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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
Blocked Exits Among Items Cited by OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today proposed
penalties totaling $332,500 against Hudson Foods, Inc., a Noel, Mo., poultry
processor, for willful, serious and repeat violations of requirements for
worker safety.
"Every American worker has a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and
one of my top priorities is to make that right a reality," said Secretary of
Labor Alexis M. Herman. "We cannot allow employers to continuously place their
employees at risk of death or serious injury by ignoring good safety and health
practices. By repeatedly endangering its employees' lives, Hudson Foods brought
these penalties on itself."
OSHA began its inspection of Hudson Foods Jan. 22, 1997, following
stories in the news media and worker complaints about poor working conditions
at the Noel processing plant, which employs 1,400 people.
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health
Gregory R. Watchman said, "Hudson Foods endangered workers by blocking fire and
emergency exits, despite the fact that it had a history of plant fires. The
company also failed to give cleanup crews proper protection against chemicals
that resulted in serious eye injuries."
OSHA cited Hudson Foods today for three alleged willful violations at
$70,000 each for a total penalty of $210,000; 17 alleged serious violations
with a penalty of $68,500; two repeat violations with a penalty of $50,000; and
12 alleged other-than-serious violations with a penalty of $4,000.
In addition to the safety conditions cited today, OSHA is investigating
ergonomic hazards in the plant and will report on those later.
The willful violations involve blocked and restricted fire and emergency
exits; lack of enforcement and training for employees' use of eye protective
equipment; and failure to provide proper hazard communication training and
procedures (hazardous chemicals were stored in containers without proper
labels).
Hudson Foods has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed
penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission.
OSHA has inspected the Noel Hudson Foods facility 23 other times since
1973. In 16 of those inspections citations were issued, some for serious
violations.
The Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department's Employment
Standards Administration is investigating housing where some Hudson Foods
workers reside for possible violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Worker
Protection Act.
(Editor's Note: See Attached Fact Sheet for Summary of Alleged
Violations and Proposed Penalties)
SUMMARY OF ALLEGED VIOLATIONS
AND PROPOSED PENALTIES
HUDSON
FOODS, INC.
NOEL, MO.
ALLEGED WILLFUL VIOLATIONS
- Blocked and restricted fire/emergency exits $70,000
- Failure to provide training in and enforce use of eye protective
equipment by employees $70,000
- Failure to provide training and procedures for handling hazardous
chemicals $70,000
Total Proposed Penalties for Alleged Willful Violations
$210,000
(Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard
of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act and regulations.)
Alleged Serious Violations
- Fall hazards for employees climbing 18 feet above the floor onto
stacked boxes.
- Inadequate housekeeping, deficient fixed stairs.
- Defective portable ladders, deficient lighting of exit signs.
- Failure to provide lockout/tagout training.
- Nonfunctioning eye wash and shower facilities.
- Inadequate aisle clearances for material handling equipment.
- Not stacking boxes securely.
- Deficiencies in the modifications, operations and training related to
fork lift trucks.
- Failure to securely anchor machines to prevent movement.
- Electrical deficiencies and failure to provide electrical personal
protective equipment.
Total Proposed Penalties for Alleged Serious Violations
$68,500
(A serious violation is defined as one in which there is a substantial
probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer
knew or should have known of the hazard.)
Alleged Repeat Violations
- Unmarked and obstructed aisles. $25,000
- Lack of machine guarding (such as on meat cutting saws and deboning
machines $25,000
Total Proposed Penalties for Alleged Repeat Violations
$50,000
(A repeat violation is one in which the employer has been cited
previously for a substantially similar condition and the citation has become a
final order.)
Alleged Other-than-Serious Violations
- Deficient practices for keeping records of injuries and illnesses.
- Failure to post platform limits.
- Deficient fixed stairways
- Hearing conservation deficiencies.
- Overexposing employees to carbon dioxide.
- Insufficient toilet facilities.
- Electrical deficiencies.
Total Proposed Penalties for Alleged Other-than-Serious Violations
$4,000
(An other-than-serious violation is a hazardous condition that would
probably not cause death or serious physical harm, but would have a direct and
immediate relationship to the safety and/or health of employees.)
GRAND TOTAL OF PROPOSED PENALTIES $332,500
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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