Investigators gave that analysis Monday morning as part of a media briefing into the cause of the explosion that killed two workers and injured 11 others.
“There’s some indication that the vessel did not vent properly, and that caused an overheating and explosion — over pressurization, if you will,” said Shawn Morrow, special agent in charge of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Louisville field office.
The ATF has worked alongside the Louisville Fire Department to investigate the cause of the blast, which Morrow called an “industrial accident, and there’s no indication anyone did anything intentional to cause the explosion.”
Morrow cautioned that the investigation isn’t yet complete but said the data analysis “definitively” allows authorities to conclude that the part known as “cooking vessel No. 6” failed and caused the explosion. He said there were signs of possible maintenance issues with that equipment.
“But we’d like for the regulatory folks to get to the bottom of exactly the sequence of events,” he said.
An employee told WDRB News last week that she warned co-workers about the cooker days before the blast, saying it had been overheating for several days.
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet, which oversees workplace safety in the state, launched an investigation last week.
The ATF and Louisville Fire investigators obtained surveillance video from inside the plant and a hard drive with performance and other data on the cooking vessel that special agent Morrow likened to a “black box.”
Givaudan Sense Colour President Ann Leonard told reporters last Friday afternoon that it was not aware of any equipment — including that specific vessel — not working properly before the explosion.
The two Givaudan employees who died have been identified as Austin Jaggers, 29, and Keven Dawson Jr., 49.
On Monday, attorneys for Dawson’s family told reporters that they plan to uncover what really happened at Givaudan last week.
“Cookers don’t just blow up,” said Lonita Baker, a lawyer based in Louisville. “They don’t just explode. Keven Dawson should be here, and all the workers who were injured should have felt safe at work.”
Besides aiding Dawson’s family, Baker said the case involves “justice for this community.”
Attorney Ben Crump said the initial findings from the investigation raise additional questions about the maintenance and manufacturing record of the cooker.
“A lot of questions we have to have answered,” Crump said.
By Marcus Green, WDRB.com
