The state has reduced violations and fines for the University of Hawaii in connection with the March 16 explosion at a laboratory where a researcher lost an arm.

In response to prompt actions taken by UH after the blast to prevent a recurrence, a settlement agreement was signed Thursday with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division to reduce the number of violations to nine from 15 and to lower the amount of the fines to $69,300 from $115,500.

“We feel the settlement is an acknowledgement by HIOSH that UH takes this matter seriously, and we do,” said UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.

“The university is working diligently to address the remaining violations, further strengthen the culture of safety and foster an environment where hazard recognition and risk assessment are the standard of care for all activities,” he said.

Officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Division could not be reached for comment.

Violations must be corrected by Oct. 21. UH is approximately 70 percent complete in remediation work.

Among the violations, the state pointed out UH had not ensured periodic inspections were being performed at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute lab where the explosion occurred. Although annual inspections by the UH Environmental Health and Safety Office were conducted, the state said the inspections did “not provide enough frequency to account for frequent changes in engineering and work practice controls.”

Meisenzahl said UH is increasing staff to conduct more inspections at all labs on campus.

UH also established a chemical and physical hazards committee to promote greater awareness of health and safety at research laboratories. The committee is working with the Environmental Health and Safety Office and other groups to identify and implement protocols to strengthen safety practices.

The committee is requesting each principal investigator to submit a chemical inventory and complete a physical hazards survey.

Following investigation of the explosion, the Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division two weeks ago issued UH a citation that listed 15 violations, and both parties subsequently met.

The explosion occurred at a laboratory in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology building. Thea Ekins-Coward, 29, a postdoctoral fellow, was working on a mixture of low-pressure hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen when the portable metal cylinder that housed the gases exploded.

Ekins-Coward lost an arm and suffered other injures.

About a month after the blast, the Honolulu Fire Department determined the explosion was likely caused by a digital pressure gauge in the tank that produced an electrical spark, which detonated the flammable gas in the tank.

An independent investigation conducted by a team from the University of California Center for Laboratory Safety 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.

The explosion caused nearly $1 million in damage. The lab remains closed as repairs are underway. Meisenzahl said it possibly could reopen in the spring.