APOLLO BEACH (970 WFLA) -- Federal safety officials are proposing fines against Tampa Electric Company and one of its contractors, after five workers were killed and one badly burned in a hot slag accident at a power plant in Apollo Beach in June.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration wants almost $161,000, saying TECO failed to follow energy control procedures and the contractor, Gaffin Industrial Services, failed to develop any procedures at all. Neither company provided adequate protective gear, according to OSHA.
The companies have three weeks to respond to those findings.
Employees of Tampa Electric, Gaffin Industrial Services, and Brace Integrated Services Inc. died in the incident. No fines were proposed against Brace.
Photo credit TECO