CINCINNATI – A Hamilton County grand jury indicted a company and two managers in connection to a fire that killed an employee, Ohio Attorney General mike DeWine announced Friday.
Zachary Henzerling, an employee of Environmental Enterprises Inc., was treating hazardous waste at the company’s Spring Grove Avenue facility on Dec. 28, 2012 when a flash fire and explosion occurred, killing him, DeWine said.
Henzerling and other workers were cleaning an industrial filter containing sodium chlorate, which is sensitive to friction, at the time, the company previously reported.
Environmental Enterprises Inc. was indicted Thursday on nine counts, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, tempering with records, tampering with evidence and violating the terms of a solid waste license.
Henzerling’s supervisior, Kyle M. Duffens, was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and three counts of violating the terms of a solid waste license, including failure to take proper precautions to prevent a fire or explosion.
Gerald E. Nocks, a company manager, was indicted on charges of violating a solid waste license for failing to properly train employees, tampering records and two counts of tampering with evidence. He falsified training records to make it appear that employees had received training they never had been given, DeWine said.
