Global ink manufacturer fined £85,000 after flash fire
29 July 2024
Global ink and coatings manufacturer Wikoff Color Corp. has been fined $110,000 (£85,000) after a US Department of Labor investigation found it could have prevented an employee from suffering burn injuries following a flash fire at its plant in Lisbon, Wisconsin.
An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined a flash fire sparked in an industrial mixing vessel containing flammable liquids and vapours as the employee manually added combustible powder ingredients. Inspectors found the flames exited the vessel's charging port and caused the employee to sustain first-and second-degree burns in January 2024.
"A worker suffered severe and painful injuries needlessly because Wikoff Color Corp. did not follow federal safety and health regulations designed to protect workers when handling highly hazardous chemicals," explained OSHA Area Director Dustin Schnipke in Milwaukee. "This company has been in business far too long to expose employees to hazards that can be reduced by using proper procedures and training employees to ensure safe working conditions for all."
OSHA investigators cited Wikoff Color Corp. for multiple violations of Process Safety Management requirements related to the safe handling of highly hazardous chemicals, including flammable liquids. They also found the company failed to provide employees with effective training on the hazards of flammable liquids and combustible dust and exposed workers to fall hazards. The investigation identified 12 serious violations, leading the agency to assess $183,207 in proposed penalties.
The company had an informal conference with OSHA's area director and agreed to abate the 12 violations and pay $110,000 in penalties.
Founded in 1956 in Fort Mill, South Carolina, Wikoff Color Corp. is an ink and coatings manufacturer for commercial printing applications operating facilities at 23 locations in 18 states and others in Brazil, Canada and the UK, working with distributors in Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Venezuela. The Lisbon facility opened in December 2021.
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