US DOL's OSHA Cites Great Lakes Chemical In El Dorado, AR For Exposing Workers To Bromine Hazards

El Dorado, AR (WorkersCompensation.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited West Lafayette, Ind.
-based Great Lakes Chemical Corp. with 18 serious safety violations at the company's El Dorado facility for exposing workers to the unexpected release of
bromine. OSHA's Little Rock Area Office initiated an inspection in December under the agency's Process Safety Management Covered Chemical Facilities
National Emphasis Program, which is designed to reduce or eliminate workplace hazards associated with the catastrophic release of highly hazardous
chemicals. Proposed penalties total $122,000.

Process safety management standard violations include the company's failing to ensure that its process hazard analysis addresses hazards involved with
valves being closed or blocked; develop procedures to ensure that levels are correctly established for pressure vessels and piping; and ensure that the
compliance audit addresses procedures to assess the mechanical integrity of pressure vessels and piping. Additionally, the company failed to ensure that
ladder-way platform openings were guarded by standard railings. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

"By failing to ensure that safeguards are in place, Great Lakes Chemical puts its workers at risk of exposure to bromine, a highly hazardous chemical that
can cause severe burns to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system," said Carlos Reynolds, OSHA's area director in Little Rock. "Process safety
management procedures must be followed to prevent the unexpected release of toxic, reactive or flammable liquids and gases in processes involving highly
hazardous chemicals."

Great Lakes Chemical manufactures bromine fufural specialty chemicals and alkyl leads. The company employs about 4,000 workers nationwide, with about
270 at its facility in El Dorado on Haynesville Highway. Great Lakes Chemical has 15 business days from receipt of citations to comply, request an informal
conference with OSHA's area director in Little Rock or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health
Review Commission.

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