1. OSHA Poultry Processing Initiative Survey

2. OSHA Survey u Conducted jointly with Wage and Hour u Wage and Hour concerns –Many minimum wage or overtime violations –Low-wage, increasingly immigrant workforce, with high turnover rates –Changing industry with rapidly expanding production and employment

3. Rationale for OSHA Poultry Processing Initiative u Discrepancy between BLS injury and illness data and OSHA citations u Opportunity to foster compliance through outreach and the survey process u Identify safety and health hazards in the industry

4. OSHA Survey Elements u Identified the survey universe u Selected the survey sample u Designed the survey instrument u Held stakeholder meetings u Trained the investigators u Conducted the survey u Analyzed the data

5. OSHA Survey - Hazards Evaluated u Slips and trips u Struck by or against, caught between u Falls u Electricity u Ergonomics u Health hazards - skin, lungs, noise u Emergency procedures u Confined spaces u Other

6. OSHA Survey - Procedure u Evaluation of recordkeeping u Walkaround u Employee interviews u Evaluation of Safety and Health Program

7. OSHA Survey Findings - Types of Injuries and Illnesses u 40% of total injuries are due to back injuries –Includes both acute (slips and trips) and chronic u 10% of worker illnesses were the result of cumulative traumas (repetitive motion) u Contusions and fractures are 15% of injuries u Cuts and lacerations are 10% of injuries

8. OSHA Survey Findings - Workplace Hazards u Slippery floors from water and poultry fat/grease –Back injuries, strains, sprains u Narrow walkways and crowded workspace hinder movement –Strains, sprains, contusions, back injuries, struck by or against u Manually moving objects –Strains, sprains, back injuries, struck by or against

9. OSHA Survey Findings - Workplace Hazards (cont’d) u Use of knives in crowded work areas –Lacerations and cuts u Cumulative trauma disorders from repetitive motions in the cutting operations –Tendonitis, carpal tunnel disorders

10. OSHA Survey Findings - Summary u Over 75% of worker injuries and illnesses were due to –Back and repetitive motion injuries and illnesses –Cuts or lacerations –Struck by or against an object –Slips, trips, or falls

11. OSHA Survey Findings - Factors Contributing to Injuries/Illnesses u Safety and health personnel with collateral duties, little time devoted to health and safety u Inadequate hazard evaluation for PPE u Workers required to pay for PPE, including hearing protection u Crowded working conditions u Training and language barriers

12. OSHA Survey Findings - General Observations u Emergency action plans adequate but deficiencies in drills and training u PSM - industry appears to be just ”learning” about requirements u Lockout/tagout not fully implemented in many facilities u Lack of health-related hazard identification except for noise u Recordkeeping good if a nurse was present

13. OSHA Survey Findings - General Observations (cont’d) u Worst jobs are in chicken catching and live hanging u Industry contracting out hazardous jobs such as confined space, chicken catching, live hanging, maintenance, and sanitation u Industry aware of repetitive motion hazards but has done little to correct identified hazards