Sausage manufacturer fined $103K for repeatedly exposing workers to safety hazards
An OSHA investigation has determined that Dean Sausage Company Inc. is continuing to endanger workers. According to the agency, the Alabama meat processing and packing company has failed to correct safety hazards identified in two inspections dating back to 2022. The issues began in December 2022 when OSHA agents cited Dean Sausage Company for seven serious and seven other-than-serious violations. These violations included:
- Failing to ensure that machines had proper safety guards
- Using electric power and lighting installations unsafely
- Failing to lockout/tagout (LOTO) machines before maintenance and servicing
A follow-up inspection conducted in September 2023 found that the company had failed to rectify most of the violations. Dean Sausage Company was cited for nine repeat and two serious violations, as well as one other-than-serious violation. A final inspection happened in July 2024, and the company was cited for three repeat violations and two serious violations. These violations included:
- Not developing, documenting and using machine-specific lockout/tagout procedures
- Failing to train employees on the LOTO program
- Not creating a written hazard communication program
- Missing electrical panel covers
The company faces $103,245 in proposed penalties for violations found in the July 2024 inspection and $109,823 in penalties assessed after the 2022 and 2023 inspections.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz said, “Putting employees at risk by neglecting safety is a reckless way to operate. Dean Sausage Company’s repeated disregard for worker safety shows a troubling priority of profits over people. The company must correct its disturbing workplace safety failures before an employee suffers a needless injury or worse. The people who work there every day to help put food on our tables deserve better, and we will continue to hold the employer accountable until they make safety a priority.”
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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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