Ford EV Battery Partner SK Fined By Department Of Labor

Ford EV battery partner SK On has faced its fair share of hurdles as it aims to establish itself in the U.S. over the past few months, with one big one occurring at the under-construction BlueOvalSK Battery Park in Kentucky. There, contractors working at the site recently discovered mold in some crates containing equipment that was shipped from Korea, which caused some of those workers to get sick, though that situation was ultimately handled and isn’t expected to impact production. However, now SK Battery America – a subsidiary of SK On – is dealing with another problem – it has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor following some safety and health hazards uncovered at one of its Commerce, Georgia plants.

Back in October 2023, a lithium battery fire broke out at SK’s plant in Commerce, which prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In December, that agency cited SK for exposing its employees to dangerous levels of cobalt, nickel, and total dust, as well as failing to “institute feasible administrative or engineering controls” after it reportedly exposed workers to high levels of noise and failed to implement proper monitoring and testing procedures.

OSHA issued yet another citation in January after it discovered a hazard related to SK’s energy control program. Ultimately, these investigations determined that SK Battery America failed to properly train its employees on how to protect themselves against potential hazards, which ultimately led to multiple injuries as a result of the fire. As such, it cited the Ford EV battery partner for five violations, fining it a total of $77,200.

“On multiple occasions in less than a year, we have found SK Battery America failing in their responsibility to meet required federal standards designed to help every worker end their shift safely,” said OSHA Area Office Director Joshua Turner in Atlanta-East. “While emerging industries bring innovation and employment opportunities to our communities, they must also ensure that the safety of the people they employ is their priority. When employers fail to provide safe and healthful workplaces, OSHA will hold them accountable.”

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