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After the 2012 death of a worker at a Pilgrim’s Pride in Canton, GA, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company with eight safety violations.
The worked was killed after being caught in an unguarded hopper, and an investigation was begun in October 2012 to assess the fatality.
Some of the citations include failing to include the process needed for the removal of locks and star-up following lockout/tagout, and eletrical cords that did not have an effective strain relief device. These repeat violations were also cited in an inspection performed in 2011.
More serious violations include the employer failing to conduct annual inspections of the energy control procedures and not allowing effective guarding of equipment and machines, preventing workers from entering dangerous areas where they are exposed to safety hazards. These violations were cited as serious because they created a substantial probability for injury or death and were situations that the employer knew about or should have known about.
Other-than-serious violations included failing to consider safety and health standards regarding the refrigeration process and not including these systems and their functions in clearly outlined procedures. These violations directly affect job safety but were not likely to cause serious injury or death.
The repeat and serious violations could carry $58,755 in penalties. No monetary penalties have been issued for the other-than-serious violations.
“Establishing safety and health programs that identify and remove hazards before a worker gets injured or sick goes to the very core of providing a safe and healthful workplace,” said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office. “In this case, a tragic loss resulted from equipment that could easily have been guarded.”
Serious injury and wrongful death can be difficult to get through, causing undue pain, expense and anxiety. Make sure you are protected from the negligence of employers. Contact our caring John Foy and Associates Workers’ Compensation attorneys today to ensure you get all you are entitled to. Please call us at 404-400-4000 or simply fill out the Free Case Evaluation on our web page.
