DuPont Fined by OSHA for Toxic Exposure of Employees at New Jersey Plant

Earlier this month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a News Release announcing a citation against E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (DuPont) for a chemical leak last May at its facility in Deepwater, New Jersey. The accident put employees at risk of toxic exposure, severe burns, respiratory ailments and reproductive health issues when hazardous chemicals leaked out of a tanker truck at the company’s Chamber Works plant.

OSHA cited the company for 11 different safety and health violations related to the release. These citations include eight serious violations of the agency’s process safety management standard, meaning that the employer either knew or should have known that there was a substantial probability of serious personal injury or wrongful death. The citation and notification of penalty can be viewed and downloaded here.

In addition to the serious violations noted above, OSHA also found that the company repeatedly failed to perform proper inspections and tests on equipment used in the chemical process based on problems inspectors uncovered there. DuPont has been cited at other plants around the country for injuries and death resulting from toxic exposures such as the New Jersey chemical leak, which allows OSHA to issue these current citations as “repeat violations.”

The government watchdog agency is proposing that DuPont pay $120,300 in fines. DuPont has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalty to either comply, meet with an OSHA area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. If the citation or proposed penalty is not contested within the given timeframe, it becomes final and not subject to review by any court or agency.