Illinois Company Fined $510K Following Fatal Explosion

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited NDK Crystals Inc. in Belvedere, Ill., with fines of $510,000 for alleged egregious willful and serious violations of federal workplace safety standards following an explosion at the company’s crystal manufacturing building that took the life of a truck driver parked at a nearby service station.

Workers at this facility were exposed to hazards that created a dangerous environment, according to OSHA.

Following an investigation, OSHA cited NDK Crystals with seven willful and five serious violations. The willful violations, one for each of seven individual high pressure vessels, involved the company’s continued operation of these high quality quartz production vessels even though it knew the vessels were susceptible to explosion and catastrophic failure as a result of defective design and fabrication.

The serious violations include failing to evaluate the building for a catastrophic event; failing to have an emergency evacuation program; failing to implement a hazard communication program; and a lack of personal protective equipment assessment and training certification.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA