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.
