1. Press Room
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NEWS RELEASE
Release Number: 2025-80
Date: August 12, 2025

Employer pleads guilty to criminal charges after Cal/OSHA investigation into deadly nitrogen leak

Cal/OSHA's Bureau of Investigations referred the case to Los Angeles County District Attorney after double fatality

Los Angeles—California Ranch Foods, a subsidiary of Golden West Food Group, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts after being criminally charged in connection with the 2020 deaths of two workers fatally exposed to nitrogen gas.

The victims, Baldemar Gonsales and Maria Osyguss, died after a malfunction in the facility's nitrogen system led to a hazardous gas release on December 1, 2020. Cal/OSHA's investigation found critical failures in safety procedures and training related to the handling of pressurized gas systems.

What Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said: "When employers fail to protect their workers and it results in a preventable death; California will hold them accountable. We will continue to use every tool available, including criminal referrals to ensure justice is served, and that safety is never optional."

The case stems from a criminal referral by Cal/OSHA's Bureau of Investigations (BOI) and was prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, California Ranch Foods must:

  • Invest $1.6 million in safety improvements at the facility
  • Pay $50,000 to BOI to support enforcement efforts
  • Serve three years of probation
  • Pay a $1 million criminal fine
  • Donate $4 million to local food banks
  • Acknowledge a $35 million civil settlement with the victims' families

The Bureau of Investigations (BOI) is a specialized investigative unit within Cal/OSHA dedicated to investigating the most serious workplace injuries and fatalities.

BOI reviews worker deaths and life-altering injuries that may involve potential criminal violations, such as willful safety failures, and refers appropriate cases for prosecution. It's the only investigative unit of this kind in the nation.

The Department of Industrial Relations has strengthened and restructured BOI to expand its ability to hold criminally negligent employers accountable. The unit now includes a dedicated team of eight investigators co-located with enforcement offices throughout the state in Redding, Sacramento, Oakland, Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield and San Diego. Two supervising investigators have been added to support both Northern and Southern California along with a chief investigator.

Additionally, the unit's capacity has been bolstered by dedicating seven attorneys along with a new attorney supervisor position focused on advancing BOI cases and supporting the unit's work. These strategic investments allow BOI to take on a greater number of complex investigations and reinforce California's commitment to protecting workers and pursuing justice in the most serious workplace incidents.

Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA is a division of the California Department of Industrial Relations.

Workers in California are protected regardless of immigration status. Workers who have questions about safety and health in the workplace can call 833-579-0927 to speak with a live bilingual Cal/OSHA representative between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Complaints about workplace safety and health hazards can be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.

Employers who have questions or need assistance with workplace health and safety programs can call Cal/OSHA's Consultation Services Branch at 800-963-9424.

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