A local fire department’s referral after responding to 13 fires at a Clayton, Ohio, auto parts manufacturer over two years led to 10 citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Woodbridge Englewood Inc., which does business as Hematite Inc., was cited for exposing employees to fires and failing to train them on initial-stage fire identification and use of fire extinguishers; a Department of Labor news release said this week.
“Our inspectors found Hematite’s management preferred that workers combat fires with extinguishers, lessening repair costs and production time, rather than allowing sprinklers to activate,” Ken Montgomery, OSHA area director in Cincinnati, said in the release. “This practice endangered workers.”
Hematite creates molten plastic by heating a polyethylene material to create automotive parts, the release said. OSHA discovered that the material ignites easily even by static. Once started, the fires are challenging to control or extinguish.
Hematite's facility had 13 fires between June 2020 and June 2022, the release said. The fires were fought by employees with fire extinguishers until either they put out the flames or the fire sprinkler system activated.
An immediate review of Hematite’s emergency action plans was ordered by OSHA, Montgomery said in the release. The agency also directed the company to review how it stores and handles flammable materials. Training must be incorporated along with protective measures to protect workers and help minimize fires.
