The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Holmes Foods, saying it violated federal workforce safety regulations.
After a scheduled inspection on March 15 at the Holmes Foods poultry plant in Nixon, Texas, OSHA investigators cited the company for five serious violations that relate to the following alleged offenses:
- Failure to provide required eye protection.
- Failure to develop procedures to lock out and tag out machines to prevent sudden startups.
- Failure to guard rotating shafts, chains and sprockets.
- Exposing line workers to ergonomic hazards.
“Holmes Foods exposed employees whose jobs require repetitive motions and lifting tasks to recognized workplace hazards that can cause long-term injuries,” said OSHA Area Director Monica Munoz. “The company must follow federal requirements to protect workers, including those whose work is essential to the region’s food supply. We will hold employers accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations.”
OSHA has proposed $60,269 in penalties for these alleged violations. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Nixon, Holmes Foods is the 24th largest poultry producer in the United States, having processed 2.8 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis and employs about 600 people, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Poultry Companies Database.
