Factory workers die in Hurricane Helene floodwaters, state opens investigation

Oct 02, 2024

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced a formal inquiry into the Impact Plastics facility. The investigation came as a result of allegations that management ignored warnings about Hurricane Helene and required factory workers to report to work during dangerous weather conditions.

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Employees said the company’s decision not to cancel work led to the deaths of two coworkers and left four employees missing after nearly a dozen were swept away by floodwaters.

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On Friday, Sept. 27, as Hurricane Helene approached Tennessee, Impact Plastics factory workers reported being compelled by management to stay at the facility. Several workers said their requests to leave were denied.

“I said, ‘Can we leave?'” Robert Jarvis said in an interview with WCYB News. “And the woman said ‘No, not until I speak with Jerry.’ Ten minutes later, she came back and said we could leave. It was too late.”

Jarvis noted that the only access road was already blocked. While trying to find a route out, his car was swept away, leaving him stranded.

“It was a guy in a 4×4 who picked a bunch of us up and saved our lives, or we’d have been dead too,” he said.

Jarvis got emotional when asked what he would say to the company after the loss of some coworkers.

“Why’d you make us work that day?” he said. “Why? We shouldn’t have worked. We shouldn’t have been there. None of us should have been there, and that’s what I would say to them.”

Impact Plastics provided a statement to the CBS affiliate in Knoxville.

“When water began to cover the parking lot and the adjacent service road and the plant lost power, employees were dismissed by management to return to their homes in time to escape the industrial park,” the statement said. “At no time were employees told they would be fired if they left the facility.”

In response, Jarvis called the company’s statement a lie. The state investigation will examine whether any criminal violations occurred regarding management’s decisions, with the district attorney requesting the inquiry to uncover the full circumstances.

Impact Plastics full statement can be found here.

Tags: flooding, hurricane, Hurricane season, Tennessee

THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION HAS ANNOUNCED A FORMAL INQUIRY INTO THE “IMPACT PLASTICS FACILITY” FOLLOWING ALLEGATIONS THAT

MANAGEMENT IGNORED WARNINGS ABOUT HURRICANE HELENE –

AND REQUIRED EMPLOYEES TO REPORT TO WORK IN DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.

EMPLOYEES SAY COMPANY DECISIONS TO NOT CALL OFF WORK LED TO TWO COWORKERS DYING AND FOUR EMPLOYEES STILL MISSING –

AFTER NEARLY A DOZEN OF THEM WERE SWEPT AWAY BY FLOODWATERS.

ON FRIDAY – AS HURRICANE HELENE BARRELLED TOWARD TENNESSEE –

“IMPACT PLASTICS” EMPLOYEES SAY THEY WERE COMPELLED BY MANAGEMENT TO REMAIN AT THE FACTORY.

SEVERAL WORKERS SAY THEIR REQUESTS TO GO HOME – WERE DENIED.

“I said can we leave? And the woman said no, not until i speak with jerry. 10 minutes later she came back and said y’all can leave. It was too late.”

ROBERT JARVIS – SPEAKING TO WCYB NEWS – SAYS THE ONLY ROAD IN WAS ALREADY BLOCKED OFF.

WHEN TRYING TO FIND A ROUTE OUT –

JARVIS SAYS HIS CAR WAS SWEPT AWAY – AND HE WAS STRANDED.

“It was a guy in a 4×4 came picked a bunch of us up and saved our lives or we’d have been dead too.>

JARVIS – GETTING EMOTIONAL WHEN THE REPORTER ASKS WHAT HE WOULD WANT TO SAY TO THE COMPANY AFTER SOME HIS COWORKERS DIDN’T MAKE IT OUT THE FLOODWATERS.

“Why’d you make us work that day? Why? We shouldn’t have worked. We shouldn’t have been there. None of us should have been there and that’s what i would say to them.”

IMPACT PLASTICS PROVIDED A STATEMENT TO THE CBS AFFILIATE IN KNOXVILLE –

SAYING “When water began to cover the parking lot and the adjacent service road and the plant lost power, employees were dismissed by management to return to their homes in time to escape the industrial park. At no time were employees told they would be fired if they left the facility.”

IN RESPONSE – JARVIS SAYS THE COMPANY’S STATEMENT IS A LIE.

THE STATE INVESTIGATION WILL LOOK INTO WHETHER ANY CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS OCCURRED IN RELATION TO THE DECISIONS MADE BY MANAGEMENT.

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY REQUESTING THE INQUIRY – CALLING FOR THE FULL CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE UNCOVERED.

WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY –

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