OSHA Finds Serious Safety Violations at Solvay's New Jersey Chemical Plant

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found three repeat and eight serious safety violations at Solvay Specialty Polymers' chemical facility in West Deptford, New Jersey. As part of the agency's national emphasis program for chemical facilities, OSHA inspected the facility on February 6, 2016, and found multiple violations of federal process safety management regulations, including not developing set written procedures for maintaining process equipment, which resulted in repeat violations.  

In addition, OSHA issued citations for serious violations for the following:

• Having incomplete process safety information for equipment in the process.
• Failing to review operating procedures to comply with current operating practice.
• Failing to inspect and test process equipment.
• Failing to follow established procedures to manage changes to process chemicals, technology, equipment, and/or facilities.
• Failing to respond properly to a compliance audit.

"Our inspectors focused on vinylidene fluoride, a liquified flammable gas manufactured and used at Solvay Specialty Polymers' chemical facility. This gas poses serious safety and health risks to this company's employees, including fire and explosion hazards, frostbite, skin and lung irritation, and liver damage associated with chronic exposures. An effective process safety management program is needed to protect workers and prevent the catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals," said Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's Marlton Area Office.

OSHA has proposed a fine of $115,000 for the violations.

Visit OSHA.gov to learn more.