A poultry processing saw the deaths of six people today due to a ruptured liquid nitrogen line.
This is the kind of incident government in Washington, DC can do something about and must do something about. The people in Georgia work hard and this is the kind of danger they are facing. Six families tonight are without family members and a paycheck.
OSHA must take an active role in these incidents. Fines are not enough. That plant needs to be made absolutely safe for the workers. That means OSHA does an inspection of the facility and reports every infraction. Then unions should be invited to demand better working conditions in their contract. The two new US Senators along with the district’s US House Representative need to visit the facility with a federal solution for making working conditions better.
The people deserve to be safe, but, while fines are appropriate what is also appropriate are grants or low cost loans to these businesses to bring about safe working conditions. Follow-up inspections every six months is in order until the facility is safe for human beings and not just profit takers.
The families need to hold the employer responsible, but, in the south the state legislators have basically removed all liability from the worst of businesses. Lawyers have lost leverage and businesses know it. It is important for the federal government to impose a presence to be the sheriff and be sure breadwinners continue on the job until retirement.
This is the kind of neglect of the value of human life that exists in the USA. It has to stop.
