A poultry processing plant in Mississippi has agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor, agreeing to pay fines of $164,814 and implement improved safety measures after a tragic incident led to the death of a 16-year-old worker at the facility. The agreement, revealed in a news release on Friday, follows an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) into the death of the underage worker, who lost their life after being pulled into a machine while cleaning it on July 14, 2023.
OSHA’s Regional Administrator in Atlanta, Kurt Petermeyer, highlighted the necessity for safer workplace environments and tangible actions to safeguard employees from known hazards. He emphasized the importance of enhanced supervision and increased training to reduce risks faced by workers in meat processing facilities. The settlement requires the poultry plant, Mar-Jac Poultry, to prioritize employee safety moving forward.
Despite being aware of safety concerns for an extended period and having faced warnings and fines from OSHA, Mar-Jac Poultry failed to address the issues until the recent agreement. An attorney representing the victim’s family expressed hope that the company would take necessary steps to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. The victim’s family had filed a lawsuit against Mar-Jac Poultry MS, LLC, and Onin Staffing, alleging negligence that resulted in the teenager’s death.
Mar-Jac Poultry, headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia, has been in the poultry production industry since 1954, with facilities in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The company serves food service customers in the U.S. and internationally. No comments were available from the company following the announcement of the settlement.
