OSHA cites New Horizons Baking for lockout/tagout, guarding violations

OSHA recently cited New Horizons Baking Co. after a federal investigation determined the employer allegedly exposed workers to unsafe working conditions.

In addition to these serious safety violations, OSHA cited the Norwalk, Ohio-based commercial bakery for three repeat violations for failing to train workers on lockout/tagout procedures, failing to lockout and tagout machines, and failing to guard dangerous machines.

These violations exposed employees to chemical, caught-between, caught-in, pinch-point, and struck-by hazards.

OSHA cited New Horizons Baking Co. for three repeat, nine serious, and one other-than-serious violations, with proposed penalties of $394,849.

Commercial bakery to contest findings

The company has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC).

New Horizons issued a statement last week to local news station WOIO:

“The safety of New Horizons Baking Company employees is our top priority. We are aware of the recent claim from OSHA of the presence of alleged workplace hazards in one of our plants. We, respectfully, disagree with these allegations and intend to defend the company through the appropriate legal process.”

Previous violations at two other production facilities

According to the company’s Facebook page, LinkedIn page, and its website, New Horizons Food Solutions and Genesis Baking companies make up the NHB family of companies.

Genesis Baking produces soft sandwich, burger, hot dog rolls, and English muffins for over 5,000 quick-service restaurants in the Midwest and adjacent regions.

The company operates two soft roll production lines and seven English muffin lines across three locations. In addition to its Norwalk, Ohio headquarters, the company operates two facilities in Columbus, Ohio and Fremont, Indiana.

The current open investigation is at the Columbus location. OSHA inspected the other two locations seven times in 2023, issuing 13 serious violations and over $165,000 in initial penalties.

Amputation risk from lack of machine guarding

The first inspection on Jan. 17, 2023 at the Norwalk facility found:

• A lack of machine guarding exposed employees to a nip point between the V-belt conveyors and pulleys on the Bun Line. Employees assisting movement of baking pans in proximity of this condition were exposed to amputation hazards.
• This inspection also cited New Horizons for not providing the objects or tasks that caused injuries and the body parts affected (column F) in its 2022 OSHA 300 Log.

OSHA issued $17,857 in penalties, later reduced to $9,822, following this inspection.

Following the Norwalk inspection, OSHA inspected the Fremont facility for amputation risks Feb. 8, 2023. The case was closed without any citations issued.

Lockout-tagout training, slicer and bun-breaker hazards

OSHA returned to the Norwalk facility July 28, 2023, where it found:

• New Horizons did not adequately train employees to ensure they understood the company’s energy control program and did not ensure the procedures were done in sequence. Employees who were replacing a band slicer blade did not recognize and control potentially hazardous energy, and were exposed to caught-in hazards.
• The inspection also found the grouper bun break and gate on lines 1, 2, and 3 of the Bun Line were not adequately guarded, exposing employees to crush hazards.

OSHA cited New Horizons $41,072, later reduced to $20,500, for three serious violations.

Lift truck training and periodic evaluation

When OSHA returned to the Norwalk facility Oct. 13, 2023, it found:

• New Horizons did not ensure that the employees operating powered industrial trucks (PITs) - including pallet jacks and forklifts - were adequately trained, and did not adequately evaluate each employee’s performance every three years. Inadequately-trained employees were found to be operating powered pallet jacks to move pallets of product throughout the facility, exposing them to struck-by injuries.
• OSHA also found New Horizons did not ensure the Muffin Line tray diverter No. 2 fixed guard was adequately affixed to the machine. Employees tasked with responding to a tray jam at the diverter were exposed to a pinch point hazard when assisting trays while the line was in production. This issue was corrected during the inspection.
• New Horizons also did not ensure employees who performed material cleaning, sanitation, and emergency response - who could be exposed to bloodborne pathogens or other potential infections - received annual training and did not make the Hepatitis B vaccination available to them.

OSHA cited New Horizons $36,833, later reduced to $18,417, for three serious violations.

Removing, testing, and re-applying energy control devices

Within the next week, OSHA inspected the Fremont facility and found a machine testing violation.

• 29 CFR §1910.147(f)(1)(v) requires that in situations in which lockout/tagout devices must be temporarily removed to test or position a machine, authorized individuals must de-energize all systems and re-apply energy control measures before continuing maintenance. This issue was corrected during the inspection.

OSHA fined the company $1,500. The company has informally settled most of its cases, however, the last event listed for this case was the citation issuance.

Hazardous chemicals, hearing protection, and combustible dust

Two weeks after it inspected the Norwalk facility, OSHA returned Oct. 26 and found five serious violations, issuing a $70,984 penalty, later reduced to $29,154.

• Noise sampling found employees were exposed to as much as five times the permissible daily dose, averaging 95 to 103 dBA.
• New Horizons did not obtain a new audiogram annually for each employee exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dB, or retain audiometric test records.
• The company also did not provide employees with training on the effects of noise on hearing, the use of hearing protection, and the purpose of audiometric testing annually.
• OSHA also found emergency eye wash stations were not provided for employees in the back wash area handling corrosive liquids, exposing them to severe skin burns and eye damage.
• Additionally, OSHA found employees working near and around the corn meal gravity-fed delivery systems on the Bun and Muffin lines were not trained on the hazards associated with combustible dust.

Lockout/tagout and confined space safety tips

OSHA offers resources to help businesses develop an adequate workplace safety and health program. Employers can also contact the agency for information about OSHA's compliance assistance resources and for free help on complying with OSHA standards.

Learn about controlling hazardous energy and permit-required confined spaces.