An Erwin, Tn., plastic plant is under scrutiny after some workers said officials kept them on the job until flood waters began rising.
Several of the plant workers were among casualties of Hurricane Helene, which swept through Upper East Tennessee. Two workers are confirmed dead and four others were missing.
Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) said it has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the workplace fatalities. It began after media reports that flash floods swept away employees from Impact Plastics in Erwin while on the job,
The agency has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the workplace fatalities.
The current investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) into the circumstances that led to these deaths supersedes the jurisdiction of TOSHA, it was stated. Investigators from TOSHA said they will work with TBI and local officials to determine when they can begin an on-site inspection.
Tennessee law allows an employer eight hours to notify TOSHA of workplace fatalities. TOSHA has not received a fatality report from managers at Impact Plastics..
During the investigative process, TOSHA investigators typically survey the location of the fatality, review company records, and procedures, and conduct interviews with management and employees.
A fatality investigation can take up to six months to complete.
To ensure the investigation's integrity, TOSHA does not release any preliminary information regarding the incident. When the investigation is final, the report detailing the agency’s findings is open for review by the citizens of Tennessee, officials said..
Impact Plastics said in a statement it “continued to monitor weather conditions" on Friday.
It said managers let workers go “when water began to cover the parking lot and the adjacent service road, and the plant lost power."
Company founder Gerald O'Connor said, “We are devastated by the tragic loss of great employees. Those who are missing or deceased and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.”