“Fortunately, no one was [seriously] injured or killed as a result of this explosion,” Occupational Safety and Health Administration Atlanta-West area office director Christi Griffin said of the April 4 blast at Plant Bowen.
“Our inspection found several serious safety hazards that the company must address immediately to protect its workers.
“It is a fundamental responsibility of employers to ensure a safe workplace.”
The blast occurred late at night while crews were preparing to shut down Plant Bowen’s unit 2 for planned maintenance.
Investigators determined the origin of the blast was in the power house that held generators and turbines and there was no damage or impact to the facility’s coal handling area.
OSHA said three individuals at the Bartow County complex were treated for minor injuries.
It concluded that the utility had failed to ensure safety briefings were conducted by management before starting each job.
Finally, it said the company broke rules requiring that it document and use procedures to control hazardous energy.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a Georgia Power internal investigation found in May that worker error and not equipment failure contributed to the incident.
Additionally, workers did not properly comply with company procedures and did not communicate adequately, GP officials said.
Georgia Power is a subsidiary of Southern Company.
