Iraq Contractor KBR Employed Underqualified Workers

WASHINGTON — KBR Inc. used employees with little electrical expertise to supervise subcontractors in Iraq and hired foreigners who couldn't speak English, former KBR electricians told a Senate panel investigating electrocutions of 13 Americans.

Experienced electricians who raised concerns about shoddy work and its possible hazards were often dismissed and told, "This is a war zone," the electricians said Friday.

"Time and again we heard, `This is not the states, OSHA doesn't apply here. If you don't like it you can go home,'" said Debbie Crawford, a journeyman electrician with 30 years experience.

Crawford and Jefferey Bliss, also a former KBR electrician, testified in the 17th hearing held by the Democratic Policy Committee, which has been examining waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq and the performance of the country's war contractors. Both Democrats and Republicans attended the hearing.

The Pentagon has said 13 Americans have been electrocuted in Iraq since September 2003. It has ordered Houston-based KBR to inspect all the facilities it maintains in Iraq for electrical hazards.

But Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who chaired the panel, questioned whether KBR could police its own work.

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And Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., said, "I am angered that the department (of defense) appears to lack the urgency and outrage that all of us in this room share today."

In an e-mailed statement, KBR said its investigation so far has not turned up evidence of a link between its work and the electrocutions. "We continue to conduct technical inspections on all facilities serviced by KBR throughout Iraq to ensure safe and proper operations for those we serve," spokeswoman Heather Browne said in the statement.

The mothers of two soldiers who were electrocuted also testified about the deaths of their sons, Staff Sgt. Christopher Lee Everett and Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth of Pittsburgh.

Everett, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, was electrocuted in September 2005, while using a power washer to clean sand from beneath a Humvee. Maseth, an Army Ranger and Green Beret, was electrocuted in January 2008 while taking a shower in his Army barracks in Baghdad.

"I plead with you to do something to bring an end to this unnecessary cause of death to our soldiers," said Larraine McGee of Huntsville, Texas. "They should not have to worry about stepping into a shower or using a power washer in the safety of an established base."

Bliss told the panel "carelessness and disregard for quality of work at KBR was pervasive."

Electricians were not given the tools needed to do their jobs. Additionally, KBR hired foreigners who were not familiar with U.S. electrical standards and who didn't speak English.

"I was surprised to discover how many KBR electricians did not have the right experience and training," Bliss said.

The soldiers' mothers said KBR and the Army knew of the electrical problems before their sons' deaths. KBR had inspected Maseth's housing 11 months before he died. The inspector noted that the main circuit panel, the secondary feeder panel and the water tank were not grounded, said Cheryl Harris, his mother.

Grounding reduces the risk of electrocution. Maseth's family has sued KBR.

McGee said she had been told by the Army that her son's death was unique. An Army report blamed his death on an improperly grounded generator that powered the power washer. McGee said she was told Everett's death led to all generators in Iraq being properly grounded.

But in April, she learned from a reporter the Army had issued a report on soldiers' electrocutions calling them the "unexpected killer." The report urged the Army to ensure contractors properly grounded electrical systems.

"All this time, I thought Chris' accident was an isolated incident," she said. "My son should not have died. Ryan Maseth should have never died. Proper grounding is a basic safety requirement. The problem was known about long before Chris' death."

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodland, released letters they've sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on the electrocutions. Brady urged the Pentagon release all information on the deaths to congressional committees and spell out steps its taken to prevent other deaths.

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On the Net:

Democratic Policy Committee: http://dpc.senate.gov/

Comments

[MsSparky]

I had the privilege of meeting Cheryl Harris and Larraine McGee in DC during the hearings. I am sincerely devastated with the unnecessary deaths of out Soldiers and civilians. I will do everything I can to keep this in the spot light.

The news media did a good job of covering the story, but so much pertinent testimony was left out. I have posted the testimony if each witness on my website. I want to make sure the truth gets out there and stays out there.

Thank you for a great article.

Debbie Crawford (aka Ms Sparky)
www.mssparky.com

[Harrier]

It goes way beyond this. When I was there KBR would deliberately not travel with spare tires so they could buy new vehicles so they could charge more and get more profits. There is no question KBR is running like they know that they are never going to lose their contracts and doing everything to take advantage of the US tax payers

[SirReal1]

I personally find it appalling and absurd that THIS STORY continues to get such little coverage and comment in the MSM AND on HuffPo!

