OSHA finds chemical manufacturer lacked proper procedures

Employer name: Harcros Chemicals Inc.,
Kansas City, Kansas

Citations issued: April 19, 2016

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

issued 14 serious violations to Harcros Chemicals Inc. after an October 2015 complaint investigation found the manufacturer violated OSHA’s process safety management procedures which contains requirements for the management of hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals.

An investigation by the agency’s Wichita Area Office found the company failed to:

• Maintain adequate drawings and diagrams of pipes and instruments used in the chemical process.
• Develop procedures for safely conducting tasks involved with each step in the process, or to maintain the ongoing integrity of equipment.
• Implement an emergency response plan for the plant and train workers in emergency response procedures.            

Quote: “When highly hazardous chemicals are not properly controlled there is a potential for unintentional release which could result in serious health and safety implications for workers and the neighboring community,” said Judy Freeman, OSHA’s acting area director in Wichita. “Companies like Harcros that manufacture chemicals must thoroughly train workers and monitor procedures used in the process for needed changes.”

Proposed Penalties:  $80,000

View Citations here.

Based in Kansas City, Kansas, Harcros operates 28 branch locations in 19 states. The employee-owned company is both a manufacturer and distributor of chemicals used in a variety of industries including manufacturing, water treatment and oil and gas.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Wichita Area Office at 316-269-6644.