Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations referred the case to Los Angeles County District Attorney after double fatality
A food company pleaded guilty to two (2) misdemeanor counts after being criminally charged in connection with the 2020 deaths of two (2) workers fatally exposed to nitrogen gas. The victims died after a malfunction in the facility’s nitrogen system led to a hazardous gas release on December 1, 2020. Cal/OSHA’s investigation found critical failures in safety procedures and training related to the handling of pressurized gas systems.
The case stems from a criminal referral by Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations (BOI) and was prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the company must:
- Invest $1.6 million in safety improvements at the facility
- Pay $50,000 to BOI to support enforcement efforts
- Serve three years of probation
- Pay a $1 million criminal fine
- Donate $4 million to local food banks
- Acknowledge a $35 million civil settlement with the victims’ families