Companies Fined $650,000 After Worker Dies in Storage Facility

Two companies were fined a combined $650,000 after a worker died in an apple storage facility that had a low oxygen level to prevent fruit from spoiling, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries announced. An employee from Pace International LLC died Oct. 1 in a controlled atmosphere room owned by Stemilt Growers. The department said a Stemilt employee unlocked the room and allowed the worker in but didn’t point out that oxygen levels were low. The department said its inspectors found oxygen levels ranged from 1.9% to 2.09% in the storage room. Normal oxygen at sea level...