BAKERSFIELD, CA -- It's been six months to the day the PG&E implosion went horribly wrong and nearly cost a civilian spectator his leg. On Monday Cal-OSHA finished its investigation on what went wrong and who's to blame.
There was the company hired to do the explosion and the subcontractors who actually pushed the button, the report levies serious citations and fines to both.
This should not have happened. Shrapnal flying through the air and into a crowd of people just over one thousand feet away in the Lowe's parking lot across Coffee Road in northwest Bakersfield.
But the Cal-OSHA report says the problems started even before detonation. It cited Demtech, the subcontractor hired by Alpha Explosives to set off the detonation - with a serious violation for not issuing a warning signal before the blast and all personnel were not safely away from the blast area.
But the biggest citation was for willfull negligence. Demtech knowingly detonated explosives without a proper permit to do so.
Cal-OSHA's citation and penalty explains the reason for the fines, "on or about August 3, 2013, Demtech (the controlling employer) did not effectively implement procedures to identify and evaluate the workplace hazards associated with their methodology of semi-gelatin dynamite and linear shape charges to demolish the PG&E Kern Power Plant boiler buildings Bakersfield, California prior to explosive demolition. The blast area was not correctly evaluated; leading to projectiles flying outside Demtech's calculated blast area which resulted in serious injury to a by-stander. The hazards of using the amount of pusher charge that was placed on the columns were not properly identified and evaluated. The material strength of each column was not properly evaluated. Some of the columns fractured (under the pressures created by the amount of charge used) into pieces that could be propelled further than the anticipated blast area."
The citation shows as a result, two employees of the Bakersfield Police Department and one employee of Cleveland Wrecking, the company that hired Alpha Explosives, were exposed to the hazard of flying fragments. Them, in addition to spectator Jerry Wood who was injured by flying schrapnel in the Lowe's parking lot.
He has had numerous surgeries, and still has his legs as he continues to recover. Demtech, the subcontractor - in total was cited for two serious violations and one willful violation. It was fined a total of $14,000 dollars.
The contractor which hired Demtech - Alpha Explosives - was cited for two serious violations. It was fined a total of $14,000 dollars.
There was the company hired to do the explosion and the subcontractors who actually pushed the button, the report levies serious citations and fines to both.
This should not have happened. Shrapnal flying through the air and into a crowd of people just over one thousand feet away in the Lowe's parking lot across Coffee Road in northwest Bakersfield.
But the Cal-OSHA report says the problems started even before detonation. It cited Demtech, the subcontractor hired by Alpha Explosives to set off the detonation - with a serious violation for not issuing a warning signal before the blast and all personnel were not safely away from the blast area.
But the biggest citation was for willfull negligence. Demtech knowingly detonated explosives without a proper permit to do so.
Cal-OSHA's citation and penalty explains the reason for the fines, "on or about August 3, 2013, Demtech (the controlling employer) did not effectively implement procedures to identify and evaluate the workplace hazards associated with their methodology of semi-gelatin dynamite and linear shape charges to demolish the PG&E Kern Power Plant boiler buildings Bakersfield, California prior to explosive demolition. The blast area was not correctly evaluated; leading to projectiles flying outside Demtech's calculated blast area which resulted in serious injury to a by-stander. The hazards of using the amount of pusher charge that was placed on the columns were not properly identified and evaluated. The material strength of each column was not properly evaluated. Some of the columns fractured (under the pressures created by the amount of charge used) into pieces that could be propelled further than the anticipated blast area."
The citation shows as a result, two employees of the Bakersfield Police Department and one employee of Cleveland Wrecking, the company that hired Alpha Explosives, were exposed to the hazard of flying fragments. Them, in addition to spectator Jerry Wood who was injured by flying schrapnel in the Lowe's parking lot.
He has had numerous surgeries, and still has his legs as he continues to recover. Demtech, the subcontractor - in total was cited for two serious violations and one willful violation. It was fined a total of $14,000 dollars.
The contractor which hired Demtech - Alpha Explosives - was cited for two serious violations. It was fined a total of $14,000 dollars.