Brewery seeks answers in fatal keg explosion

Brewery seeks answers in fatal keg explosion The parent company of Portsmouth's Redhook Ale Brewery, where an employee was killed when a keg exploded as it was being cleaned, has hired an independent investigator to try to determine what caused the accident. "Although we are still awaiting conclusions from OSHA, we recognize the advantages of sharing information about the accident with the brewing industry in hopes of preventing similar accidents," Michaelson wrote in the message obtained by Foster's Daily Democrat. OSHA said the Redhook brewery in Portsmouth has never been cited for a workplace safety violation. Investigators said Harris was in the activity of emptying the keg with pressurized air when it blew apart at the seams. Michaelson said the company was planning to brew a memorial beer to celebrate Harris's life. Investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also investigating the April 24 explosion that killed Ben Harris, 26, of Newington. "For years, this process for emptying kegs has been performed without incident in a substantially identical manner at the Redhook Brewery and all our other breweries," Michaelson wrote in the message. "More than anything, we hope that the information we're able to share in the wake of this tragic accident contributes to greater awareness about safety and to safer work environments throughout the industry," he said. Brewery seeks answers in fatal keg explosion Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 10/06/2012