Lawyers for the firm of White & Stradley say both companies were involved in the installation of the commercial water heater that might have been the cause of the explosion.
Investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board suspect that workers venting a natural gas line into an interior pump room released vapors that led to the explosion. The release of natural gas came as a cluster of contract workers cleaned a 3-inch-diameter gas line being connected to a water heater being installed at the plant.
"I would not characterize this as a matter of human error," said David Stradley, an attorney representing four injured workers who have filed a civil lawsuit in Johnston County Superior Court. "I'd characterize this as a matter of human wrecklessness."
Added to the lawsuit were Energy Systems Analysts and the Jacobs Engineering Group. Also named as defendants were an employee from each company who was overseeing work at the plant.
Stradley said Energy Systems Analysts, a Hickory-based firm, manufactured and help install the water heaters.
Stradley said Jacobs Engineering, which has a local office in Cary, drew the plans for the installation of the water heater and supervised the work.
Stradley alleged that neither firm is licensed in this state to work with gas lines.
Representatives could not be reached from either firm.
Stradley also said they had amended the complaint to include additional allegations of negligence against Southern Industrial Constructors, a contract firm that received permits to install the water heater. Meanwhile, the state Department of Labor said today they're investigating 10 companies who had employees on the site of the plant when the explosion took place.
Department spokesman Neal O'Briant says inspectors are looking at all the companies, including an industrial water heater-maker and a mechanical contractor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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