The Illinois food processing industry has become so dangerous for workers that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced its new “Local Emphasis Program” last fall “…to reduce workplace hazards and better protect workers….” This new outreach and enforcement effort focuses solely upon Illinois and Ohio where injury rates for food production workers are known to be “significantly higher” than in any other state.
Read, “US Department of Labor initiative seeks to protect food processing workers in Illinois, Ohio amid significantly higher injury rates,” published November 9, 2022, by the DOL’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”); also read, OSHA Warns of Accident Dangers in Illinois’ Food Processing Industry.
While the business of food processing is not a major contributor to Indiana’s economy, the same is not true for the State of Illinois. As Indiana University explains, “…[t]he majority of food processing takes place either at the point of agriculture production or at the place of food consumption. Therefore, most production will either be in states like California, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas (consumption by population) or Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska (agriculture production).”
Illinois has been recognized as the number one state in the country for processed food sales, with the Chicago metroplex hosting one of largest concentrations of food processing businesses in the world, according to the Illinois Farm Bureau.
Severe Food Production Work Accident Injury Hazards for Illinois Workers
The food production industry involves all sorts of endeavors and within each of these enterprises, a different need for skills and efforts by employees. There are over 420 food processing companies in Illinois.
Any business involved in taking raw foods or ingredients and changing them into new food products is considered to be a part of the food processing industry. However, some of these businesses are known to be much more dangerous for those on the job in their food processing plants.
According to OSHA, those working in Illinois food production for the following products are at the greatest risk of injury on the job:
- Animal
- Confectionery
- Fruit-based
- Vegetable-based.
Of importance, OSHA warns that Illinois food processing workers face an almost 29% higher rate of amputations than workers in private sector manufacturing jobs.
For more on amputations, read Traumatic Amputations in Industrial Accidents and Amputation Injuries from On-the-Job Work Accidents in Indiana or Illinois.
Examples of Recent Serious Illinois Food Processing Work Accidents
Consider these few incidents in the aftermath of a serious or fatal Illinois food processing work accident, which are far from the only severe food processing injuries suffered by Illinois workers in recent years:
1. September 2023 Food Processing Plant Explosion
A Decatur, Illinois food processing plant dedicated to changing soybeans into soybean oil and soy protein powder suffered an explosion and fire injuring eight (8) food processing workers at the facility owned by Archer Daniels Midland.
Read “Several hurt in ADM central Illinois plant blast; corn, soy processing down,” written by Karl Plume and Julie Ingwersen and published by Reuters on September 11, 2023.
2. June 2023: $2.8 Million in Penalties After Worker Death at Illinois Frozen Pizza Plant
A temporary worker at the Miracapo Pizza Company food processing plant in Gurnee, Illinois, died on the job when she suffered fatal injuries while cleaning a conveyer belt used to cool pizza. This tragedy happened only weeks after another worker suffered an amputation injury while doing maintenance on a pizza sauce depositor machine. A year earlier, another worker at the same facility also suffered an amputation while trying to clean another conveyor.
OSHA cited the Miracapo Pizza Company with 16 willful egregious violations; one willful violation; and 12 serious violations, together with $2,812,658 in penalties.
- For more, read “Temporary Worker Fatally Injured, OSHA Proposes $2.8 Million in Penalties for Illinois Pizza Manufacturer,” written by Alex Saurman and published by OH&S Magazine on June 16, 2023.
3. April 2022: Food Processing Worker Finger Amputation: Employer’s 20th Citation in 5 Years
Hearthside Foods is an international food processing enterprise known for its cookies, popcorn, granola, and baked goods as well as fresh and frozen food products, and providing packaging for food products. In October 2021, OSHA was notified of a Hearthside food processing worker who suffered a traumatic amputation of one finger and the partial amputation of another finger while at work at its Romeoville facility.
The Department of Labor issued a news release detailing this incident with the shocking revelation that this resulted in the 20th safety citation in five (5) years for Hearthside Foods. Read, “US Department of Labor Finds Hearthside Food Solutions Violates Federal Safety Procedures For 20th Time in 5 Years,” published April 26, 2022 by the Department of Labor.
