Current:Home > BackMar-Jac poultry plant's "inaction" led to death of teen pulled into machine, feds say-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Mar-Jac poultry plant's "inaction" led to death of teen pulled into machine, feds say
View Date:2024-12-24 07:58:04
Lax safety standards led to a 16-year-old worker getting pulled into a machine at a poultry plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi — the second fatality at the facility in just over two years, the Department of Labor said on Tuesday.
The teenage sanitation employee at the Mar-Jac Poultry processing plant died on July 14, 2023, after getting caught in a rotating shaft in the facility's deboning area, according to the agency. Procedures to disconnect power to the machine and prevent it from unintentionally starting during the cleaning were not followed despite a manager supervising the area, federal safety investigators found.
"Mar-Jac Poultry is aware of how dangerous the machinery they use can be when safety standards are not in place to prevent serious injury and death. The company's inaction has directly led to this terrible tragedy, which has left so many to mourn this child's preventable death," OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta said in a statement.
- Teen's death in Wisconsin sawmill highlights "21st century problem" across the U.S.
The Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing $212,646 in penalties, an amount set by federal statute, while citing Mar-Jac with 14 serious violations as well other safety lapses.
Based in Gainesville, Georgia, Mar-Jac as been in business since 1954 and operates facilities in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. The poultry producer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The boy's death is particularly egregious given a prior death at the plant involving an employee whose shirt sleeve was caught in a machine and pulled them in, resulting in fatal injuries, Petermeyer noted. "Following the fatal incident in May 2021, Mar-Jac Poultry should have enforced strict safety standards at its facility. Only two years later and nothing has changed."
Guatemalan media identified the teenager as Duvan Pérez and said he moved to Mississippi from Huispache, in Guatemala, as NBC affiliate WDAM reported.
Federal officials in the U.S. also have an open child labor investigation involving the plant.
Under federal child labor laws, anyone younger than 18 is prohibited from working at slaughtering and meatpacking plants, as well as operating or cleaning any power-driven machinery used in such facilities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 57 children 15 years and younger died from injuries sustained at work between 2018 and 2022; 68 teens ages 16-17 died on the job during the same five-year period.
The teen's death in Mississippi came one month after a fatal accident involving another 16-year-old, who died a few days after getting trapped in a stick stacker machine at a sawmill in Wisconsin. The high school student's death also served to amplify the growing number of children around the U.S. working in hazardous jobs meant for adults.
Kate GibsonKate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- What Happened to Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Character? John Dutton’s Fate Revealed
- Trump Plan Would Open Huge Area of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve to Drilling
- Ali Wong Addresses Weird Interest in Her Private Life Amid Bill Hader Relationship
- U.S. formally investigating reports of botched Syria strike alleged to have killed civilian in May
- Advocates Expect Maryland to Drive Climate Action When Trump Returns to Washington
- Influencer Jackie Miller James in Medically Induced Coma After Aneurysm Rupture at 9 Months Pregnant
- U.S. formally investigating reports of botched Syria strike alleged to have killed civilian in May
- Food Sovereignty: New Approach to Farming Could Help Solve Climate, Economic Crises
- King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
- Perry’s Grid Study Calls for Easing Pollution Rules on Power Plants
Ranking
- Utah AD Mark Harlan rips officials following loss to BYU, claims game was 'stolen from us'
- 44 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Dad Who “Doesn’t Want Anything”
- How Deep Ocean Wind Turbines Could Power the World
- Utah mom accused of poisoning husband and writing book about grief made moves to profit from his passing, lawsuit claims
- Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
- Pregnant Claire Holt Shares Glowing Update on Baby No. 3
- Airline passengers are using hacker fares to get cheap tickets
- That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
Recommendation
-
New wildfires burn in US Northeast while bigger blazes rage out West
-
Michigan man accused of planning synagogue attack indicted by grand jury
-
The Third Rail of Climate Change: Climate Refugees
-
4 Ways to Cut Plastic’s Growing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
-
J.Crew Outlet Quietly Drops Their Black Friday Deals - Save Up to 70% off Everything, Styles Start at $12
-
How a DIY enthusiast created a replica of a $126,000 Birkin handbag for his girlfriend
-
Lawmaker pushes bill to shed light on wrongfully detained designation for Americans held abroad
-
Ever wanted to stay in the Barbie DreamHouse? Now you can, but there's a catch