The Occupational Safety and Health Administration last month cited Dover Chemical for 47 health and safety violations and proposed $545,000 in fines related to an unexpected May 2012 chemical release that temporarily shutdown the companys Dover, Ohio, plant and an adjacent highway.
In May, Dover stated that one of its phosphite reactors overheated, resulting in a reactor chamber venting smoke and steam, but was eventually contained. No injuries, explosions, fires or liquid spills occurred, Dover said. The facility was evacuated for several hours, and the highway was closed while the situation was under investigation. Lubricant additive products were not affected.
The OSHA investigation focused on standards for process safety management, which apply to facilities that use highly hazardous chemicals.
The release of materials resulted from a breach of a polyvinyl chloride piping system, according to OSHA. Due to the nature of the hazards and the four willful violations cited, the agency said it has placed Dover Chemical on its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. Examples of the willful violations included failing to correct deficiencies found in compliance audits and having process safety information that doesnt detail construction materials used for piping and piping system components.
While Im grateful that nobody was injured from the incident, Im alarmed by the egregious nature of the violations we uncovered during our inspection, said David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.
In a Nov. 26 news release, Dover said it fully cooperated with OSHA during the recent inspection and will continue to do so, noting it produced hundreds of documents concerning its safety programs, processes and components. The company pointed out the OSHAs citations didnt find that Dovers employees or the surrounding community face imminent risk of injury, and that OSHA didnt request any emergency measures. Dover has requested an informal meeting with OSHA representatives to discuss the citations received Nov. 26, and has 15 days from that date to contest some or all of them.
In a press release, the company said it will address the citations. Dover has been conducting internal safety audits and working with outside experts for several years to insure that the processes conducted at its facilities are safe, Dover said. Prior to receiving these citations, Dover had already resolved many action items identified during its most recently safety inspections, has already abated some items contained in the citations, and is in the process of addressing other safety-related issues.
Through a spokesperson, Dover declined to comment beyond its news release.
The Dover, Ohio, facility employs about 175 workers and processes chlorinated paraffins, which are used in cutting fluids to provide extreme pressure protection. It also produces additives for flame-resistant products and for a variety of industries. OSHA said it has inspected the facility four other times since 2007, resulting in earlier citations for four violations.
Dover Chemical is a subsidiary of New York-based chemical maker ICC Industries Inc.