Waukegan company facing $1.6 million in OSHA fines for explosion that killed 4
AB Specialty Silicones LLC is facing a fine of nearly $1.6 million from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which alleges safety violations that might have contributed to the Waukegan plant explosion which killed four employees earlier this year.
OSHA officials found 12 willful violations, including failing to keep electrical equipment and installations up to code and using forklifts powered by liquid propane to transport volatile flammable liquids. The company faces $1.591 million in penalties, according to an OSHA news release issued Friday.
An AB Specialty Silicones officials did not return requests for comment from the Daily Herald. A company official gave a statement to the Chicago Tribune that acknowledged the company was reviewing OSHA's fines and will continue working with the agency.
"It is important to recognize the scope of the OSHA report goes beyond the elements that contributed to the tragic explosion," the statement from AB Specialty Silicones said. "Our internal investigation, as well as the fire marshal's report, confirmed the incident was in fact an accident, and there was no willful intent involved."
The explosion happened May 3 at a plant near Sunset and Northwestern avenues on the border between Gurnee and Waukegan. The blast caused an estimated $1 million in damage and could be felt as far away as Buffalo Grove. Investigators later concluded there were nine employees in the building at the time and an evacuation was underway when the explosion happened.
Employees Jeff Cummings, 57, of Kenosha, Wisconsin; Byron H. Biehn, 53, of Brighton Township, Wisconsin; Daniel Nicklas, 24, of Beach Park; and Allen Stevens, 29, of Salem, Wisconsin, were killed.
"By ignoring safety and health requirements, this employer created an unsafe work environment with deadly consequences," said Loren Sweatt, a principal deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.
AB Specialty Silicones makes specialty silicone chemical raw materials for products such as adhesives, sealants and coatings.
According to the news release, the company has 15 business days to comply with OSHA standards, to request a meeting with OSHA, or to contest the findings before an independent commission.