Ferrara Candy Co. fined for exposing workers to amputation at Bellwood facility

BELLWOOD, Ill. - The US Department of Labor found five OSHA violations at Ferrara Candy Co.'s Bellwood facility and proposed over $201,000 in fines. 

Following a federal workplace safety inspection at the Chicago-area candy manufacture, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found the company was exposing workers to amputation hazards at its Bellwood site.

OSHA inspectors said this was the third time in five years that the facility was cited for failing to use lockout procedures. 

The five citation given to Ferrara Candy Co. include one repeat violation and four serious safety violations after responding to an April 4, 2022, complaint of unsafe working conditions. 

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"Ferrara Candy Co. knows its workers can suffer debilitating injuries, such as amputations, when machines are not properly de-energized before servicing or maintaining them," said OSHA’s Chicago North Area Director Angeline Loftus in Arlington Heights, Illinois. 

"Yet, company personnel continue to expose employees needlessly to these hazards. OSHA will continue to hold manufacturers accountable for using safe work practices, including lockout," Loftus continued.

OSHA cited the company for not providing access to an eyewash station and for allowing workers to operate powered industrial vehicles while in disrepair.

Based in Chicago, the Ferrara Candy Co. manufactures non-chocolate confectionary products and employs workers at manufacturing facilities across North America.