PA Factory Fined After Workers Fall into Vat of Chocolate

t’s not a sweet spot, Valentine’s Day notwithstanding.

Confectioner Mars Wrigley must cough up $14,500 in fines for allowing conditions that trapped two workers in a vat of chocolate last year.

The Occupational Safety and Health and Health Administration ( OSHA) has fined the chocolate conglomerate for failing to “furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees,” the U.S. Department of Labor arm said in citing the company’s M&M/ Mars factory in Elizabethtown, Pa.

The two subcontractors had not been properly trained, according to OSHA.

“The employer did not ensure that the employee had the knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy for the task,” OSHA stated. “The host employer did not provide the outside employer with the correct energy control procedure or work authorization permit.”

The partially filled tank in question was waist-high with Dove chocolate when the two workers somehow fell in one afternoon in June while performing maintenance work. It took two hours for rescue workers to free them from the sticky mess by cutting a hole in the bottom of the tank.

The victims were taken to the hospital, one by helicopter, and were not seriously injured.

“The safety of our associates and outside contractors are a top priority for our business,” a Mars Wrigley spokesperson said. “As always, we appreciate OSHA’s collaborative approach to working with us to conduct the after-action review.”

With News Wire Services

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