The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Koch Foods for multiple serious violations at one of its poultry processing plants. The fines total more than $208,000. The company’s violations include failing to provide fall protection, failing to properly train employees, and exposing employees to levels of noise that exceed legal limits. The company has a history of OSHA violations.
The citations come as the Trump administration and Congress seek to unwind many Obama-era regulations that empowered OSHA to better confront workplace safety violations. Among the rules being repealed is one that requires companies seeking federal contracts to disclose their violations of labor standards. Under Obama, OSHA investigated and fined several poultry processors.
Koch Foods is one of the top poultry processors in the country, with 18 plants. The company provides chicken products to major retailers and fast food restaurants, such as Walmart, Burger King, and Kroger. Koch is currently a defendant in several lawsuits from grocery retailers and food distribution companies that allege a decades-long price-fixing conspiracy in the poultry processing sector.