Maintenance and engineering work in institutional and commercial buildings can be dangerous, as demonstrated by a recent explosion at a VA hospital that killed two workers repairing a steam pipe. Now, an office building in Baltimore offers the latest evidence of the risks front-line technicians face.
A Dec. 23 explosion on the 16th floor of the Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) building caused a partial roof collapse and damage to six floors, according to WBAL. Emergency crews rescued 23 workers from the building, 21 of whom were taken to hospitals. A high-rise crane was brought in Saturday to remove the scaffolding from which two workers were rescued after the explosion.
According to a statement from BGE, the incident is likely construction related, not from natural gas, and occurred while crews were working on the building's air handling and boiler system, CNN reported.
Dan Hounsell is editor of Facility Maintenance Decisions.
