FOLEY, Ala. — An employee of Solutia Inc.’s Foley plant was airlifted to Baptist Hospital, Pensacola, on Friday, Oct. 10 following an accident at the site just before lunch.

On Monday, a spokeswoman at Solutia’s St. Louis, Mo., headquarters said the company was not giving out information concerning the employee’s name or condition out of respect for family concerns.

Missy Hammonds, with corporate communications, said while Solutia is not required by law to contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unless a fatality occurs or three or four employees are involved in an accident or mishap, the company did.

“We did make a courtesy call to them to let them know what happened,” she said during a telephone interview on Monday.

Hammonds said Solutia is a participant in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program, one of the highest recognitions OSHA gives.

VPP is a comprehensive safety and health management system.

According to Hammonds, the mishap involving the employee took place in connection with a hydraulic system. The plant is up and running except for the hydraulic system involved, she said.

Experts are on the way to the Foley plant or already there and assessing the situation, Hammonds said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this employee and family,” she said.

“At Solutia, we consider safety a top priority. That’s why we have mobilized experts to Foley.”

Plant site Manager Tom Boggs referred questions concerning the incident to corporate headquarters and Hammonds. Boggs did, however, praise Foley Fire Department’s response to the situation.

“Foley Fire Department, they did an outstanding job. They responded quickly and did an outstanding, professional job. We’re impressed with Foley Fire Department,” he said on Monday.

Solutia’s Foley plant processes and packages goods from Solutia’s larger plant in the Pensacola area and ships them, Hammonds said.

She placed the number of contract workers and employees at the Foley plant site at approximately 135. Earlier this year, when Solutia announced it would explore strategic alternatives, including possible sale of its nylon business, Boggs put the number of employees at “just over 100,” and described the employees in Foley as “very long term” employees.