Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP

Safety violations at Pennsylvania chicken processing plant illustrate the many dangers employees face

Meat processing plants count on the hard work of employees to turn a profit. Far too often, however, these plants overlook important safety measures that can make a life-or-death difference for their workers.

A chicken plant near Harrisburg recently failed a safety inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The plant received citations in previous years for safety hazards. Last spring, OSHA conducted another inspection after a worker lost his thumb in an accident with a mixing machine. The inspection revealed numerous safety violations – many of them serious – resulting in proposed fines of more than $300,000.

The case sheds light on the many dangers meat plant workers face on a daily basis, including:

Employees who are worried about their health or safety at work should never keep silent. The law protects those who speak up and report safety violations.