Inspection at the Proshyan Brandy Factory Led to Fines, Says Araze Papikyan

A recent explosion occurred at the Proshyan Brandy Factory in Armavir village, resulting in two fatalities and four injuries. Preliminary reports suggest that the explosion was caused by welding work being performed on an outdoor wine cistern.

Araze Papikyan, Deputy Head of the Inspection Body for Urban Development, Technical and Fire Safety, informed ArmDaily.am that the last inspection at the Proshyan Brandy Factory took place in the autumn of 2019. “Violations were recorded, fines were imposed based on those violations, and a mandate was issued; failure to comply with the mandate resulted in further fines,” he noted.

After a second mandate is issued, deadlines are set, and upon their expiration, the inspection body conducts a recheck to determine whether the requirements of the mandate have been met.

Commenting on the explosion, Papikyan indicated that it was likely caused by violations of safety protocols, as preliminary information indicates that the explosion stemmed from welding work. “Inspectors and specialists from our territorial division are already on site, conducting an investigation, and I assume a criminal case has already been initiated,” he added.

Addressing the concern regarding an official statement published by the inspection body on October 31, 2019, which mentioned that 11 units of AVOs operated in the factory had not passed the annual technical safety examination and lacked positive operational conclusions, Papikyan stated, “In such cases, mandates are issued, and deadlines are provided for the elimination of violations. Upon expiration, a reinspection is conducted; if the requirements of the mandate are not followed, a directive for suspension of operations is given. A reinspection has not yet been conducted, meaning that the deadlines for the mandate have not yet elapsed.”

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