Blumenthal seeks probe amid whistleblower claims at VA facility where 2 workers died in accident – By Susan Haigh (The Associated Press) / Dec 15 2020
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday he’s seeking an investigation by the Veterans’ Administration Office of the Inspector General into alleged unsafe working conditions at the West Haven VA hospital, where two workers were killed last month by the rapid release of hot water vapor during maintenance work on the facility’s steam system.
The Democrat told reporters he recently received 75 pages of documents from two whistleblowers that include “powerful evidence that complaints of unsafe conditions were either disregarded or dismissed,” including more than one complaint raised by one of the men who died in the Nov. 13 accident.
“These whistleblower complaints are so deeply concerning and searing as potential evidence of a failure to respond to legitimate complaints about unsafe work,” Blumenthal said. “I am heartbroken that such unsafe working conditions may have contributed to the explosion that caused the deaths of these two dedicated workers.”
The documents, which have been provided to the inspector general’s office, include complaints made by multiple VA employees and others, Blumenthal said. One email was from VA maintenance worker Euel Sims, a 60-year-old Navy veteran who was killed. Blumenthal said the documents include evidence that Sims raised more than one complaint about safety problems with his superiors.
