Summary:
- The Department of Labor discovered that Dean Sausage Co.’s meat processing facility in Atalla, Alabama repeatedly violated safety standards, exposing employees to unsafe working conditions over the past three years.
- Recent citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration revealed violations including inadequate machine safety procedures, lack of employee training, and missing electrical panel covers.
- Despite previous penalties exceeding $109,000, similar hazards persisted, resulting in an additional $103,245 in proposed penalties this year.
Insight:
The small sausage company had three repeat violations in July, including failure to implement lockout and tagout procedures, provide a hazard communication program for handling chemicals, like ammonia, and train employees on these procedures.
OSHA cited 2,538 lockout and tagout procedure violations in fiscal year 2023, making it one of the most commonly cited standards by the agency.
Dean Sausage was found using electric power and lighting installations unsafely, exposing employees to various hazards including electric shock, burns, and hazardous chemicals.
During a previous inspection in 2023, the company received seven repeat violations and two serious ones, resulting in $116,153 in penalties.
As of the recent citation, Dean Sausage produces sausage and frozen biscuit sandwiches for the southern U.S. market, employing 85 workers at its Attalla facility.
The company has 15 working days to respond to and pay the OSHA fines, but has not yet commented on the matter.
The food manufacturing sector reported 61,400 injury and illness cases in 2023, with a decreasing rate of incidents per 100 full-time employee workers compared to the previous year.
Dean Sausage is among other manufacturers with recent repeat violations, such as Hailiang Copper Texas and Konz Wood Products, facing significant penalties for safety hazards.