A 21-year-old employee was killed after a fireworks explosion at the Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas.
The worker, an employee of Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation Inc., had been taking inventory of the pyrotechnics used in an outdoor musical production when the explosion occurred.
“A 21-year-old worker, with three months of work experience under her belt, lost her life because Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation failed to provide appropriate training and protective equipment to workers handling pyrotechnics,” said Elizabeth Linda Routh, OSHA’s area director in Lubbock.
OSHA inspected the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, a performing arts employer, on July 31, 2015 after the explosion occurred.
OSHA cited the company for six serious violations: not training workers on using explosives; not providing fire retardant clothing; not performing a hazard assessment; and not developing a written hazard communication program.
About the Author
Ginger Christ
Associate Editor
Ginger Christ is an associate editor for EHS Today, a Penton publication.
She has covered business news for the past seven years, working at daily and weekly newspapers and magazines in Ohio, including the Dayton Business Journal and Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Most recently, she covered transportation and leadership for IndustryWeek, a sister publication to EHS Today.
She holds a bachelor of arts in English and in Film Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.