According to a report prepared by the Food and Environmental Reporting Network (FERN) by June 6th 2020, 43 percent of the workforce at the Farmer John Plant owned by Smithfield Foods in Vernon, CA had contracted COVID-19.
On December 10th California-OSHA initiated an investigation of the Farmer John Plant to determine compliance with the November Emergency Temporary Standards relating to workplace safety and protection of workers from COVID-19. Following the April 28th Presidential Executive Order in terms of the Defense Procurement Act to maintain operation at meat packing plants, the management of Farmer John ceased to report cases but apparently resumed on May 19th. Los Angeles County health officials maintained that the company failed to report 303 COVID-19 illnesses regarded as work-related. Smithfield maintains that all applicable COVID-19 requirements including reporting were followed.
In November the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Smithfield and its staffing agent $105,000 for violations including allowing asymptomatic employees to work despite exposure to COVID-19. The California Agency determined that masking was not mandated, workers were not trained on the risks of COVID-19 and were not effectively distanced. The Agency concluded that reporting data on the spread of the virus among workers was improper and inadequate.
Cal/OSHA will have a difficult task in proving that each case reported from the plant was in fact acquired in the workplace, given the high prevalence in communities including three counties in which Farmer John workers resided.