This story goes RIGHT TO THE HEART of some major POLITICAL DIFFERENCES between the parties, and SHOULD be a major issue for PROGRESSIVE Democratic candidates.

Anyone who has read any of my comments in the past knows that I am a declared Independent, but that I also am adamantly ANTI-REPUBLICAN and ANTI-DLC (Republican Lite).

Here's why!

I served 20 years in the U.S. Army. During my time in service I was a radio-operator, a COMSEC Custodian, a Technical Control Facility NCO, and a Communications Equipment INSTALLER (amongst several other hats that I wore).

As an Installer Team Chief, assigned to THE Installation Battalion for the Army (a unit that IS STILL in operation, but with a significantly diminished role) I was responsible for the installation of several communications systems at various locations world-wide. This unit, comprised of personnel stationed at both Ft. Huachuca, AZ, and Ft. Belvoir, MD, was, for many DECADES, the unit responsible for installing POWER, communications equipment, communications cabling, and all associated mounting racks, and framework, FOR THE ENTIRE U.S. Army!

(cont)

[SirReal1]

I was assigned to the unit in 1994, and, sadly, was a member of the unit when the decision came down to implement ONE of the many PRIVATIZATION initiatives of the Reagan/Bush (I) era, namely, the decision to PRIVATIZE the installation of communications equipment throughout the Army, which was to result in the demise of the Installation Battalion.

The closure of the unit didn't happen for several reasons.

One reason was the HUGE NUMBER of reports submitted by myself, and several other Team Chiefs, and Inspectors from our unit in the early days of "contractor work" that we witnessed. You could walk into a facility, with NO TRAINING WHAT-SO-EVER and immediately see the difference in the QUALITY of the work performed by contractors (like Siemans, KBR, and others) and the work that had been done by Army Installers. On one job, my team was tasked to provide installation of all "in-house" cabling for a brand-new facility, while Siemans was to provide all installation coming in to the facility. The two parts met at a "frame" (a central interface point in communications facilities for routing "external" circuits to "internal" circuits), and when my personnel were preparing to "connect" to the frame (which had been installed and wired by Siemans Contractors), WE WERE SHOCKED!

[SirReal1]

In 1997 the transition to "contractor" installation was nearly finalized, the installer battalion were still doing some installation work in certain locations (partially due to the difficulty and expense of finding installers with Security Clearances that some Corporations were having), but much of the work was being done by Contract. I was assigned to Saudi, where I was to work as an "Army Supervisor" in a "Contract Technical Control / Satellite Communications Facility". The installation work had been done by Contractors. My first day in my "Brand New Facility" as one of the contract workers was showing me around, I put my hand on a mounting rack full of Receiver / Transmitters, and got a jolt. The entire facility had grounding problems, wiring problems, and after I conducted a full inspection and called in inspectors for Communications Security we found that it also had problems there (meaning that our communications were subject to reception by people we didn't want to have access to them, this is called TEMPEST).

Much of the work in this facility (which was on a Saudi Airbase), had been done by contract workers from Saudi firms, which hired "Foreign Nationals" (FN's) to actually perform the work.

[egal]

Umm...duh. With qualified personnel, you don't get a building where the water in the shower's cold or scalding and the toilet's boiling, where all at once the second floor has numerous electrical fires because of too high electrical output and the third floor has half its receptacles working and TV images half striped and half black and white or half on and half off.

This is normal...and reported...and constant, and there have been similar problems all along with those doing water, construction, demolition, repairs, and just about every other function unnecessarily and foolishly handed over to unqualified foreigners (not they're fault, they just want a steady job and have no training whatsoever, nor need it, apparently) through contractors who don't care.

Obviously supporting the troops doesn't require doing the best to ensure they have proper equipment, food, housing, sleep, training, recovery periods, medical care, other assistance, or anything else. They're just resources being abused in the name of security but really for no reason other than to make the abusers filthy rich.

[Smirk]

Another sterling example of corporate patriotism. Yep. Gotta make sure McCain gets elected so we can waste more lives and money in service to GOP cronies.