Blumenthal: VA received complaints ahead of fatal explosion
WEST HAVEN — The U.S. Department of Veterans Aff airs received warnings about potentially unsafe conditions before a steam explosion claimed two l ive s at the VA medical center in West Haven in November, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday.
Euel Sims, 60, and Joe O’Donnell, 36, were killed when a steam pipe exploded in a building on the hospital’s campus Nov. 1 3.
Blumenthal said two whistleblowers had stepped for ward to share documents, dating back to 2018, i l lu st r at i ng that VA management had been warned prior to the i ncident about potential safety concerns regarding t he hospital’s i nfrast r uct ure, including by Sims.
Concerns were shared about the steam pipes at the hospital, among more general issues with the working conditions t here, Blumenthal said.
“I am so deeply t r oubled by these documents and the whistleblower reports of the VA’s f ai lu r e to respond to these complaints,” said Blumenthal. “They provide powerful evidence that complaints of unsafe conditions were either disregarded or dismissed by some of the top VA management.”
He said he had asked t he Offi c e of the Inspector General, an independent body within the VA, to i nvesti gat e the complaints i l lu st r at ed in the documents, as well as potent i al r et al i at i on by the VA against those that shared their concerns. An employee had alleged he was demoted because he spoke up about potential hazards, Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal declined to immediately release the documents in question to the press. He said he would be willing t o do s o, but would prefer to l et t he Offi c e of the Inspector General review them f i r st .
Blumenthal said the complaints i l lu st r at ed the general st at e of di s r epair and age of the i nfrast r uct ure at the VA hospital, and called f or greater investment t here.
“Our prayers are with the f amilies of the victims of this explosion,” Pamela R. Redmond, with Public Aff ai r s f or the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, said. “Due to an ongo ing investigation, we are unable to comment on t hi s matter.
“We are cooperating fully with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is leading t hi s i nvestigation, and remain committed to ensuring we provide a safe environment for our staff and patients,” Redmond said.
David Cann, director of field ser vices and education with the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents workers at the hospital, said Monday t hat concerns about the f aci l - ity had been raised ahead of the explosion, including whether its maintenance was appropriate and whether management had t he proper c er t i f i c at i ons to appropriately judge the safety of work r equests.
“Those concerns were swept under the r ug,” Cann alleged.
Cann said the union is st r iv i ng t o get the Veterans Aff airs Administrat i on t o c er t i f y t hat the building where the i ncident took place, l i st ed as Building 22 at the hospit al , was s af e for workers t o enter af t er the explos i on.
According to a request f or information sent to the VA by the union, union employees are working out of the f i r st fl oor of the building at t hi s time. The building initially had been closed enti r ely af t er the explosion, according to the request f or information.
The VA has not yet responded, Cann said, prompting the union to file a complaint with the Federal Labor Relations Authority.