OSHA Fines Company After Chemical Leak
Dover Chemical is facing $545,000 in penalties after a chemical leak evacuated their Ohio plant and narrowly missed sickening numerous workers. The fine is one of the largest ordered by OSHA this year and serves as notice to companies when dealing with hazardous chemicals.
According to OSHA’s website, the Dover Chemical Co. was fined for 47 health and safety violations. The citations designate the company as a “Severe Violator”, meaning OSHA will be conducting more inspections than usual.
While no injuries were reported after the chemical release, there very well could have been and everyone is fortunate that the chemicals didn’t cause greater harm.
OSHA found that the company disregarded their “common-sense” regulations and “endangered the health and safety of the facility’s workers.”
The plant employs nearly 200 workers and makes chlorinated paraffin for use in flame-resistant products. The chemicals used in the facility are toxic and dangerous. What caused the release of these dangerous chemicals was an “overheating incident,” where a phosphate reactor vented steam and smoke, prompting the evacuation of the plant and the closing of a nearby highway.
Chemical leaks like this one have the potential to be deadly and to affect not only the workers at the plant or job site, but those who live and work around the facility as well.
As a construction worker, you often come in contact with hazardous chemicals. Whether you are welding on new construction or if you are working on an existing chemical plant, the risks are very real. One miscalculation could be disastrous.
It’s in these high-risk jobs that safety takes a front seat and everyone plays a role in ensuring the rules are followed and precautions are taken to prevent such accidents from happening. When someone fails to hold up their end of things, everyone is at risk.
Chemical burns, inhalations, and more can all result in lengthy hospital stays and permanent damage. And when these injuries can be directly attributed to someone’s negligence, it can add insult to injury.
The bottom line is, your company has a responsibility to you and your family—to send you home safely at the end of the day. When this doesn’t happen, they can be held responsible.
If you are injured in a chemical accident or another construction accident in New York or New Jersey, the attorneys with Ginarte may be able to help. Call today to discuss your legal options.
