OSHA Fines Mars Wrigley $14.5K for Chocolate Tank Accident

According to AP News, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently fined the Mars Wrigley candy factory in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, more than US$14,500 following a June 2022 accident in which two workers fell into a tank of chocolate they were cleaning.

Both workers were freed thanks to emergency responders who extricated the pair by cutting a hole in the bottom of the tank. According to The Guardian, while both workers, who were in Dove chocolate up to their waists, went to local hospitals—including one via helicopter—they survived the accident and sustained no injuries.

In its violation detail of the incident, OSHA said the workers, who were employed by outside contractor I.K. Stoltzfus Service Corp. to clean the tanks, were not provided “employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.” Mars Wrigley, as the host employer, was cited as not providing the contractor “with the correct energy control procedure or work authorization permit.”

 “As always, we appreciate OSHA’s collaborative approach to working with us to conduct the after-action review,” a representative of Mars Wrigley told AP, further stating that the safety of workers and outside contractors “is a top priority for our business.”