NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Workers at an East Tennessee plastics company who died in flooding from last year’s Hurricane Helene had time to evacuate, albeit by “makeshift routes,” according to an investigation from the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration released on Wednesday.
“It was found that Impact Plastics, Inc. exercised reasonable diligence to dismiss employees and direct them to leave the site in this emergency situation,” the report concludes. “As the deaths of Impact Plastics, Inc. employees are not work related, no citations are recommended.”
Six people died in the flooding
Five employees and one contractor who cleaned the offices once a week were killed on Sept. 27 after they were washed away by floodwaters. Attorneys for their surviving family members vehemently dispute the conclusion that they were dismissed from work with time to evacuate safely.
“TOSHA’s report ignores the testimony of multiple witnesses, critical text messages, emergency alert logs, and photographic evidence that tell the real story about Impact Plastics’ fatal failures,” said attorney Alex Little, who represents the family of Johnny Peterson. “We’re grateful that in America, juries — not bureaucrats citing unnamed sources — will decide the truth based on all the evidence.”…