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N.C. DOL fines Smithfield Packing for safety violations
Story Date: 8/15/2013
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Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 8/14/13
The North Carolina Department of Labor has handed Smithfield Packing citations for occupational safety and health violations, and fines totaling $44,100, according to documents provided to Meatingplace by the agency.
The citations and the fines stem from inspections of the company’s Tar Heel, N.C., facility conducted in the spring, one triggered by a complaint and one triggered by an accident in the plant in April that injured an employee. The state department has cited Smithfield Packing for two alleged serious violations, one of which is an alleged repeat serious violation.
In one case, Smithfield Packing was cited for having inadequate guards on a piece of packaging equipment. In the other, the company was cited for having inadequate guards on equipment used in harvesting hog heads; this latter violation is something Smithfield’s been cited for twice before, the NCDOL’s documentation indicates.
A Smithfield Packing spokesman told Meatingplace, "We are working with N.C [Occupational Safety and Health agency] to review the Citation and resolve any possible issues."
The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to request an informal conference with the Labor Department, file a notice of contest with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission of North Carolina, or pay the penalty.
For more stories, go to http://www.meatingplace.com/.
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