PLAQUEMINE — A 31-year-old employee of Westlake Corporation, a chlorovinyls plant in Iberville Parish, died following an incident at work over the weekend. 

The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office said an autopsy is being performed for employee Payton Triche to determine his cause of death. 

According to Westlake officials, Triche was found unresponsive after suffering a medical emergency in a unit around 7:44 p.m., and an on-site medical response team provided him first aid.

The employee was later transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

Employees at the facility were previously exposed to chlorine gas from a seal pot in February 2025, according to an OSHA report.