Tyson Foods Inc. has been fined $263,498 by federal investigators for safety violations at a chicken-processing facility in Texas.
The violations were discovered during an investigation by the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was conducted after an employee's finger was severed at a Tyson plant in Center, Texas.
Inspectors identified two repeated and 15 serious violations during investigations this year.
Tyson has 15 business days from receipt of the citation to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the penalties.
"We never want to see anyone hurt on the job, which is why we're committed to continual improvement in our workplace safety efforts," Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said in a statement. "We fully cooperated with OSHA's inspection of our Center plant and intend to meet with OSHA officials in an effort to resolve these claims."
-- Robbie Neiswanger