Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp., the country’s largest pork processor, has agreed to assemble a team of company and third-party experts to develop an infectious disease preparedness plan that the company will implement at all of its processing facilities nationwide.
In a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. has committed to changing its health procedures and training relating to infectious diseases. The action follows a March 2020 Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection that led OSHA to cite the company under the general duty clause for failing to protect workers from coronavirus hazards at its Sioux Falls facility. As part of the agreement, Smithfield will pay the assessed penalty of $13,494.