The U.S. Department of Labor cited a Fremont cooperative for three serious safety violations with proposed penalties totaling over $36,000 following a March 2024 investigation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that workers in the palletizing area at Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc. were exposed to ergonomic stressors likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries. Employees were manually lifting boxes weighing up to 99 pounds and stacking them up to nine boxes high.
Additionally, the company was cited for exposing workers to slip and fall hazards by allowing them to walk on damaged, uneven surfaces in cold storage.
Wholestone Farms, which processes 5.4 million Midwest raised hogs per year, has 15 business days to comply or contest with OSHA.
