Illinois Manufacturer to Pay $1.3M After Plant Explosion

Chemical products manufacturer AB Specialty Silicones LLC will pay $1.3 million in penalties after an explosion and fire at its Waukegan, Illinois plant in May 2019 claimed the lives of four workers.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached a settlement agreement with the company after an investigation revealed AB Specialty Silicones failed to ensure electrical equipment complied with OSHA standards. The company also used propane-powered forklifts to transport flammable liquids in areas where employees handled flammable liquids and gases.

As part of the agreement, the company has temporarily ceased production and use of silicon-hydride emulsions at all facilities until a new process area for production is designed by an engineering firm.

“This agreement will never replace the four workers lost in this preventable tragedy, but it’s a step in the right direction,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. “OSHA will continue to hold AB Specialty Silicones accountable for improving their safety culture by working with industry experts, and both management and employees to develop and continually test safety measures, emergency response procedures and training employees in hazard recognition.”

On Oct. 1, 2024, the Administrative Law Judge overseeing the case before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission accepted the parties’ notification of settlement and terminated proceedings.