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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

OSHA Press Release: OSHA To Consider Expanding List of Hazardous Chemicals; Agency Will Reopen Rulemaking on Process Safety Management [08/08/1996]

For more information call: (202) 219-8151

Action is in Response to Explosion Resulting in Deaths of Five Workers

An investigation of a New Jersey plant fire that killed five workers has promoted the federal government to launch a thorough review of chemicals that can pose a serious risk to U.S. workers, the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today.

"In reopening the process safety management standard, OSHA will take a hard look at adding reactive chemicals to its list of hazardous chemicals," Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Joseph A. Dear said. "We're taking this action today to ensure that other U.S. workers will be protected from the same kind of tragic accident that resulted in the death of these five workers."

OSHA's action follows its analysis of an April 1995 explosion at Napp Technologies in Lodi, N.J.

Napp Technologies manufactured pharmaceuticals and performed custom blending of chemicals for other companies. The explosion, which destroyed the facility, occurred while the firm was blending sodium hydrosulfite, aluminum powder, potassium carbonate and benzaldehyde for another company. None of these chemicals are on the list of highly hazardous chemicals covered by the OSHA process safety standard, but employers need to analyze materials being mixed for any possible chemical hazards or incompatibilities. Mixing larger quantities of chemicals may pose hazards that are not present in smaller quantities. Also, mechanical equipment used in mixing must be thoroughly checked.

Expanding OSHA's list of hazardous chemicals would bring it into harmony with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list, required by the Risk Management Rule, which implements 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Dear also said that OSHA is considering possible means to address requirements under its hazardous waste and emergency response standard regarding the circumstances under which employers facing emergency conditions must contact local fire or other appropriate emergency authorities. OSHA received a request from several union petitioners urging the agency to pursue these actions.

NAPP Technologies has agreed to pay OSHA $101,600 in penalties for citations from OSHA's investigation of the April 21, 1995 chemical explosion and fire that killed five workers. The incident also injured eight workers and forced the evacuation of 400 community residents. OSHA issued citations to Napp Technologies for one willful and 12 alleged serious violations on Oct. 18, 1995, and proposed penalties totaling $127,000. Today's settlement agreement changes the willful violation against Napp Technologies to an unclassified violation. However, NAPP has agreed, should it rebuild, to institute the following safety measures:

• conduct a comprehensive review of all operations to ensure compliance with applicable workers safety and health standards;
• engage an independent safety and health professional to conduct periodic comprehensive safety and health audits and develop action plans to abate all hazards found;
• contract with a qualified safety professional to train Napp Safety Council members (including supervisory, technical and employee representatives) to perform their duties effectively;
• review all facility processes to identify those that should undergo a more detailed process hazard analysis; and
• designate a responsible management official as a safety director, whose primary responsibility will be to oversee Napp's safety and health program, worker health and safety issues and compliance with applicable health and safety standards.

On July 3, OSHA sent a hazard information bulletin to its compliance officers describing the Napp Technologies explosion and fire. The document recommends that employers conduct process safety analyses for all materials with catastrophic potential, even if the chemicals are not covered by the process safety standard. The hazard information bulletin is available on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov under Other OSHA Documents, Hazard Information Bulletin.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.