Health and safety in the poultry industry

Repetitive Motion Illnesses

These crippling ailments of the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and back, also known as cumulative trauma disorders, come from jobs which require repeating the same motion many times during a shift. Many jobs in a poultry plant carry the risk of repetitive motion illnesses, due to fast production lines and repetitive jobs. Many of these jobs require that thousands of pounds of chicken be lifted an hour, or that motions for cutting or packaging poultry are required tens of thousands of times a day.

These kind of motions can cripple workers by compressing nerves, irritating ligaments and injuring muscles, causing problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which causes intense pain and may require corrective surgery.

The best treatments for these illnesses are to prevent them in the first place by changing the conditions of the workplace. Line speeds should be slower, tools should be sharp and ergonomically sound and work stations should be adjustable to fit each worker. Unsafe conditions should be reported to the union.

Cold Environments

Many parts of a poultry plant are kept at near-freezing temperatures so that bacteria does not grow. This allows management to avoid breaking down and cleaning equipment during the workshift. Numbness, sickness and loss of dexterity can result if proper personal protective equipment and clothing are not provided and worn. Workers in these cold environments need to be able take their breaks in warm areas. Dress should be lightweight, waterproof and layered. It should allow moisture to evaporate from the inside while preventing moisture from penetrating the outside. Machines should also be made easier to operate and tools must have handles that are easier to grip with gloves.

Another solution, the preferred one, is to break down and clean equipment more frequently so that the temperature need not be so bitterly cold.

Other Hazards

Noise is a prevalent risk at many poultry plants, where the machines can cause enough volume to damage hearing. It is the employer’s responsibility to test each noisy area to see if noise levels are too high, and to try to quiet the area if sound levels are dangerous. If it is impossible to dampen the sound, a hearing conservation program, including free annual hearing tests, training and ear protectors, must be started.

Contact with moving machinery parts can result in severe injuries and amputations. All moving machine parts must be properly guarded. The guards must prevent contact with moving machine parts, and should be easily removable for cleaning and maintenance work.

Hazardous Materials

Many of the materials used on the job in a poultry plant are dangerous to use or handle. Exposure to these materials should be prevented or limited, and all areas where they are used must be properly ventilated. Dangerous materials should also be substituted with safer materials where possible.

gAmmonia is used in the industry for refrigeration, and can be very dangerous if workers are exposed to it if the chemical leaks. It is a corrosive material that can severely burn the skin and eyes, and it can irritate the nose, mouth, throat and lungs. Breathing ammonia can cause shortness of breath, coughing and pulmonary edema, a serious medical emergency caused by a build up of fluid in the lungs. Medical care should be immediately sought if there are any symptoms of exposure, even up to 72 hours after exposure to ammonia.

* Carbon Dioxide (CO2), or dry ice, can cause serious harm by reducing the amount of oxygen available to breathe in. Nausea, dizziness and loss of consciousness can result from breathing in CO2.

* gChlorine, used to sanitize and disinfect, irritates the eyes, skin, mucous membranes and the respiratory tract.

* gHydrogen Sulfide (H2S), a colorless gas with the smell of rotten eggs, is caused by the decomposition of organic materials. H2S is an irritant to the eyes and respiratory tract at low concentrates and can rapidly cause respiratory paralysis at higher concentrations. Although it has a distinctive odor, the smell is not a reliable warning since the gas also paralyses the nasal nerve endings.

* gSodium Hydroxide, also known as lye, is used to clean equipment during sanitation procedures. It severely irritates and burns the eyes, mucous membranes and the skin. It is a potent caustic chemical and should not be mixed with other chemicals.

Despite the seriousness of using these chemicals, many can be used safely with proper care. It is important to read the Material Safety Data Sheets about each chemical. Under federal law, the Hazard Communication Standard, relevant Material Safety Data Sheets must be prominently displayed and made available in the work area. Workers must be trained in how to use and store chemicals safely.