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Despite the high level of mechanization, poultry industry workers continue to be faced with ergonomic challenges that could lead to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) if left unchecked. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) revealed that 81 percent of poultry processing jobs evaluated exceeded the action limit for hand activity and force exertion and 59 percent exceeded the threshold limit. Additionally, an astounding 34 percent of workers studied had evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the rate of occupational injury and illness for the poultry industry is six times the average for all U.S. industries. MSDs are of particular concern for poultry workers mostly due to repeated lifting, bending, and twisting motions involved in their work, as well as standing for prolonged periods of time.
Scope
The poultry industry’s success at being the world’s largest producer of chicken, turkey, geese, and eggs doesn’t come without risks. Poultry workers are often required to move rapidly, work with hazardous equipment, and contend with loud noises to keep up with our consumption of more than 60 billion chickens per year.
Work-related MSDs affect the nerves, tendons, and muscles and can result from rapid and repetitive motions, force, vibration, and awkward or static postures during processing operations like deboning, trimming, and packaging. Work-related MSDs are of particular concern for poultry workers who suffer serious injuries that require a day or more away from work or restricted activity to recover. The rate is nearly double that for private industry workers.
The most common poultry processing-related ergonomic injuries include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendonitis
- Trigger finger
- Back, neck, and shoulder pain
- Muscle strains
- Hearing loss
- Fatigue
Highly repetitive and forceful movements of the hands and wrists, coupled with improperly positioned workstations, during poultry processing can result in significant MSDs to the upper extremity.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur when workers hang, pluck, clean, cut, and package poultry parts, plus clean and repair equipment, assemble boxes, and transfer pallets of product. These movements can chronically compress the median nerve that passes through the rigid carpal tunnel in the wrist or may irritate tendons in the arms and fingers.
Sprains and strains to the back and shoulders can occur when workers are required to stack boxes overhead, forcing them to bend their torso forward to place the box on a pallet or the top of a stack. Even when conveyors are used to transport materials, workers are required to lift the material, twist, carry, and load packages.
Back injuries and muscle strains can also occur due to slips, trips, or falls. Compliance with sanitation requirements can result in slippery or wet floors, and in areas without adequate drainage, could result in injury from a worker falling or attempting to catch themselves from falling. Additionally, poultry processing areas are often cold, resulting in ice formation that could result in injuries or strain from slipping, especially if the worker were carrying a load at the time.
Excessive noise from machinery, animals, forklifts, and alarms can increase the risk of hearing loss if not managed properly. Struggling to hear over excessive noise, coupled with the fast past of production and temperature extremes, can also result in stress and fatigue for workers, which is yet another ergonomic concern that must be minimized.
The risk of MSDs is determined by several factors, including the frequency of the task performed, the level of required effort, the duration of the task, and considerations like personal health and fitness. Employers must perform hazard assessments to determine controls for properly mitigating ergonomic risks to prevent employee injuries. Implementation of controls may include designing workstations to protect workers, enforcing safety procedures, and offering effective training that includes an emphasis on early reporting of MSD symptoms.
Regulatory citations
- 29 CFR 1904 — Recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D — Walking-working surfaces
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart N — Materials handling and storage
- 29 CFR 1910.1020 — Access to employee exposure and medical records
- 29 USC 654 — General duty clause of the OSH Act
Key definitions
- Action limit: The point at which a task or activity should be proactively changed to prevent an injury, illness, or other negative consequence.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: A condition of the hand and wrist resulting from the compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
- Chronic: Persisting for a long or consistent period of time.
- Ergonomics: A scientific study of people and their work environments; fitting the work to the worker, rather than the worker to the work.
- Force: The strength or energy required to perform an activity.
- Hazardous: Posing a health hazard, a physical hazard, or harm to people or the environment.
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs): Injuries or conditions that affect the nerves, tendons, and muscles of the body. MSDs are typically the result of repetitive motions or excessive stress on the body.
- Strain: An injury to a tendon, or the muscle tissue that connects to bone.
- Tendonitis: An inflammation or irritation of the cords that attach muscle to bone.
- Threshold limit (TL): The maximum amount a person may lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise manipulate.
- Trigger finger: A thickening of the finger tendon.
Summary of requirements
- Conduct hazard assessments to identify potential ergonomic hazards associated with poultry processing and related activities. Assessments should evaluate force, duration, and frequency of individual activities.
- Design the work environment to fit the employee rather than having workers fit the job activity.
- Implement procedures for material handling, process line speed limits, job rotation, and rest breaks. Procedures should consider ensuring cages or materials are not stacked too high, heavier materials are stacked on lower shelves, platforms are adjusted for correct work height, and mechanical lifting devices are used.
- Ensure tools and equipment are inspected and well maintained.
- Establish a sound incident and near miss reporting program.
- Investigate any worker incidents or near misses to find root causes and implement remediations to prevent future occurrence.
- Train supervisors and workers on material handling hazards and required protective measures.