PATERSON, N.J. – A commercial baker in Paterson faces $385,221 in federal penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the employer failed to correct workplace safety hazards identified in 2023.
The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration began a follow-up inspection at Valenti’s Bakery LLC in May 2024 after the employer failed to prove they had addressed hazards cited by OSHA in a June 2023 inspection. The agency initiated an inspection in 2023 after an employee suffered two partial finger amputations after coming into contact with an automatic blade.
During the follow-up investigation, OSHA found that the employer had failed to develop, document and use lockout/tagout procedures for the control of hazardous mechanical energy, which resulted in the agency issuing 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 side and edges.
“Valenti’s Bakery failed to take the necessary steps to protect its employees, even after a preventable life-altering injury underscored the hazards in its workplace,” said OSHA Area Office Director Lisa Levy in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. “Employers have a responsibility to correct known dangers promptly, not disregard them and put workers at further risk.”
OSHA’s machine guarding and control of hazardous energy webpages provide information on what employers must do to limit worker exposures to machine hazards.
Valenti’s Bakery LLC manufactures and sells baked goods wholesale to retailers throughout New Jersey.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.