In a recent incident at an M&M/Mars factory in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, two contract workers fell into a vat of chocolate while performing maintenance work.
The incident occurred in June 2022, and both workers had to be rescued by emergency responders who cut a hole in the bottom of the partially filled tank to free them. According to reports, the workers were not authorized or trained to work in tanks.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has since fined the confectionary factory more than $14,500 for the incident.
OSHA holds Mars Wrigley, the parent company of M&M/Mars, responsible for the incident, as the workers were employed by an outside contracting firm.
Employee safety is a top priority for Mars Wrigley, and the company takes full responsibility for the incident. A company representative stated that they appreciate OSHA’s collaborative approach to working with them to conduct an after-action review.
The incident highlights the importance of workplace safety and the need for employers to ensure that their employees are properly trained and authorized for any tasks they are assigned.
The consequences of inadequate training and safety protocols can be severe, and employers must take steps to protect their workers from harm. In this case, the workers were fortunate to have survived the incident, but it serves as a cautionary tale for all employers to prioritize safety in the workplace.