PATERSON, NJ. — The US Department of Labor (DOL) said it has reached a settlement agreement with Valenti’s Bakery LLC to resolve litigation related to hazards uncovered at the company’s facility in Paterson. As part of the settlement, Valenti’s has agreed to pay a $180,000 fine.

The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated Valenti’s Bakery in June 2023 after an employee suffered partial finger amputations. A year later, in May 2024, OSHA followed up at the facility to make sure Valenti’s Bakery had addressed the cited hazards, but instead found the hazards remained.

In total, OSHA affirmed several citations, including two willful, one repeat, six serious, and one failure-to-abate citation.

In addition to the $180,000 fine, Valenti’s Bakery has agreed to implement enhanced abatement measures, including: establishing an employee-management safety and health committee; retaining a third-party safety consultant to perform regular safety audits; posting safety and health signage and providing appropriate safety training in both English and Spanish; implementing a daily safety checklist and security cameras focused on improving exit route safety; implementing new engineering controls; and performing spot checks to ensure use of proper lockout/tagout procedures.