SV Labs Prescott Corp.

OSHA proposed penalties totaling $275,694. The employer has contested the citations before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The case involves significant chemical safety failures in a manufacturing environment handling flammable materials and nitrocellulose, a highly combustible substance used in beauty products.

The U.S. Department of Labor cited SV Labs Prescott Corp., a Wisconsin beauty and personal care products manufacturer, after a 55-gallon fiber drum containing nitrocellulose exploded and started a secondary fire involving flammable liquids. OSHA proposed penalties of $275,694 for multiple safety violations following the explosion incident.

OSHA investigators determined the employer did not have a thorough new hire safety and health program in place and failed to provide newly hired employees with chemical and respiratory protection training, respirator fit testing, and medical evaluations. The company was cited for two repeat violations related to respiratory protection and hazard communication, and 10 serious violations related to flammable liquids, fire extinguisher training and inspections, forklift training and inspections, electrical hazards, and hazard communications. Additionally, the employer received six other-than-serious citations for recordkeeping violations, lack of powered industrial truck training, and unsafe material handling.