HOLCOMB, Kan. – On Jan. 29, The US Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Wichita Area Office cited Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. and Tyson Hides and Tannery for eight safety and violations. In all, there were two repeated offenses, five serious and one other than serious violations in the two adjacent facilities in Holcomb, Kansas.

Inspections at the Holcomb facilities in February 2016 found the company violated the following OSHA standards regarding occupational noise exposure:

-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.

In addition, OSHA also found Tyson failed to install adequate machine guards around rotating shafts, provide eye wash stations and 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 in a statement. "Employers like Tyson have a responsibility to follow federal guidelines to protect the safety and health of their workers on the job."

The proposed penalties for the violations total $85,000.