Hazards and Solutions

General

• Contracting Occupationally Related Psittacosis. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (August 8, 1994).
• Poultry Processing Industry. OSHA eTool. Focuses on identifying and controlling major hazards that contributed to the high rates of injuries.
• Agricultural Operations. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Avian Flu

• Avian Influenza. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
• Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). Fact Sheet. (Español: PDF) (Polski(Polish): PDF)
• Information on Avian Influenza. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Avian Influenza. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Electrical

• Electrical. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. OSHA's electrical standards are designed to protect employees exposed to dangers such as electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions.
• Subpart S - Electrical Standard eTool. OSHA eTool. OSHA published a final rule revising the electrical installation standard for general industry. The revised standard became effective on August 13, 2007. This standard is intended to reduce the risk of injury and death caused by unsafe electrical installations.
• Electrical Incidents in Construction. OSHA Construction eTool.
• Chicken processor faces $861K in fines after OSHA finds workers continue to be exposed to serious amputation, electrocution and fall hazards. OSHA Regional News Release, (August 13, 2015).

Ergonomics/Musculoskeletal Disorders

• Evaluation of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Musculoskeletal Disorders at a Poultry Processing Plant. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (March 2015).
• Joint Letter from FSIS and OSHA to the Poultry Industry. (August 1, 2014).
• Updated Guidelines: Prevention of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Poultry Processing. (EPUB | MOBI). OSHA Publication 3213, (2013)
• Poultry Industry Workers. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic.
• Evaluation of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Traumatic Injuries Among Employees at a Poultry Processing Plant. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH found very high rates of musculoskeletal disorders among South Carolina poultry plant workers. NIOSH also noted potential underreporting of work-related injuries on company medical clinical data and that the company had only implemented a few of its earlier recommendations to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
• OSHA's Regional Emphasis Program Focuses on Reducing Illness and Injury at Southeastern Chicken Processing Facilities. OSHA Regional News Release, (October 26, 2015).
• Deficient medical management leads to musculoskeletal injuries at Delaware poultry processing plant. OSHA Regional News Brief – Region 3, (September 2, 2015).
• Delaware poultry-processing plant exposed workers to serious hazards including musculoskeletal injuries. OSHA Regional News Release, (June 22, 2015).
• For additional information, see OSHA's Ergonomics Safety and Health Topics Page.

Evacuation/Fire Safety/Hazardous Waste/Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Means of Egress: OSHA standards that require that exit doors are not blocked and not locked while employees are in the building. Employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools or special knowledge
• Evacuation Plans and Procedures. OSHA eTool. Assists businesses to implement an emergency action plan, and to comply with OSHA's emergency standards.
  • Maintenance, Safeguards, and Operational Features for Exit Routes. Describes the safe use of exit routes during an emergency, lighting and marking exit routes, fire retardant paints, exit routes during construction, repairs, or alterations, and employee alarm systems.
• Fire Safety. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  • Workplace Fire Safety in OSHA's Poultry Processing Industry eTool.
  • Exit routes must be free and unobstructed. No materials or equipment may be placed, either permanently or temporarily, within the exit route. The exit access must not go through a room that can be locked, such as a bathroom, to reach an exit or exit discharge, nor may it lead into a dead-end corridor. Stairs or a ramp must be provided where the exit route is not substantially level.
• Hazardous Waste. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Hazardous Chemicals

• Chemical Hazards and Toxic Substances. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
• Hazard Communication. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
• OSHA Standards for Air Contaminants: 1910.1000 Table Z-1
• Specific chemical hazards are included in the OSHA Poultry Processing Industry eTool. Some examples of chemicals that may be present in poultry processing plants include:
  • Ammonia – may be used in poultry processing plants for refrigeration. Ammonia may cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. Additional information is available on the OSHA Ammonia Refrigeration Safety and Health Topic Page.
  • Chlorine – a disinfectant that is sometimes added to water for washing birds. May cause respiratory irritation and breathing difficulties. Find additional information on chlorine on the NIOSH Workplace Safety & Health Topics page.
  • Carbon dioxide – in the form of dry ice, it is used to keep meat cold. Inhaling carbon dioxide can cause an increase in the breathing rate, which can progress to shortness of breath, dizziness and vomiting.
  • Hydrogen peroxide – sometimes used as disinfectants. These chemicals may cause eye, nose and respiratory irritation. Find information on hydrogen peroxide on the NIOSH Workplace Safety & Health Topics page.
  • Peracetic acid – may be used as a disinfectant in some poultry processing plants and has been associated with respiratory irritation.
• Chemical that may be used or may accumulate within a confined space can result in a hazardous atmosphere for certain poultry workers, which is explained further in OSHA’s Poultry Processing Industry eTool page on confined spaces.

Hispanic Resources

• Spanish-Language Compliance Assistance Resources. OSHA.
  • Spanish Language Educational Publications
• Hispanic Outreach. OSHA Fact Sheet, (January 2007).

Lockout/Tagout

• Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout). OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Energy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy could cause injury to employees.
• Lockout-Tagout Interactive Training Program. OSHA eTool.

Machine Guarding

• Compliance policy on unguarded rotary knives used in poultry processing industries. OSHA Letter of Interpretation, (November 19, 1992).
• Machine Guarding. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Moving machine parts have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries.
• Chicken processing facility repeatedly exposes workers to dangerous machinery hazards. OSHA Regional News Release, (June 2, 2015).

Noise

• Occupational Noise Exposure. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Personal Protective Equipment

• Interpretation of the Personal Protective Equipment standard. OSHA Letter of Interpretation, (July 3, 1995).
• Sharp knives and utensils in the workplace. OSHA Letter of Interpretation, (December 10, 1991).
• Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. PPE is worn to minimize exposure to serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment may include items such as gloves, safety glasses and shoes, earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, or coveralls, vests and full body suits.

Process Safety Management

• Process Safety Management. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Poultry processing facilities require refrigerated process areas and warehouses to preserve chicken meat. Facilities with refrigeration systems should develop safety management systems for the identification and control of hazards. If the refrigeration system contains greater than 10,000 pound of anhydrous ammonia, the safety management system must conform to the requirements of OSHA’s Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (PSM) standard, 29 CFR 1910.119.
• Ammonia Refrigeration. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Safety management systems should address design, operation, and maintenance of refrigeration systems to ensure leaks and releases do not occur. PSM covered facilities must also develop emergency procedures for proper response if leaks were to occur. For addition assistance please view our Ammonia Refrigeration eTool page. Facilities not regulated by PSM should also prepare for emergencies and, if response is required, the facility must plan in accordance with OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard, 29 CFR 1910.120(q).

Respiratory Protection

• Respiratory Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
• Respiratory Protection. OSHA eTool. Assists businesses in the instruction on the proper selection of respiratory protection.

Walking/Working Surfaces

• Final Rule to Update General Industry Walking-Working Surfaces and Fall Protection Standards. OSHA, (2016).