West Reading candy factory fined for failing to evacuate workers after blast killed 7, feds say
WEST READING, Pa. (CBS) -- A West Reading candy factory that exploded and killed seven workers earlier this year failed to evacuate its employees after some reported smelling gas, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Thursday.
The natural gas explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. on March 24, 2023, also injured 10 workers.
The investigation by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found R.M. Palmer did not remove workers from the plant despite concerns after OSHA determined it was a natural gas leak.
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OSHA cited R.M. Palmer under its general duty clause. It also cited the company for not making exit signs clear enough, using flexible cords improperly and for recordkeeping violations.
Overall, R.M. Palmer was fined $44,483 for the blast.
"Seven workers will never return home because the R.M. Palmer Co. did not evacuate the facility after being told of a suspected gas leak," OSHA Area Director Kevin T. Chambers said in a statement. "Ensuring the safety of a workplace is expected of employers and required by law. The company could have prevented this horrific tragedy by following required safety procedures."
About 70 Palmer production workers and 35 office staff were working in two adjacent buildings at the time of the explosion.
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Months after the deadly blast, the National Transportation Safety Board said natural gas leaked from a defective fitting at R.M. Palmer. The fitting was installed in 1982 and fractured, according to an investigation by the NTSB.
R.M. Palmer said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch that it "continues to cooperate in the NTSB's investigation," but also intends to "vigorously contest OSHA's citations, which it believes are legally and factually unsupported."
R.M. Palmer has existed since 1948 and has about 850 employees.
