JBS Foods USA And OSHA Reach Agreement to Keep Workers Safe

JBS Foods USA to Work With Experts on Infectious Disease Preparedness Plan

OSHA cited the company in 2020 for exposing workers to coronavirus hazards.

  • By Alex Saurman
  • Jun 02, 2022

A US meat processor is taking steps to protect its employees from infectious disease hazards.

According to a press release, four JBS Foods USA subsidiaries and affiliates are pairing with third-party experts and OSHA and the United Foods and Commercial Workers Union recommendations to create an infection disease preparedness plan.

Through the assessment and evaluation of current procedures, experts will create a plan to protect workers at seven locations. The experts will also provide recommendations on controls, according to the press release.

The plan will affect seven locations total of Swift Beef Co., Swift Pork Co., JBS Souderton Inc. and JBS Green Bay Inc. plants. The facilities are located in Colorado, Illinois, two in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.

This agreement follows a 2020 citation from OSHA for not protecting workers from coronavirus hazards. At Swift Beef Co in Greenly, Colorado, by July 30, 2020, five workers died, 51 workers were hospitalized and 290 workers tested positive. At JBS Green Bay in Green Bay, Wisconsin, by August 12, 2020, two workers died and 357 workers tested positive.

“This settlement is intended to ensure that, going forward, protective measures are in place to protect workers at these facilities from COVID-19 and from other infectious diseases as well,” said OSHA’s Regional Administrator Jennifer Rous in Denver in the press release. “This settlement will positively impact the safety and health of JBS employees far beyond the two facilities where these inspections occurred.”

JBS Foods USA is a meat producer located in the US. It employs more than 66,000 “team members,” according to its website.

About the Author

Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.

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