U.S. Department of Labor safety inspectors cited Keystone Foods, a distributor for Tyson Foods, for allegedly failing to protect employees against fire and explosion hazards at its Camilla, Georgia, poultry plant.   

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that on Dec. 26, 2024, two workers at the plant, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., were seriously burned when a hose filled with oil ruptured, igniting the oil mist and causing a fire and explosion in the boiler room. Inspectors concluded Keystone Foods did not ensure workers followed proper internal procedures nor the manufacturer’s guidelines when conducting maintenance on its boiler pump. 

OSHA issued Keystone Foods a citation for a serious violation under the OSH Act’s general duty clause and proposed penalties of $16,550.

Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents over 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across the southern United States and Edgar Fields, President of the Southeast Council of the RWDSU, which represents the Keystone Foods plant, issued the following joint statement:

“What we’ve learned today is that Tyson Foods was in fact at fault for our member’s near life ending injuries. While a worker's life can never be monetarily valued, it certainly cannot be valued at a few thousand dollars. OSHA’s decision to issue only modest fines in the wake of the devastating boiler explosion at Tyson’s Camilla, Georgia poultry plant is the true embodiment of a broken system that lacks the teeth and incentives to protect workers.

“For a multibillion-dollar corporation like Tyson, this fine is barely a drop in the bucket, despite the gravity of the explosion and the clear danger to workers. This meager penalty sends a dangerous message: that even catastrophic failures in worker safety can be brushed aside without meaningful consequence.

“The only thing made clear today is that OSHA lacks the power, urgency, and resources needed to truly hold large corporations accountable. It took over six-months for this decision to be issued, leaving our members, their families, and the Camilla community waiting far too long for answers and accountability. And even now, they are left with neither.

“RWDSU members at the Camilla facility and across the poultry industry deserve real safety protections, real enforcement, and real respect for their lives and labor. We demand stronger standards to prevent future tragedies, timely investigations and real penalties that match the scale of the harm done.”

The Southeast Council of the RWDSU represents about 1,600 workers at the bargaining table at this Tyson facility in Camilla, Georgia. The RWDSU represents over 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across the southern United States, which includes workers at other Tyson facilities.