Fish processing firm faces hefty fines
A US seafood processor has been cited for $214,500 in fines by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for food safety violations.
High Liner Foods is alleged to have breached health and safety standards on 17 different counts at its seafood processing plant in New Hampshire.
OSHA has indentified the firm’s failure to test and inspect its anhydrous ammonia piping system used for freezing as the most serious infringement.
Neglect of the ammonia piping system “exposes workers to the possibility of an ammonia leak or similar severe or catastrophic incident", said OSHA area director Rosemarie Ohar.
The proposed fines include nine other serious citations which OSHA said are issued only when the employer’s actions or failures are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
High Liner has been given 15 days to appeal.
