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Two workers injured at Tampa Electric power plant
Two workers injured at Tampa Electric power plant
By Anastasia Dawson and Kathleen McGrory, Times Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 5:17pm
APOLLO BEACH — An industrial accident at Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station sent two workers to the hospital Tuesday afternoon, the company said. .... The injuries come amid questions into Tampa Electric's safety record. In June, an industrial accident at the Big Bend plant killed five workers and injured a sixth. In that case, the workers were doing maintenance on a large tank that stores molten coal ash, and the boiler was on.
{ READ THE INVESTIGATION: Tampa Electric knew the procedure was dangerous. It sent workers in anyway. }
{ MORE: TECO accounts for nearly half of Florida power plant deaths, data shows }
They were counting on the lava-like "slag" to stay trapped in the boiler, where it is created when coal burns. But it gushed out onto them, covering their bodies with third-degree burns. ... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.
A Tampa Bay Times investigation found that a near-identical accident happened at another Tampa Electric plant in 1997, and workers warned the company against doing slag-tank maintenance with the boiler running. The company followed the guidelines for more than a decade, but had recently stopped.
....
Over the last two decades, more workers have died in Tampa Electric's power plants than in plants run by any other Florida utility, the Times reported in July. No other utility has had more than three fatalities in the last two decades. Tampa Electric has had 10.
....
Contact Anastasia Dawson at adawson@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3377. Follow @adawsonwrites.
Contact Kathleen McGrory at kmcgrory@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8330. Follow @kmcgrory.
© 2017 Tampa Bay Times
By Anastasia Dawson and Kathleen McGrory, Times Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 5:17pm
APOLLO BEACH — An industrial accident at Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station sent two workers to the hospital Tuesday afternoon, the company said. .... The injuries come amid questions into Tampa Electric's safety record. In June, an industrial accident at the Big Bend plant killed five workers and injured a sixth. In that case, the workers were doing maintenance on a large tank that stores molten coal ash, and the boiler was on.
{ READ THE INVESTIGATION: Tampa Electric knew the procedure was dangerous. It sent workers in anyway. }
{ MORE: TECO accounts for nearly half of Florida power plant deaths, data shows }
They were counting on the lava-like "slag" to stay trapped in the boiler, where it is created when coal burns. But it gushed out onto them, covering their bodies with third-degree burns. ... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.
A Tampa Bay Times investigation found that a near-identical accident happened at another Tampa Electric plant in 1997, and workers warned the company against doing slag-tank maintenance with the boiler running. The company followed the guidelines for more than a decade, but had recently stopped.
....
Over the last two decades, more workers have died in Tampa Electric's power plants than in plants run by any other Florida utility, the Times reported in July. No other utility has had more than three fatalities in the last two decades. Tampa Electric has had 10.
....
Contact Anastasia Dawson at adawson@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3377. Follow @adawsonwrites.
Contact Kathleen McGrory at kmcgrory@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8330. Follow @kmcgrory.
© 2017 Tampa Bay Times
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