OSHA fines New Jersey bakery $385k over safety lapses

A commercial baker in Paterson, New Jersey, is facing $385,221 in federal penalties after an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found it failed to correct workplace safety hazards identified in 2023 after a worker was seriously injured due to a lapse in machine guarding.

OSHA conducted a follow-up inspection at Valenti’s Bakery LLC in May and found that the employer had failed to develop, document and use lockout/tagout procedures for the control of hazardous mechanical energy, prompting the agency to issue a notification of failure to abate.

Investigators also issued two willful citations for blocked and obstructed exit routes; one repeat citation for machine guarding; and six serious citations for exposure to fall hazards from a ladder and unprotected sides and edges.