Death by Chocolate
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 02:22PM OSHA investigates Blommer after HazMat incidents
Federal investigators are on the scene Tuesday morning at a Chicago chocolate factory that was the scene of one HazMat incident in which a worker was killed by fumes on Sunday, and a second involving a small fire on Tuesday morning.
A small fire that prompted a hazardous materials response and evacuation was controlled on the fourth floor of the Blommer Chocolate Company at 600 W. Kinzie on Tuesday morning, according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado. The fire was reported about 6 a.m. and was out by about 6:30 a.m. with no injuries reported.
On Sunday, a worker was killed at the factory and two others injured after apparently inhaling a chemical used to make chocolate. Geraldo Castillo, 30, of 1770 W. Olive Ave., apparently suffered from respiratory exposure to a chemical used in the process of making chocolate, police said. He was working on the top floor. The other two men injured, a 31-year-old and a 53-year-old, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Preliminary reports said the substance was ammonia bicarbonate.
Inspectors from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were at the factory Tuesday morning investigating both incidents, according to Gary Anderson, area director of OSHA’s Calumet City field office. He said no information would be available until after the inspection is complete.
"We will determine later whether there are safety or health concerns that need to be corrected or whether there are hazards in the factory," he said. "We will stay on the scene until the investigation is complete."
Anderson said the plant was not open Tuesday morning, and he was unsure as of 11:30 a.m. whether it has reopened.
In a statement, company officials said they were working with city, state and federal officials in an investigation.
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