The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that two workers at a Tyson Foods plant were seriously burned when a hose filled with oil ruptured, igniting the oil mist and causing a fire and explosion in the boiler room. Inspectors with the agency concluded that Tyson Foods failed to follow proper internal procedures nor the manufacturer’s guidelines when conducting maintenance on its boiler pump. The incident, which occurred on December 26, 2024, also caused fatal injuries to a woman who was not employed at the plant.
Following DOL’s announcement, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum provided a statement criticizing the “meager fine” issued against Tyson Foods, $16,500.
“What we’ve learned today is that Tyson Foods was in fact at fault for our members’ near life ending injuries,” he said. “While a worker’s life can never be monetarily valued, it certainly cannot be valued at a few thousand dollars. OSHA’s decision to issue only modest fines in the wake of the devastating boiler explosion at Tyson’s Camilla, Ga., poultry plant is the true embodiment of a broken system that lacks the teeth and incentives to protect workers.”
“The only thing made clear today is that OSHA lacks the power, urgency and resources needed to truly hold large corporations accountable,” Appelbaum said. “It took over six-months for this decision to be issued, leaving our members, their families and the Camilla community waiting far too long for answers and accountability. And even now, they are left with neither.”
“RWDSU members at the Camilla facility and across the poultry industry deserve real safety protections, real enforcement and real respect for their lives and labor. We demand stronger standards to prevent future tragedies, timely investigations and real penalties that match the scale of the harm done,” said President Appelbaum.
The Southeast Council of the RWDSU represents approximately 1,600 employees at Tyson Foods’ Camilla facility. RWDSU represents over 15,000 poultry workers across the southern United States.
