The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Formosa Plastics Corp. USA with 16 alleged safety and health violations at its Delaware City site. A March investigation was a follow-up to two inspections opened in October 2009. Proposed penalties total $148,700.
Two repeat violations, with $66,000 in penalties, involve a failure to perform process equipment inspections and tests, inspect critical valves and ensure that PVC dust did not build up on surfaces and the floor of a bagging area. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The same violation was cited following a separate investigation in March 2010.
Serious iolations include electrical hazards, a deficient process safety management program, incomplete emergency shutdown procedures, no machine guarding, a lack of training for workers participating in emergency response and failing to periodically evaluate contractor performance. The serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer know or should have known. The citations carry $82,700 in penalties, according to an agency release.
Formosa Plastics Corp. USA, headquartered in Livingston, N.J., employs 107 workers at its Delaware City site.The plant produces PVC resins. Homopolymer, copolymer, micro-dispersion and blending resins are manufactured with feedstock materials shipped from the company’s Louisiana facility. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties.
