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Source: Janie Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 1/7/09
Tyson Foods pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Arkansas and agreed to pay a $500,000 fine for willfully violating worker safety regulations that led to a worker's death in its River Valley Animal Foods plant in Texarkana, Ark., the Justice Department announced.
The settlement pertains to the 2003 death of maintenance employee Jason Kelly, who was overcome with hydrogen sulfide gas while repairing a leak from a hydrolyzer. Another employee and two emergency responders were hospitalized due to exposure during the rescue attempt. Two employees also were treated at the scene.
"This was a tragic accident and we remain saddened by the loss of Jason Kelley. We want people to know we have implemented measures to help prevent an accident like this from happening again. Our efforts have included changes in the production process, new ventilation and engineering controls, the use of monitoring and alarm systems, and expanded worker training," the company said in a statement.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires that employers furnish places of employment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. This includes taking steps to ensure that employee exposure to dangerous substances such as hydrogen sulfide gas remains within prescribed limits.
Tyson Foods pleaded guilty to a "willful violation of an OSHA standard resulting in the death of an employee," the most serious offense available to OSHA.
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