Home » News » Public Safety
October 24. 2012 11:12AM
Redhook Brewery’s parent company is facing $63,500 in fines for safety violations discovered during a six-month investigation following the death of a Portsmouth brewery worker in April.
Redhook Brewery owner facing $63,500 in fines
Redhook Brewery’s parent company is facing $63,500 in fines for safety violations discovered during a six-month investigation following the death of a Portsmouth brewery worker in April.
PORTSMOUTH — The keg explosion that killed a Redhook Brewery worker in April could have been prevented, according to citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Monday.
Redhook Brewery‘s parent company, Craft Brew Alliance, is facing $63,500 in fines for safety violations that contributed to the death of Ben Harris, 26, of Newington and that were found during a six-month investigation after his death.
CBA has 15 days to contest the citations.
One citation issued with a penalty of $7,000 specifically relates to the accident that killed Harris.
OSHA said CBA did not furnish a place of employment at the Redhook Way facility that was free from recognized hazards that were “causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees” specifically because they were exposed to “struck-by hazards.”
They said Harris was exposed to struck-by hazards while pressurizing a plastic keg above the manufacturer’s recommended maximum working pressure on Franke steel kegs.
They said a reasonable means of abatement would be for Redhook to install an air pressure regulator on the keg clean-out line and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations of a maximum pressure of 60 pounds per square inch.
CBA officials said previously that the plastic keg was not owned or used by Redhook Brewery or any other CBA brewery, but had come to them by accident.
The same citation states that tanks of oxygen and acetylene were stored together in violation of OSHA regulations and carries a $6,000 fine.
CBA already addressed many of the additional citations during the six-month inspection of the Portsmouth Redhook brewery, including adding guard railings to a runway on a mezzanine level of the brewery and training employees on various safety policies.
Several other citations still need to be addressed, including more than one related to educating employees about the health hazards associated with hexavalent chrome and employee exposure to hexavalent chrome while welding stainless steel.
In total, CBA is currently facing $63,500 in OSHA-related fines.
Redhook Brewery‘s parent company, Craft Brew Alliance, is facing $63,500 in fines for safety violations that contributed to the death of Ben Harris, 26, of Newington and that were found during a six-month investigation after his death.
CBA has 15 days to contest the citations.
One citation issued with a penalty of $7,000 specifically relates to the accident that killed Harris.
OSHA said CBA did not furnish a place of employment at the Redhook Way facility that was free from recognized hazards that were “causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees” specifically because they were exposed to “struck-by hazards.”
They said Harris was exposed to struck-by hazards while pressurizing a plastic keg above the manufacturer’s recommended maximum working pressure on Franke steel kegs.
They said a reasonable means of abatement would be for Redhook to install an air pressure regulator on the keg clean-out line and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations of a maximum pressure of 60 pounds per square inch.
CBA officials said previously that the plastic keg was not owned or used by Redhook Brewery or any other CBA brewery, but had come to them by accident.
The same citation states that tanks of oxygen and acetylene were stored together in violation of OSHA regulations and carries a $6,000 fine.
CBA already addressed many of the additional citations during the six-month inspection of the Portsmouth Redhook brewery, including adding guard railings to a runway on a mezzanine level of the brewery and training employees on various safety policies.
Several other citations still need to be addressed, including more than one related to educating employees about the health hazards associated with hexavalent chrome and employee exposure to hexavalent chrome while welding stainless steel.
In total, CBA is currently facing $63,500 in OSHA-related fines.
- Updated: Car may have started itself, crashes, burns at Manchester Home Depot - 6
- Lightning strikes home in Exeter - 0
- Answers sought after bomb squad leaves Fitzwilliam - 0
- Nottingham man injured in wagon accident suing Hampton Falls orchard - 2
- Lightning strikes Manchester home, sparks fire - 0
- Asphalt truck overturns in Jaffrey - 0
- Police to educate Manchester motorists on distracted driving - 7
- Bird's nest may have caused house fire in Hudson - 1
- New Ipswich man burned in garage fire, flown to Boston - 0
Plaistow fire victim remains critical
READER COMMENTS: 0- NH Senate kills House-passed gas, tobacco tax hikes - 0
- Senate Finance Committee rejects Medicaid expansion - 5
- Man wielding pipe robs Cumberland Farms in Goffstown - 0
- Buchholz moves to 7-0 as Red Sox post win - 0
- Gambling bill scuttled, 'Now it is going to be really tough' for budget - 29
- NHIAA Roundup: BG girls’ tennis team sweeps Pinkerton - 0
- NHIAA box scores, summaries for May 22 - 0
- Officials say Goffstown High ‘safe’ after threat of violence - 1
- Manchester Community College graduates told ‘speak your minds’ - 0
65 mph OK for E-ZPass drivers with opening of new lanes at Hooksett toll plaza
READER COMMENTS: 0| Follow us: | ||
 |
 |
 |
Sorry, no question available