Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1560356.015 - Land O' Lakes, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At 5:00 a.m. on October 13, 2021, an employee, a semi-skilled laborer, was cleaning on the second floor of the Evaporator 6 building. The evaporator piping system developed a chemical leak, exposing the employee to a chemical vapor that caused coughing and irritation of the throat and lungs. The employee was treated for lung and throat irritation and released the same day from two different hospitals. On October 14, 2021, the employee was mowing grass and collapsed, later pronounced dead at a hospital. The employee died of cardiovascular failure, possibly exacerbated by a chemical exposure at work. A coroner's report was still unavailable at the last inquiry date of March 22, 2022. No conclusive correlation between the exposure and the death could be medically drawn without the coroner's complete examination. The final results would be outside the six months the Division has to issue citations. However, a chemical exposure to the employee was verified by the employer, via the Division's requested documentation, and employee and union member interviews. On the exposure date, the employer failed to maintain equipment in a safe operating condition, and failed to put in place administrative controls to prevent employees from being exposed.

Keywords: Cardiovasc System, Chemical, Chemical Exposure, Chemical Vapor, Heart Attack, Lung, Throat