A new report by the National Employment Law Project found poultry processing among the most dangerous industries in America.
The report included an analysis of severe injury data compiled by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration from employers in 29 states. On average, 27 workers a day suffer work-related amputations or hospitalizations.
Researchers found that Tyson Foods, America’s largest meat producer, ranked fourth-highest in severe injury reports. Workers for Tyson and its competitor Pilgrim’s Pride suffered severe chemical burns, amputations of fingers and hands, and fractured hips from slipping on floors.
Last year Buzzfeed News revealed that Tyson averaged one human amputee per month.
An overview of the NELP report states:
Thus, out of more than 14,000 companies reporting, two chicken and meat processing companies rank fourth and sixth in terms of the number of reported severe injuries. Further, another company involved in poultry and meat, Cargill, has the 14th-highest number of reported severe injuries, as does a sanitation company, Packers Sanitation Services, which provides workers who clean and sanitize the equipment in meat and poultry plants.
This report is just the most recent to expose the horrible conditions endured by meat industry workers.
Just last year, Oxfam America detailed extreme abuse of meat industry workers, such as forcing them to wear diapers because they’re denied bathroom breaks.
While animals pay the ultimate price with their lives, these workers are oppressed by the same system that values profit over everything else.
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