Dairy near Keensburg fined following worker deaths in August - Two other companies receive fines also

Federal workplace safety regulators have issued nearly 250-thousand dollars in proposed fines following the deaths of six Colorado dairy workers exposed to toxic hydrogen sulfide gas last August.

The citations were announced Tuesday by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The workers died on August 20th at a dairy near Keenesburg after a manure pipe disconnected inside an enclosed pump room, releasing dangerous gas.

Five men and one teenager were killed.

The dairy’s owner, Prospect Ranch LLC, faces the largest proposed fine — more than 132-thousand dollars — for what OSHA calls serious violations, including failures in worker training, safety planning, and protection from atmospheric hazards.

Colorado-based Fiske Inc. faces nearly 100-thousand dollars in penalties. The company’s High Plains Robotics division employed four of the workers who died. OSHA says employees attempted to stop the flow of manure water but were overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas. Additional workers then entered the confined space and were also overcome.

A third contractor, HD Builders, was cited for failing to maintain a written hazard communication program and for not providing hydrogen sulfide detection training. The company faces nearly 15-thousand dollars in proposed fines.

The Weld County Coroner’s Office confirmed the deaths were caused by hydrogen sulfide exposure in a confined space.

All three companies have 15 days to comply, request a conference, or challenge the findings.

Safety experts say confined spaces on farms remain a persistent and deadly hazard, often involving invisible, odorless gases that can quickly overwhelm workers.