DUPONT WORKERS MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO TOXIC GAS FOR YEARS

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

HOUSTON (AP) -- State records indicate that employees at a Houston-area pesticide plant where a poisonous gas leak killed four workers in November may have been periodically exposed to the dangerous fumes for years.

The Houston Chronicle ( http://bit.ly/1DCumOm ) found that DuPont reported exhaust and ventilation system malfunctions at the La Porte plant to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2009 and 2010, but that neither the company nor the state regulator alerted the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Pipes and vents at the DuPont plant at La Porte have become clogged over the years, and as many as 3 pounds of methyl mercaptan leaks out in an hour during line-clearing activities, according to the reports filed with the commission and obtained by the newspaper.

Based on state records and the company's own disclosures, the newspaper concluded that workers could have been exposed to the gas far above the levels deemed acceptable by OHSA since 2008. As much as 600 parts per million of the gas an hour could have filled a poorly ventilated room, but federal guidelines say workers shouldn't be exposed to more than an average of 10 ppm per day of the gas, which used to manufacture insecticide and fungicide.

FULL story at link.



FILE - This undated file photo shows a sign at a DuPont facility in La Porte, Texas. Records show that employees at the Houston-area pesticide plant where a poisonous gas killed four workers in November 2014, may have been exposed to the dangerous fumes for years. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Marie D. De Jesus, File)

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHEMICAL_LEAK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-01-13-08-09-15

[Dustlawyer]

1. The ventilation system on the roof had been disassembled and the safety people at the plant never

even went into the unit! They just didn't care about safety, just getting more product out! They lost respect for the danger!

[Hari Seldon]

2. DuPont Workplace Safety Consulting

http://www.dupont.com/industries/safety-protection/workplace-safety-consulting.html


DuPont Workplace Safety Consulting

Our experts help protect your organization’s people and your assets by applying DuPont’s best practices, developed from our own world-class safety processes, and our experience gained through consulting with clients around the world.

Through our consulting division, DuPont Sustainable Solutions, we offer customized solutions and training programs to help transform employee, process and contractor safety performance.

The costs of major incidents go beyond the hard dollars to the core of a company’s reputation and right to operate. Through management systems, operational discipline and empowered employees, we can help you identify and control risks. Our customized solutions can help improve workplace safety, develop employee skills, and minimize risk. Significant savings add up as injuries, lost time and secondary costs go down.

DuPont is a world-class safety leader and was the recipient of the prestigious National Safety Council Robert W. Campbell Award in 2013. Since 1973, DuPont has tailored our best practices and real-world experience to benefit organizations like yours. We have provided workplace safety training to over three million people worldwide, helping our clients meet and exceed regulatory standards.

[ctsnowman]

3. lol thanks for the post.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Exhibit A in the coming lawsuit.

Wonder if there is any record of high death or disease rate among workers?