The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a food maker as a result of an investigation that took place after one of their workers was overcome by vinegar fumes and was hospitalized.

The Rob Salamida Co. in Johnson City, NY was investigated by OSHA who found that the site had various safety violations. In September of 2015 one of their workers was cleaning the inside of a 3,000 tank that held vinegar, and the worker said he was overcome by the acetic acid vapors in the tank and when he was rescued he went to the hospital for five days. The company makes Spiedie’s Sauce and Southern Tier BBQ Sauce, among other rubs and marinades.

The company received one willful violation and 11 serious violations for fines totaling $79,600. They received a willful violation because they failed to evaluate their workspace and identify confined spaces, which require a permit. They did not have permits for any of their 3,000 gallon tanks which contained white vinegar, cider vinegar and red wine vinegar.

Inspectors found that the company failed to identify confined space hazards (the oxygen deficiency and acetic acid in the tanks), and then failed to develop procedures to make sure entry conditions were kept safe. They did not monitor the air or ventilation of the tanks and did not train employees on the hazards of confined spaces or how to rescue someone from a confined space. Workers were not provided with the proper respiratory protections, goggles or eyewashes for those working with dangerous chemicals and there was no chemical hazard communication program in place.

Rob Salamida owns the company and says they plan to contest a few of the findings but added, “We don’t take any of this lightly; we respect the role OSHA plays.”

The company said the tank had been emptied but needed to be rinsed out. Firefighters who arrived at the scene said it had a few inches of vinegar left at the bottom. The employee was wearing a respirator and another employee was observing in case anything happened. He was the one who called 911 when he saw the worker fall down in the tank and lose consciousness.