En Español
Workplace accidents happen. When they do, the company is required to report the accident to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). OSHA can make inspections of a company to ensure that there are no hazards that can harm employees.
OSHA is seeking a warrant against a Gainesville chicken plant, calling the plant’s cooperation in a recent accident investigation “less than forthcoming.”
The Occupational Heath and Safety Administration in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta are seeking a federal warrant to inspect the Mar-Jac poultry processing plant for safety hazards.
The request to conduct the safety inspection follows a near-fatal accident in which a Mar-Jac employee was severely burned. The accident, which occurred in February, left the employee with third-degree burns that required hospitalization.
The warrant application expresses that Mar-Jac has repeated past and present violations that put workers at risk. The agency is seeking a judge’s approval to inspect the plant for any safety violations that the agency has deemed common in poultry processing.
A Gainesville attorney that is representing Mar-Jac stated that he had not received a copy of the warrant application, but he intended to stop it. He reported that Mar-Jac had been cooperative in reporting and investigating the accident.
After the accident that left the employee with third-degree burns, OSHA contends that their staff met with Mar-Jac about the accident. The staff member alleges that while Mar-Jac cooperated with the investigation into the accident, they would not allow any investigation beyond the scope of the accident.
When the OSHA investigator asked to inspect tools used by the employee at the time of the accident, she was told doing so would require her to walk through the plant to the locker where the tools were housed. She was told she could only do so if she wore a “box over her head” so that she would be blinded from seeing plant conditions.
The warrant application stated that this indicated a need for Federal Marshals to accompany OSHA personnel to prevent any interference in future inspections.
If you have been injured in a workplace accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the “Strong Arm” attorneys at John Foy & Associates. Our attorneys will help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.
