Echo Lake Foods, with two production plants in the state, was cited by by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on July 25. Associated fines cost the company $150,000 if the independent case review finds the citations legitimate.
The citations came after a number of OSHA inspections at the facilities between January and June 26, on the heels of complaints about the ammonia refrigeration systems and other components. The 27 violations are as follows:
• A total of 22 claim the company did not properly deal with failure of various controls, and failing to safely perform oil-draining activities for ammonia compressors at facilities.
• Four involve insufficient structural safety features (guardrails, exit routes, emergency eyewash station and missing cover plates on several electrical switches) at the Burlington plant.
• One claims Echo Lake did not certify that periodic inspections of hazardous energy control procedures had been performed at the Yorkville facility.
Echo Lake Foods executives could not be reached for comment.