OSHA Cites Georgia Power for Safety Violations at Plant Bowen
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The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has cited Georgia Power for seventeen safety violations in connection with an explosion in April at Plant Bowen in Bartow County.
OSHA officials say inspectors found serious safety hazards at Plant Bowen and say Georgia Power broke rules related to hazardous energy control.
According to Georgia Power spokesman John Kraft, “We want to take what's happened and learn from it and spread to our other plants as well throughout our system so we don't have anything like this again.”
Bowen says it has shared what its own inspectors learned from the accident with its other plants.
Chuck Eaton heads the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) which regulates Georgia Power. Says Eaton, “The company has admitted that the explosion at Bowen was caused by operator error; the procedures and standards were not adhered to. So it's not a surprise to me at all that OSHA has recommended a fine.”
OSHA wants Georgia Power to pay $119,000 in penalties. Kraft says the utility has not decided whether it will appeal.
Georgia Power goes before the PSC this week to ask for a rate hike.
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