Cal/OSHA Cites Fuel Distributor Nearly $100,000 After Fatal Explosion
Investigators from the San Bernardino Cal/OSHA district office determined that NDS contributed to the incident by failing to have required safety procedures in place for working with flammable vapors.
Cal/OSHA has cited National Distribution Services Inc. (NDS) $99,345 for alleged hazards that led to an explosion that killed one worker and left another with severe burns at the company’s Corona, Calif., facility.
The agency noted that it has cited the fuel-distribution company for similar incidents in the past.
On May 6, two employees attempted welding operations on a 9,000-gallon tanker truck containing an unknown amount of crude oil. The tank had not been purged or tested for flammable vapors, resulting in the explosion, according to Cal/OSHA.
