OSHA cites Honeywell Electronic Chemicals for multiple process safety management violations in Mansfield, Texas

MANSFIELD, Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Honeywell Electronic Chemicals LLC with 10 serious safety and health violations at the company’s facility in Mansfield. Proposed penalties total $53,000.

OSHA’s Fort Worth Area Office personnel opened an investigation at the company’s facility at U.S. Highway 287 North as a part of the agency’s national emphasis program on process safety management, known as PSM, for covered chemical facilities. Employees were found to be exposed to catastrophic releases of highly hazardous chemicals while conducting operations at the plant.

“This company jeopardized the safety of its employees by failing to implement OSHA’s process safety management regulations effectively,” said Jack Rector, OSHA’s area director in Fort Worth, Texas. “OSHA requires employers to provide safe and healthful working conditions to prevent accidents and illnesses.”

Six serious violations all relate to PSM, and include failing to ensure process equipment complies with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices; ensure standard operating procedures were annually certified; conduct an incident investigation within 48 hours and ensure piping and instrumentation diagrams were up-to-date.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23379