This past weekend, a chemical spill was reported at the Ultium Cells battery plant in Ohio, leading to an investigation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Ultium facility is the product of a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, first launching operations last year. The OHSA has six open investigations into the Ultium Ohio plant, and the UAW has criticized the Ultium as prioritizing profits over safety at the facility.
According to a report from The Detroit News, a slurry containing battery materials and a hazardous solvent spilled on the ground around equipment at the Ultium Ohio plant’s mixing department. The slurry contained a chemical that dissolves polymers to create battery materials, and could cause harm if exposed to workers, including reproduction issues and nervous system issues.
The OHSA is now collecting details on the incident, how Ultium addressed the incident, and whether employees are still at risk. In an email to The Detroit News, an Ultium spokesperson said that operations will remain paused in the area until it is deemed safe. It’s currently unclear how this incident may affect production.
As GM Authority covered last month, the United Auto Workera (UAW) labor union has raised safety concerns for workers at the Ultium Ohio plant, demanding that stricter safety precautions are put in place following multiple incidents at the facility. One worker was reportedly sprayed with poisonous gasses while working with electrodes, while another employee was witnessed disposing toxic materials in a trash can.
GM is under pressure to fold workers at the Ultium Cells plant in Ohio into the broader national labor contract between General Motors and the UAW. The UAW and the Big Three Detroit autoworkers are currently engaged in contract negotiations that will determine labor terms for the next several years. Negotiations are reportedly slow-going, and the UAW has threatened to strike if its terms are not met.
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Comments
The plant just opened for crying out loud. Any chemical spill here is potentially dangerous.
Be careful men, that’s nasty stuff!
There are reports of excessive injuries and constant EMT vehicles responding to calls in this plant.
It appears that profits over safety is the new goal here
Like I have been saying….someone at GM needs to answer for this disastrous rollout to the Ultium BEV’s thus far.
This is becoming not only embarrassing but extremely problematic for their customers waiting for their vehicles and their shareholders.
Also GM needs to shift from pouch to cylindrical batteries ASAP as well.
Wasn’t a “spill” a valve exploded,sent 4 workers to the hospital ‘the clean up company that was hired’and it took the company 4 hours after the accident to respond.
Every one just needs to slow down an not be is such a hurry to do things. It’s a great company and people should be proud to work here. Every where you go there is always people hating. If people payed attention to what they are doing and employees are trained more and shown the was to do things. Need better leadership. But all an all it’s a great company and things are going
What about all the government spilling everything in the ocean and everything else.
What about all the way the materials are mined to supply the making of the batteries. Those materials are so toxic they are mostly banned from being mined in the USA. Mostly gets mined in third world countries with no safety standards. Plus Chinese companies own most of the mines too.