A polyethylene foam product manufacturing facility has been cited by OSHA with 21 safety violations carrying fines of $128,700. OSHA’s January inspection followed an explosion that resulted in the injury of three workers and significant property damage. The explosion occurred when isobutane gas entered exhaust ductwork associated with the foam extrusion manufacturing process, and it was ignited by the regenerative thermal oxidizer. When OSHA inspected the facility, it found multiple violations of OSHA’s standards for process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals. Seventeen serious violations related to PSM and four additional serious violations for machine guarding, LOTO, and not providing FRC for workers exposed to fire/explosion hazards. Here is a breakdown of the citations: