Documents from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration indicate that Mayfield Consumer Products violated standards impacting the events at the Graves County candle factory the night of the December tornado outbreak.
Investigation into safety practices at the manufacturer began in the immediate wake of the disaster, during which the MCP facility collapsed under the force of an EF-4 tornado, trapping around 100 people inside and killing nine.
The documents show seven violations currently across three categories: one under “maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes,” two under “emergency action plans” and four in “bloodborne pathogens.”
The accident investigation summary states “six employees were killed due to multiple blunt force trau ma [sic] injuries after manufacturing building collapses due to tornado.”
Since the case is open, information around the violations may be changed, removed or added. MCP is contesting all seven of the violations, which carry a total of $40,000 in fines.
Since the storms, the candle factory has announced that it will be closing and permanently laying off half its employees. The organization is also planning to expand in Hickory in Graves County over the next five years to consolidate its operations in the area.
Lily Burris is a features reporter for WKMS. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University. She has written for the College Heights Herald at WKU, interned with Louisville Public Media, served as a tornado recovery reporter with WKMS and most recently worked as a journalist with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting and baking.
