The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a Wisconsin food manufacturer for repeated safety violations on Aug. 20. The citations followed two separate industrial kettle incidents that released pressurized hot steam and liquid, killing three workers and seriously injuring two more.
OSHA classified the violations as “repeated,” a more serious legal designation that requires proof the employer had been previously cited for similar hazardous conditions, the Department of Labor announced. The classification carries significantly higher financial penalties than standard serious violations.
Multi-fatality industrial accidents at a single facility from the same category of hazard are among the most serious enforcement cases OSHA pursues. The repeated-violation designation indicates that the employer was aware of the hazard and failed to correct it, according to the DOL.
Three workplace deaths from pressurized steam and liquid releases at industrial kettles point to a systemic equipment safety failure, OSHA said. OSHA’s maximum per-violation penalty for repeated violations has been adjusted upward in recent years and can exceed $160,000 per violation.
The food manufacturing sector has seen increased OSHA scrutiny following multiple high-profile fatality clusters in recent years. Industrial kettles, pressure vessels and other high-temperature processing equipment are among the most dangerous pieces of equipment in food production facilities.
OSHA Region 5, which covers Wisconsin, conducted the investigation. The agency did not immediately identify the manufacturer by name in the announcement reviewed by Federal Newswire.
The employer has the right to contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, an independent federal agency that adjudicates OSHA enforcement disputes. Contested citations can take months or years to resolve.
Worker safety advocates said the case illustrates the consequences of inadequate employer investment in equipment maintenance and worker training for high-hazard processes.