After responding to a report of an amputation at the Tyson Foods plant in Texas, OSHA cited the company with 15 serious and two repeated safety violations. The inspectors found the company allowed the carbon dioxide levels to exceed the exposure limit,didn't provide workers with PPE, didn't train employees on peracetic acid hazards and, as with the case of the amputation, failed to ensure proper safety guards on moving machine parts.
The investigation determined the worker suffered a finger amputation after trying to remove a jam in an unguarded conveyor belt caused by chicken parts.
“Tyson Foods must do much more to prevent disfiguring injuries like this one from happening,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health. “As one of the nation’s largest food suppliers, it should set an example for workplace safety rather than drawing multiple citations from OSHA for ongoing safety failures.”
Other findings in the investigation show that lack of proper drainage exposed workers to slip-and-fall hazards, recessed drains that present trip-and-fall hazards and potential fire hazards from storing compressed gas cylinders improperly.
The company has 15 business days to comply with the agency.
