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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
Second Case This Year for Plant
In a major ergonomics enforcement action, the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) today proposed penalties totaling $840,000 against
Hudson Foods, Inc., for alleged willful safety and health violations involving
ergonomic hazards at its Noel, Mo., poultry processing plant. It is the second
OSHA case this year involving the Hudson Foods facility.
Ergonomics is the science of adjusting the job to fit the body's needs.
"Cumulative trauma and other repetitive motion disorders constitute the
number one workplace illness in the American workplace today," said Secretary
of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "Employers such as Hudson Foods who fail to protect
their workers against significant ergonomic hazards that can cause injury or
illness will face stiff penalties."
The earlier case against Hudson resulted in $322,500 in OSHA fines
proposed on July 22, 1997, for alleged willful, serious, repeat and
other-than-serious violations of other requirements for worker safety and
health at the Noel plant. The employer is contesting those prior citations.
The ergonomic hazards at the Hudson Foods facility in Noel resulted in
more than 300 cases of cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) among the workers.
CTDs include such injuries and illnesses as carpal tunnel syndrome. The number
of cases rose steadily each year for the three years from 1994 through 1996 and
included about 20 surgeries.
OSHA cited Hudson Foods for 12 alleged willful violations of Section
5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires the employer
to keep the workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely
to cause death or serious injury to the employees. The 12 violations involve 23
different tasks at the facility. The agency proposed the maximum penalty of
$70,000 per violation.
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.
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Charles
N. Jeffress said, "Enforcement is a key aspect of OSHA's approach to reducing
ergonomic-related musculoskeletal disorders, a fast-growing and very costly
threat to the health of American workers. We will pursue that enforcement
vigorously."
OSHA is also pursuing the study of ergonomic hazards and their
solutions, developing educational materials about practical solutions to
ergonomic problems and developing an ergonomics standard.
Hudson Foods has about 1,300 production employees at the Noel facility.
They are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union.
The multi-million dollar firm has 11,000 employees nationwide. The company is
being purchased by Tyson Foods.
Responding to employee representative complaints about safety and
health conditions, OSHA began inspecting the Hudson Foods Noel plant in January
1997.
OSHA's citations included recommendations on a variety of methods for
abating the hazards such as automation, mechanization, employee training and
more work rest periods.
Hudson Foods has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed
penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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