O-D exclusive: OSHA cites brewery over fire

101008 F.X. Matt Brewing

A federal agency has concluded that a May 29 fire at the F.X. Matt Brewing Co. may have been avoided, according to a report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.The agency cited the brewery for multiple serious violations in connection with the fire, including welding without the removal of fire hazards. Other citations included the lack of a “fire watch” — a person responsible for monitoring welding.

The fire ripped through the second floor of the brewery, damaging canning equipment and a third floor storage area. Production was halted for a month, and damage was estimated in the millions of dollars.“Had the employer complied with the OSHA standards and had a fire watch in place and had removed combustible materials from the immediate area and provided the required training on fire extinguisher use, this accident may have been avoided,” said Chris Adams, area director of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.OSHA fined the brewery $7,000, Adams said. But that amount was reduced to $5,000 after

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the brewery took steps to correct the violations, he said. All the citations were listed as serious violations, and all of the violations have been corrected, Adams said.Brewery Vice President Fred Matt said employees and officials strived before and after the fire to create a safe working environment prior.“Were the violations avoidable? I guess so. But did our guys survey the area and believe they had a clean and safe area to work in? Absolutely,” Matt said. “Was the area clean and safe? Probably not. My employees did the right thing before they started welding and they did the right thing after the welding. And most importantly no one got hurt.”Matt was unsure whether the fines had been paid yet.Raymond Beck, chief fire marshal for the Utica Fire Department, said the city’s investigation into the fire concluded it was an accident.“We determined it was a welding operation that caused the fire,” he said. “There was a conveyor belt made of highly combustible plastic – that was what actually ignited, and because of its properties it helped spread the fire.”Among the OSHA violations:Training: Employees were not trained to vacate for fires greater than those in the beginning stages. Employees also were not provided with yearly fire extinguisher training.Hazards: Welding was performed on a machine in the second floor canning area withou

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