An Elk Grove Village pizza manufacturer faces penalties of more than $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for its role in the December death of a Waukegan woman at its Gurnee plant.
OSHA imposed the penalties against the Miracapo Pizza Co. Thursday because the company did not give the woman proper training or authority, placing the company in its severe violator enforcement program, according to a news release from the agency.
Leily Sileni Hernandez, a temporary worker, died as a result of her injuries, according to the release and a statement by the company. She was 31, according to The Memorial Chapel in Waukegan.
An investigation by OSHA determined Hernandez suffered fatal injuries while working on the overnight shift under the supervision of the company at its Gurnee sheeting facility in December, according to an agency news release.
Hernandez was using compressed air to clean a spiral conveyor as it moved to cool pizza, when her head got caught in the machinery. She was not trained, nor given the authority to stop equipment before cleaning, according to the release.
“Safety standards are put in place to prevent these kinds of tragedies,” Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said in the release. “Employers have a responsibility to train workers in the language they understand so they know how to perform their work safely.”
Miracapo said in a statement it disagrees with OSHA’s findings, but is committed to working with the agency to, “to arrive at the best possible outcome for all.”
“We have always prioritized the safety and security of everyone who enters our facilities, and will continue to do so,” the company said in the statement. “Safety has always been and will continue to be a core value for our Company.”
A few weeks before Hernandez’s death, Miracapo was penalized $290,191 by OSHA at the same Gurnee facility because a worker performing maintenance on a sauce depositor sustained injuries leading to an amputation, according to the release.
OSHA assessed 29 violations against Miracapo. There were 18 egregious violations — the agency’s most severe — 12 serious violations, and one for a willful violation.
Miracapo has 15 business days to comply with the penalties, request an informal meeting with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before OSHA’s review commission.
Hernandez was the mother of two children, according to the chapel. She was buried in Honduras.
