US Department of Labor finds Nebraska farm cooperative exposed employees stacking pallets of pork to musculoskeletal disorders

Employers:    Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc.

                             900 South Platte Ave.

                             Fremont, NE 

Actions:          OSHA investigation

Findings:         The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc. for three serious safety and health violations and proposed penalties totaling $36,873, following a March 2024 complaint investigation. 

OSHA issued serious violations under the general duty clause, after finding employees were exposed to ergonomic stressors likely to cause musculoskeletal disorders and injuries when working in the palletizing area.

The company put employees at risk of musculoskeletal injuries by requiring them to manually lift boxes weighing up to 99 pounds from the palletizing conveyor onto pallets at floor level and stack them up to nine boxes high. The frequency and duration of lifts, weights lifted, motions repeated, forced exertions, and irregular postures exposed employees to the risk of injuries.

Wholestone also received a serious violation for exposing workers to slip and fall hazards by allowing employees to walk and work on a damaged, uneven surface in the shipping department’s cold storage area and by not keeping aisles and a passageway clear and in good repair.

Quote: “Musculoskeletal injuries are among the most frequent causes of lost or restricted work time and a known hazard in the meatpacking industry. Such injuries occur when lifting heavy items, bending, working in awkward body postures and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively,” said OSHA Area Director Matthew Thurlby in Omaha, Nebraska. “Work-related musculoskeletal injuries can be prevented by creating an effective ergonomics program that includes training, hazard analysis and control, medical management, and process evaluation to limit muscle strain.”

Background: Learn more about OSHA’s Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for meatpacking plants.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 

Learn more about OSHA and industry-recognized safety rules for agricultural operations.