World's Largest Sauerkraut Cannery Cited After Worker Falls into Vat
GLK foods has been cited by OSHA for the fourth time in five years for exposing workers to multiple hazards.
The world's largest sauerkraut cannery faces $143,550 in fines after a worker fell more than 17 feet into an empty vat and broke multiple bones at its Bear Creek, Wis., cannery, according to an OSHA report. This was the fourth time since 2011 the agency has cited GLK Foods LLC for failing to protect workers from fall and machine hazards.
Following this inspection, OSHA issued the company one willful, two repeat, five serious, and one-other-than-serious safety violations.
"If GLK Foods had fixed safety discrepancies found in previous OSHA inspections this man's injury would likely have been prevented," said Robert Bonack, OSHA's area director in Appleton. "In 2014, there were more than 86,300 job related injuries and illnesses recorded for Wisconsin workers. Too many workers suffer life-altering injuries because employers fail to follow common-sense safety procedures and regulations to protect them on the job."
According to the agency, GLK Foods failed to: protect employees from falls, develop procedures and implement permit confined space requirements, install safeguards, keep floor holes covered, and use locking devices to prevent unintentional operation of conveyors.