The U.S. Department of
Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Bona Via
Inc., a Rochester, N.Y., manufacturer of pizza shells, for failing to
correct safety hazards identified during a prior OSHA inspection and for
newly identified hazards at its 10 White St. plant. The company faces a
total of $195,200 in proposed fines.
Following an inspection in late 2009, OSHA cited and fined the company
$12,000 for a variety of hazards. The company agreed to correct those
hazards. However, an OSHA follow-up inspection opened in August 2010
found that several of the hazards remained uncorrected. These included
failing to install and maintain electrical equipment that was safe for a
hazardous location, not replacing pressure relief devices on the oil
separator for an ammonia refrigeration compressor, failing to develop a
written emergency action program, not ensuring the flour silo area was
clean of flour dust to avoid creating a dust explosion hazard and not
evaluating employees to ensure they were qualified to safely operate
powered industrial trucks. The conditions resulted in the issuance of
five failure-to-abate notices with $188,000 in proposed fines. A
failure-to-abate notice is issued, and additional fines proposed, when
an employer fails to correct previously cited hazards.
During the latest inspection, OSHA also identified several new
conditions that resulted in the issuance of three serious citations with
$7,200 in fines. These included failing to implement proper procedures
to lock out machines' power sources prior to performing maintenance, an
uncovered electrical junction box and a lack of fire extinguisher
training. OSHA issues a serious citation when death or serious physical
harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or
should have known.
Bona Via Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of the latest citations
to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the citations and
proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and
Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Buffalo
Area Office, telephone 716-551-3053. To report workplace incidents,
fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the
agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).