Worker Injury and Illness Rates Continue Steady Decline, Labor Department Reports

New figures released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics demonstrated another year of declining injury and illness rates in U.S. meat packing and poultry processing plants.

Total recordable cases declined 7.1 percent from 9.8 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2004 to 9.1 in 2005. Lost workday cases declined 7.6 percent from 6.6 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2004 to 6.1 cases in 2005.

“These data clearly reveal that our training programs, ergonomic guidelines and cooperative alliance with OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] are yielding real and meaningful progress in worker safety and health in the meat and poultry industry,” said AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle.

In addition, there was a 16.1 percent decrease in injury and illness rates per 100 full-time workers in meat processing plants – from 9.3 in 2004 to 7.8 in 2005. Injury and illness rates in meat packing plants declined from a rate of 13.3 per 100 full-time workers in 2004 to 12.6 in 2005 and poultry processing facilities observed a decline from 7.8 in 2004 to 7.4 in 2005.

“There is still room for further improvement and we will maintain our commitment to ensure continued progress,” Boyle noted.

For an updated copy of AMI’s Worker Safety in the Meat and Poultry Industry Fact Sheet, go to WorkerSafety.pdf