Three companies cited for deaths of Northern Colorado dairy farm workers

Three companies have been cited for serious violations that investigators say led to the deaths of six dairy farm workers in Northern Colorado last year.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, contractors Fiske Inc. and HD Builders LLC were hired to work on the manure management system at Prospect Ranch LLC in Weld County prior to the incident. On Aug. 20, a pipe in the system reportedly disconnected, releasing manure water and hydrogen sulfide gas into the pump room.

H2S gas is produced as manure decomposes. After the incident in August, David Douphrate, a dairy farm safety expert and Associate Director of the High Plains and Intermountain Center for Agriculture and Safety, told CBS Colorado that it can quickly become dangerous. At higher concentrations, it may only take a few breaths to become affected.

OSHA said a Fiske employee and a Prospect Ranch employee inside the pump room were both overcome by the toxic gas. As three more Fiske employees and another Prospect Ranch employee entered the room, they, too, were overcome.

In total, six workers were killed by the gas. They included five men and a student at Highland High School.

HD Builders employees were also at the facility, but were not harmed.

Following an investigation, OSHA proposed $132,406 in penalties against Prospect Ranch LLC and cited them for:

• Failure to protect workers from atmospheric hazards
• Failure to have a written hazard communication program
• Failure to train workers to detect hazardous gases.

Fiske Inc. was also cited for failure to protect its employees and train them on detection. The company faces penalties totaling $99,306. OSHA cited HD Builders for failing to maintain a written hazard communication program and for failing to provide training on detecting hydrogen sulfide. They proposed a $14,897 penalty against the company.

OSHA said the companies have 15 days from the receipt of citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings. They said that the penalties and citations may be adjusted throughout the course of the case.