Safety and health of meat, poultry and fish processing workers

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By Shizue Tomoda

Part 10

Table 4.1.9 presents the number of occupational injuries by severity and incidence rate per 100,000 employees in the meat and fish processing industries in the United Kingdom. It shows that the meat processing industry is more accident-prone. While fatal and major accident rates declined considerably in both sectors between 1989-90 and 1991-92, the rate of all accidents rose by 18 per cent in fish processing for the same period, and in the meat industry it declined. The table suggests that a continued effort is required to reduce minor accidents as well, particularly in fish industry.

Table 4.1.9. Number of occupational injuries by severity and incidence rate per 100,000 employees in the meat and fish processing industries in the United Kingdom

Industry Year Severity of injury Incidence rate

Fatal Major Over 3 days Total Fatal and major Grand total

Slaughtering of animals and production of meat and by- products 1989-90 - 304 3 880 4 184 331.2 4 557.7

1990-91 2 293 3 863 4 158 n.a. n.a.

1991-92 1 277 3 829 4 107 292.3 4 318.6

1992-93 2 262 3 535 3 799 n.a. n.a.

1993-94 - 245 3 104 3 349 n.a. n.a.

Fish processing 1989-90 - 40 439 479 277.8 3 326.4

1990-91 1 55 461 517 n.a. n.a.

1991-92 - 30 538 568 206.9 3 917.2

1992-93 1 42 608 651 n.a. n.a.

1993-94 - 29 510 539 n.a. n.a.

Source: Data provided by Health and Safety Executive, Department of Employment of the United Kingdom.

Finally, the incidence rates of occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in the United States by sector are given in table 4.1.10. Meat-packing plants are the most dangerous places to work, where workers face about twice as many safety and health risks as other workers in the meat, poultry and fish processing sectors. These rates did not improve between 1988 and 1993. The rates in poultry slaughtering and processing deteriorated gradually. The incidence rate declined slowly in most other sectors. The information given above confirms that the workers in the meat, poultry and fish processing sectors face a much higher safety and health risk than their counterparts in many other sectors. While there has been improvement in some countries in reducing the number of accidents, the incidence rate still remains too high. Even where the rates declined, the number of workdays lost per accident increased in some cases, which suggests that the nature of some injuries had become worse. In others, the rate has risen in recent years.

Table 4.1.10. Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers of occupational injuries and illnesses that resulted in lost workdays¹ in the United States, by industry

Industry 1988 1989 1990 1992 ² 1993 ²

Meat-packing plants 19.2 18.3 20.6 23.3 19.3

Sausages and other prepared meats 13.2 12.2 12.9 11.2 11.1

Poultry slaughtering and processing 8.7 10.2 11.6 11.1 11.4

Canned and cured fish and seafoods 9.5 12.9 10.3 8.4 8.6

Fresh or frozen prepared fish 10.3 11.5 11.5 9.4 8.9

Preserved fruits and vegetables 7.9 8.3 8.6 7.9 7.1

Bakery products 7.1 6.9 7.3 6.9 6.8

Beverages 9.1 9.1 9.7 8.4 8.1

Tobacco products 3.0 3.4 3.2 2.4 2.3

¹ Number of cases which result in days away from work and days of restricted work activity. Incidence rate = (N/EH) x 200,000 where, N = No. of injuries and illnesses resulting in lost workdays, EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year, 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
² Not including fatal injuries.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor: Occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States by industry, Series 1988-93, Washington, DC.

4.2 Common accidents and diseases

It is shown above that meat, poultry and fish processing workers are generally more inclined to have safety and health risks in the workplace than those in other industries. What types and natures of occupational accident and disease are they prone to? Better awareness of the situation should help safety and health specialists to question whether those accidents and diseases are preventable, and if so, how. The Ministry of Labour in Argentina reported that types of accident among meat, poultry and fish processing workers in the order of frequency were: wounds to fingers, hands, forearms and trunk, foreign matter in the eyes, traumas and burns. No statistics on frequency, however, were made available. Table 4.2.1 presents the ten most common injuries and diseases and the cost of compensations in the meat industry in Queensland, Australia for 1991-92 to 1994-95. Table 4.2.2 provides similar information on Queensland for the poultry industry. Strain/sprain was the most common injury in both sectors, followed by cuts, lacerations and bruises. This information indicates that safety risks in these sectors are similar, though industrial deafness is associated more with the meat industry. Dermatitis and Q fever were also common diseases in the meat industry. In spite of these data, there are some positive signs. For example, the total number and cost of claims fell from 1992-93 to 1994-95. What is interesting is that the total amount of compensations related to strains/sprains dropped from 1992-93 to 1994-95, despite a rise in the number of claims. The average cost per case for all injuries and diseases also fell from 1992-93 to 1994-95. The cost per case for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis rose from 1992-93 to 1993-94, then dropped remarkably in 1994-95. In fact, much improvement was made by 1994-95, but the number of strains/sprains, lacerations and cuts are still

too high. Table 4.2.1. Ten most common injuries and diseases, the number and cost of the claims and of workdays lost among meat processing workers in Queensland, Australia, 1991-92 to 1994-95

