Plant Corrected Its Violations, OSHA Says

A metal-finishing firm in Newport Beach, where a toxic fire Sunday forced the evacuation of 500 people, was cited for eight health and safety violations by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration between 1985 and 1986, state inspection reports show.

Hixson Metal Finishing was cited for problems ranging from a frayed electrical cord to inadequate training of employees. The citations followed 19 reported cases of workers inhaling trichloroethylene, a toxic cleaning solvent, and suffering burning eyes because of the chemical, according to Cal-OSHA documents.

However, Hixson was not fined because the firm was “very cooperative” and corrected the problems by last August, documents showed. The firm could have been fined up to $1,000 daily for each violation not corrected by the agency’s deadlines.

Bobbi J. Pritchett, Hixson’s vice president, said Tuesday that she did not recall that the firm was cited by Cal-OSHA. “It was more like suggestions and we responded immediately,” she said. “They came back later and complimented us on our clean operation.”

Employees could not be reached for comment about the Cal-OSHA inspections.

City records showed Tuesday that the firm had obtained permits and Fire Department approvals for the type of work and chemicals used, and the building was constructed for manufacturing purposes.

Fire Chief James Reed said that he was unaware of the Cal-OSHA citations but that they did not affect his department’s investigation of Sunday’s blaze because the firm had passed a fire safety inspection in July. No violations were found, he said, even though the building was not equipped with an automatic sprinkler system required by the national Uniform Fire Code, which has been adopted by the city.

“It probably would be required if it was constructed now,” said Reed. “But the sprinkler requirement is not retroactive to the time when the structure was built.”

Other fire code requirements are retroactive, said Reed, such as installation of smoke detectors in residences.

At Cal-OSHA’s Santa Ana office, safety inspection manager Isaac Chae said the 1985 and 1986 violations at Hixson were “relatively minor” compared to the agency’s biggest and most common problem, which is storage of certain materials close together that could cause explosions, and the storage of flammable materials near heat.

The violations found at Hixson are not unique, Chae said, “but they’re not as common or as big a problem as incompatible storage.”

Chae said the inspections of Hixson Metal Finishing were prompted by complaints from people whose identities are protected by state confidentiality laws.

According to a June, 1985, report, a Cal-OSHA inspector found five violations during a walk-through of the Hixson plant. According to the report, the violations were:

- Failure to enforce use of eye and body protection by employees dipping metal stock.

- Failure to repair frayed outer insulation on electrical power cord.

- Improper worker exposure to a turning metal shaft that was longer than legally allowed.

- Blocked access to an electrical switch box.

- Failure to use a safety guard on a band saw in the firm’s maintenance shop.

Last March, Cal-OSHA cited the firm for:

- Failure to instruct and train employees in the use of respiratory equipment and use of a respirator, which was broken.

- Failure to establish a written respiratory protection program.

- Failure to provide employees in the plating shop and spray-paint booths with information and training on hazardous substances to which the employees are routinely exposed in their work areas.

Since the violations were corrected by August, according to Cal-OSHA documents, there have been no further complaints or inspections.