We recently reported on this company here:
“Three people were taken to hospital after fire broke out at the Pinnacle wood pellet plant near Burns Lake, B.C. around 8:23 a.m. PT on Thursday”
Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: PL) (“Pinnacle” or “the Company”) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of industrial wood pellets, which are used by large-scale thermal power generators as a greener alternative to produce reliable baseload renewable power.
Pinnacle currently operates eight wood pellet production facilities throughout western Canada, and one production facility in Alabama, that process a wide range of wood fibre (primarily forest product residuals) sourced from forestry industry partners that harvest from sustainably certified forests. Pinnacle’s Canadian production facilities are all located on major rail lines allowing for efficient rail transport to one of two shipping terminals on the B.C. coast: Pinnacle’s wholly-owned Westview terminal in Prince Rupert, and the Fibreco Terminal at the Port of Vancouver. The Company’s Alabama production facility utilizes shipping facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Pinnacle takes pride in its industry leading health and safety practices.
At least three people were taken to the hospital. One victim’s mother said that her son was helping another employee put out a fire when she heard the explosion. Both her son and the worker suffered head injuries. Of the three victims, one man was airlifted to a hospital in Edmonton while the other two went by ground ambulance.
Despite all its claims about fire and explosion prevention and protection the plane still experienced serious incident
http://pinnaclepellet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pinnacle_med.pdf
The investigation into an explosion this week at a wood pellet plant in Entwistle, Alta. has put the spotlight on a facility that is less than a year old and has touted its use of cutting-edge safety technology.
It’s still not clear what caused the explosion at the Pinnacle Renewable Energy plant on Monday afternoon. Occupational Health and Safety is investigating.
A fire at the same plant was reported to OHS last month. No one was injured. OHS also inspected the plant in December and in January after workers complained, and an order was placed on the worksite regarding equipment safety.
Explosions at Pinnacle plants have happened before. In October 2014, an explosion at the company’s plant near Burns Lake, B.C., sent three people to hospital. The fire broke out in one of the drying units in the plant, which is used to dry wood, including chips and sawdust, before turning them into pellets.
WorkSafe B.C. investigated and found the explosion was caused when an accumulation of flammable gases in a dryer was exposed to high temperatures and oxygen.
It said several of the company’s procedures were not followed before the explosion.
Pinnacle was fined $56,000 by WorkSafe B.C. as a result of the explosion.
Aritcle Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/pinnacle-renewable-energy-entwistle-explosion-alberta-1.5016907