Man dies because pump not grounded at plant
The death of a repairman at a chicken processing plant has led the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to cite B.C. Rogers Processors for safety violations and to propose penalties totaling $74,250 for safety violations at the company’s Morton and McComb, MS, plants.
According to Clyde Payne, OSHA’s Jackson, MS, area director, an inspection was begun after an employee was electrocuted at the Morton plant on June 18, 1999.
During the inspection, OSHA determined that the plant’s liver pump, which moves chicken parts through the plant for processing, was not electrically grounded.
Electrical dangers high on hazard list
Payne notes that electrical hazards are one of the top four workplace hazards, so OSHA urges employers to take great care in protecting workers who are exposed to electrical equipment or wiring.
The Morton plant was fined $19,200 for one serious citation, which included several hazards involving electrical equipment, problems with defective gaskets on flip seals, and flip seals that were not closed on weatherproof receptacles. Also cited were deficiencies in lockout procedures, which ensure that hazardous energy is controlled during maintenance operations. In this case, personal lockout devices were not used by individual workers involved in group maintenance details.
An additional penalty of $47,500 was assessed against the Morton plant for one repeat violation involving unlabeled circuit breakers and exposed live parts in circuit breaker cabinets and for using flexible cords instead of fixed wiring at fixed motors and other equipment.
Complaints led to OSHA inspection
OSHA’s inspection of the McComb plant was the result of a complaint about the company’s failure to properly record occupational injuries and illnesses and its refusal to allow injured employees to see the plant’s occupational health physician.
The McComb inspection, which began Sept. 14, resulted in one repeat citation against the company for failing to log all work-related injuries and illnesses. The citation carries a $7,500 penalty.
B.C. Rogers Processors employs 1,000 workers at the Morton plant and another 500 at the McComb plant.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content