Two trapped in tank at Mars Wrigley chocolate plant
Local OSHA official says the workers became trapped while performing maintenance inside the tanks.
In something ripped from the pages of Roald Dahl, two employees of a tank maintenance firm required first responders to free them from a chocolate tank at the Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S., LLC production site in Elizabethtown, Penn.
Emergency personnel was routed to the scene on June 9, 2022, and a Lancaster County 911 spokesperson said the two were performing maintenance inside the tank when they became stuck.
While no injuries were reported, the duo were transported to an area hospital as a precautionary measure.
“We can confirm both external contractors have been taken offsite for further evaluation,” a representative from Mars Wrigley told local news outlet Lancasteronline.com. “We’re extremely grateful for the quick work of the first responders.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation into the incident, an administration spokesperson told a local CBS affiliate. The investigation is expected to be concluded within six months.
The OSHA spokesperson identified the trapped workers as being employees of I.K. Stoltzfus Service Corporation.
This follows news that many third-party vendors are not meeting insurance requirements, according to Evident ID, Inc. The company also found that 23% of third-party vendors didn’t respond to a company’s request for proof of insurance. Of those that did respond, more than half were not certified compliant.
The Elizabethtown, Penn., plant makes products under the Dove, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers brands, and has been in operation since 1915.
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