Poultry and egg growers refute charges on work safety
March 22, 2013 | 06:26 PM
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Chicken Council today released a paper intended to refute claims that poultry and egg workers are frequently in danger that were made in a report recently released by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice.
The report, “Unsafe At These Speeds,” said that injuries in the poultry industry are much more frequent than for the private workforce as a whole, citing 2010 OSHA data.
But the industry groups said that Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the injury and illness rate for poultry processing workers is 5.9 percent compared to 3.5 percent for all workers in the private sector, and that 2011 numbers place poultry processing workers at 5.8 percent compared to 3.5 percent for all workers in the private sector.
The industry said that a more accurate comparison would be to compare poultry workers to all manufacturing workers, who incurred injuries and illnesses at a 4.4 percent rate in 2011, and that the poultry industry’s injury and illness rates are in line with many other manufacturing industries.
The report, “Unsafe At These Speeds,” said that injuries in the poultry industry are much more frequent than for the private workforce as a whole, citing 2010 OSHA data.
But the industry groups said that Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the injury and illness rate for poultry processing workers is 5.9 percent compared to 3.5 percent for all workers in the private sector, and that 2011 numbers place poultry processing workers at 5.8 percent compared to 3.5 percent for all workers in the private sector.
The industry said that a more accurate comparison would be to compare poultry workers to all manufacturing workers, who incurred injuries and illnesses at a 4.4 percent rate in 2011, and that the poultry industry’s injury and illness rates are in line with many other manufacturing industries.
