OSHA fine for hazardous gas release exceeds $200K

June 2nd, 2016 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

Fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are a common result of serious accidents at workplaces and inspections where facilities don't meet OSHA's health and safety rules. A recent fine issued to a frozen foods company in eastern Idaho is notable because of the amount the business must pay if it doesn't contest OSHA's finding as well as the potential danger the regulatory violations caused. The plant's most recent inspection, brought about by the release of approximately 1,300 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, ended with a total of 21 OSHA violations.

A recurring issue with dangerous gas release
The Associated Press said discussions with federal officials indicated the most recent release of harmful gas didn't injure any of the approximately 220 workers at the food facility, but similar actions led to employee injuries and illnesses in the past. That release, along with other employee safety issues noted by inspectors who visited the plant in December 2015, led to the 21 violation notices issued by OSHA at the end of May.

The frozen food company, which focuses on the processing of potatoes, was initially supposed to pay approximately $267,000 to address those violations. The AP said David Kearns, Idaho's OSHA director, noted the company had already entered into negotiations with OSHA related to the total amount of those fines. The business can then ask for a review of the negotiation if it's not happy with the results and ultimately take the issue to an administrative law judge if it feels it wasn't resolved properly.

Kearns told the AP the average OSHA fine in Idaho is between $2,500 and $3,000, meaning the violations incurred by the frozen food company are high above what is normally charged to non-compliant businesses.

Beyond issues with system safety related to the release of anhydrous ammonia, area agricultural news source Capital Press highlighted other issues found by OSHA during the inspection. These include exposure to liquid ammonia without proper safety equipment, putting employees in situations where a self-contained breathing apparatus is necessary without providing it, lack of medical evaluations and fit tests for required respirators and a lack of emergency response training, among others. Capital Press also said OSHA noted the facility failed to properly evaluate respiratory during the response to the latest leak.