Holmes Foods, located in Nixon, TX. was fined $60,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for a variety of contraventions. An inspection on March 15th as part of the Regional Emphasis Program for Poultry Processing Facilities disclosed discrepancies with respect to a lock-out on machinery and guards over rotating shafts and chains, all representing ergonomic hazards.
The significance of this OSHA action relates to increased scrutiny by the Agency emphasizing the need for plant operators to eliminate workplace hazards. Audits on both farms and plants frequently reveal the potential for trips and slips, exposure to electrical and chemical hazards and failure to reinstall protective covers over machinery following maintenance or repair. A random OSHA audit will disclose any defects present that may result in fines. An injury of a worker will elicit a more aggressive response by OSHA.