BATON ROUGE, La. - The Honeywell plant here, which produces refrigerants and specialty chemicals, has agreed to pay $110,000 in penalties and correct hazards listed in citations from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) due to three incidents that occurred last summer. According to OSHA, the company was cited for failure to protect workers from hazardous gas, chemical burns, and exposure to hydrofluoric acid.

"The Labor Department's significant fine of $110,000 sends a clear message that this administration will not tolerate the violation of safety standards designed to protect workers," stated U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "Although national injury and illness rates are at all-time lows, the department will not rest until such tragic lapses in workplace safety are completely eliminated."

The citations were issued for three separate OSHA investigations stemming from incidents that occurred July 20, July 29, and Aug. 13, 2003.

Honeywell employs about 215 workers at its plant in Baton Rouge.

Publication date: 01/26/2004