Zimmer Holdings, doing business as Zimmer TMT, has been fined $56,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 after an accidental chlorine gas leak that left four employees feeling sick.
Zimmer TMT has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet informally with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.
"Zimmer TMT is in the business of healthcare and should be aware of the potential health and safety hazards to which its employees could be exposed," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "Chlorine gas is poisonous and can cause death. Employers using highly hazardous chemicals absolutely must be prepared for emergencies, and this company clearly was not."
According to the report, Zimmer TMT workers were inadequately trained for responding to accidental gas leaks such as this one.
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