From OSHA’s Chicago South Area Director James Martineck in Tinley Park:
“OSHA standards are put in place to prevent workers from suffering life-altering injuries. This company’s history of violating federal standards shows a corporate culture that lacks urgency to keep workers safe. Hearthside Food should immediately re-evaluate its training and safety procedures at all of its facilities.”
- For more, read “An employee at an Illinois food manufacturer lost a finger after getting it stuck in a machine, the labor department said,” written by Grace Dean and published by Business Insider on April 27, 2022.
Common Food Processing Accident Risks: Employer Duty of Safety and Care
For any worker on the job in an Illinois food processing facility, it is vital to know the hazards that can cause immediate, catastrophic, and sometimes deadly injuries to that worker as well as others on the job site. Employers and others with possession, custody, or control of aspects of the workplace have legal duties to keep workers safe from harm. These risks include:
1. Falls (Slip, Trip)
Food processing requires its own housekeeping routines to keep everyone safe from all sorts of germs, bacteria, and the like. This means that there will be sanitation protocols including washing and mopping for floors and work surfaces on a regular basis, which is good except for the resulting slippery surfaces that pose their own dangers.
Workers can slip, trip, or fall and sustain serious injuries if not properly protected by the employer from these risks. This includes the employer doing things like making sure wet floors are blocked off with proper warning signage and workers being provided with Personal Protective Equipment that includes the proper non-slip footwear.
Additionally, tripping hazards should be removed. Any type of high shelving should be reached by the appropriate lifts.
See, Serious or Deadly Workplace Accidents: Evolving Legal Standards for PPE Work Shoes and Fatal Falls on the Job and the Employer’s Failure to Protect Worker From Fall Risk.
2. Fires and Explosions
Most food processing requires some use of materials or chemicals that are flammable. They come with the risk of explosion or fire that can hurt any number of workers on the job site. Ovens, for instance, may be powered by gases that are flammable. Cleaners used in housekeeping may be flammable, as well. Materials used in the particular processing itself may be susceptible to exploding, from grains to things like combustible dust.
Workers should be protected from fire and explosion accidents with safety plans and procedures that include a knowledge of all fire hazards on the site and how best to minimize the risk of fire or explosion. Fire safety measures should be in place, as well; these include having fire extinguishers throughout the site in proper working order, along with air filtration systems; smoke and heat alarms; and employee training programs in the particular fire and explosion hazards on their work site.
For more, read: Explosives and Fire: Workplace Explosion Accidents and Combustible Dust Industrial Accidents.
3. Heavy Machinery and Equipment Injuries
Food processing today involves the use of all sorts of product-specific equipment and machinery to help workers maximize output and profits. From the aforementioned pizza cooling conveyor, to various types of ovens, cutting machines, packing equipment, and more, there are any number of ways a food processing worker is at risk for severe or deadly harm, including the amputation of finger, hand, or arm.
Employers should protect workers from these risks in all reasonable and prudent ways, such as a complete investigation and routine inspection of all machinery and equipment for proper use. Workers should be trained on how these machines and equipment are dangerous and the risks that comes from even being near them, much less working on one – especially in cleaning or repair. Proper protective equipment should be provided to all workers, as well. Lockout and tagout protocols should be in place.
For more, read: Machine Guarding: Serious Industrial Work Accidents Caused by Moving Machine Parts and Lockout and Tagout (LOTO) Injuries on the Job: a Top Ten OSHA Safety Violation.
Claims for Justice for Workers Hurt in Illinois Food Processing Accidents
Sadly, food processing workers in Illinois are at a great danger of suffering life-altering or deadly injuries on the job. While OSHA has warned of these risks, the reality is that all too often employers continue to put profits over people with horrific results.
When a food processing accident happens, worker victims and their loved ones may have avenues for justice against the employer as well as third parties who have legal liability for what has transpired. These include product manufacturers; landowners; shippers; contractors; repair companies; and others.
For more, read our earlier discussions in:
- Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents: Third Party Injury Claims
- Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims for On-the-Job Accidents
- The Two Main Differences Between Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims for Accident Victims in Indiana and Illinois.
Food processing work in Illinois is unacceptably dangerous today. Workers and their loved ones need to be aware of this risk and that the employer is under a legal duty of safety to keep them safe. Please be careful out there!
