A Mississippi poultry plant where an underage worker died violently after being dragged into machinery over the summer is entirely responsible for the horrific incident, federal regulators ruled after an investigation.
“Ignored safety standards” at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg directly led to the death of Duvan Tomás Pérez in July, Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators ruled last week.
“Mar-Jac Poultry is aware of how dangerous the machinery he uses can be when safety standards are not in place to prevent serious injury and death,” OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer said in a statement.
“The company’s inaction has directly led to this terrible tragedy, which has left so many people mourning the avoidable death of this child.”
Perez, a 16-year-old Guatemalan immigrant who had been in the United States for about six years, was cleaning a boning machine at the Mar-Jac plant on July 14 when it suddenly activated and attracted him.
Duván Tomás Pérez was only 16 years old when he was put into a boning machine in July and killed.
“The teen became caught in the rotating shaft and sprockets and was pulled in, suffering fatal injuries,” the OSHA report says.
Investigators discovered that, contrary to proper protocol, the machine had not been disconnected from power before cleaning began and that a safety device intended to prevent the machine from turning on during cleaning was not in use.
According to OSHA, those basic safety measures were not observed even though a supervisor was present before and during the cleanup.
Perez’s death was the second fatal accident resulting from inadequate safety precautions at the Mar-Jac plant in two years.
Mar-Jac has been cited by OSHA twice in the past two years for safety failures that led to employee deaths. Google Maps
In 2021, an employee died after his sleeve became caught in machinery, fatally pinning him to the machine.
“Following the fatal incident in May 2021, Mar-Jac Poultry should have implemented strict safety standards at its facilities,” Petermeyer said.
“Just two years later, nothing has changed and the company continues to view employee safety as an afterthought, putting its workers at risk. “No worker should be put in a preventable dangerous situation, much less a child,” he added.
Mar-Jac was fined $212,646 for Perez’s death.
The Mar-Jac plant in Hattiesburg, Missouri. The minor Pérez was employed there in violation of labor laws Google Maps
It is unclear whether Mar-Jac will also face fines for violating Mississippi labor laws, which prohibit children under 18 from working in poultry plants because of the associated dangers.
Mar-Jac did not respond to requests for comment.
“Our employees are our family and we constantly strive to provide them with a safe and enjoyable work environment,” reads Mar-Jac’s website.
“Whether offering employee ice cream parties or other social events, we realize what a valuable asset our employees represent.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn