LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A specialized team is coming to Louisville Wednesday to investigate last week's fatal Givaudan Sense Colour factory explosion.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Board (CSB) is sending a six-person team of investigators to the Clifton neighborhood where a tank failure left 11 people injured and two people dead on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
“The CSB began an initial inquiry into this terrible incident last week when it happened and collected information from local officials, the ATF, and the company itself," CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said. "We are now deploying an investigative team to the scene to conduct formal interviews, document the incident site, and gather important evidence to help ensure that a terrible tragedy like this does not happen again.”
The team will be investigating at the plant as well as the surrounding neighborhood. According to Givaudan officials, a section of the pressure vessel was ejected beyond the fence line and damaged a residential unit.
The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
Earlier this week, the Louisville ATF and Metro Arson Bureau determined the cause of the explosion, a faulty cooking vessel that wasn't venting properly and overheated.
