NFPA backs new standard following Conn. blast

The standard is the result of an explosion that killed six workers and injured about 50 othersThe Associated Press

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — A national safety group has joined a federal agency in urging states and regulators to ban a pipe-cleaning practice that was blamed for the deadly 2010 power plant explosion in Connecticut.

The National Fire Protection Association's new standard prohibits crews from using natural gas to clean pipes at industrial plants, commercial developments and other projects.

The nonbinding standard echoes recommendations from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which has asked the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to ban the practice known as a "gas blow."

Connecticut is the only state that has outlawed it.

The procedure caused a volatile mix of gas and air to accumulate in tight quarters at the Kleen Energy plant in Middletown, Conn., in February 2010. The ensuing explosion killed six workers and injured about 50 others.