According to its website, Diversified CPC International, Inc. “believes that all injuries, occupational illnesses, and safety incidents are preventable.” Furthermore, the company “is committed to the protection and promotion of employee health and safety.”

Nonetheless, the chemical manufacturer has been cited by OSHA for 15 serious violations of the process safety management standard (PSM) at its Sparta, NJ production facility. The August 2013 inspection was initiated under OSHA's Process Safety Management Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program. The company, based in Channahon, Ill., faces $73,500 in proposed penalties for exposing workers to hazardous chemical risks.

Process safety management programs are designed to prevent the catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals.

Under OSHA's PSM standard, employers are required to develop, implement and update process safety management programs for hazardous chemicals at their facilities. In this case, the majority of violations relate to potential hazards at this company's facility stemming from the use of liquefied petroleum gases, fluorocarbons and dimethyl ether.

The serious violations include the company's failure to:

• Develop and implement written procedures for mechanical integrity and operating procedures to conduct activities in each covered process safely.
• Complete a thorough process hazard analysis and emergency action plan.
• Document that equipment met good engineering practice.
• Follow good engineering practices when performing inspections and testing equipment.
• Complete an adequate compliance audit.
• Conduct inspections and tests on equipment.
• Annually certify that operating procedures were current and accurate.
• Establish and implement a system to address previous hazard analysis findings promptly.
• Address the impact of changes to processes, equipment, and/or personnel that are related to working conditions covered by the process safety management standard.
• Complete accurate piping and instrument diagrams.
• Include relief system design and design basis in information pertaining to the equipment.

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.

Diversified CPC International manufactures aerosol propellants, specialty gases and alternative fuels.