Northeastern Nebraska Plant Cited in Worker’s Death, Fined $188K

A federal workplace safety agency has cited a northeastern Nebraska egg processing plant where a worker was killed last year.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a news release that the Michael Foods plant in Wakefield violated several safety provisions in the September death of a worker.

OSHA determined that the plant failed to properly brace a dock leveler as it was undergoing maintenance, causing it to fall on the employee who was helping with the maintenance. A dock leveler is a device used to allow a forklift to travel between a loading dock and a trailer.

OSHA says Michael Foods faces $188,464 in proposed penalties and has 15 business days to respond.

A spokeswoman at the company’s Minnetonka, Minnesota, headquarters did not immediately respond to an email Friday seeking comment.