Meat manufacturer fined $277,472 after 2 employees suffer amputations

Abbyland Foods Inc., a meat and sausage manufacturer in Wisconsin, has been the subject of an OSHA investigation after a worker suffered a partial finger amputation from a turning auger on a meat processing machine. A month later, a second employee had their hand crushed in a sliding guard on a trash compactor. Following the second incident, OSHA expanded its inspection under the Wisconsin Food Manufacturing Industry Local Emphasis Program.  The agency interviewed 70 workers and cited Abbyland Foods for repeat violations and 17 serious violations relating to the manufacturer’s failure to follow lockout/tagout procedures and provide adequate machine guarding. The company faces $277,472 in penalties.

In a recent quote, OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton, Wisconsin, said, “After a decade of citations for nearly two dozen serious violations, Abbyland Foods continues to ignore its legal responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful work environment. Their long history of failing to protect its employees needs to end.”