With all the attention BP has been getting these past few months – and deservedly so – it’s easy to overlook some of the other important incidents and misdeeds that have led to loss of workers’ lives and huge penalties paid by the companies that employed them.

For example, action has been prompted by a June 2009 blast at the ConAgra Slim Jim Plant in North Carolina that cost four lives, injured 67 others, and led to the closing of the plant, with the loss of hundreds of jobs in the region. And $16.6 million in penalties have been proposed against three construction companies and 14 site contractors for 371 alleged workplace safety violations that led to a natural gas explosion at the Kleen Energy power plant site in Middletown, Conn. earlier this year.

The Kleen Energy explosion took the lives of six workers and injured 50 others. “The fines and penalties reflect the gravity and severity of the deadly conditions at the site,” said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. “No operation and no deadline is worth cutting common sense safety procedures. Workers should not sacrifice their lives for their livelihoods.”

On February 7, a gas blow operation was being performed in which flammable natural gas was pumped under high pressure through new fuel gas lines to remove debris. During this operation, an extremely large amount of natural gas was vented into areas where it could not easily disperse. Welding and other work was being performed nearby, creating an extremely dangerous situation. The explosion occurred when the gas contacted an ignition source.

“These employers blatantly disregarded well-known and accepted industry procedures and their own safety guidelines in conducting the gas blow operation in a manner that exposed workers to fire and explosion hazards,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels.

O&G Industries Inc., the project’s general contractor; Keystone Construction and Maintenance Inc., which was in charge of the piping and oversaw the gas blow; and Bluewater Energy Services Inc., the commissioning and startup contractor for the plant, were cited for performing the gas blow procedure in a way that exposed workers to fire and explosion hazards. Citations were also issued for failing to install and use electrical equipment in accordance with its listing and labeling, allowing welding work during the gas blows and failing to train employees to recognize hazards associated with gas blows.

As a result of the incident, OSHA has issued a warning letter to natural gas power plant operators regarding the dangerous practice of cleaning fuel gas piping using natural gas, and the need to ensure that safety procedures and practices are implemented to prevent these disasters. Such practices and procedures include: the venting of gas vertically and above all structures; the elimination of all ignition sources if a flammable gas is being used; the removal of all non-essential workers from the site; and the monitoring of air quality during and after completion of the blows. The letter also advises on alternatives such as the use of nonflammable, non-explosive media to clean the pipes.

The Chemical Safety Board and the National Fire Protection Association have made recommendations and changes to their codes to address gas purging in the future, and have urged OSHA to prohibit the practice. For more details on these actions, see our stories inside.

How many more people have to lose their lives? We all owe it to ourselves, our employees and our colleagues to not only become familiar with the latest codes and regulations, but to fully understand them and to make sure they’re implemented properly. Anything less is unacceptable and dangerous.

Thanks and good luck.