Two years ago Dave wrote a story about a tuna worker who was cooked to death inside a pressure cooker. Originally Bumble Bee Foods was cited and fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Now the company and two of their managers are being charged with his death and violating safety regulations, a rare thing even in worker death cases. Los Angeles prosecutors say that the Operations Director and former safety manager, along with the company, willfully violated OSHA rules including those requiring implementing a safety plan, rules for workers in confined spaces, and rules for procedures to keep a piece of equipment turned off if someone is working on it.

Jose Melena, the deceased worker, had been inside the cooker doing maintenance work when his co-workers filled it up and turned it on, thinking he was in the bathroom. His supervisor noticed that he was missing and the search was on, they unfortunately found him dead two hours later.

If the two men are convicted they could face up to three years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The company faces $1.5 million in fines. The city’s District Attorney, Jackie Lacey, said that they are going to be cracking down on serious workplace violations more vigorously than they have in the past. The tuna company says they are saddened by Melena’s death and that safety is a top priority for their company.