Zwanenberg Food Group USA Inc., a leading supplier of processed foods, has agreed to pay $1.7 million in federal penalties and invest $1.9 million in safety improvements at its Cincinnati plant. This decision comes as a resolution to hazards identified during several investigations by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The safety improvements are part of a settlement agreement that will be finalized with an order by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission on June 13, 2024. The agreement addresses OSHA citations issued to Zwanenberg in September 2022 and April and December 2023, following investigations into injuries suffered by two temporary workers at the plant.
Agency inspectors found that the company exposed workers to hazards by allowing machinery to operate without required safety guards during production and not de-energizing equipment during sanitation operations.
“By agreeing to make extensive safety improvements and work with OSHA and industry experts to address workplace hazards, Zwanenberg Food Group will be better equipped to ensure the safety and protect the lives of current employees and future workers at its Cincinnati production facility,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago.
The settlement stipulates several safety improvements that Zwanenberg will implement, including an analysis by an independent third-party auditor of all equipment, development of new lockout/tagout procedures for all equipment, enhanced machine guarding, training for employees on new machine safety procedures, transitioning most of its workforce to permanent employees within six months, quarterly meetings with OSHA to discuss safety and health issues, retention of a third-party consultant to audit all personal protective equipment, hazardous communication and lockout/tagout programs among others.
“Zwanenberg Food Group has taken important steps to improve plant safety but the work of training new and existing employees on machine safety procedures to prevent injuries never ends,” said OSHA Area Director Ken Montgomery in Cincinnati.
Zwanenberg Food Group USA Inc., based in Cincinnati, is a subsidiary of Holland’s Zwanenberg Food Group. The company, founded in 1875, operates 12 production facilities in the U.S., Netherlands and United Kingdom. It employs about 175 workers at the Cincinnati facility.
