A teenage employee of Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg is dead as a result of a workplace accident at the plant on James Street.
According to a news release from Mar-Jac, the incident happened at approximately 8 p.m. July 14, when a 16-year-old died of injuries sustained while conducting sanitizing operations. Forrest County Deputy Coroner Lisa Klem confirmed that the teenager did die at the site,but is not disclosing his identity because of his age and an ongoing investigation.
The teenager’s cause of death will not be released until an autopsy is performed.
“Our employees are our most valuable asset, and safety is our number one priority,” complex manager Joe Colee said in the company’s news release. “We strive daily to work as safely as possible and are truly devastated whenever an employee is injured.
“Any issues identified in the investigation will be corrected immediately.”
Plant officials said they have notified the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the incident and are cooperating in the concurrent investigation.
This fatality follows two others that happened during two accidents in 2020 at the plant; one man died in each of those incidents, which occurred just six months apart.
