West, Texaswas devastated on April 17 when an explosion inside a fertilizer plant killed 15 people and injured more than 160 others. Now, 6 months later, word has been released by Sen. Barbara Boxer of Californiathat OSHA has issued 24 citations for serious safety violations which caused the explosion. And the price tag for those violations is $118,000, which is relatively small compared to the multimillion dollar fines normally associated with offenses of this magnitude, but still not a fine most companies can easily absorb.

All 24 violations were classified as serious, and 8 of them related to the stockpile of solid ammonium nitrate fertilizer which started the explosion. There were citations for inadequate ventilation in the storage facility, improper fire walls which weren’t fire resistant, improper wooden storage bins, storage piles which were too high, a floor pit which allowed melted ammonium nitrate to collect, and a lack of fire hydrants or other water supplies.

In addition, there were citations for improper emergency planning and for improper storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia.

Hopefully, this news will help prevent another tragedy such as the one seen in West, Texas. If your facility utilizes any kind of flammable or toxic substance, and you have not recently reviewed your safety plan as it relates to these items, please do so. And if you are not confident in your plans, contact a professional auditor to perform a full third party safety audit.

If you have any questions about how these violations might pertain to your business, or if you would like to schedule a third party safety audit, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the violations filed against West Fertilizer Co., please leave a comment.