The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) initiated an inspection of Air Liquide Large Industries US LP, in January, following a complaint of unsafe working conditions at the company's facility in Corpus Christi, TX.
The agency cited Air Liquide Large Industries US LP for one willful and one serious violation. The willful citation was issued for failing to perform air monitoring to assess employee exposure to carbon monoxide gas. The serious citation was issued for failing to protect workers from a potentially hazardous atmosphere created by inadequately maintained valves found leaking within the pressure swing adsorption skid. Total proposed penalties for the company come to $77,000.
Air Liquide is headquartered in Paris, Air Liquide has more than 50,000 employees in 80 countries. It is the largest supplier of industrial gases by revenues worldwide. "Air Liquide is a large, multinational organization with vast holdings but it chooses to ignore simple processes to keep its employees safe," said Travis Clark, OSHA's Area Director in the Corpus Christi office. "Carbon monoxide can be deadly if it is not controlled and monitored closely."
