Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | November 23, 2020 | wbjournal.com C E N T R A L M AS S I N B R I E F OSHA investigating Table Talk Pies over safety V E R BAT I M Early preparation "We sell a lot of products globally, so we were talking to folks all over the world, and we were well aware that COVID was coming to the United States, probably before it arrived here in the magnitude which it did." Riverdale Mills Corp. CEO Jim Knott, discussing how the coronavirus impacted the Northbridge manufacturing facility Fresh brews "So to be clear, this isn't a closure or a move, but a temporary venue we are setting up to keep our team cranking through the winter." Medusa Brewing Co. co-owner Keith Sullivan, discussing the company's decision to move its beer garden inside The Landing at Hudson Mills Diagnosing the problem "Schools are not spreaders." Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker during a press conference where he announced a series of new COVID-19 regulations, including forcing a number of businesses like restaurants to close at 9:30 p.m. each day T able Talk Pies is being investigated by federal officials for workplace safety concerns at facilities in Worcester and Shrewsbury following a series of instances in which the company has already been fined. e U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened in the past month two investigations into incidents at Table Talk. One was opened on Nov. 3 at Table Talk's Shrewsbury facility, and another about a week prior at Table Talk's Southgate Street location in Worcester. In both cases, inspection reports — the only publicly available information while investigations are ongoing — include potential amputation incidents. OSHA declined to give any additional detail about the incidents. Table Talk has been fined repeatedly in the past three years over safety violations, for more than $400,000. e company was fined $40,428 for what OSHA describes as serious violations this year aer an investigation opened in June and issued in late October. In that case, six violations were recorded for an incident in which a worker was apparently exposed to a corrosive manufactured substance called sodium hydroxide, which is commonly used in commercial drain and oven cleaners, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. "e employer did not furnish employment and a place of BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to additional bodily harm or potential permanent disabling injuries that could result from the employer's not notifying emergency medical services," OSHA's violation notice said. Table Talk is one of three Central Mass. firms and one of 20 statewide fined this year at least $40,000, considered high fines by OSHA. Ayer manufacturer CPF Inc. was fined $54,000 in May for what was only described as a serious safety incident. New England Wooden Ware Corp. in Gardner was fined $40,000 in June for undisclosed serious and repeat incidents. In previous incidents, Table Talk was fined $33,300 in February 2016 for what was described only as a serious incident, $122,948 in March 2017 for what was described briefly as serious forkli and electrical shock incidents, $69,713 in November 2017 for a serious incident, $129,336 in March 2018 for a repeat violation, and $13,260 in December 2018. In the last incident, an employee leaned over a running conveyor belt to pick up pie plates that fell on floor and sustained skin lacerations when his hand and arm were pulled into the machine, according to OSHA. e employee was hospitalized and required skin gras. Harry Kokkinis, the president of Table Talk, said the manufacturer is committed to keeping a safe workplace. "Our employees are the most important assets we have, and we want to make sure they're in a safe environment," he said. Kokkinis declined to comment specifically on the two cases under investigation or those for which the company was fined but said Table Talk has enhanced employee safety training and hired in the past few years a safety manager and coordinator. Between half and two-thirds of its 350 employees work in manufacturing, including food production and packaging. "We work hard to make sure we have a safe environment for our employees. No one should get hurt while making our pies," Kokkinis said. "When an accident happens, we take that very seriously and investigate why safeguards weren't effective in those particular situations." e two incidents under investigation imply severe medical incidents or risks. An investigation was opened Oct. 23 for an incident at the Southgate Street location, and another on Nov. 3 at Table Talk's facility on Bowditch Drive in Shrewsbury. In both cases, the word "amputate" is used in OSHA's "emphasis" category. OSHA declined to elaborate on that phrasing and what it could indicate. OSHA put in place last December a new initiative on addressing amputations in manufacturing industries. Under those guidelines, "amputate" is used to indicate incidents in which complaints allege potential exposures to amputation hazards. e Worcester Police Department said officers were called to the site for medical calls on Oct. 14 and Oct. 27, as well as December 2019 for an incident involving a hand injury caused by machinery. e Shrewsbury Police Department said officers were called to Table Talk's Shrewsbury site on Oct. 31 for a worker who suffered a broken wrist and was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Table Talk has facilities off Southgate Street, one that opened in 2017 and another in 2019. It is also building a new facility on Gardner Street about two blocks away that will replace its building on Green and Madison streets in Kelley Square. at facility is planned to open by August 2021. W Table Talk Pies' cold storage facility on Armory Street PHOTO | ZACHARY COMEAU

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