Pepsi Guam Bottling to pay $133K for exposing workers to amputation hazards
An OSHA investigation has determined that Pepsi Guam Bottling exposed its workers to amputation and other serious injuries by leaving the machines’ guard doors open and permitting a safety proximity switch to be deactivated. The company reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and will have to pay $132,591 in penalties.
Want to learn more about industrial safety? Check out EHS Today
EHS Today informs environment, health and safety leaders on news, trends, management strategies, and regulatory updates that help them provide safe and healthy work sites.
In addition, the company must correct the safety failures found during the investigation, as well as implement a comprehensive safety and health program. As part of the plan to improve Pepsi Guam Bottling’s safety culture, the company will allow inspection of the facility, form a health and safety committee, and write an official safety and health plan. The company was initially investigated in October 2022 and received citations for one willful violation, one repeat violation and six serious violations.
In a recent quote, OSHA Regional Administrator James Wulff said, “Pepsi Guam Bottling’s agreement to boost its workplace safety protocols will help protect employees and put workers on an equal footing thanks to their inclusion in a new safety and health committee. OSHA will closely monitor the terms of this settlement agreement and provide any assistance needed or required to ensure compliance.”
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn
