--- title: "GM’s Ultium Cells Battery Plant Has Been a Hotbed of OSHA Investigations" description: "A slurry containing a chemical that causes nervous system damage and infertility spilled at the battery plant last weekend." date: "2023-08-23" modified: "2023-08-23" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/gms-ultium-cells-battery-plant-has-been-a-hotbed-of-osha-investigations" categories: - "GM News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "General Motors" --- # GM’s Ultium Cells Battery Plant Has Been a Hotbed of OSHA Investigations ![]() *Photo | GM \General Motors\* The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) has been fighting for a new contract, with better safety protections and pay for its workers, at [GM's]() Ultium Cells plant in Warren, Ohio for months. There have been multiple incidents regarding worker safety that are being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the Ultium plant, and the latest involved a dangerous chemical spill over the weekend. According to *[The Detroit News]()*, Ultium spokesperson Katie Burdette said that operations in the area are paused until a third-party company finishes cleaning and containing the leak. The black slurry that covered the ground is as hazardous as it looks, as it contains n-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP), a chemical used for dissolving polymer that contains battery materials like aluminum, lithium, and manganese. While there's no federal exposure limit to NMP, the [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says]() that NMP "presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under its conditions of use." The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says that NMP can affect the nervous system, cause fetal issues, and even lead to infertility. ![]() *Cadillac Lyric assembly GM* Ultium Cells reported the incident to OSHA, which has opened an investigation to find out what happened and how the company handled the incident. Add it to the list, as there were already five open OSHA investigations into the Ultium plant, making this one the sixth. And that's in addition to the five OSHA investigations that already closed, which resulted in three fines, totaling $31,078. Why aren't [Ultium]() workers protected by the same [UAW contract]() as other GM plant workers? Because Ultium LLC is a separate entity that's owned both by GM and LG Energy Solutions. Previous union agreements don't apply to such joint ventures, which is something the UAW feels is intentional, so automakers can skirt master-labor wages, according to [*Bloomberg*](). GM disagrees, saying the joint venture was done to take advantage of LG's intellectual property. Since existing UAW agreements with GM don't apply to Ultium workers, they aren't protected in the same way in case of injury. Thankfully, there are no known injuries from the chemical spill at the Ultium plant over the weekend. However, OSHA will continue its investigation into what caused the spill and what safety precautions are in place. At the same time, the UAW is continuing to fight for Ultium plant workers to have the same union protections as the rest of its members. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()