Worker decapitated in chicken factory after being sucked into machine

Mail Online ^ | 5 Dec 2010 | Richard Shears

[mandaladon]

A man has been decapitated in a horrific accident at a chicken processing factory in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr Sarel Singh, 34, was killed instantly when he was sucked into a machine and decapitated in an incident that has now placed the entire poultry processing industry under review.

The factory was already under investigation over claims of unlawful and unethical treatment of its majority migrant workforce, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Lateline programme reported.

Mr Singh's brother, Harry, said that Sarel had migrated from India four years ago 'in the hope of finding a better life in Australia'.

But Sarel had told his brother, who lives in India, that his job at the Melbourne factory was 'hell' and he was planning to return home.

'He used to say that life working at that place was like hell.

'He said it's a very hard job and he was tired of it.

'But due to the burden of the loans and debts over here and in Australia too, he had to work over there and he was struggling hard.'

[mandaladon]

I guess he should have stayed in India where life is easier.

[driftdiver]

well obviously the chicken industry should be shut down and everyone can eat little green crackers.

[GeronL]

??

Wow.

[freedumb2003]

That really sucks but you gotta admit, it is up there with the untimely passing of “Chuckles the Clown” on MTM...

[SJSAMPLE]

That’s no way to get ahead in business.

[cd jones]

bunch of chickens pushed him....chickens “how do YOU like it” ;-)

[Delta 21]

I have a safer job, bump.

[cajuncow]

[JoeProBono]

Mr Singh was killed instantly when he was sucked into a fast-moving machine while re-cleaning a packing area

[sthguard]

And I bet his boss never uses the phrase “chop chop” again.

[Jaxter]

There’s an Indian head penny joke here someplace.

[Blood of Tyrants]

What a lot of immigrants don’t count on is the increased cost of living in industrialized nations. What sounds like a lot of money when you are desperately poor ($8/hour in the US and Australia vs $2/day in many countries) is barely enough to get by. And jobs like the ones in chicken processing factories are hell. If you are poor, uneducated, and without some sort of skill, then you are often better off in your home country.

[tumblindice]

fowl play?

[mnehring]

Ain’t nothing in our chicken but chicken... and soilent green.

[ApplegateRanch]

'But due to the burden of the loans and debts over here and in Australia too, he had to work over there and he was struggling hard.'

First he got sucked into the "Boys, you, too, can make B-I-G money plucking chickens in Australia--let US show you how: just send...," scam.

Sounds like his entire life sucked.

[struwwelpeter]

I've worked dozens of red meat and poultry plants, but I can't figure out what sort of device could have sucked someone into it head first, especially packaging equipment.

And everything under maintenance or being sanitized should have been "locked out/tagged out" before he got close to it.

[Delta 21]

He said that on the night when Mr Singh was killed the machine was running 'at absolute capacity'.

Instead of packing up to 40 birds a minute, inquiries had found that the machine was working at top speed and processing 183 birds a minute !!

LUDACRIS SPEED !!

[DemforBush]

Man, what a way to go. o_O

RIP, Mr. Singh...

[LeonardFMason]

Plant owner Monty Burns said Supervisor Homer Simpson was responsible.

[I_be_tc]

How sad.