Burns Lake, B.C. – Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc has been  slapped with an administrative penalty for an incident that  happened at its Burns Lake pellet  plant a  little over a year ago.

On October 9th, 2014 , during a  maintenance shut down, three workers   were standing near the  open door of a dryer, when there was  an explosion  in the  dryer chamber.  The three were thrown  back by the blast and suffered burns.

According to the  final  report,  Pinnacle’s  written procedure for  burner cleanout was not followed, nor were the manufacturer’s instructions  which call for the  combustion  air fan to stay on for three  hours before the burner door is opened.

WorkSafe BC has completed its investigation into the incident and has  found  Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc:

1. has failed to take sufficient precautions for the prevention of work related injuries or illnesses;
2. has not complied with 5  sections of the Act or  regulations;
3. has not maintained a safe workplace or safe working conditions; and
4. did not exercise due diligence to prevent these circumstances.

Pinnacle has been ordered to pay an administrative penalty of  $55,989.25 .  The amount is based on the company’s payroll and  the nature of the incident.