HATTIESBURG, MISS. — Department of Labor officials took another step in investigating the accident at the Mar-Jac Poultry facility in Hattiesburg, Miss., that left a 16-year-old worker dead in July.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Wage and Hour Division announced on Sept. 11 that it wants to interview employees at the plant.

Investigators stated they obtained a warrant from the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi to investigate safety hazards related to the incident. 

The agency explained that the warrant allows officials to question any employer, operator, agent or employee privately and to review records related to the operation and maintenance of the equipment involved in the incident.

“We are asking current Mar-Jac employees for their assistance,” said Court Bohannon, OSHA area director based in Jackson, Miss. “Federal law protects the rights of workers to participate in a US Department of Labor investigation and forbids employers from interfering in any way, including by retaliating against an employee who does. With help from Mar-Jac’s workers, we can make sure the employer provides a safer environment for everyone who works there.”

OSHA asked Mar-Jac employees to contact them at the Jackson area office or submit a confidential complaint online.

Mar-Jac previously stated in July that the teenager who died was hired through a staffing company. 

“Mar-Jac MS would never knowingly put any employee, and certainly not a minor, in harm’s way,” the company said in July. “But it appears at this point in the investigation, that this individual’s age and identity were misrepresented on the paperwork.” 

The company noted that it is undertaking a thorough audit with the staffing companies to ensure this error never happens again. 

“There are many hardworking young people in Mississippi and elsewhere who are eager to work to support themselves and their families,” the company said. “But the law does not allow those under the age of 18 to perform certain dangerous tasks and Mar-Jac MS is dedicated to complying with the law. We are devastated at the loss of life, and deeply regret that an underage individual was hired without our knowledge.”