Meat company, staffing firms fined by OSHA for not protecting workers from hazardous materials

A southwest suburban meat packing company and two staffing firms which provide workers for the plant face fines from OSHA after an employee complained of unsafe work conditions.

Stampede Meat Inc. in Bridgeview faces a penalty of $45,500 after being issued one repeated and one serious safety violation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an inspection of the facility on April 30 following the complaint, a statement from OSHA said.

The repeat violation was for “failing to provide training to new employees, including temporary workers, about hazardous chemicals, such as refrigerant ammonia,” OSHA said. The company had previously been cited for the same issue in 2011.

The serious violation was for “failing to train workers on emergency action plan procedures,” which are required if hazardous materials are used, OSHA said.

Flexible Staffing Services of Lake in the Hills, and Accurate Personnel of Chicago also face penalties of $14,000 each for serious violations for failing to train workers properly in handling hazardous materials, OSHA said. The companies supply about 1,200 employees to Stampede Meat.

“Stampede Meat has a responsibility to train its workforce about the chemical hazards they work with every day,” Kathy Webb, OSHA’s area director in Calumet City, said in the statement. “The company needs to evaluate its safety and health programs, and make immediate improvements to protect workers on the job.”