The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division issued a citation last week to the University of Hawaii School of Earth and Science Technology and Hawaii Natural Energy Institute that listed 15 violations and imposed $115,500 in penalties in connection with the March 16 laboratory explosion at the school.
All 15 violations were categorized as serious, each drawing the maximum $7,700 fine. According to HIOSH, violations are deemed serious when they could result in serious injury or death.
The state’s investigation was the third looking into the blast, which seriously injured researcher Thea Ekins-Coward, who lost an arm.
The explosion occurred at a laboratory operated by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and was located in the SOEST building. Ekins-Coward, 29, a postdoctoral fellow, was working on a mixture of low-pressure hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen when the portable metal cylinder the gases were contained in exploded.
“Our findings are related to the exposure and risk of harm, and we look at each situation on a case-by-case basis,” Linda Chu Takayama, director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, said Wednesday in an emailed statement. “In this case there was significant injury to an employee, serious exposure to the other employees along with substantial property damage,” she said.
UH has 20 days to contest the penalties. An informal conference between UH and HIOSH has been scheduled for Sept. 30.
According to the citation, issued Friday: “The employer failed to provide a safe work place by reducing employee exposure to potential explosion and fire hazards.”
Among the violations were:
>> “The digital gauge used on the 13-gallon Speedair tank at the time of the explosion was not evaluated as a possible ignition source and the tank itself was not evaluated for use with flammable gases.”
>> “Activities performed in the laboratory by researchers with the potential exposure to explosion and fire hazards were not assessed for appropriate personal protective equipment. Glove protection to guard against static discharge and laboratory coats and flame retardant lab coats to guard against fire were not assessed and communicated to laboratory personnel.”
>> “The employer’s Chemical Hygiene Plan did not include criteria to determine and implement controls relevant to the gas mixing operations. (engineering controls, personal protective equipment, administrative).”
UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the university is reviewing the violations and will seek clarification on each at the upcoming conference with HIOSH. UH will be working with the division and providing information on improvements implemented at the Manoa campus since the explosion occurred that include risk assessment, updating its comprehensive safety guidelines and ensuring everyone is properly trained.
“Our priority is to strengthen the culture of safety on campus,” said Meisenzahl. “UH has really embraced this goal.”
Among the changes since the blast is the establishment of a chemical and physical hazards committee to promote greater awareness on health and safety at research laboratories.
About a month after the explosion, the Honolulu Fire Department said its investigation determined the blast was likely caused by a digital pressure gauge in the tank that produced an electrical spark, which detonated the flammable gas in the tank.
In July, an independent investigation by a University of California Center for Laboratory Safety team concluded the explosion was likely caused by static electricity. The report said the gauge was not inside the tank, and that detonation was caused by an electrostatic charge, accumulated by the gas storage tank or by Ekins-Coward herself, that was released when she touched a metal housing as she attempted to turn off the gauge.
Hiosh Uh LaHIOSH cites UH and Hawaii Natural Energy Institute by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
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