A manufacturer and distributor of specialty silicone chemicals will pay $1.3 million in penalties after an explosion and fire at its Waukegan plant in May 2019 claimed the lives of four (4) workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached a settlement agreement with the company after an investigation revealed the facility failed to ensure electrical equipment complied with OSHA standards. The company also used propane-powered forklifts to transport flammable liquids in areas where employees handled flammable liquids and gases.
As part of the agreement, the company has temporarily ceased production and use of silicon-hydride emulsions at all facilities until a new process area for production is designed by an engineering firm.