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A bizarre work accident took place at a Mars M&Ms factory in Pennsylvania on Thursday, June 9. Two workers at the Mars Wrigley factory, located in the Elizabethtown borough of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, reportedly fell into a chocolate tank and were trapped. Emergency rescue operations had to be initiated to extricate the workers from their situation.
Two workers rescued from vat of chocolate in Mars M&Ms factory
A Lancaster County 911 Dispatch spokesperson confirmed that the incident was reported at 1:51 pm EST at the confectionery facility located on the 200 Block of Brown Street in Pennsylvania. Emergency dispatchers said that while the two workers were not hurt, they could not get out of the chocolate tank by themselves.
The spokesperson said:
“The incident currently is being downgraded, but originally two employees were stuck in a sort of dry chocolate."
A Mars Wrigley and M&Ms spokesperson later stated:
"We are actively managing the situation and our primary focus is supporting emergency teams on site."
The local fire department realized upon arrival that pulling the workers out of the chocolate vat directly was not a viable option. The chocolate in the vat was estimated to be waist-deep for the victims stuck inside.
Brad Wolfe, Communications Supervisor for Lancaster County 911 Dispatch, said in a statement:
"Fire crews have eliminated pulling them straight out of a tank.They have to cut a hole in the side of the tank to get them out."
As per a Lancaster County 911 Dispatch supervisor, the first worker was rescued at 3:10 pm, while the second worker was extricated from the vat 15 minutes later, at 3:25 pm.
The present condition of the victims remains unknown, but they were rushed to hospitals in the locality. The Lancaster County spokesperson confirmed that the Lancaster Bureau of Police had not been notified of any sustained injuries due to the incident. It is likely that the hospital visit was a precautionary measure.
Assistant Supervisor Nick Schoenberger of Lancaster County 911 Dispatch added:
"One patient was transported by ground and one person was transported by helicopter."
An official press statement by Mars Wrigley and M&Ms stated:
“We can confirm both external contractors have been taken offsite for further evaluation. We’re extremely grateful for the quick work of the first responders.”
The two workers who fell into the chocolate tank were external contractors employed by the Manheim-based I.K. Stolzfus Services, as per a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the company's website, I.K. Stolzfus Services specializes in “professional industrial cleaning, water tank repair, cleaning & painting, abrasive and sandblasting services.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident, according to federal labor officials. A representative for the US Department of Labor said that OSHA has six months to investigate and report its findings.
The confectionary site in question known for manufacturing M&Ms and Dove chocolate, among a slew of other sweet treats.
