Teenaged worker suffers fatal injuries after getting caught in machinery, poultry processing plant fined $165K
An OSHA investigation has determined that Mar-Jac Poultry could have prevented the death of a teenaged worker if the company had followed required safety procedures. The incident occurred in July 2023 when the worker became caught in a machine while attempting to clean it, suffering fatal injuries. The poultry processing plant reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and will implement enhanced safety measures to protect its employees from machine hazards. These additional safety measures include:
- Enhancing the sanitation shift with an additional, properly trained supervisor
- Making plant managers and safety directors complete OSHA’s 30-hour general industry training, with plant supervisors being required to complete OSHA’s 10-hour training
- Evaluating the safety exposures and hazards associated with current lockout/tagout procedures for the sanitation shift
As part of the settlement agreement, Mar-Jac Poultry must also pay $164,814 in fines.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer said, “Tragically, a teenage boy died needlessly before Mar-Jac Poultry took required steps to protect its workers. This settlement demands the company commit to a safer workplace environment and take tangible actions to protect their employees from well-known hazards. Enhanced supervision and increased training can go a long way toward minimizing risks faced by workers in meat processing facilities.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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