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Experts Detail Safety Lapses in Oxford Center Blast as Preliminary Hearing Continues

A safety expert told the court the facility was not following industry standards on grounding patients.

Overview

  • CEO Tamela Peterson, safety director Jeff Mosteller and manager Gary Marken face second-degree murder counts, while operator Aleta Moffitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying a medical record.
  • Mayo Clinic hyperbaric safety director Andrew Melnyczenko testified the center failed to use grounding straps and said it appeared Thomas Cooper was not grounded when the fire started.
  • Sechrist Industries safety director Majid Mashayekh told the court the chamber’s manual makes patient grounding a major requirement to eliminate static-electricity risks.
  • The court heard discussion that the chamber may have reached its product life expectancy, with unresolved questions about a technician’s service work or a possible sale before the incident.
  • The preliminary examination resumed Monday and is set to continue Tuesday in the case over the January explosion that killed the 5-year-old and injured his mother.