Contract worker decapitated at Tyson poultry plant

A man was decapitated while cleaning equipment at a Tyson Foods facility in Bakerhill, Alabama.

Roy Graber Headshot
(Pro100Dzu | Bigstock)
(Pro100Dzu | Bigstock)

A man was decapitated while cleaning equipment at a Tyson Foods poultry processing facility in Bakerhill, Alabama.

The victim was identified at Carlos Lynn, 39, a member of a cleaning crew with PSSI Food Safety Solutions, a company with which Tyson Foods contracted. Lynn was pronounced dead at 5:50 p.m. on February 3. The accident is believed to have occurred between 5:30 and 5:40 p.m., reported the Eufaula Tribune.

Tyson Foods spokesman Worth Sparkman, in a statement emailed to WATT Global Media, said the company is investigating the fatal incident, and will provide more information when it can. The company added, “We’re grateful for the swift response and assistance of local emergency personnel.”

Gina Swenson, senior director of marketing at PSSI, issued the following statement to the Tribune: "We are devastated by the loss of our friend and team member, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. We take an accident like this very seriously and we are working with local authorities to understand how it could have happened, given the strict safety protocols we have in place. As this inquiry is ongoing and out of utmost respect for the privacy of our team member’s family, it is not appropriate for us to comment further at this time."

The plant where the incident occurred is a former Keystone Foods facility. It became a part of Tyson Foods’ operations with its $2.16 billion acquisition of Keystone Foods in 2018. At the time, Keystone Foods was the 10th largest poultry company in the United States. Keystone Foods was previously owned by Brazilian company Marfrig Global Foods, which decided to sell the company so it could put more of its focus on its beef operations. Marfrig Global Foods is also the former parent company of European poultry company Moy Park, now owned by Pilgrim’s Pride.

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