Acid spill leads to citations
over safety standards
against Brewer

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

Serious violations of safety standards have been uncovered in the Brewer Environmental Industries sulfuric acid spill in Campbell Industrial Park on Thanksgiving Day, according to the state.

So far, the state has fined Brewer $7,000.

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations released preliminary findings of a Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division investigation inspection at Brewer.

The violations included:

Deficiencies in Brewer's emergency response plan.

Failure of Brewer employees to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including self-contained breathing apparatus.

Failure to implement adequate personnel backup while entering the hazardous spill area.

The investigation probably will take at least another two weeks to complete.

A department spokesman said the initial findings are routine and obvious, but deeper investigation now is required.

Brewer also was cited for failing to certify the competency of emergency responders, which carries no penalty.

The division will continue its investigation of the accident in cooperation with the Honolulu Fire Department, the state Health Department and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

All cited violations are required to be corrected by dates on the citations. The company has 20 days from the citation date to contest the violations.