Long Island Gas Blasts Caused $3M Damage, Due to Worker Error

A state regulatory agency says a National Grid worker didn’t follow safety regulations before two separate natural gas explosions on Long Island.

Two dozen people were treated or hospitalized following the explosions.

One occurred at a vacant Brentwood home in 2011.

The New York State Public Service Commission found that a required locking device was not placed on a gas valve leading into the home. It says the employee also didn’t inspect or test a service regulator that had been installed earlier.

The other explosion occurred at a Central Islip condominium in 2012. The agency found the employee didn’t follow company procedures for four required tasks there, causing more than $3 million in property damage.

The worker wasn’t named.

The National Grid says it’s taking the agency’s finding very seriously.