A poultry processing plant in West Virginia was investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after three separate employees were injured in less than 60 days. One employee lost three fingers. OSHA was not happy about all of the hazards present at the site and cited the Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. with multiple violations.

The plant was inspected in April, May and June of this year and OSHA found that there were many preventable safety violations. The company received three serious violations. One was for failing to provide specialized tools to allow machine operators to remove materials from machines without having to put their hands down into them, which an employee did in June and lost three fingers when they were trying to remove poultry. This was also a repeat violation. Another violation was for failing to cover shaft couplings with safety sleeves. In April one employee fractured their arm when they came in contact with the unprotected shaft and were pulled around it. Just a few weeks later an employee fell while they were trying to refill a machine and standing on a step, and the company received another violation for having inadequately sized stairs in the boxing area for their employees to use.

The OSHA director for Charleston, Prentice Cline, said, “Amputations have lasting professional and personal consequences – and these injuries were needless and preventable.”

Pilgrim’s Pride is one of the world’s largest producers of poultry. They are being fined $46,825 for the citations. Hopefully they will address these safety violations so that more workers do not get hurt.