Animal food plant found to have exposed workers to explosion, fire, and respiratory hazards

[United States] Federal workplace safety inspectors found a Wisconsin animal food producer exposed employees to the risks of explosions, fires, and long-term respiratory illnesses from excessive amounts of airborne dust, among two dozen safety and health violations they identified.

The findings follow an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at Strauss Feeds LLC of Watertown in February 2024 after the agency received complaints of unsafe working conditions.

OSHA inspectors found the company’s poor housekeeping, its failure to evaluate spaces for dust hazards, and an absence of engineering controls to reduce dust, created serious combustible and airborne dust hazards. The agency also determined Strauss Feeds did not develop a written respiratory protection programme that includes medical evaluations, fit-testing, monitoring, and training workers to recognise dust hazards.

OSHA also noted workers were exposed to hazards from walking and working surfaces, falls, confined space, and the operation of industrial trucks and forklifts when combustible dust hazards were present, increasing the risks of fire and explosion.

Inspectors cited Strauss Feeds for 19 serious and five other-than-serious safety and health violations. OSHA has assessed the company $161,332 in proposed penalties.

This is valid as of the 23rd September 2024.