LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two workers were killed and at least 11 injured when the Givaudan Sense Colour plant here exploded around 3 p.m. on Nov. 12. Part of the plant collapsed and the explosion sent shrapnel flying into the surrounding neighborhood. Plate-glass windows of nearby businesses shattered and the sound of the explosion could be heard for miles.
Angelita Oldham, a worker in the plant, told the local news media that she had reported safety issues in the plant to management before the explosion. After speaking to the press Oldham was removed from a company meeting and isolated from her co-workers. “I wasn’t allowed to ask questions or talk to my co-workers,” she said. “I think they did that because I spoke the truth, and my only objective is to speak for those who cannot advocate for themselves.”
Militant worker-correspondents spoke with a number of workers in the Clifton neighborhood Nov. 17 who were upset about the dangerous conditions in the nearby plant and how it affects the surrounding community. Many said they will attend a meeting the following day called by Givaudan company officials.
An April 11, 2003, blast at the plant released 26,000 pounds of aqueous ammonia into the air. One worker at the plant was killed, 26 Clifton neighbors were evacuated and 1,500 told to shelter in place.