Displaying items by tag: tennessee occupational safety and health administration (tosha)

This still image from video shot by a victim of the flooding at Impact Plastics in Erwin illustrates the terror of the flood that killed five employees of the plant at the height of Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024.  Family of Johnny Peterson via WSMV

Victim’s attorney: A jury will ultimately decide what happened during flooding of Erwin plant

ERWIN — State safety officials ruled that Impact Plastics wasn’t responsible for the deaths of six employees who were killed by the catastrophic flash floods caused by Hurricane Helene in September.

But while company representatives were pleased with the outcome of the findings released April 3 by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), both state law enforcement officials and private attorneys representing the victims’ families said that Impact Plastics hasn’t been cleared of wrongdoing just yet. 

For instance, a criminal probe conducted by the TBI was still underway and District Attorney General Steven R. Finney declined on Thursday to exonerate the company. Finney called in the TBI after the six employees were killed on September 27, 2024, to determine if criminal charges should be filed in connection with their deaths.

“At this time, the investigation concerning Impact Plastics is still pending,” Finney’s executive assistant, Chrystie Kyte, said in an e-mail to Hellbender Press. “General Finney has no comment at this time.”

The dead included five Impact Plastics employees and one independent contractor. They have been identified as Sibrina Barnett, Monica Hernandez, Bertha Mendoza, Johnny Peterson, Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso and Lidia Verdugo.