Ontario Construction News staff writer
A Sarnia company that develops experimental equipment to produce electricity has been fined $90,000 for failing to ensure a process able to produce an explosive mixture was carried out safely.
AlumaPower Corp. on April 20 entered a guilty plea in Provincial Offences Court in the southwestern Ontario community for the offence that left three workers injured.
The incident occurred on Nov. 14, 2023, when workers were testing a prototype called a four‑cell aluminum‑air galvanic generator at the company’s Sarnia facility. The equipment produces electricity through a chemical reaction and releases hydrogen gas as part of the process. Hydrogen is highly flammable and can explode if it builds up and comes into contact with an ignition source, such as a spark or flame.
The testing took place inside a large, enclosed fume hood, a structure designed to remove hazardous gases from the air through ventilation.
During testing, workers noticed that hydrogen gas was not venting as intended through a small water‑filled tube (called a bubbler) designed to safely release the gas.
As workers attempted to determine where the gas was accumulating, hydrogen built up inside the enclosed space. An explosion occurred inside the fume hood, injuring the three workers who have recovered and returned to work.
A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation found that the testing process was not conducted in an area designed or rated for the hazard. The space also contained several potential ignition sources and did not meet required safety standards for processes capable of producing explosive gases.
The company had no prior convictions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
