By Angela Hatton
Metropolis, IL – The U. S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today cited Honeywell for safety management violations at its Metropolis nuclear fuel plant. OSHA found 17 serious safety violations following a release of hydrogen fluoride vapor. The release occurred December 22 last year. Violations include exposing cylinders to damage, not performing regular safety checks on equipment, using poor quality equipment, and not having written procedures in place. Proposed penalties total $119,000. At the time of the incident, Honeywell officials said "all plant emergency response procedures functioned as intended." Company officials say the cause was a faulty valve.