A Missoula auto body shop faces $51,100 in fines and nine OSHA violations after an August fire that killed one of its workers and seriously injured another.

“The gravity of the violation is serious. In the past five years, Rick’s Auto Body has had no other violations, Funke added.

Hall was pouring lacquer from a barrel into a smaller container through a funnel when the fumes exploded, a fire marshal’s investigation showed.

The shop didn’t have appropriate grounding or bonding and flammable liquids with a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit were dispensed into containers without the nozzle and container being electrically interconnected, OSHA’s citation and notification of penalty report shows.

The list of proposed citations also includes:

– Serious violation for open-sided floors and/or platforms four feet or more above ground level were not guarded with standing railing and toeboards in the compressor room, subjecting employees to the possibility of being struck by items falling from above.

– Serious violation for exits not being clearly visible and marked with “exit” signs on the north and south sides of the body department.

– Serious violation for the distillation room not having a liquid-tight raised seal or ramp of at least 4 inches in height to prevent potential spills from leaking into other areas.

– Serious violation for improper storage of flammable or combustible liquids in the distillation room. Several flammable liquids were stored in 5 gallon open-top plastic buckets without secondary containment to contain leaks.

– Serious violation for flammable liquids in the distillation room being stored in plastic, 5-gallon buckets with no lids.

– Serious violation for lack of approved water spray systems, deluge systems, approved fire-resistant coatings, insulation or any combination of these in the distillation room.

A Dec. 13 deadline is listed as when violations must be abated in OSHA’s report.

The report does not specify what Rick’s Auto Body must do to come into compliance.

When the compliance officer pointed out problem areas, they were fixed, Booth said.

The report outlines the first OSHA citations the 34-year business has received, and Booth said he is unsure at this time what kind of settlement he will try to reach with OSHA on the citations and the fees.