The Law Blog of Oklahoma

Moore Distillery Denies Violations in Flash Fire

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

A Moore distillery denies that it had been warned about the use of open flame in a flash fire that left an employee with second degree burns over 50 percent of his body.

According to reports, Twister Distillery was providing reporters a tour of the facilities when an ethanol flash from an overheated vodka still ignited the alcohol, causing a flash fire that critically injured the operator guiding the tour.

One source reports, "Onlookers reported a geyser of alcohol that erupted in a column of flame, which, in turn, cause the filled bottles in the makeshift distillery to explode."

The injured man was taken by Life Flight to a local hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition with serious burns.

Now, the owner of the distillery is arguing against claims that the facility had been warned about the use of open flame near the still.

Moore Fire Marshal Jeff Lindsay told reporters that the distillery owner had been warned during inspection that they could not use an open flame as a heat source and that the still involved in the flash fire should not have been in operation at the time of the incident.

Twister Distillery owner Alvin Philipose disputed the Fire Marshal's statement. He said that the Fire Marshal had conducted a walkthrough of the facility prior to the incident and given final approval. Philipose said, "We would not have opened up if we had not had the go-ahead and all of our inspections were done."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cites the Bureau of Labor Statistics in saying that fires and explosions account for 3 percent of workplace fatalities. OSHA statistics show that work-related fires and explosions cause more than 5,000 burn injuries and kill approximately 200 workers each year.

Workplaces are responsible for keeping the work environment safe. Some of these responsibilities include making sure everything is up to code and ensuring that equipment and facilities meet or exceed OSHA standards and Fire Marshal regulations. While the owner of the distillery claims that his facility passed all inspections, it seems to be common sense to keep alcohol away from open flames.

When a person is injured at work, typically, worker's compensation insurance pays for the medical expenses associated with the workplace injury. However, in cases where the employer's negligence caused or contributed to the accidental injury, a personal injury lawsuit may be the best route for the injured worker to obtain an appropriate measure of compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other associated damages. Learn more about workplace injury litigation here.

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