The State of Tennessee's occupational safety bureau has begun a probe into a devastating incident at Impact Plastics in Erwin, where flash floods reportedly swept away workers. The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), acting after media coverage spotlighted the tragic event, has launched an investigation to gain clarity on the workplace fatalities that occurred while employees were on the clock, as reported by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
This phase of inquiry comes under the shadow of an ongoing Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) review, which currently trumps TOSHA's jurisdiction. Despite this, TOSHA's investigators are prepping to collaborate with TBI and local entities, looking for a window to commence their site inspection. Under Tennessee law, a company has eight hours to report fatalities at the workplace to TOSHA – however, a notification from Impact Plastics' management has yet to reach the agency, according to the state workforce department's announcement.
Such investigations are no brisk affair, spanning up to half a year to reach completion. Following protocol, TOSHA keeps its findings under wraps until the investigation concludes to protect the integrity of the probe, as per the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Upon closing the investigation, a detailed report will be made accessible for Tennessee's residents to review, offering transparency around the agency’s findings.
