A Wisconsin company that supplies malt barley to major craft breweries, home breweries, and other spirit and food production in the Midwest has again been found exposing employees to dangerous workplace hazards by federal safety inspectors. OSHA has proposed penalties of $174,351 after inspectors identified two repeated and 14 serious safety and health violations after responding to a complaint of unsafe working conditions at the company’s Manitowoc malthouse in August 2022. Inspectors found workers crafting the malt exposed to machine, respiratory protection, confined space and other hazards.
OSHA found the company exposed workers to amputation and other injuries by failing to adequately implement and periodically test procedures for controlling hazardous energy before servicing and maintenance. In 2019, OSHA cited the company for similar violations.
Federal safety inspectors also noted the company did not assess the safety and health hazards of malthouse confined spaces, as required. The company also failed to implement a permit required confined space program and train workers on the confined space hazards. Inspectors also found the company’s safety failures exposed employees to fall hazards from the roof, and entanglement and amputation hazards created by unguarded augers.
The alleged violations below have been grouped because they involve similar or related hazards that may increase the potential for injury or illness.