Ohio Chicken Processing Company Fined for Unsafe Working Conditions

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Case Farms, an Ohio supplier of fast food and supermarket chicken, after two employees were severely injured due to unsafe working conditions. One of the injured workers received an amputation below the knee. The second worker lost two fingertips. To add insult to injury, Case Farms fired both workers.

According to OSHA, Case Farms has repeatedly exposed workers to dangerous moving parts capable of causing severe injuries. For example, the worker who lost two fingertips was in the process of cleaning out a machine when the accident occurred. Poor machine guarding practices can put workers at risk for losing limbs.

Over the last year, OSHA has fined Case Farms over $1.4 million for unsafe working conditions. In addition, Case Farms has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The Severe Violator Enforcement Program was created to penalize companies with serious and repeat safety violations.

Unsafe Work Environments End Careers

Amputations are life-altering injuries, and in some cases, workers will be unable to return to their professions. Some work accident survivors may rely on prosthetic limbs and others might use wheelchairs. Aside from impaired mobility, workers who have suffered amputations may have mental health problems. According to the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, people who have undergone amputations can experience anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Workers who have lost limbs from unsafe work conditions should contact a workers’ compensation and disability attorney to discover what benefits are available.

Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC – Columbus Workers’ Comp Attorney