414021.ece

Federal regulators Thursday said "serious" safety violations at the DuPont chemical plant in the Town of Tonawanda led to last November's chemical explosion that killed a contractor working at the site.

Following a six-month probe, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it plans to fine DuPont and contractor Mollenberg-Betz nearly $117,000 for 17 violations stemming from the blast that killed Richard J. Folaron and badly burned a co-worker.

A search of The Buffalo News archives found the combined penalty is the largest proposed fine issued by the local OSHA office for workplace safety violations over the past two years.

OSHA cited the companies for failing to make sure that any chemical residue and flammable vapors were cleaned out of the storage tank before Folaron and William R. Freeburg started doing welding work there.

Beth

Beth Shepard / Technical Compliance Specialist
Regulatory Compliance
6000 N. Teutonia Ave. / Milwaukee, WI 53209 / USA
P: (414) 438-3850, x5471
sigma-aldrich.com

JAKSAFETY**At_Symbol_Here**AOL.COM Sent by: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU> 05/08/2011 05:18 PM Please respond to DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>

To DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU cc Subject [DCHAS-L] The Memorial Wall

The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) has created a virtual Memorial Wall in memory of the more than 300 people who lost their live in laboratory accidents during the past 100 years.  
 
To visit the Memorial Wall: http://www.labsafetyinstitute.org/MemorialWall.html
 
We hope you will assist us in making it more accurate and more complete.  Please write to memorialwall**At_Symbol_Here**labsafetyinstitute.org
 
James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.
Chair, ICASE Committee on Safety in Science Education
International Council for Associations of Science Education
www.icaseonline.net

President/CEO

The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI)
A Nonprofit International Organization for
Safety in Science and Science Education

192 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760-2252
508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062 Skype: labsafe
Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335
jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafetyinstitute.org www.labsafetyinstitute.org
P We thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary
This message and any files transmitted with it are the property of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, are confidential, and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom this e-mail is addressed. If you are not one of the named recipient(s) or otherwise have reason to believe that you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete this message immediately from your computer. Any other use, retention, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited.