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Chemical manufacturer AB Specialty Silicones LLC has agreed to pay $1.3 million in penalties in connection with a May 2019 explosion and fire at its Waukegan, Illinois, plant that claimed the lives of four workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced October 2. Following OSHA’s investigation, it proposed penalties totaling $1,591,176 for four […]
On December 6, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the deadly explosions and fires at the Didion Milling, Inc., dry corn milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin. The May 2017 explosion fatally injured five employees and seriously injured another 14. The incident destroyed the facility, resulting in over […]
In May, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen of the U.S. District Court in Montana ruled the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) violated the Clean Water Act (CWA) in its use of fire-retardant materials in areas with waterways without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The judge also ruled the USFS can continue to use […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited an Ohio paint and resins manufacturer with two willful and 33 serious safety violations in connection with a fatal April 8 fire and explosion at Yenkin-Majestic Paint and OPC Polymers Corporation in Columbus. The agency proposed penalties totaling $709,960 and placed Yenkin-Majestic in its Severe Violator Enforcement […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is seeking nearly $1.6 million in penalties from an Illinois manufacturer. The agency cited AB Specialty Silicones, LLC, for 12 willful federal safety violations after 4 employees suffered fatal injuries in an explosion and fire at the company’s Waukegan, Illinois, plant on May 3, 2019.
By itself, winter carries a heightened risk of fire, because it involves more of the things that create warmth and light—fireplaces, space heaters, candles, cozy blankets. During the holidays, even more light, heat, and potentially flammable decorations are added to that mix.