The maker of some of America’s favorite candies has been fined thousands of dollars after two workers fell into a chocolate vat at its factory in Elizabethtown, Pa.
In June 2022, first responders were called to the Mars Wrigley facility and found two workers trapped in a tank full of chocolate that had been determined to be Dove bars, local media reported at the time.
The two men involved in the accident – who were contractors employed by an external cleaning company – were rescued by fire crews, who had to cut a hole in the chocolate bin to help them escape.
Both were taken to the hospital, with one of the workers transported by helicopter, according to reports. It was unclear if, or how badly, he was injured.
After that incident, Mars Wrigley—whose confectionery products include M&M’s, Snickers bars and Mars bars—found itself in hot water with the Department of Labor.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the conglomerate $14,502 for the accident.
The regulator said the company had committed “serious” breaches of workplace health and safety laws, saying the company had put employees at risk by failing to ensure workers hired to clean the tanks were properly trained in a safe manner.
A spokesman for Mars Wrigley was not immediately available for comment when contacted fortune.
However, a representative of the company told the BBC that the safety of its workforce, including outside contractors, is a “top priority.”
“We appreciate it [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s] collaborative approach to work with us to do after-action reviews,” he said.
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