Allen Family Foods to contest Safety-Related Fine

Maryland regulators fined a poultry processor on the Eastern Shore more than $1-million for safety violations. The fine against Allen Family Foods Inc. is the largest fine ever assessed by a Maryland Occupational Safety and Health unit in a single inspection or investigation. The penalty stems from a MOSH inspection after an incident in December at the company’s Hurlock processing facility, where an employee suffered a serious injury reaching beneath an unguarded conveyor belt. The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation says the inspection resulted in four citations alleging 51 violations of occupational safety and health laws. Allen Family Foods is contesting the fine stating that the citation does not accurately reflect its safety record and believes it is the result of a more aggressive enforcement policy by state regulators.