Providing a safe working environment, supported by a strong culture of commitment to safety, is essential for all poultry companies from both an ethical and practical standpoint.
The industry meets with OSHA
To further this industry-wide, non-competitive agenda, the poultry industry – represented by staff of the National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF) and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) – recently met with officials from the Occupational Safety & the Health Administration (OSHA). The purpose was to re-establish an open dialogue and forge a lasting, proactive working relationship with OSHA. Focusing on opportunities to collaborate in the development of future standards and industry specific programs will be paramount going forward.
The discussion at this meeting centered around the industry and the agency’s recent history of safety and health initiatives, including past alliances on ergonomics, practices and machine guarding practices. Areas of opportunity for significant injury reduction and medical management practices for injured workers were also addressed.
Future collaboration opportunities
Both sides will focus on clearing up much of the misinformation about worker injuries and rights, incorrectly highlighted in a November 2017 Government Accountability Office report titled “Workplace safety and health: Better outreach, collaboration, and information needed to help protect workers at meat and poultry plants” and by opponents of poultry line speeds proposed in the 2014 Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection rules.
The poultry industry and OSHA will continue discussing a list of potential joint activities for the coming years. These will include the agency’s participation in industry training or information sharing at annual meetings, conferences and trade shows. Both groups discussed the development of joint training sessions and question and answer sessions.
The industry will seek formal and informal opportunities to work together. This could cover the development of an alliance program, as well as the poultry industry partnering with OSHA on the Safe + Sound program. The poultry industry proudly partnered with this program in 2018, spreading the message of the importance of safety and health programs.
Proof of a healthier relationship
Loren Sweatt, deputy assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health and acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, appearing to speaking at both the 2018 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry and the Joint Poultry Industry Safety and Health Joint Council in August 2018 is evidence of OSHA’s support of an improved relationship with the poultry industry. The conference and council attendees were comprised of senior safety officials from companies who are members of NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY. The poultry industry council provides a strong, unified voice for the poultry industry on safety and health issues and promotes information exchange between the associations and their members.
Read more:
10 steps to reduce hazardous energy risks in poultry plants, www.wattagnet.com/articles/32556