LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A problem with a cooking vessel that exploded at a Louisville factory last fall had been documented months before, according to a state investigation into the Givaudan Sense Colour blast.
The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet report, obtained under an open records request, found that a valve meant to relieve pressure on Cooker 6 gave conflicting readings roughly a year before the November 12, 2024 explosion. No specific date was given.
In that earlier instance, investigators learned, an operator’s screen showed the vent valve was fully open – while, in reality, the device was only 5% open. That same “false communication” between the valve’s physical position and the screen occurred shortly before the deadly rupture at the Clifton factory, the report shows.
In addition, employees told investigators that there were no gauges on a vent line that “would have aided in determining if the vent valve was stuck closed.” Meanwhile, an employee spent “substantial time” trying to open the valve with a wrench – even though it wasn’t designed to be manually loosened, the report shows.
Inspectors also found the plant had no process in place to monitor, clean and inspect the valves to ensure they activated during the cooking process.
“Implementation of the above listed measures could have prevented the runaway reaction as well as providing more time for employees to make the determination to evacuate,” the report says.
Crews began demolition Friday, Jan. 24, 2025 on the former Givaudan Sense Color plant that exploded last year in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood, killing two men, injuring 11 others, and damaging surrounding homes and businesses. (WDRB photo)
State inspectors found three serious safety violations and levied $21,000 in fines against D.D. Williamson, the Givaudan subsidiary that operated the Payne Street facility. The company has not contested the penalties, according to the labor cabinet.
Asked for comment, Givaudan spokesman Jeff Peppet said in an email Wednesday: “There's really not much we can say here as the discussions with KY OSHA are still ongoing.”
D.D. Williamson was cited for not having “procedures and exit routes for evacuations during potential run-away reactions,” as federal rules require.
State officials also issued penalties for a lack of eye protection and violating Kentucky law “for not furnishing employment and a place of employment free from recognized vessel overpressurization hazards.”
Givaudan employees Austin Jaggers, 29, and Keven Dawson Jr., 49, were killed in the explosion.
It took rescue crews more than eight hours to locate Dawson, an Army veteran, in the rubble, authorities have said.
State investigators were told that two employees – including one who worked in the administrative building – had the same name. “Only after being contacted by employee’s friend who had been looking for him at the hospitals did they report to Emergency personnel that he was not accounted for,” according to the report.
Besides the state probe, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is investigating the explosion. In February, the CSB released preliminary findings that indicated the cooking vessel’s valve was “almost fully closed” at the time of the blast.
Federal investigators believe the vessel didn't vent properly and subsequently overheated and burst.
A CSB spokeswoman did not respond to a request for an update on the status of the investigation.
The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction found that the cooker that exploded was installed without a required permit that would have triggered a state inspection, WDRB News reported earlier this year.
The department fined the Elizabethtown company that installed the vessel, Cochran Mechanical LLC, for allegedly violating state law and regulations, records show. The $500 penalty was assessed in January and has been paid, a state spokesperson has said.
A class action lawsuit against Givaudan is pending in Jefferson Circuit Court.
Givaudan has said it won't rebuild at the Clifton site and plans to consider elsewhere in Kentucky or neighboring states for a new plant.
Previous Coverage:
Demolition expected to begin this summer at Givaudan site in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood
Givaudan's disaster response team meets with neighbors impacted by deadly plant explosion
Clifton neighbors upset with how Givaudan has handled aftermath of deadly explosion
Givaudan hires disaster response team to help those impacted by deadly Louisville explosion
Federal investigators release latest findings in deadly Givaudan plant explosion in Louisville
Clifton neighbors still fighting for answers in aftermath of Louisville's Givaudan plant explosion
Givaudan won't rebuild in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood after plant explosion
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