A U.S. District Court judge has thrown out a warrant obtained by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to inspect the Mar-Jac poultry plant in Gainesville for worker-safety violations. The ruling, handed down last week by Senior U.S. District Judge William C. O’Kelley, is a blow to OSHA’s new Regional Emphasis Program unveiled last fall as a way to improve worker safety in poultry plants through outreach, education and increased inspections of production operations. The REP was the basis for OSHA’s intention to inspect up to 16 areas of inquiry beyond an initial accident investigation that began in February when an on-the-job injury left a Mar-Jac worker with third-degree burns on the hands and face.