More: OSHA's past investigations into the Patrick Cudahy plant

CUDAHY - Monday's five-alarm fire isn't the first time the Patrick Cudahy plant has had a major industrial accident. 

In May 2003, an electrical flash at the meat packing plant burned three employees on the faces, hands, arms and body.

After the accident, an OSHA investigation found a long list of serious violations including improper "safeguards for personnel protection," training and exit routes.

Federal officials slapped the company with $72,000 in fines.

Three years later, in July 2006, welding equipment at the plant sparked a huge fire in an area where fats and oils are refined.

"I couldn't even see the building when i first showed up," said one employee.

Smoke filled the skies over the south side.  Production at the plant came to a screeching halt.  Hundreds of employees had to be evacuated.

"The alarms went off, and when the alarms go off you know to get out of the building," said an employee.

It took 90 firefighters from a dozen departments to contain it.

The next day another OSHA investigation happened, with more serious violations for "failing to control hazardous energy." 

Total fine: $2,400.

Those accidents led to a large-scale disaster drill in late 2007.

The scenario: a toxic ammonia explosion and fire on the roof, with employees acting as injured.

More than 150 people and emergency crews took part trying to make this simulation as real as possible.

That drill turned into an almost clairvoyant dry-run for Monday's real emergency.

We searched OSHA records for the last 20 years, and found just one other issue with the plant back in 2000.

After someone complained, inspectors again found problems with exit routes and fined the company $1,200.

Additionally, the Department of Justice charged SCS of Wisconsin, Inc. with violations after demolishing buildings on the Patrick Cudahy site in 2004.  Click here for more information on those violations.