Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc. has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for serious safety violations following a March investigation. OSHA’s findings include three “serious” violations, resulting in proposed fines totaling $36,873.
The violations center on ergonomic stressors in the palletizing area, where employees were required to lift heavy boxes weighing up to 99 pounds and stack them in high piles, performing repetitive motions that could lead to musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries, common in the meatpacking industry, were cited as preventable with proper ergonomic management.
Additionally, OSHA found unsafe conditions in the shipping department, where workers were exposed to slip-and-fall hazards due to damaged surfaces and cluttered workspaces.
“Musculoskeletal injuries are preventable when companies implement effective ergonomic programs, especially in industries like meatpacking,” said OSHA Area Director Matthew Thurlby.
Wholestone Farms has 15 days to address the violations, meet with OSHA, or contest the findings.
For more information on OSHA’s Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for meatpacking plants, visit OSHA’s website.
