News

Pizza shell company slapped with safety fines

February 20, 2011

Bona Via Inc., a Rochester, N.Y.-based pizza shell manufacturing company, has been cited for failure to correct safety hazards at its plant. According to 13 WHAM, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed fines totaling $195,200.

OSHA claims the plant was given ample time to correct several hazardous conditions that could potentially compromise the safety and well-being of its workers, yet failed to do so.

Bona Via was originally cited after a 2009 inspection for a variety of hazards. A follow-up inspection in August 2010 found most to remain uncorrected. The plant’s hazards included:

• Failing to install and maintain electrical equipment that was safe for a hazardous location;
• Not replacing pressure relief devices on the oil separator for an ammonia refrigeration compressor;
• Failing to develop a written emergency action program;
• Not ensuring the flour silo area was clean of flour dust to avoid creating a dust explosion hazard; and
• Not evaluating employees to ensure they were qualified to safely operate powered industrial trucks. 

Bona Via Inc. has 15 business days to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the citations before an independent commission.