Mars fined after two workers almost drown in tank of chocolate

A Mars Wrigley factory has been fined after two workers fell into a vat of chocolate and almost drowned.

Last June, at the Elizabethtown M&M/Mars factory, in Pennsylvania, US, two workers - employed by an outside contracting firm - fell into the partially filled chocolate tank while doing maintenance work.

Emergency responders were able to free the pair by cutting a hole in the bottom of the tank, officials said, and both were taken to hospitals, one by helicopter.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said the workers were not authorised to work in the tanks and were not trained on the proper safety procedures for the equipment.

The batching tank was used to mix ingredients for Dove chocolate, which is sold as Galaxy in the UK.

The OSHA has fined the factory more than $14,500 (£12,000).

If you wanna know the nitty gritty of the incident, the regulator's report read: "The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognised hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.

"An employee participated in the control of hazardous energy for the Dove chocolate batching 20 micron tank. The employer did not ensure that the employee had the knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy for the task.

"Employees of an outside employer, I.K. Stoltzfus Service Corp., cleaned tanks, including the Dove chocolate batching 20 micron tank, owned by the onsite/host employer, Mars Wrigley.

"The host employer did not provide the outside employer with the correct energy control procedure or work authorisation permit that included verification of flowable material isolation given the permitted entry."

A Mars Wrigley spokesperson said: "The safety of our associates and outside contractors is a top priority for our business.

"As always, we appreciate the OSHA's collaborative approach to working with us to conduct the after-action review."