DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO
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Natural gas seeping from pipes caused an explosion in May at a hotel under construction in downtown San Diego, according to citations issued by the state yesterday.
Sherwood Mechanical Inc., a plumbing and heating contractor based in Mira Mesa, received most of the blame for the blast, which knocked out a portion of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on May 19.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health levied fines of $67,500 against Sherwood for four “serious” violations. Six additional subcontractors were penalized for less-serious violations. Five others were cleared of wrongdoing.
The explosion injured a firefighter and 13 construction workers, including three who required weeks of hospital care for critical burns, and showered debris over the downtown area on a Monday afternoon.
“It's a hefty fine,” Cal-OSHA spokeswoman Erika Monterroza said of the penalties assessed against Sherwood Mechanical. “All businesses are required to have procedures set up to prevent illness and injury.”
Company President Mitchell Roberts declined to discuss the citations. Instead, he issued a statement saying he would work with the state “to further understand and discuss the allegations.”
The company has 15 days to notify the state if it plans to appeal.
According to the citations, Sherwood Mechanical workers “did not install natural gas piping in accordance with good engineering practice, or in a manner which provided reasonable safety for employees.”
Workers trying to flush air out of the pipes feeding a hotel boiler inadvertently allowed natural gas to leak into a fifth-floor mechanical room, said Cal-OSHA senior safety engineer Joel Foss.
“The source of ignition could have been any one of a number of electrical installations – light switches, lighting, light fixtures,” Foss said. “There was not any particular piece of equipment that was identified.”
The company received two $6,750 fines for failing to comply with injury prevention rules. It also received a pair of $27,000 penalties for improperly installing piping and failing to test for unsafe vapors.
The fines assessed to the other subcontractors ranged from $175 to $585. Those violations were categorized as general and regulatory, rather than the serious violations that can attract fines of up to $70,000 each.
The $350 million, 1,190-room hotel is still on schedule to open Dec. 3. When completed, it is expected to help accommodate larger business meetings and trade shows at the nearby San Diego Convention Center. The hotel already has pre-booked 400,000 rooms for visitors through 2013.
Construction crews had to rebuild the northern face of the 30-story structure's fourth through seventh floors after it was destroyed in the explosion.
Within hours of the blast, investigators began focusing on a buildup of natural gas from a leaking pipe in the mechanical room.
Cal-OSHA inspectors painstakingly examined the twisted metal and debris. After taking photographs and making drawings of the blast zone, investigators removed debris for further laboratory analysis.
Investigators also talked to the manufacturer of the pipes and boilers to find out how they were supposed to be installed, then checked the contractor's paperwork to see if the installation specifications had been followed.
Records show that Sherwood has been inspected eight times by OSHA since 1993. Two of the inspections were prompted by accidents, one was instigated by a complaint, and the others were routine job site evaluations.
Three of the inspections resulted in nine violations. The company paid $4,000 in fines, according to the records.
Jeff McDonald: (619) 542-4585; jeff.mcdonald@uniontrib.com
