OSHA: Company working near Oconomowoc blast has history of safety violations

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/GPG0101/80404108/1206/GPGnews

The Asscoiated Press

MILWAUKEE — A company doing road construction when an explosion destroyed a church and injured seven people has a history of safety violations with the federal government.

Dorner Inc. has had nearly four dozen violations and paid more than $260,000 in fines since 1999, according to online records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“When you look at some of the violations they’ve had in the past, we do consider some of them significant,” said Scott Allen, a spokesman with the U.S. Department of Labor, which oversees OSHA.

Dorner, based in Luxemburg, Wis., was using a backhoe in the area of natural gas lines near First Baptist Church in Oconomowoc, when workers smelled a heavy gas odor around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said. Utility workers were there within 10 minutes trying to fix the problem, he said.

The explosion happened about 1:30 p.m.

Authorities are still investigating the blast’s cause. No one has placed blame on Dorner for anything.

FULL story at link.