Foster Farms has been cited by the California Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) for allegedly not protecting its workers from COVID-19.
A press release from Cal/OSHA stated that the agency opened an investigation after receiving notification that an employee in Livingston, California, had died from COVID-19 complications, and subsequently determined that Foster Farms and one of its staffing agencies did not report the fatality on a timely basis as required.
A separate Cal/OSHA inspection was conducted at Foster Farms distribution center in Livingston.
Along with the citation for alleged violations at the poultry plant in Livingston comes a proposed fine of $103.100. Citations issued to Foster Farms for alleged violations at the distribution center carry with them a proposed fine of $78,400.
Four staffing agencies that reportedly provided workers to Foster Farms facilities in Livingston were also cited. Those staffing agencies, as well as their proposed fines are:
- Human Bees Inc., $41,000
- Marcos Renetria Ag Services, $36,000
- Intermountain Employment Services, $18,000, and
- Staffing Solutions Inc., $16,200
According to Cal/OSHA, Foster Farms’ was cited for five serious, one repeat regulatory and two regulatory violations at its Livingston plant, as well as three serious, one repeat regulatory and two regulatory violations at the distribution center.
The Merced County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) ordered Foster Farms to close its plant in Livingston in late August 2020, after eight workers died from apparent COVID-19 complications and at least 358 plant workers tested positive for the coronavirus. Foster Farms later announced that it would close the facility on September 1 and would not resume operations until the evening of September 7.
During that temporary shutdown, Foster Farms conducted a deep cleaning of the facility and tested workers for COVID-19.
Foster Farms, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, is the 11th largest broiler producer and the 13th largest turkey producer in the United States.
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