Abbyland facing $277k in fines over safety violations
A report from the U.S. Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Abbyland Foods Inc. did not comply with safety standards, leading to two worker’s amputation injuries.
The release said the food manufacturer’s history of violations continues and has subsequently fined the company $277,472 for one repeat violation and 17 serious violations.
The release stated the investigation was initiated after a turning auger on a meat processing machine amputated the top of a 37-year-old worker’s finger in December of 2022. OSHA then received a report of a second injury a month later where a worker got their hand crushed on a sliding guard on a trash compactor.
Following the December inquiry, OSHA expanded its inspection under the Wisconsin Food Manufacturing Industry Local Emphasis Program. During the two investigations, OSHA interviewed over 70 employees across all shifts at the facility the release stated.
Before the most recent wave of inspections, OSHA had cited the company with 22 serious violations and since 2013, has proposed more than $56,000 in fines for the company’s “failures to protect employees’ safety and health, including some of the same hazards identified in the most recent inspections.”
“After a decade of citations for nearly two dozen serious violations, Abbyland Foods continues to ignore its legal responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful work environment,” said OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton. “Their long history of failing to protect its employees needs to end.”
The company will have 15 days from the receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Each serious violation levied a fine of $0 - $12,278 while the recurring violations netted $85,938 in fines according to OSHA’s report. Two other violations were deemed other-than-serious and required corrective action be taken but no fine to be paid.
An attempt was made to reach out to Abbyland officials. As of Wednesday morning, no response to the citations or fines had been obtained by the Tribune-Phonograph.
