Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
OSHA Imposes First COVID Worker Safety Penalty To Smithfield Meatpacking Plant
AP: Smithfield Foods Pork Plant Faces OSHA Fine From Outbreak
Federal regulators said Thursday they have cited Smithfield Foods for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus at the company’s Sioux Falls plant, an early hot spot for virus infections that hobbled American meatpacking plants. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that employees were working closely together and exposed to the coronavirus. It also found that leading up to the first known infections at the plant on March 23, Smithfield did not do enough to space them out or provide other safety measures like face coverings or physical barriers. (Groves, 9/10)
The Hill: Trump Administration Issues First COVID-19 Fine To Smithfield For Failing To Protect Workers
The Sioux Falls plant was the site of a coronavirus outbreak in April and OSHA cited the company for one violation of the general duty clause for failing to provide a hazard-free workplace. At least 1,294 Smithfield workers contracted coronavirus, and four employees died from the virus in the spring of 2020, OSHA confirmed. Smithfield responded on Thursday that the OSHA citation is “wholly without merit,” and that it plans to contest it. Smithfield has 15 business days from receipt of the citation and penalty to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or formally contest the findings. (Gangitano, 9/10)
Politico: U.S. Issues First Covid-19 Fine To Meatpacking Plant Totaling $13,500
Worker advocates have been pressing for more attention and protections to address the risks faced by vulnerable populations — including farm and meatpacking labor — to Covid-19. The penalty is the maximum allowed by law. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union called the fine "completely insufficient" and "insulting." (Bustillo, 9/10)
In related news —
AP: Food Plant Cited For Failing To Protect Workers From Virus
California’s workplace safety regulator has cited a frozen food manufacturer and its temporary employment agency for failing to protect hundreds of employees from the coronavirus at two Los Angeles area plants. California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations this month to Overhill Farms and Jobsource North America and proposed over $200,000 in penalties for each company. (9/10)
