Poultry Processing Employer Found to Be Employing 4 Minors after Horrific Workplace Accident Takes 16-Year-Old Mississippi Employee’s Life

The same poultry processing company that employed a 16-year-old Mississippi worker who died at the company’s poultry processing plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in a gruesome workplace accident was found to be employing another four minor employees at its poultry processing plant in Alabama. According to national news reports, Mar-Jac Poultry, a poultry processing plant based out of Georgia, was found to be employing four minor workers as young as 16 years old at its poultry processing plant in Jasper, Alabama. Mar-Jac denied that it knew that the young workers were minors, and alleged that the minor employees gave them identification showing that they were older than 17 years old. The company also argued that some of the minor workers were working in roles at the poultry plant that were suitable for younger workers.

The U.S. Labor Department has stated that “most slaughterhouse work is too dangerous for minors and is prohibited under federal regulations.” Under the current Biden administration, the Labor Department has worked to enforce rules and regulations that prohibit minor workers from working in roles that require them to work around, use, or clean processing machinery deemed “dangerous.” The 16-year-old Mississippi worker, who was originally from Guatemala, died as a result of an industrial accident involving poultry processing equipment at the Hattiesburg, Mississippi plant. The young worker had been “sucked into a machine he was cleaning on the night shift and he died instantly.” The Labor Department sought a temporary restraining order against Mar-Jac as part of a legal battle with Mar-Jac over federal law violations.

Poultry Processing Work Can be Dangerous Work for Mississippi Workers

There is no doubt that poultry processing work can be dangerous for Mississippi workers, as demonstrated by the horrific accident that took the 16-year-old workers’ life at the Hattiesburg Mar-Jac plant. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, hazards that workers may face in poultry work include “exposure to high noise levels, dangerous equipment, slippery floors, musculoskeletal disorders, and hazardous chemicals (including ammonia that is used as a refrigerant).” OSHA also notes that “Musculoskeletal disorders are of particular concern and continue to be common among workers in the poultry processing industry. Employees can also be exposed to biological hazards associated with handling live birds or exposure to poultry feces and dust which can increase their risk for many diseases.” Accordingly, Mississippi workers who work in poultry processing must be extremely careful on the job and poultry processing employers must follow the rules and regulations that are in place to keep workers safe. Poultry processing employers must promote a safe work environment to prevent horrific and fatal workplace accidents.

If you were injured in a workplace accident in Mississippi, contact a lawyer now to learn about your rights and options to Mississippi workers’ compensation benefits. The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC are here to help injured Mississippi workers get workers’ compensation benefits due to them. Call Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC now and speak to a lawyer about your case.

Source:

nbcnews.com/business/business-news/four-minors-found-working-mar-jac-alabama-poultry-plant-rcna152448