ALBANY, NY – The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited MB Consultants Ltd., doing business as Murray’s Chickens, for eight alleged violations of workplace safety and health standards at the company’s South Fallsburg, NY, chicken processing plant. The agency is proposing $67,000 in fines.

OSHA cited the company for six serious violations. The agency found deficiencies in the facility’s “lockout/tagout” program, which is designed to prevent machinery from unintentionally starting up during maintenance. OSHA said the program lacked energy control procedures; and the company failed to train workers on the program’s purpose and functions. Further, the company failed to adequately guard processing machinery against contact with workers, OSHA said. The company also failed to provide workers with information and training on specific hazards involving disinfectants and other chemicals. The citations carry $32,000 in proposed fines.

"The absence of adequate machine guarding and hazardous energy control procedures exposes workers to the dangers of lacerations, amputations and crushing injuries, should they become caught in operating or unexpectedly activated machinery," said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA's area director in Albany. "Such conditions should be addressed and abated quickly and effectively."

MB Consultants received a citation for one repeat violation for not properly recording all injuries and illnesses, the agency said. The violation carries a $33,000 fine.

Finally, OSHA cited the company for two other-than-serious violations for failure to review illness and injury logs to ensure accuracy, which carries a fine of $2,000.