Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 6/27/18



The Ohio-based meat processor where 146 workers were arrested by U.S. immigration officials had been fined $211,000 for

alleged workplace safety problems just two weeks before the raid this month.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) informed Fresh Mark Inc. of what the agency described as multiple serious violations in a letter dated June 11, offering the opportunity for an informal conference to discuss the matter within 15 business days. OSHA cited violations regarding employee protective equipment, hazardous energy controls in a ham deboning area, a lack of training to clean specific processing machines and potential laceration and puncture hazards, among others.

“Fresh Mark has received and is currently reviewing the citations issued by OSHA and has fully cooperated with OSHA and will continue our working relationship with the administration going forward,” a Fresh Mark spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Meatingplace. The Salem, Ohio-based processor has “a longstanding commitment to the health and safety of our workforce,” the statement added.

An undocumented worker from Guatemala died on the job at Fresh Mark in a December 2017 incident covered by the OSHA penalty document, according to a report on Cleveland.com.

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