STAVIS FINED FOR 20 SAFETY VIOLATIONS
South Boston company Stavis Seafoods violated nearly two dozen safety standards when an employee died this spring after a pipe burst and leaked ammonia.
“The company’s failure to follow industry and OSHA standards exposed its employees to the hazards of an ammonia release as well as falls, electric shock, hazardous chemicals and delayed or obstructed exit from the facility during a leak or other emergency,” said James Mulligan, OSHA’s acting area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.
“It’s clear that Stavis Seafoods must take effective action to correct these hazards and prevent their recurrence so that no other employees are harmed on the job,” Mulligan said.
Brian Caron, a father of two from Peabody and the facilities manager at Stavis, died after he was overcome by an ammonia leak on March 23. Investigators said an ammonia pipe used for the facility’s refrigeration system burst, leaking fumes. First responders were unable to reach Caron at the time because the fumes were so strong.
After a monthlong investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found 20 serious violations totalling $173,168 in fines, including:
• A broken alarm in the machine room where the ammonia leak began;
• Failing to test ammonia sensors;
• Missing a ventilation system able to disperse an ammonia leak; and
• Failing to train employees in emergency evacuations.
An OSHA inspection also found defective ladders, a 17-foot drop behind an unmarked door and an “incomplete inventory” of hazardous chemicals.
In a statement, Stavis chief executive Richard Stavis said the company is working with OSHA, and has permanently closed the plant.
“We continue to mourn the loss of Brian Caron, our co–worker and friend,” Stavis said.
“We cooperated fully with OSHA’s investigation and have taken extensive steps to ensure both employee and public safety including: permanently closing the impacted facility, hiring a third-party safety and compliance consultant, and working closely with OSHA to ensure that all our facilities and equipment meet or exceed the highest safety standards,” he said.
In 2009, Stavis Seafood was fined by OSHA for not conducting an evaluation of refrigeration system hazards. The company was also fined in 2000.