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RedHook Brewery Faces $63,000 In Fines In Keg Explosion Death

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (CBS/AP) - The owner of the Redhook brewery is facing more than $63,000 in fines after an employee was killed in a keg explosion earlier this year.

Back in April, 26-year-old Ben Harris was using pressurized air to empty a plastic keg at the brewery when it blew apart. The keg belonged to another brewery, the company has said, and Harris was cleaning it out to send it back.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found Redhook's keg-washing equipment was operating at a pressure that exceeded the maximum threshold recommended by the manufacturer of the plastic keg.

The parent company of Redhook, Craft Brew Alliance told Foster's Daily Democrat that it did not willfully violate workplace safety standards. It said issues raised in OSHA's citations have already been addressed.

Craft Brew Alliance said the keg was mistakenly delivered to Redhook and that Redhook hadn't worked with plastic kegs before.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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