Westlake Plaquemine Plant Worker Dies After Being Found Unresponsive in Chlorovinyls Unit

A worker has died following an incident at the Westlake Corporation chemical plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana.

According to the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office, the 31-year-old was found unresponsive at 7:44 p.m. inside the chlorovinyls unit at the Westlake Plaquemine facility, located at 26100 LA 405. Westlake's on-site responders administered first aid at the scene, and the worker was then taken to a local hospital, where he died.

Sheriff Brett Stassi told reporters his office learned about the hospitalization the night of the incident and later received word that the worker had died. The Iberville Parish Coroner's Office is conducting an autopsy to establish the cause of death. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident.

According to additional reporting, the worker was an operator in the facility's vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) unit and had been with Westlake for approximately six months. He leaves behind a family that includes two children.

In a statement, Westlake Corporation said the company is "conducting a thorough investigation and will cooperate with all appropriate authorities."

About the Westlake Plaquemine Facility

Westlake Corporation operates a large chlorovinyls plant in Iberville Parish, located south of Baton Rouge along Louisiana Highway 405. The facility produces chlorine, hydrochloric acid, ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and other industrial chemicals used in a range of manufacturing applications. Westlake Corporation is one of the world's largest producers of petrochemicals and polymer products, with multiple facilities across Louisiana.

VCM, the compound produced in the unit where the incident occurred, is a hazardous substance used primarily to manufacture polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is classified as a known human carcinogen by federal health agencies and is handled under strict safety protocols at facilities that produce it.

A History of Safety Concerns

According to a review of federal records by the WAFB I-TEAM, the Westlake Plaquemine facility has been cited by OSHA more than once in recent years. In 2025, OSHA cited Westlake for failing to report the in-patient hospitalization of an employee within the required 24-hour window after a 2024 incident. The agency also fined Westlake over a chlorine gas release in which, according to OSHA's inspection report, employees were exposed to the hazard of chlorine gas through a release from a seal pot that's design "was not determined for safety."

EPA records also show a November 2025 fire at a Westlake Plaquemine unit storing hydrochloric acid, chlorine, and ethylene dichloride.

What happened on October 3 has yet to be determined.

Our thoughts are with the worker’s family, his two children, his coworkers at Westlake, and everyone in the Plaquemine community grieving this loss. As investigators continue their work, we hope answers come quickly for everyone affected.