The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Stavis Seafoods Inc. for 20 infractions after an employee died from a March ammonia leak.
Brian Caron died on March 23, 2016, after a pipe burst in the Stavis Seafoods Inc. machine shop and ammonia leaked.
OSHA inspected the facility and found that improper design, operation and maintenance of the ammonia refrigeration system caused the leak.
Violations included but were not limited to holes in the machine room floor, lack of a sufficient ventilation system and lack of a door to separate the machine room from the maintenance/storage room.
The alarm system in the ammonia machine room did not work and employees were not trained in emergency evacuation protocol.
James Mulligan, the acting area director of OSHA for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts, said, “The company’s failure to follow industry and OSHA standards exposed its employees to the hazards of an ammonia release as well as falls, electric shock, hazardous chemicals and delayed or obstructed exit from the facility during a leak or other emergency."
"It's clear that Stavis Seafoods must take effective action to correct these hazards and prevent their recurrence so that no other employees are harmed on the job," Mulligan said.
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
According to OSHA, the proposed fines are $173,168. Upon receiving the receipt of citations and penalties, Stavis Seafoods Inc. has 15 business days to comply or contest the findings.
