Lack of Emergency Training Cited After Shift Supervisor Asphyxiates on Deadly Gas
Atlantic Coffee Industrial Solutions was issued nine serious citations as a result,
After a shift supervisor at a coffee facility in Houston, Texas, asphyxiated after the release of carbon dioxide, an OSHA investigation resulted in nine serious safety violations for Atlantic Coffee Industrial Solutions LLC. The violations are a result of the employer not providing proper training to its workers for stopping the release of a hazardous chemical, according to the agency, which has issued $63,000 in penalties in the case.
"The uncontrolled release of carbon dioxide is dangerous. If the employer expects its workers to stop the release, it must develop and implement a detailed emergency response plan with specific procedures for stopping the release," said Mark Briggs, OSHA's area director in the Houston South office. "Untrained employees can quickly find themselves in a chaotic situation not knowing what to do and suffering serious or sometimes deadly injury."