Orangeburg cheese firm where worker died cited for $33K in fines by OSHA
Robert Brum, Rockland/Westchester Journal News Published 2:22 p.m. ET July 5, 2019 | Updated 3:24 p.m. ET July 5, 2019
The Orangeburg cheese manufacturer where a worker died in a mixing machine has been cited for serious violations carrying over $33,000 in penalties following an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA's two-week inspection of ICCO Cheese Co. followed the death of Edwin Nunez on Jan. 15.
Buy PhotoOrangetown police and OSHA are probing the 41-year-old worker's death inside a mixing machine. This is a view of The Orangeburg cheese company in Orangeburg Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News)
Nunez' death was ruled accidental, caused by blunt impact and crushing injuries, according the Rockland County medical examiner. OSHA's inspection was to determine the company's compliance with OSHA workplace safety standards.
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Nunez, 41 from Paterson, New Jersey, had been employed for about eight months at the company, which makes grated cheese, bread crumbs and seasonings.
According to OSHA's inspection and agency spokespersons, ICCO did not keep the workplace "free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees," citing the following violations:
Workers were potentially exposed to being struck by a piece of equipment.
Employees who worked on elevated surfaces were not protected from falling by guardrails or safety nets.
The opening of a blender used to mix ingredients was not guarded to protect workers from becoming tangled up in or struck by moving parts.
Procedures "were not developed, documented and utilized" to shut down blenders in case of unintended startup or operation while workers were cleaning the machinery or switching from regular breadcrumbs to Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
Machine guarding was not in place on blenders to protect operators from becoming entangled in or being struck by moving parts.
Orangetown police and OSHA are probing the 41-year-old worker's death inside a mixing machine. This is a view of The Orangeburg cheese company in Orangeburg Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News)
OSHA's findings were issued June 24; the company has 15 business days to comply, request a meeting with the agency, or contest the findings. ICCO is scheduled to meet with OSHA later this month.
Joseph Angiolillo, ICCO's vice president of operations, did not respond to email or phone messages.ICCO started as a family-owned cheese shop in the 1930s in Brooklyn, according to its website. The company moved to 1 Olympic Drive in Orangeburg in 1999 and has since expanded, according to the town. In 2009, it employed about 66 workers.
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Worker dies in machine at ICCO Cheese Co. in Orangeburg: Cops
Matt Spillane, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
January 24, 2019
ORANGETOWN, NY -
A worker at an Orangeburg cheese company died in a mixing machine at the facility recently, police said.
Edwin Nunez Galvez died on Jan. 15 at ICCO Cheese Co. at 1 Olympic Drive, Orangetown police said in a statement on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old resident of Paterson, New Jersey, was found in a mixing machine at his work station around 10:30 a.m. that day, police said. Rockland paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police said that the incident appears to be accidental, and that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also responded.
ICCO officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
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The Orangeburg cheese company worker who was found inside a mixing machine died of blunt impact and crushing injuries, according to the Rockland County medical examiner.
Edwin Nunez was pronounced dead the morning of Jan. 15 after Orangetown police responded to ICCO Cheese Co. at 10:30 a.m.
The 41-year-old Paterson, New Jersey, man had worked for ICCO for about 18 months, according to Orangetown police, who are investigating the death as an accident.
The company, which makes grated cheese, bread crumbs and seasonings, does not have cameras in the area where the incident occurred.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Tarrytown office has begun an inspection to determine if there were any workplace safety violations in connection with the incident, according to an OSHA spokesman. An estimate about when that would be completed was unavailable.
OSHA has not previously inspected the company's facility, according to the spokesman.
The company did not respond to a phone call or email on Thursday.
ICCO started as a family-owned cheese shop in the 1930s in Brooklyn, according to its website.
The company moved its facility to Olympic Drive in Orangeburg in 1999 and has since expanded, according to the town. In 2009, it employed about 66 workers.
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ICCO
Our Technology
A State-Of-The-Art Facility To Best Serve Your Needs.
What started out as a
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Even though our facility is state-of-the-art, our
service and pride in our products are very much old-fashioned. Give us a
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