GAO Releases Report on Meat & Poultry Worker Safety

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published a new report on meat and poultry worker safety. While the industry has claimed to have improved worker safety over the past decade, this report suggests otherwise.

When most people think of "high-risk" industries for workers, meat and poultry probably doesn't come to mind. However, meat and poultry workers are subject to a wide variety of injuries and illnesses, ranging from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and lacerations, to food-borne illness and exposure to toxic chemicals. The prevalence of work-related injury may pale in comparison to that of construction, but there's still an inherit risk associated with meat and poultry work.

According to the GAO's report, the number of injuries and illnesses among meat and poultry workers has been slashed in half from 2001 to 2013, with an incident rate of just 5.7. Data such as this indicates that meat and poultry work is now safer than ever.

But not everyone is thrilled with these numbers. On the contrary, some federal officials are urging the meat and poultry industry to take additional steps to protect its workers from injury and illness. The GAO's report included recommendations on how the Department of Labor can improve the safety of meat and poultry workers while subsequently reducing the rate of worker injury and illness. These recommendations included the following:

• Allow workers to sharpen knives on a regular basis (sharper knives are actually safer to use than dull knives).
• Create an ergonomics program to assist workers in identifying potential hazards, particularly MSDs.
• Offer training for meant and poultry engineers and maintenance workers on how to fix ergonomic issues.
• Launch a medical management program, complete with evaluation, training, reporting and more. This program should be run by healthcare professionals.

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) responded to these concerns, saying the industry has improved over the years to create a safer environment for its workers.

"Much of the improvement in worker safety over the years can be attributed to two major efforts initiated by the meat industry beginning in 1990. That year, the U.S. meat industry, together with OSHA and the United Food and Commercial Workers union, developed Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for the Meat Packing Industry—guidelines that OSHA called a “model” for other industries. In addition, the AMI Board of Directors (predecessor to NAMI) deemed workplace safety a non-competitive issue and encouraged their respective company staffs to share information on safety practices," said the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) in response to the GAO's report.

Do you think the meat and poultry industry is safe for workers?