Case Farms Processing, Inc., a chicken processing company with facilities in Ohio and North Carolina, has once again been penalized by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for 16 safety violations that resulted in severe workplace injuries for some of the company’s employees. In 2013, Case Farms was found to be in violation of OSHA safety regulations for repeatedly exposing workers to dangerous machinery that was not equipped with safety features.
If you or a loved one has been injured on the job due to employer negligence, you may be entitled to workers compensation.
As of October 1, 2015, Case Farms has racked up more than $1.4 million in fines for safety violations and workplace injuries, with the most recent injury being that of a teenage worker who lost his leg while working at Case Farms Canton, Ohio, facility.
While cleaning the liver-giblet chiller machine, a 17-year-old contracted employee had his leg severed just below the knee. Unable to return to the job due to his work-related injuries, the teen was eventually fired. OSHA reported that Case Farms failed to install safety mechanisms on the liver-giblet chiller machine the same reason they were cited by OSHA in 2013.
“In the past 25 years, Case Farms has done little to change a corporate culture where workers are endangered despite repeated OSHA inspections,” said Howard Eberts, OSHA’s area director in Cleveland.
OSHA has since placed Case Farms in their Severe Violator Enforcement Program after the company received $861,500 in penalties for health and safety violations resulting in workplace injuries. Additionally, Case Farms is under investigation for allegedly exposing employees to Campylobacter Enteritis, a foodborne illness, as well as having improperly functioning ammonia refrigeration systems.
Case Farms Ohio facilities are located in Canton, Strasburg, Massillon, and Winesburg.