A Des Moines-based tank servicing company is facing $166,423 in state fines after two separate explosions injured two workers in April during a propane tank inspection in Kitsap County.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) cited Calhoun Tanks & Services, Inc. of Des Moines for multiple safety violations, including one willful serious violation, after investigators determined the company ignored key safety protocols during the job.
According to L&I, Calhoun was hired by a Kitsap Peninsula resort to assess whether an 18,000-gallon underground propane tank could be brought back into use. During the inspection, workers cut into the piping, releasing flammable propane gas and vapors into a nearby fenced area where multiple above-ground tanks were located.
The gas eventually reached a vaporizer unit with a battery-powered auto-ignitor, which had not been locked out to prevent ignition. When it turned on, the resulting spark caused an explosion. No one was injured in the initial blast.
Despite the explosion, the company continued work without changing safety procedures. Roughly two hours later, a second explosion occurred after workers removed the underground tank’s cover, again releasing propane vapors. The ignitor sparked again, triggering a blast that seriously injured two workers.
One worker was hospitalized with burns covering 30% of his body and spent over a month in intensive care. The second worker sustained burns to his arms and was treated and released the same day.
Video
Security footage captured both explosions:
“It didn’t just happen once. The employer knew the risks and allowed it to happen again,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. “These workers will carry those scars the rest of their life because their employer ignored commonsense rules to keep them safe.”
L&I’s investigation found Calhoun failed to follow procedures for entering a confined space and did not properly control ignition sources. The company was also cited for three additional serious violations, including a failure to train workers.
The company is appealing the citation. Money from any fines collected will go into the state’s workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, which helps injured workers and the families of those killed on the job.
