Poultry processor Allen Harim received a warning letter from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an inspection of its Delaware facilities. The action stopped short of the fines that are often levied for workplace issues.
According to an OSHA release, inspectors “identified deficiencies in the facility’s medical management program that contribute to the likelihood of workers developing serious musculoskeletal disorders.
In addition to deficient staffing; inadequate supervision; lack of experience and training on the part of the healthcare providers; and providers working outside their scope of practice, the employer uses a first aid station to evaluate and treat MSDs. Inspectors also found that the employer did not refer injured workers to qualified outside healthcare providers for evaluation and treatment when appropriate and that workers were discouraged from reporting symptoms and injuries,” the release stated.
OSHA cited Allen Harim Foods with nine violations, including a serious citation for the company’s failure to address the musculoskeletal disorder hazards.
The term is used to describe injuries to wrists and muscles during processing of poultry.
The company issued the following response:
“Allen Harim is committed to providing a safe and healthful workplace for our employees. We take worker safety issues very seriously and we work diligently every day to provide the safest possible environment for all our employees.
It is against that backdrop that we take this opportunity to clarify two situations that may possibly become confused regarding discourse with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
In August we were disappointed to receive three “hazard alert letters” from OSHA. These are not citations but instead are letters containing observations about certain areas of our Harbeson, Delaware facility which OSHA has asked that we review for possible corrective actions. Our team is currently reviewing the contents of the letters to determine if they warrant voluntary corrective actions on our part.
These hazard letters follow separate citations received from OSHA in June of this year. We strongly disagree with the claims made in the citations. Accordingly, Allen Harim has exercised its right to challenge those citations. We have filed a notice of intent to contest them in their entirety, inclusive of classifications, penalties, abatements and abatement dates. This action will move through OSHA’s system and updates will be made available as warranted.
