OSHA fines Pilgrim’s, says injuries were preventable

Pilgrim’s has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), alleging that three employees were injured in accidents that the agency said were preventable at its facilities in Moorefield, West Virginia.
OSHA investigators went to two Pilgrim’s facilities in Moorefield during inspections conducted in April, May and June, and claim that preventable safety violations caused the injuries – including one case where a worker had three fingers amputated. Following those visits, OSHA cited Pilgrim’s for one repeat and three serious violations. The proposed fines total $46,825.
According to OSHA, on April 28, 2015, an employee contacted an unguarded machine shaft while operating a conveyer system. Pulled around the shaft, the worker suffered a fractured arm. Two weeks later, on May 12, an employee fell on a concrete floor while refilling a machine with an inadequate step for employee access. A third worker had three fingers amputated when they caught in a blender while removing poultry from the machine on June 15.
Pilgrim’s, the second largest broiler company in the United States, has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.