On October 2, 2007, a chemical fire inside a permit-required confined space1 at Xcel Energy’s hydroelectric plant in a remote mountain location 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Denver, Colorado, killed five and injured three workers. Industrial painting contractors were in the initial stages of recoating the 1,530-foot (466-meter) steel portion of a 4,300-foot (1,311-meter)Continue reading “Xcel Energy Hydroelectric Tunnel Fire 2007”