HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – A former U.S. Occupation Safety & Health (OSHA) agent is raising safety concerns about the poultry industry after a minor was killed while working at a Hattiesburg plant.

Sixteen-year-old Duvan Perez, an immigrant from Guatemala, was killed while performing sanitation duties at Mar-Jac Poultry on Friday, July 14.

Officials with the company said they were unaware of Perez’s age, blaming a tight labor market and an outside staffing company for not verifying his age.

According to OSHA records, Perez’s death is the third inside the Hattiesburg plant since 2020. Four other people have been seriously injured in separate incidents.

Debbie Berkowitz, a former senior OSHA officials, claimed the poultry industry is known for hiring immigrants who are underage and may not know their rights.

“This was a preventable injury. The 16-year-old should never have been there. This plant really stands out. But on the whole, the poultry industry is very dangerous. You know, the statistics are clear. They have the fifth highest rate of all industries when it comes to reported amputations. They have three times the rate of serious injuries that involve lost time or restricted duty than other industries. Then this plant, with its high fatality numbers, it’s stunning,” she said.

Federal labor laws prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from operating and cleaning meat processing and packing equipment.

OSHA and the Wage and Hour Division are still investigating the July 14 incident.