Previous Excellent Safety Had Seen Waste to Energy Plant Awarded STAR Status : VIDEO: Two Critically Injured in Incident at Spokane Waste to Energy Plant
Two employees at a waste to energy plant in Spokane, Washington have been critically injured by high pressure, superheated steam while performing maintenance work on the boiler.
The plant has an excellent previous safety record and been awarded federal "Voluntary Protection Program" STAR designation from the State Department of Labor & Industries, the highest worker safety and health designation available.
According to report by Inlander following the discovery of a pinhole leak in one of the boiler’s water tubes last week two employees went in to perform repairs.
Utilities Spokeswoman Marlene Feist was quoted saying that while the task was of a routine nature, and the employees were highly experienced, something went seriously wrong when water used to locate the hole became heated and vented as steam.
In a statement the City of Spokane said: "Following a serious accident at the Waste to Energy Facility this morning, the residential self haul area is closed for the remainder of the day. Commercial loads also have been diverted. Customers are asked to take their loads to the North Side and Valley transfer stations."
Quoting from an tour of the plant back in April as it was awarded its STAR status, Chuck Conklin, Spokane's director of solid waste disposal, is reported to have explained: "Look, we're dealing with fire at 2500 degrees. Were dealing with steam pressure at 1000 pounds. Steam pressure. If you have a leak in a pipe, at the temperatures and pressures we have here, it's not visible. You'll hear it. But you wouldn’t be able to see it. If you walk by it, it could do some real damage."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat5OeRZAQ]
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