OSHA Cites Hanover Foods for 70 Alleged Safety Violations

Pennsylvania-based food manufacturer Hanover Foods Corp. has been found in violation of dozens of safety and health hazards at its Centre Hall facility, according to federal officials.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation at the Centre Hall plant in 2023 in response to a complaint alleging hazards involving the company’s handling of highly hazardous chemicals, included in Hanover’s Process Safety Management program.

OSHA cited the company for 70 violations, including nine repeat, 51 serious and 11 other-than-serious violations.

OSHA said the infractions related to numerous process safety management failures such as lack of training; not correcting equipment deficiencies; failing to document that equipment complied with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices and to establish an emergency plan for the entire plant.

The agency reported that it has assessed Hanover Foods with $761,876 in penalties. OSHA cited the company for similar violations at its Clayton, Delaware, facility in 2019 and 2021

The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the independent OSHA Review Commission.

The producer of glass-pack, canned, frozen, refrigerated, freeze-dried and snack food products under the Hanover brand as well as other private labels also operates eight other manufacturing plants, including five in Pennsylvania and one each in Delaware, New Jersey and Guatemala.

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Workers’ Compensation