Safety Violations Preceded Deadly Explosion at Massachusetts Plant

An explosion on May 4 at the Seqens/PCI Synthesis plant in Newburyport, Massachusetts, claimed the life of one worker and injured several others. This isn’t the first time this facility has encountered safety incidents.

According to Boston 25 News, the pharmaceutical company faced $168,000 in federal fines for its lengthy record of violating safety laws dating back to 2015 – including for failing to meet federal standards for emergency response and safe handling of hazardous materials.

In 2020, six explosions at the company forced workers to evacuate and blew a hole in the roof. A spokesperson at the time said the incident happened in “one small, isolated room” and blamed it on a “mechanical issue from our steam line.”

According to the EPA, the company has worked with flammable chemicals, including methanol; chlorobenzene; chloroform; sulfuric acid; 1,4-dioxane; acetone; acetonitrile and toluene.