Preventable safety management failures caused Clairton Coke Works explosions, says chemical safety board

This “resulted in the release of flammable coke oven gas that ignited and exploded,” the report says. “The (chemical safety board) report makes clear that this tragedy was worse than it had to be. The facility operates 455 coke ovens, housed in six batteries, the chemical safety board report says. The buildings were located less than 20 feet above the coke oven gas piping. Quinn and Menefee were in or near separate control rooms above the coke oven gas piping when the explosion occurred.