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POSTED: Thursday, Jun. 18, 2009

State investigating Bellingham business over explosion, worker injury

BELLINGHAM - The state Department of Labor and Industries will investigate a local business after a small explosion sent an employee to the hospital Wednesday, June 17.

The explosion occurred at about 2:30 p.m. at Avalanche Ranch Lighting Co., 1788 Midway Lane in the Irongate area.

One employee was injured after using a cutting torch on a 55-gallon drum that contained acetone, said Bellingham Fire Marshal Jason Napier.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, it is against the law to use a cutting torch in the presence of flammable materials.

Avalanche Ranch Lighting owner Curt Roth said it was a small incident that did not damage any property. The employee suffered a burned elbow, he said.

The employee's name has not been released.

The metal drum contained about one gallon of the flammable solvent acetone - an amount large enough to blow the top off the drum and create a "fiery flash," Napier said. The acetone should have been removed before the drum was cut, he said.

Avalanche Ranch Lighting has had a previous safety violation, according to Labor and Industries. In 2001, the business was found to have violated safety codes by not providing an emergency eye-wash station or personal protective equipment for employees working near splash hazards, spokeswoman Elaine Fischer said.

The current investigation may take a month or more to conduct, Fischer said.