By Wailin Wong
| The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined Belvidere-based NDK Crystals Inc. $510,000 for violations related to a December factory explosion that killed a truck driver.

“The employer knowingly operated high pressure vessels even after being warned of the potential for a catastrophic failure due to material design and fabrication defects,” David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, said in a Thursday statement.

The December incident involved an explosion at the company’s facility
for manufacturing crystals used in liquid-crystal displays. According to
local authorities, a piece of an exterior panel struck a truck driver
standing by his vehicle in the parking lot of the Belvidere Oasis on
Interstate Highway 90.

Among other violations, OSHA said NDK failed to evaluate its building
for a catastrophic event and did not have an emergency evacuation
program in place.

Gary Vist, an attorney at Masuda, Funai Eifert & Mitchell Ltd. in
Chicago who represents NDK, said “the company strongly disagrees with
OSHA’s initial determinations” and will be contesting the citations. NDK
has a window of 15 business days to do so and has already advised the
agency of its plans, Vist said.

“We believe once all of the pertinent facts are presented, the citations
will ultimately be rescinded,” he added.

Vist said NDK is also waiting on the results of a separate investigation
by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which is looking into the root cause
of the December incident. The company is expecting that the agency will
complete its investigation by the end of this year, although the
timeline isn’t guaranteed, Vist said.