Nature of injury or disease	1991-92			1992-93			1993-94			1994-95
	No. of claims	Cost of claims 1	Workdays lost	No. of claims	Cost of claims	Workdays lost	No. of claims	Cost of claims	Workdays lost	No. of claims	Cost of claims	Workdays lost

Strains/sprains	460	1 201 956.07	n.a. 2	556	1 548 459.95	n.a.	595	1 187 949.49	8 112	652	856 860.62	7 467
Lacerations	329	354 578.76	n.a.	422	501 183.61	n.a.	391	422 201.35	2 659	324	171 882.66	1 568
Cuts	403	366 307.64	n.a.	323	285 073.05	n.a.	267	173 836.84	1 374	256	148 867.34	1 265
Bruises	81	65 978.12	n.a.	84	90 524.16	n.a.	63	90 611.75	813	87	52 733.71	481
Burns	82	55 389.71	n.a.	71	77 237.29	n.a.	53	51 501.32	437	52	26 986.44	308
Industrial deafness	28	83 584.06	n.a.	33	131 529.85	n.a.	50	116 119.14	0	43	42 127.76	0
Dermatitis	35	30 058.25	n.a.	33	13 564.26	n.a.	46	24 543.31	239	43	16 970.96	183
Q fever	41	46 003.51	n.a.	66	183 205.90	n.a.	72	72 428.13	756	40	39 207.93	479
Carpal tunnel syndrome	27	122 248.85	n.a.	36	66 072.31	n.a.	29	81 555.79	565	29	60 649.90	495
Tendonitis	23	61 229.09	n.a.	59	144 353.12	n.a.	39	168 714.30	1 565	29	43 796.33	451
Total 3	1 681	2 636 749.77	n.a.	1 886	3 507 814.35	n.a.	1 804	2 693 799.95	18 891	1 744	1 662 665.40	14 559
¹ In Australian dollars. ² Not available. ³ Total of all injuries and diseases reported among the meat processing workers. The above data have been provided by the Division of Workers' Compensation, Department of Employment, Vocational Education, Training and Industrial Relations, Queensland, Australia.

Updated by BR. Approved by OdVR. Last update: 28 September 2000.

Industry	Year	Severity of injury			Incidence rate
		Fatal	Major	Over 3 days	Total	Fatal and major	Grand total

Slaughtering of animals and production of meat and by- products	1989-90	-	304	3 880	4 184	331.2	4 557.7
	1990-91	2	293	3 863	4 158	n.a.	n.a.
	1991-92	1	277	3 829	4 107	292.3	4 318.6
	1992-93	2	262	3 535	3 799	n.a.	n.a.
	1993-94	-	245	3 104	3 349	n.a.	n.a.
Fish processing	1989-90	-	40	439	479	277.8	3 326.4
	1990-91	1	55	461	517	n.a.	n.a.
	1991-92	-	30	538	568	206.9	3 917.2
	1992-93	1	42	608	651	n.a.	n.a.
	1993-94	-	29	510	539	n.a.	n.a.
Source: Data provided by Health and Safety Executive, Department of Employment of the United Kingdom.

Industry	1988	1989	1990	1992 ²	1993 ²

Meat-packing plants	19.2	18.3	20.6	23.3	19.3
Sausages and other prepared meats	13.2	12.2	12.9	11.2	11.1
Poultry slaughtering and processing	8.7	10.2	11.6	11.1	11.4
Canned and cured fish and seafoods	9.5	12.9	10.3	8.4	8.6
Fresh or frozen prepared fish	10.3	11.5	11.5	9.4	8.9
Preserved fruits and vegetables	7.9	8.3	8.6	7.9	7.1
Bakery products	7.1	6.9	7.3	6.9	6.8
Beverages	9.1	9.1	9.7	8.4	8.1
Tobacco products	3.0	3.4	3.2	2.4	2.3
¹ Number of cases which result in days away from work and days of restricted work activity. Incidence rate = (N/EH) x 200,000 where, N = No. of injuries and illnesses resulting in lost workdays, EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year, 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year). ² Not including fatal injuries. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor: Occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States by industry, Series 1988-93, Washington, DC.