Federal appeals court finds Pennsylvania poultry processing facility in contempt for failing to pay $162K in penalties, address safety violations

Federal appeals court finds Pennsylvania poultry processing facility in contempt for failing to pay $162K in penalties, address safety violations
Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp. ignores Department of Labor sanctions
WASHINGTON – A federal court has found Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp. in contempt for failing to pay $162,359 in penalties after an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found numerous safety hazards, including willful, serious and repeat violations.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s Oct. 19, 2022, decision is the latest legal action spurred by two separate 2016 safety and health inspections at the Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, poultry processing facility. The inspections led OSHA to issue citations for violations related to federal lockout/tagout, hearing conservation and personal protective equipment standards.

The company contested the citations with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Following a full hearing on the citations’ merits, an administrative law judge affirmed the initial citations in a Sept. 23, 2019, decision that became the commission’s final order on Oct. 22, 2019. Birdsboro Kosher Farms petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for review, and the Secretary of Labor filed a cross-application for enforcement.

“OSHA’s safety and health standards protect workers and ensure their jobs don’t expose them to needless risks,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Employers who ignore their responsibility to provide a safe work environment or who deny their legal obligations will be held to account by the U.S. Department of Labor.”
— Read on content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOL/bulletins/334aad5