
Poultry Processing Industry eTool
Plant-Wide Hazards Other OSHA Requirements & Programs
The following chart shows the number of deaths and injuries associated with these hazards.

From 1976 to 1999, there were 13 fatalities due to electric shock in poultry processing facilities; an additional employee was injured and hospitalized. Recorded accidents involving chemicals during the same period killed 30 employees, caused the hospitalization of 216, and injured an additional 142. The chart also includes deaths/injuries associated with fire/smoke resulting from burning hydraulic fluid, and chemicals in confined spaces. In addition, 1 non-chemical related death in a confined space was recorded. (Data taken from Accident Summaries, OSHA-170 form, OSHA IMIS Database, 11/15/1976 through 04/23/1999.)
Chart Title: Deaths/Injuries From Selected Causes in the Poultry Industry 1976-1999
Chart Type: stacked bar graph
Chart Elements: 4 elements - Electrial, Chemical (excludes fire/smoke from hydraulic fluid), Fire/Smoke From Hydraulic Fluid, and Confined Spaces with two bars - Deaths and Injuries.
Values:
Deaths |
Injuries |
|
---|---|---|
Electrical |
13 |
1 |
Chemical |
2 |
266 |
Fire/Smoke from Hydraulic Fluid |
25 |
92 |
Confined Spaces |
4 |
In addition to the workplace hazards that contribute to the predominant types of injuries and illnesses identified in the 1997 OSHA Survey of the Poultry Processing Industry, there are other hazards that are subject to OSHA standards and requirements.
Three of these hazards are highlighted in this module because of their potential for serious injury or illness or fatalities. These hazards are:
Other OSHA standards that are important for the control of hazards in the poultry processing industry are:
- 29 CFR Part 1904 Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses,
- 29 CFR 1910.95. Occupational noise exposure,
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I: Personal Protective Equipment (including 1910.134. Respiratory Protection), and
- 29 CFR 1910.151. Medical services and first aid.
NOTE: Employers in states with state-run safety and health plans should check with their state agency. Their state may enforce standards that, while "as effective as federal standards," may not be identical to the federal requirements.
The user of this module is encouraged to consult these standards directly. In addition to the standards themselves, OSHA has produced a number of publications on these topics available online or as printed copies by ordering online or by phone, fax or mail.
On November 15, 2007, OSHA published a final rule that stipulates that the employer must pay for required personal protective equipment, except in the limited cases specified in the standard. Safety-toe protective footwear and prescription safety glasses were excepted from the employer payment requirement, in large part because these items were considered to be very personal in nature and were often worn off the jobsite.