Washington - The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered Hudson Foods Inc. to pay $840,000 for alleged safety and health violations at its Noel, Mo., poultry processing plant.
The December order came after more than 300 workers at the plant suffered from disorders caused by ergonomic hazards, OSHA said.
This is the second time in less than a year that Hudson has been fined for ergonomic violations at the Noel plant. The company was ordered to pay $322,500 in July and is fighting the fines, the government agency said.
OSHA began inspecting the Hudson plant a year ago after employees complained about conditions at the Noel facility.
The government found that cases of cumulative trauma disorders that were allegedly caused by ergonomic hazards at the plant "rose steadily" between 1994 and 1996. Some 20 Noel workers required surgery for their injuries.
"Employers such as Hudson Foods who fail to protect their workers against significant ergonomic hazards that can cause injury or illness will face stiff penalties," Labor Secretary Alexis Herman said in a statement.
The government cited Hudson for 12 alleged willful violations, which are defined as "committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to" safety regulations.
OSHA has recommended that the company find ways to improve ergonomic conditions at the plant, including the use of automation, mechanization, employee training and more rest periods.
Ergonomics is the science of adjusting the job to fit the body's needs.
The new fines can be added to a lengthy list of troubles for Hudson.
The company was forced to shut down its processing plant in Columbus, Neb., in August after health officials linked beef from the plant to 16 cases of illness from the E. coli bacteria in Colorado last July.
Hudson Foods initially recalled 20,000 pounds of meat, but increased that figure to 25 million pounds -- the largest beef recall in the nation's history -- at the insistence of the Department of Agriculture.
After the E. coli scare, meatpacking giant IBP Inc. agreed to buy the processing plant from Hudson Foods. The acquisition was completed in October.
Hudson Foods, which left the raw hamburger meat business with the sale of its Columbus plant, agreed last month to be acquired by Tyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S. chicken processor.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
P.O. Box 553
Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
Web Site: http://www.spcnetwork.com/mii