Investigators have linked the fatal July 27 explosion at a Corinth vinegar plant to unmonitored welding work after finding heat damage on a tank flange.
Fire Service officials suspect the work breached safety protocols and ignited a propane leak, triggering a massive vapor cloud blast that killed a 67-year-old worker.
The plant owner, operations manager and safety technician were granted time to submit depositions Friday. All three reportedly maintain that required safety protocols were strictly followed.
The fatal blast – coming weeks after another deadly workplace explosion in Aspropyrgos, western Attica – highlights national safety deficiencies and a murky picture surrounding occupational casualties.
In an upcoming study reviewed by Kathimerini, occupational medicine specialist Vasilis Drakopoulos found that conflicting records across state agencies and Eurostat mask the true scale of Greece’s workplace accidents and diseases.
