Company struck by Jan. 30 fire faces $150,000 in fines
Echo Lake Foods of Burlington has been cited for 27 safety violations carrying possible fines of $150,000 by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA announced the citations – which involve two of the company’s area facilities – in a press release issued Thursday afternoon.
Echo Lake’s facilities and processes came under increased scrutiny following a massive fire Jan. 30 that destroyed 60 percent of its Burlington production facility. There were no injuries as a result of the fire and company employees were praised at the time for escaping injury. However, there appears to be no direct connection between the citations and the fire.
Echo Lake Foods makes frozen breakfast foods, among other things.
Multiple violations of OSHA’s process safety management standards for facilities that use highly hazardous chemicals were allegedly found at the company’s Burlington and Franksville frozen food production plants, according to OSHA.
The regulatory agency received complaints alleging hazards with the ammonia refrigeration systems at those facilities.
“By disregarding OSHA’s standards to train employees on ammonia hazards, compressors and safety procedures, Echo Lake Foods endangered workers at both its Wisconsin facilities,” said Christine Zortman, OSHA’s area director in Milwaukee. “OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job, especially those exposed to hazardous materials, and educating employers about safety and health regulations.”
Twenty-two process safety management violations at both facilities involve multiple instances of not addressing the consequences of the failure of various engineering and administrative controls. The company also failed to address procedures to perform oil-draining activities safely for ammonia compressors and provide and document worker training involving the ammonia systems and related operating equipment.
In Burlington, four additional violations – termed “serious” by OSHA – include insufficient safety guardrails on platforms; inadequate exit routes; lack of an emergency eyewash station near a compressor room, posing potential exposure to anhydrous ammonia; and missing cover plates on several electrical switches.
In Franksville, one additional “serious” violation includes failing to certify that periodic inspections of hazardous energy control procedures had been performed.
A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious injury could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Echo Lake Foods Inc. employs 450 workers companywide. In addition to Burlington and Franksville, the company operates a production and storage facility in Owensboro, Ky. The Wisconsin facilities have been inspected by OSHA 13 times and issued 45 citations. The Kentucky facility has received two violations.
The company, which is headquartered in Burlington, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and notice of proposed penalties to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. If the company does not file or contest within that period, it must abate the cited conditions within the period ordered in the citations and pay the proposed penalties.
Read full coverage regarding the OSHA fines in the Aug. 1 print edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
A copy of OSHA’s citations can be found by clicking here.
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And they continue to get and ask for more and more taxpayer subsidies. Threatening to move to Kentucky unless they get more.
Always knew they did not follow safety standards in their plants that they were supposed to. They are super lucky nobody got hurt during the fire! So sick of places like this trying to pay and employ slave labor to work never ending shifts/schedules to make big bucks and ignore the safety and welfare of their employees. Many of whom have worked there for many years.