A Los Angeles bakery has been fined for unsafe work conditions, which state officials say, have led to several serious job injuries. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the California Department of Industrial Relations has fined Bimbo Bakeries more than $230,000 for unsafe working conditions at three California facilities. The citations were issued in Montebello, Escondido and South San Francisco. According to the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), the Montebello bakery alone has gotten six citations totaling $30,250.

Serious Workplace Safety Violations

Some of the violations at that bakery include having no emergency eye wash or shower equipment, incomplete hazardous energy control procedures, having unguarded pulleys, sprockets and shafts of equipment. Cal/OSHA officials apparently started investigating Bimbo Bakeries after accidents where the company was cited for employees suffering amputations because of unguarded equipment.

I'm pleased that these unsafe facilities have gotten Cal/OSHA's attention. Apparently, the Mexico-based company, which manufactures baked goods for several well-known brands, has not fully addressed the ongoing problems that expose their employees to serious personal injuries. Hopefully, these citations would have sent a strong message to the company that they need to fix safety issues promptly and comply with state safety standards.

Claims for Compensation

Workers who are injured as a result of serious industrial or on-the-job accidents are usually entitled to workers compensation benefits through their employer. However, when a worker has sustained catastrophic injuries such as an amputation, workers compensation benefits are woefully inadequate to cover medical expenses, loss of wages and lost future earnings. The same applies to cases where workers are killed. In these types of accidents, workers compensation benefits may not make a difference financially for these families. Many of these families are usually dealt a devastating blow when they lose their sole breadwinner.

In such cases, an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer will be able to advise injured victims and their families whether they have a "third-party claim." Such claims are usually filed against a negligent party (not the employer) whose negligence or wrongdoing caused the accident. Such parties may include a contractor, sub-contractor, manufacturer of a defective product or a company that maintains the machinery. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free and comprehensive consultation to injured victims and their families.