OSHA today disclosed it has cited Mississippi Phosphates Corp. (MPC) with 40 safety and health violations in connection with the deaths of two workers in separate incidents at the company’s Pascagoula, Miss., facilities. The 40 citations carry a proposed fine of $165,900.
MPC responded that the company is undertaking a comprehensive review of OSHA’s report and will expeditiously address OSHA’s recommendations for improving the safety of its workplace. “Following the accidents, MPC voluntarily shut down its facility for more than two weeks, closely examining – and improving wherever possible – its safety and training procedures,” stated Richard Johnson, MPC vice president of operations. “While the OSHA inspectors were on site, recommendations were made and MPC diligently addressed them in a timely manner. MPC has completed the vast majority of the items noted during the inspection and has a plan to complete them all.”
An operator died on May 22 attempting to start up a steam turbine in sulfuric acid plant No. 2 when he was struck by flying metal debris from a turbine housing rupture believed caused by over pressurization. In a similar accident on June 1 another operator restarting a tipped steam turbine in sulfuric acid plant No. 3 was killed by flying metal debris.