We all love to eat our steaks, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, etc.  No one really wants to think about how that delicious food got to our plate just that it is there.  Meat Processing plants are not only the subject of food safety but worker safety as well.  Workers are continuously dealing with hazardous conditions in a meat packing plant.  They are working with loud noises, sharp tools, and very dangerous machinery.  Workers must be able to stand for long periods of time and use sharp knives and hooks to either slaughter the animals or process the meat off the animal.  They are constantly trying to keep up with a fast moving production line while using sharp knives.  The people who clean the facility are at just as much risk as they are required to use extremely strong and potent chemicals and hot pressurized water.

Between 2003 and 2007 the Bureau of Labor and Statistics had data that showed that workers in the animal slaughtering industry had significant higher rates of illnesses and injuries than the national average.  The rate of illness was ten times the national average.  Some of the most common injuries seen among slaughterhouse workers are back issues, torn muscles, pinched nerves, up to lacerations, broken bones, and amputated limbs.

As risky and sometimes disgusting as this job can be there are many things that can be done to ensure that workers are doing their work safely and reducing the risk of illness and injury, which results in lower comp claims.  Safe guards should never be removed and always used on all hazardous machinery in the shop.  One of the biggest things that can be done is to reduce the speed of the production line – companies are trying to keep up with the demand and in turn end up putting workers at risk.  Appropriate PPE gear should always be used when dealing in the meat processing plant, do not be like Rocky as use the meat as a punching bag without gloves on.