A chemical manufacturer based in Kansas City, Kansas received 14
serious citations after a November 2015 inspection from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). All of these violations issued to Hacros Chemicals, Inc. fell under the category of “serious” violations, meaning that the hazards in place could have caused death or serious physical injury and/or harm.
In total, these violations added to $80,000 in proposed fines. Some of the citations focused on Hacros Chemicals’ failure to consult employees while creating their process hazard analysis and safety management plan, an oversight that inadvertently led employees to be exposed to very flammable vapors in their work atmosphere.
The company also did not create a safe environment for containing hazards or ensure proper monitoring safety at their Ethylene Oxide plant. They did not keep drawings of the pipes and instruments used in the chemical processing, establish written operational guidelines for normal and emergency maintenance, or train employees properly on how to maintain the plant and follow company safety guidelines.
The company neglected to check the health and safety process records of contractor options when choosing a contractor, which could have opened their workers to the possibility of harm if an unreliable option had been chosen.
Faced with the high associated fines, Hacros Chemicals has 15 business days to either correct the violations and pay OSHA for their citations or contest those citations. If they decide that neither option is viable, they may request to speak with an area OSHA representative.
“When highly hazardous chemicals are not properly controlled there is a potential for unintentional release which could result in serious health and safety implications for workers and the neighboring community,” said Judy Freeman, OSHA’s acting area director in Wichita. “Companies like Harcros that manufacture chemicals must thoroughly train workers and monitor procedures used in the process for needed changes.”
