Injuries in the workplace can be absolutely terrifying and can leave a worker forever changed for the worse. That is the case for one worker in a Jennie-O turkey plant. He recently lost his right arm below the shoulder and will now probably need to seek workers' compensation benefits. This terrifying and tragic incident should encourage Louisville workers to be extremely careful in their work.

The worker was cleaning some equipment in a confined space last July when the accident occurred. It is not yet known whether the machine accidentally turned on or quite how the man lost his arm, but he is said to have had to walk down a flight of stairs and across a floor to get medical help.

Naturally, allowing an injury like this cannot go unpunished. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has proposed $318,000 in fines relating to the accident, which it claims was due to Jennie-O failing to properly train the employee and failing to follow OSHA guidelines. Jennie-O, which is a unit of the larger Hormel Foods company (the maker of Spam), has 15 to protest OSHA's findings.

The workers' condition is not currently known, although it is safe to say that his entire life has to change, including what he does to support himself (if he can work at all). This is why we have workers' compensation benefits. Workers who are hurt while on the job should not have to worry about how they are going to make ends meet on top of everything else.

Source: The St. Paul Pioneer Press, "OSHA cites Jennie-O Turkey Store after worker's arm severed at Barron plant," Jan. 23, 2012