What happened in this inspection
Cal/OSHA opened an accident inspection of Smithfield Foods, Inc. / Smithfield Distribution, LLC at 3049 E. Vernon Avenue / 3163 E. Vernon Avenue, Vernon (Los Angeles County) on Dec 10, 2020. It was a partial inspection focused on health hazards. The record lists 1,852 employees, a figure the employer reports to the inspector and one that can cover more than the site inspected, with union representation. Inspectors issued 11 citations (2 serious) and proposed $41,555 in penalties; after appeal or settlement the current total is $19,255. 11 citations were contested before the Appeals Board. 2 citations were deleted on appeal and are not counted. The case closed on Apr 21, 2023. 6 workers died in the event that led to this inspection.
Citations
Each citation names the rule, its classification and the penalty as proposed and as it stands now.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $5,000, current $4,000. 8 instances. 8 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $450, current $450. 2 instances. 8 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $450, current $450. 2 instances. 428 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $450, current $450. 428 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $450, current $450. 1 worker exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $675, current $675. 12 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $840, current $840. 100 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $840, current $840. 1 worker exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $0, current $0. 500 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Sep 9, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $16,200, current $3,000. 2 instances. 6 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Sep 9, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $16,200, current $8,100. 4 instances. 100 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Sep 9, 2021, completed. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $450, current $0. 3 instances. 428 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Oct 1, 2021. Read the rule.
Issued Aug 30, 2021. Proposed $16,200, current $0. 30 workers exposed. Contested Oct 6, 2021, final order Nov 21, 2022. Abatement due Sep 9, 2021. Read the rule.
The accident
Keywords: infectious disease 6 deaths
Your rights
If you worked at this site, the inspection file is a public record once the case closes; request it from the Cal/OSHA district office with activity number 345062400. A worker who reported the hazard, the injury or the inspection and was then fired, demoted or cut has a retaliation claim under Labor Code 6310, one year to file with the Labor Commissioner and longer to sue. Injuries themselves go through workers' compensation. Free, confidential review: (800) 371-3088.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, inspection 345062400, checked Nov 4, 2026. How to read a record. Back to the safety tracker.
About this data: Records come from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement datasets (inspection, violation, accident and accident injury tables), which carry Cal/OSHA's state-plan inspections alongside federal ones. We load every inspection of a California worksite opened since January 1, 2000 and refresh it weekly. Employer names, addresses and industry codes are as the inspecting office recorded them; similar names are grouped where they clearly refer to the same employer. A citation can be reduced, vacated or withdrawn on appeal, and an inspection can stay open for months, so a record can change. Penalties shown as "current" reflect the latest status in the federal file. This page is public information about the employer's regulatory record, not legal advice and not a statement that any person was harmed or any law broken beyond what the record states.