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After an explosion that injured three workers, IVEX Protective Packaging Inc. was hit with 21 safety violations and $128,700 in fines. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the safety violation citations and proposed the fines. According to an OSHA regional news release, in addition to injuring the three employees, the January explosion did significant property damage to IVEX Protective’s Sidney, Ohio polyethylene foam product manufacturing facility.
The cause of the explosion was isobutene gas entering exhaust ductwork associated with the foam extrusion manufacturing process. Once the gas had entered, it was ignited by the regenerative thermal oxidizer, which resulted in the explosion.
Seventeen of the 21 safety violations were related to OSHA’s standards for process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals. All of the violations were serious violations and each was found when OSHA inspected the facility after the explosion. OSHA categorizes a violation as serious if there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
“By disregarding OSHA’s standards for developing safety procedures and training workers on the consequence of a lack of engineering controls or deviation from operating limits, this employer endangered its workers,” said Kim Nelson, OSHA area director in Toledo. “OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job, especially those exposed to hazardous materials, and educating employers about safety and health regulations.”
For 85 years, our firm has been dedicated to protecting workers who have been put in danger by their employers. Whether it is something as sudden as an explosion or something that develops over time such as carpal tunnel syndrome, we will be there every step of the way to guide you through the legal process of holding those at fault accountable and recovering the compensation you and your family needs to move on with your lives.
For more information about workers’ compand Social Security disability benefits and how we can help you if you have been injured on the job, contact our firm today at (614) 221-7548 to schedule a free consultation.
Did You Know?: On average, federal OSHA has one compliance officer for every 59,000 workers.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys