Treball Inspection Fined IQOXE 180000 Euros For A Very Serious Offense

The Inspecció de Treball de Catalunya (ITC) has sanctioned the chemical company IQOXE with 180,000 euros for a very serious infraction and as a result of the explosion that caused the death of three people in Tarragona. The investigation has determined the responsibility of the company in the events that occurred at the La Canonja factory and confirms the seriousness of the infringement due to the various preventive occupational health and safety breaches during the production process of the MPEG 500 substance.

The sanction proposal is accompanied by another proposal, the surcharge of Social Security benefits for workers affected by the lack of occupational health and safety measures who suffered the accident. As a result of the accident, three people died (two workers from the La Canonja plant and a neighbor from Tarragona) and four were injured.

The occupational accident occurred on January 14, 2020 at the IQOXE plant in La Canonja (Tarragona) as a result of the explosion of a reactor at the factory, dedicated to the production of ethylene oxide, glycols and ethylene derivatives and propylene.

It should be added that, previously, the ITC processed an act of infringement for obstruction against the IQOXE company due to the continuous delays in delivering the documentation required by the ITC and the obstacles placed in the course of the proceedings.

In addition, in parallel to the proposed penalty for a very serious offense, the proposal to surcharge Social Security benefits for workers affected by the lack of occupational health and safety measures who suffered the accident is accompanied.