Los Angeles — A food processing plant operator has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor criminal counts stemming from a nitrogen gas leak that killed two workers at a facility in Vernon, CA.
California Ranch Foods, a subsidiary of Golden West Food Group, was charged after an investigation by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s Bureau of Investigations found critical failures in safety procedures and training related to the handling of pressurized gas systems, according to an Aug. 12 press release.
A malfunction in the facility’s nitrogen system led to the hazardous gas release on Dec. 1, 2020, causing the deaths of Baldemar Gonsales, 56, and Maria Osyguss, 54.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, California Ranch Foods must invest $1.6 million in safety improvements at the facility, pay a $1 million criminal fine, donate $4 million to local food banks and acknowledge a $35 million civil settlement with the victims’ families.
The company also will be on probation for three years and pay $50,000 to the Bureau of Investigations to support enforcement efforts.
The case was prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
“When employers fail to protect their workers and it results in a preventable death, California will hold them accountable,” Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said in the release. “We will continue to use every tool available, including criminal referrals, to ensure justice is served and that safety is never optional.”
