Ohio Paint Company Pleads Guilty After Fatal Factory Explosion in Columbus

Yenkin Majestic Paint Corporation pleaded guilty to negligent endangerment after a 2021 explosion at its Columbus plant killed one worker and injured several others.

Columbus Resin Plant Explosion Kills Worker, Triggers Federal Guilty Plea

DOJ Justice News reports that Yenkin Majestic Paint Corporation, an Ohio-based coatings and resin manufacturer, pleaded guilty this week in federal court in the Southern District of Ohio to a charge of negligent endangerment — a charge directly tied to a 2021 explosion at its Columbus facility that killed one employee and severely injured several others.

Faulty equipment, ignored warnings

Yenkin operated a coatings and resin manufacturing plant in Columbus where large steel vessels called "kettles" were used to heat ingredients as part of the resin production process. In December 2020, the company fabricated and installed a new access door — known as a "manway" — on top of Kettle 3, working with a local fabrication contractor.

Despite multiple documented pressure spikes in Kettle 3, Yenkin never pressure-tested the new manway before returning the vessel to service. The door began leaking almost immediately after installation. Rather than halting operations, the company responded by adding a thicker gasket, which it believed to be made of Teflon but was in fact silicone.

The night of the explosion

On April 8, 2021, Yenkin was producing resin in Kettle 3 when the agitator inside the vessel stopped — likely as a result of electrical work being carried out in the facility at the time. Around midnight, an operator restarted the agitator without knowing it had been inactive. The sudden restart caused the kettle's contents to vaporize rapidly, sharply increasing internal pressure.

Shortly afterward, the manway and gasket failed to contain the pressure and released a mixture of hot resin liquid and flammable solvent vapor into the resin plant and into adjacent areas of the facility.

Flammable gas detectors inside the building registered rising concentrations of vapor, but the detectors had not been configured to sound an audible alarm. At 12:04 a.m., the accumulated vapors reached an ignition source and exploded. One employee died. Several others sustained severe injuries. The blast also caused significant structural damage to the resin plant and nearby buildings.

Federal and state officials respond

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Energy and Natural Resources Division stated that the guilty plea reflects the consequences of ignoring safety protocols. "When safety protocols aren't followed, pressurized equipment can cause terrible accidents like the tragedy at Yenkin in 2021," Gustafson said. "The company is pleading guilty to negligent endangerment, because their actions, or inactions, created a manufacturing environment that resulted in death and severe injury."

EPA Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall emphasized corporate responsibility for hazardous chemical operations. "Companies that use hazardous chemicals have a responsibility to prevent releases that put people in danger of death and serious bodily injury," Hall said. "EPA will continue to hold companies accountable when they put workers and the public at risk by ignoring basic safety and emergency procedures."

U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio called the case a reminder for the broader manufacturing sector. "Employees deserve to be protected from danger in the workplace — and we will hold companies accountable to that obligation," Gerace said. "This tragic circumstance serves as a stark reminder to all manufacturers that safety requirements must be followed."

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson stated that the plea provides a measure of accountability for Yenkin's failures. "Yenkin failed to keep its employees safe, and as a result, one person died and several others were injured," Wilson said.

Ohio EPA Director John Logue added that the incident underscores why proper operating procedures and environmental safeguards are essential to protecting communities and workers alike.

Investigation and prosecution

The case was investigated by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Ohio Attorney General's Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Special Investigations Unit, with additional support from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Senior Trial Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Cullman, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney David Twombly, are prosecuting the case for the Southern District of Ohio.

Source: DOJ Justice News