OSHA Investigation Reveals Serious Violations and Lack of Training in Miracapo Pizza Company’s Sanitation Practices

Illinois-based Miracapo Pizza Company, also known as Little Lady Foods, is facing severe penalties totaling $2.8 million after a federal investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) uncovered safety failures and a lack of training, resulting in the death of a 29-year-old sanitation worker.

The investigation revealed that the tragedy occurred at the company’s Gurnee sheeting facility in December 2022 when the sanitation worker, a temporary employee provided by XCEL Staffing Solutions LLC, was fatally injured while using compressed air to clean a spiral conveyor. Her head became caught in the machinery as it moved to cool pizza. OSHA found that the temporary workers had not received proper training or the authority to stop the equipment before performing cleaning tasks.

This devastating incident followed a similar occurrence in November 2022, where a worker conducting maintenance on a sauce depositor suffered an amputation, resulting in OSHA assessing Miracapo $290,191 in proposed penalties. In October 2021, yet another employee experienced a fingertip amputation while attempting to clear a jammed pizza conveyor.

OSHA has cited Miracapo Pizza Company for 16 willful egregious violations, one willful violation, and 12 serious violations, including five serious instance-by-instance violations of two standards on different machines. These citations have led to penalties totaling $2,812,658, and the company has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

The failures and hazards identified by OSHA inspectors include deficient lockout/tagout procedures for isolating energy during service and maintenance, lack of adequate machine guards on dough mixers and sprocket wheels and chains, exposing employees to fall hazards while working on dough mixers and an oven, risk of electrical hazards, inadequate usage of electrical personal protective equipment, and failure to provide appropriate eye protection, potentially leading to eye injuries.

GDI Services Inc., a contractor responsible for sanitation services at Miracapo Pizza Company, has also received citations from OSHA. The citations include two willful and two serious violations, including failure to lock out equipment during cleaning, lack of training for workers in a language they understand, failure to provide necessary lockout/tagout equipment, and insufficient information and training regarding hazardous chemicals. GDI Services faces proposed penalties amounting to $334,839.

Miracapo Pizza Company, headquartered in Elk Grove Village, specializes in manufacturing specialty frozen pizzas for private label sales, national brands, and a major convenience store chain through proprietary contracts. The company also manages its own warehousing and transportation services and boasts a production record of baking over one billion pizzas in the past decade.

Both Miracapo Pizza Company and GDI Services have 15 business days to comply with the citations and penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

OSHA’s Regional Administrator in Chicago, Bill Donovan, emphasized the importance of OSHA’s regional emphasis program for the food manufacturing industry, particularly for third-shift sanitation workers who are prone to injuries. The program aims to address common hazards and educate employers on adhering to OSHA and industry-recognized safety standards to prevent further tragedies.

The unfortunate death of the sanitation worker serves as a reminder of the critical role that safety standards and comprehensive training play in preventing workplace accidents. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, Doug Parker, expressed his condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and co-workers, reiterating that employers have a responsibility to provide training in a language that workers understand to ensure their safety.

OSHA’s findings in this investigation underscore the need for stringent safety measures, proper training, and adherence to industry standards to protect workers in the food manufacturing industry and prevent future tragedies.

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