California Ranch Foods Fined in Fatal Nitrogen Leak Case
The company will pay millions in penalties and invest in safety upgrades after two workers died in a 2020 nitrogen gas release, following a Cal/OSHA criminal referral.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Aug 12, 2025
California Ranch Foods, a subsidiary of Golden West Food Group, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts after being criminally charged in connection with the 2020 deaths of two workers fatally exposed to nitrogen gas.
The victims, Baldemar Gonsales and Maria Osyguss, died after a malfunction in the facility's nitrogen system led to a hazardous gas release on December 1, 2020. Cal/OSHA's investigation found critical failures in safety procedures and training related to the handling of pressurized gas systems.
What Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said: "When employers fail to protect their workers and it results in a preventable death, California will hold them accountable. We will continue to use every tool available, including criminal referrals, to ensure justice is served, and that safety is never optional."
The case stems from a criminal referral by Cal/OSHA's Bureau of Investigations (BOI) and was prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, California Ranch Foods must:
- Invest $1.6 million in safety improvements at the facility
- Pay $50,000 to BOI to support enforcement efforts
- Serve three years of probation
- Pay a $1 million criminal fine
- Donate $4 million to local food banks
- Acknowledge a $35 million civil settlement with the victims' families
About the Bureau of Investigations
The Bureau of Investigations (BOI) is a specialized investigative unit within Cal/OSHA dedicated to investigating the most serious workplace injuries and fatalities.
BOI reviews worker deaths and life-altering injuries that may involve potential criminal violations, such as willful safety failures, and refers appropriate cases for prosecution. It's the only investigative unit of this kind in the nation.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.