WASHINGTON - The government accused Union Carbide Corp. of neglecting safety requirements at its Institute, W.Va., pesticide factory and proposed fining the company nearly $32,000.

A Union Carbide spokesman said Tuesday that the firm would contest the charges, which stem from an Aug. 11 leak of the chemical aldicarb oxime. The accident resulted in the hospitalization of six plant employees and 135 area residents.

In its complaint, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration accused Union Carbide of three willful violations of safety procedures punishable with maximum penalties of $10,000 each. The agency also alleged three other "serious" violations and proposed penalties ranging from $600 to $800 each.

Union Carbide spokesman Thad Epps declined to discuss details of the charges, saying, "Carbide operates its facilities in compliance with government laws and regulations, and we intend to contest these citations."

The company also owns a pesticide plant in Bhopal , India, where a leak in December of methyl isocyanate - another substance used in pesticide production - was blamed for the deaths of at least 1,700 people.

In its complaint on the West Virginia accident, OSHA accused Union Carbide of disregarding standard company operating procedures when it transferred the toxic chemical mixture to an oxidation reactor tank.

The agency also charged that the plant did not implement engineering controls to prevent contamination of the air and that the area used to store emergency respiratory equipment was not easily accessible to all employees who might need it.

Acting Assistant Labor Secretary Patrick Tyson traced the events leading to the Aug. 11 accident back to Aug. 1, when a tank containing the chemical dichloromethane was overloaded with aldicarb oxime. A portion of the mixture later was moved to another tank.

On Aug. 7, all but 4,000 pounds of the mixture was moved back to the original tank, Tyson said, and the rest was inadvertently heated. On Aug. 11, continuous heat produced a reaction that ultimately caused a rupture of gaskets on the oxidation reactor and the tank. As a result, Tyson said, toxic vapors were released into the atmosphere.

In the citation, OSHA alleged several safety violations, including use of an inadequate gauge to measure the contents of the reactor tank, improper monitoring of substances in storage and absence of a backup system to check alarms.

The citation also referred to a lack of emergency respiratory equipment for employees temporarily assigned to the aldicarb production unit; inadequate written standard operating procedures concerning the number of necessary emergency respirators, and improper splicing and location of electrical cords.

The agency recommended emergency practice drills, the use of a bright color for protective clothing, and interlocking of the company's deluge system with the toxic gas alarm.

Under agency regulations, Union Carbide has 15 days to contest the allegations.