LG Energy Solution in Holland has racked up significantly more workplace safety violations since 2016 than other major employers along the lakeshore, even as the company insists employee safety is a “top priority.”
The Sentinel reviewed records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from the past decade and found 27 total reports and 22 violations at LG in Holland — more than any of the other nine manufacturers that round out the region’s top employers. Those companies logged between five and 14 OSHA reports each, with violation totals ranging from three to 21.
Here’s a breakdown:
The paper trail at LG includes repeated citations over how hazardous energy is controlled at the plant, two willful violations — OSHA’s most serious category — and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines tied to Holland alone. (The willful violations, after being contested, were downgraded to serious.)
LG Energy Solution wrote in previous statements that “the safety of our employees is of (the) utmost importance.” In response to a new request for comment, LG External Affairs/Government Relations Manager Philip Lienert wrote:
“Safety is our top priority at all of our global facilities. As one of the biggest employers in Allegan (County) and Ottawa (County), we are dedicated to providing meaningful, well-paying and safe careers to all our team members, and we constantly refine our internal policies and trainings to ensure this objective.”
Since 2016, the facility has been assessed more than $327,000 in penalties, though appeals and settlements have cut that figure to about $143,750.
Behind those numbers are workers injured or killed on the job. In 2023, a 41‑year‑old Louisiana man died after suffering a serious head injury while working on an expansion in Holland. In July 2025, a contractor from South Korea was killed after becoming stuck in a machine at the plant. In September 2025, a chemical spill sent 15 people to local hospitals.
That incident lines up with a lockout/tagout violation for the “control of hazardous energy” in September 2025, which carries a $70,000 price tag. LG contested the penalty in January.
Local emergency records show the Holland Department of Public Safety has responded to at least five workplace incidents at the plant over the past decade, including medical calls and serious injuries.
By contrast, OSHA’s online database shows LG’s battery facility in Tennessee has totaled seven reports and 13 violations since 2016, resulting in more than $45,000 in fines.
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Is LG Energy in Holland safe? Here’s what OSHA records show
Reporting by Austin Metz, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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