Omaha, Neb. (KPTM) — One of the nation’s largest food safety sanitation services providers has been fined $1.5 million by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDL) after it found the company employed minors to work in hazardous occupations, including more than 30 in Nebraska.
The USDL announced on Friday that it fined Packers Sanitation Services Inc. LTD (PSSI), based in Kieler, Wisconsin, for employing 102 children – from 13 to 17 years of age – for hazardous occupations and had them working overnight shifts at 13 meat processing facilities in eight states.
The investigation found that children were working with hazardous chemicals and cleaning meat processing equipment including back saws, brisket saws and head splitters.
The USDL also learned that at least three minors suffered injuries while working for PSSI.
The child labor violations in this case were systemic and reached across eight states, and clearly indicate a corporate-wide failure by Packers Sanitation Services at all levels,” explained Principal Deputy Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman Jessica Looman. “These children should never have been employed in meat packing plants and this can only happen when employers do not take responsibility to prevent child labor violations from occurring in the first place.
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