OSHA Finds Tyson Employees Exposed to Hazards

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Wichita Area Office cited Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. and Tyson Hides and Tannery for a total of two repeated, five serious, and one other than serious safety and health violations.

Citations were issued July 29, 2016, with proposed penalties of $85,500

The inspections at the two adjacent facilities in Holcomb in February 2016 found the company failed to follow OSHA's standards for occupational noise exposure including:

•    Conducting noise sampling
•    Implementing engineering controls to reduce exposure
•    Evaluating employee's noise exposure when audiometric testing shows a threshold shift
•    Conducting baseline audiograms
•    Providing training for workers
•    Ensuring proper recordkeeping

OSHA also found the company failed to:

•    Install adequate machine guards around rotating shafts
•    Provide eye wash stations
•    Mark exit routes

"Exposure to occupational noise hazards can result in permanent hearing loss and greatly impact a worker's quality of life," said Judy Freeman, OSHA's area director in Wichita. "Employers like Tyson have a responsibility to follow federal guidelines to protect the safety and health of their workers on the job."

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