New Jersey Authority Cites DuPont Unit for 11 Violations

An investigation conducted by the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found 11 safety and health violations at DuPont's Chambers Works in the state of New Jersey.

The DuPont unit has 15 business days from the receipt of the citations to comply, meet informally with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the authority' independent review commission.

OSHA said its investigation came in response to a complaint filed after hazardous chemicals leaked out of a tanker truck in May of this year, exposing workers of the DuPont facility to health risks.

Penalties proposed for the violations could total $120,300.

"The chemicals used at the plant are corrosive and volatile," said OSHA's Area Office in Marlton, New Jersey. "Releasing toxic, reactive or flammable liquid can cause serious injury and death. It's vital that DuPont recognize these hazards and take the steps necessary to prevent situations like this tanker truck leak," an area director said.

The Chambers Works manufactures intermediates for the automotive and agricultural industries and also produces starting materials for DuPont's aramid fibers Kevlar and Nomex.

OSHA cited the DuPont unit for eight serious violations, which means the authority sees "substantial probability" that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. In addition to these violations, the New Jersey facility allegedly failed to perform an analysis addressing hazards related to the storage and transport of chemicals.

According to the US authority, DuPont also did not perform inspections and tests on the equipment used in chemical processes, resulting in two repeat violations.

Four workers employed by the US chemical giant were killed and one was injured on Nov. 15 during a leak of methyl mercaptan at its agrochemicals production facility in La Porte, Texas.