A fatal accident occurred on April 27 at the Foster Farms turkey plant in Turlock, California.
The victim was identified as Luis Salazar, 30.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, in an emailed statement to WATT Global Media, said Salazar was “pulled into the production conveyor by his neck, resulting in fatal crushing injuries to his skull.” He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Co-workers told the agency that Salazar, who was contracted to work at the plant through Marcos Renteria AG Services, had fallen asleep and was woken up by co-workers on several occasions before the accident took place.
“We greatly regret this loss of life and extend our sympathies to family and friends,” Foster Farms said in a statement issued to the Modesto Bee. “At Foster Farms, we strive to maintain a safe workplace for our employees and for those we do business with. The company conducts ongoing safety training programs and has a strong safety record. … We are conducting a complete investigation in conjunction with local law enforcement and representatives of OSHA.”
Salazar’s sister, Melanie Ayala, has started a GoFundMe page to help cover his funeral expenses. As of around noontime on April 30, the effort had raised $5,248.
“We have no words to describe our pain,” Ayala wrote. “We thank every single one of you who have showed support during this time.”
Foster Farms, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, slaughtered 213 million pounds of live turkeys in 2019, making it the 13th largest turkey company in the United States. It also ranks 10th among U.S. broiler producers, having produced 28.09 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis in 2019.
The company, headquartered in Livingston, California, has nearly 12,000 employees, about 1,660 of which are employees of its turkey division.
In October 2019, Foster Farms placed the winning bid, $31 million, for the former assets of Zacky Farms. The bid was to acquire 19 farms that were formerly part of Zacky, which is now defunct.
