cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/53152091
Following an anonymous complaint in February, OSHA inspected the plant and fined Smithfield Foods $9,931.60 after observing workers’ exposure to “amputation hazards.” This was preceded by serious citations in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
Working in a slaughterhouse is extremely dangerous. In the US, there are approximately two amputations per week, primarily due to the industry’s poor working conditions and excessively fast pace.
[…]
As reported by KWQC, the leaders also acknowledged “community concerns” over a backlog of rendering material – animal waste, internal organs, and decaying meat – being stored outside the plant, causing a strong, unpleasant smell in the city.
Isn’t Smithfield owned by a Chinese company?
Vegan and vegetarian kick starter article tbh
Read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.
Fines $9,000. For amputation hazards.
Yeah that’s why these companies aren’t going to comply.
Cheaper to just pay the fines.
Fines should be way way higher. Especially for repeat offenders.
So from reading the article, given that they had to delay start times by 2 hours, and have released no details about the actual incident, the guy probably died in a pretty horrific manner.
What also stood out is that on average there are 2 AMPUTATIONS A WEEK IN THE US MEAT PACKAGING INDUSTRY.
on average there are 2 AMPUTATIONS A WEEK IN THE US MEAT PACKAGING INDUSTRY.
That seems low, unless it’s per-state or per-company.
Per person.
I mean, any amount of on the job amputations above zero seems too high
If you’re using saws, its inevitable.
The rates of injury overall are actually higher than sawmills
Together, poultry slaughtering and processing companies reported more severe injuries to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) than many industries that are popularly recognized as hazardous, such as sawmills, industrial building construction, and oil and gas well drilling
And that’s not counting the mental trauma to workers from the killing itself that doesn’t exist in other industries using saws
Yes, the person I replied to seemed to think any amputation is too many. Any work that uses a saw runs the risk of amputation. Construction, logging, etc. As you pointed out. I’m just saying, that those lines of work, losing body parts is a very real risk
Any amputation is too many. Whatever can be done to decrease the risks should be done. There’s no excuse to not have maximum safety for your workers. These days we have lots of options for protection available to use.
For example, there exists saws that will stop once it comes in to contact with flesh.
I 100% agree with you, but I don’t know how effective a saw-stop will be in an environment where the saw is specifically used to cut meat. 🤷
Yes, of course everything that can be done to decrease the risk should be done. No one is arguing that. Im aware of the saw stop. To say any amputation is too many is farcical, everything you do has a risk. You can only minimize them. You work with sharp things cuts will happen. Yes minimize them, but cuts and amputations can, and will happen. Im not saying the regulations are sufficient, they clearly aren’t. Yes there should be penalties that actually hurt the company, accidents happen they always will
When I was a construction plumber I used to use a pipe threader which has enough torque to pull your body through a couple inch gap. I thought about that every time I used it.
The rates of injury overall are actually higher than other high risk industries
Together, poultry slaughtering and processing companies reported more severe injuries to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) than many industries that are popularly recognized as hazardous, such as sawmills, industrial building construction, and oil and gas well drilling
And that’s not counting the mental trauma to workers from the killing itself that doesn’t exist in other industries using saws
Not even a ten thousand dollar fine…
They messed up. Banked on the “here, we’re like family”. Should have gone with the toxic but less unifying, “your coworkers are your competition and the reason we can’t pay you good wages.”
Says this one was only machine death but doesn’t say what the other three deaths were from or when they happened. Sounds awful but this is a pretty poorly written article.
Company might be hiding this information. NDAs and all that.
Their logo sucks, Smithyield?
Yeah, this is what they really should be fixing.
What’s the typical life assurance in a US company? Surely they pay out that rather than just childcare? In previous jobs I’ve had it was 4 times annual salary, but my current is 6 times.
Depends on what you pay for
A murder was murdered.
Please, shut them all down.
How many ravens was it now, eh?
