There can be a lot of pressure in manufacturing facilities to meet deadlines and production goals.
So it can be tempting sometimes to cut a few corners.
A couple of managers at a California facility recently did just that - and now they’re facing jail time after a nightmare scenario played out.
Here’s what happened:
Solus Industrial Innovations opened up a new facility in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, in 2007.
Plant manager Carl Richardson and maintenance manager Roy Faulkinbury were under a lot of pressure to get operations up and running.
The company needed a commercial boiler as a heating source for its plastic conveyor parts manufacturing process.
There was already an industrial-grade boiler in the plant.
But getting the necessary permits and installing the natural gas line were going to be costly and time-intensive.
So Richardson and Faulkinbury decided to just go to a Lowe’s and buy a residential hot water heater for $541.
A tragic incident
The hot water heater wasn’t cut out for the manufacturing process - but the company used it anyway.
Over the course of two years, the water heater often leaked and showed signs of distress. It even blew a safety valve at one point.
Finally, on the night of March 19, 2009, the managers’ shortcut caught up to them.
Two workers reported a puddle underneath the water heater as they came in for the third shift.
Just minutes later, the water heater exploded and ripped through the facility.
Jose Jiminez, 51, and Isido Echeverria, 34, were decapitated by the explosion, and another worker was injured by flying debris.
The aftermath
The explosion destroyed the facility, and Solus never reopened for business.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
OSHA fined the company $98,800 for the egregious safety violations, and Richardson and Faulkinbury pleaded no contest to felony charges in the tragic deaths.
Both managers agreed to pay $450,000 to the families of the victims and do 250 hours of community service.
They will avoid jail time if they meet those terms and comply with their probation.
Putting safety first
You would never make the blatant (and criminal) mistakes these managers made.
But how do your staffers respond when they’re under pressure to get work done quickly?
While you want workers to meet production goals, putting too much emphasis on those goals can compromise safety and quality.
Tip: You may want to work with your safety manager to establish a safety incentive program.
Just make sure it’s one that encourages workers to report hazards and doesn’t discourage reporting of injuries (per OSHA’s requirements).
Rewarding staffers for attendance at safety meetings is one example of what you can do.
