OSHA Inspection: MONFORT BEEF, INC. (CON AGRA, INC., DBA)

Issued

Jan 30, 1997

Abate by

Aug 1, 1997

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $3,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(A)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to being injured by cattle being herded to the kill chute:
Monfort Beef, Inc., Cactus, Texas, Cattle Pen #6, west side of the plant.
On or about
November 14, 1996, an employee was working in the cattle pens and was
struck by a heifer.
He was knocked to the ground and sustained injuries to his head.  The
heifer left the group of
cattle being held at the rear of Pen #6.  Another group was being herded
toward the kill chute.
Two employees were standing/walking between the groups.  The employees
were watching and
herding the group ahead of them and not the ones at the rear.  This
condition exposed employees
to injury due to the unpredictable behavior of the cattle.
One feasible and accepted method of abatement would be to add catwalks and
circle
to the area
of pen #6 in order to keep employees out of the pen as they herd cattle to
the kill chute.