Explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works

On Thursday, an explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works killed a contractor and sent another one to the hospital. The explosion happened shorty after 11:00 AM. According to Allegheny County emergency and health officials, the explosion occurred in the byproducts area for the coke batteries, arrays of ovens where coal is baked into coke for steel-making.

Nicolas Revetta, 32, of Clairton died at Jefferson Regional Hospital. The other victim, who has not been identified, was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, which often treats burn victims. Due to privacy laws, his condition has not yet been released. Both men worked for Power Piping Co., which specializes in installing industrial pipes and high-pressure equipment. After the fire was put out, employees were instructed to return to their stations. The phone lines were tied up with concerned family members; other family members chose to gather outside the company to find out if they knew the injured employees.

"Safety is our company's top priority, and a full investigation into the incident will be undertaken in cooperation with the union," U.S. Steel spokeswoman Courtney Boone said in a statement. OSHA has already been notified of the accident. The Allegheny County Health Department was also notified to inspect the air quality after the explosion. Currently, nothing has been released as the cause of the explosion.

Sources:
Heinrichs, Allison M., and Rick Wills. "One killed in explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 4 Sept. 2009.
"One killed in explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works." TRIB LIVE Business. 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 4 Sept. 2009. www.pittsburghlive.com