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'Horse Play' Leads to Deadly Accident at Poultry Plant

The worker suffered a compressed air injury.

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On December 15, an employee died at the Mar-Jac Poultry Plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  

According to the AP, the Hattiesburg Police Department yesterday identified the worker as Joel Velasco Toto. In a statement, the police department said Toto and "known acquaintances" were "horse-playing with machinery in the facility when Toto was injured." 

Joe Colee, Mar-Jac Poultry complex manager, said the accident happened in the battery charging room at the chicken processing plant.  

Toto was transported to a local hospital where he died after undergoing surgery. 

According to Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict, Toto died from abdominal and pelvic trauma caused by a compressed air injury. 

In a statement, Mar-Jac said it was cooperating closely with local law enforcement, OSHA, and the Department of Agriculture in the investigation.

Mar-Jac Poultry is a fully-integrated poultry production company based in Gainesville, Georgia. According to its website, it is a global poultry product distributor emphasizing the domestic foodservice industry.

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