Connecticut Coatings Manufacturer Cited for Chemical Hazards
HARTFORD, CT – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited StanChem Inc. for 13 serious violations of workplace safety standards at its East Berlin, CT, manufacturing plant. The manufacturer of specialty coatings and polymers faces a total of $55,300 in proposed fines following an inspection by OSHA's Hartford area office.
Under OSHA's process safety management standard, employers are required to develop, implement and update process safety management programs with regards to hazardous chemicals at their facilities. OSHA's inspection of StanChem found several deficiencies in the plant's process safety management program to identify, address and eliminate hazards associated with processes using, storing, manufacturing, handling or moving of large amounts of hazardous chemicals onsite. In this case, the hazardous chemical is vinyl acetate, which is used in large amounts at the company's plant.