Processing chickens can be hazardous to one's health.
When you reach into that bucket of chicken and pull out a drumstick, you probably don't think about its long journey from egg to your hand. The poultry industry, like any industry, has certain work hazards involved. These fall under two general categories: raising and delivering the chickens, and slaughtering and packaging them.
Respiratory Problems
Raising chickens for mass consumption is an industry. We raise more than 8 billion chickens in the U.S. every year. These chickens produce an enormous amount of feathers and waste that pose health risks to poultry farm workers. The feathers and down can cause allergy and breathing problems for workers. Toxins, ammonia and harmful bacteria are found in the air and in the dust of dried chicken manure. To avoid respiratory problems, workers should wear air-purifying respirators. If wearing protective eyewear, make sure that it does not interfere with your respirator fitting flush against your skin.
Avian Flu
Although there have been no cases in the U.S., it is possible to catch avian flu from chickens. The Centers for Disease Control recommend that poultry works have plans to avoid flu outbreaks and to deal with outbreaks that occur.
To prevent outbreaks, workers need to know the signs of infection in birds and in humans. Any sick birds should immediately be removed from the flock. Workers might want to get a flu shot.
In the event of an avian flu outbreak, workers should wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as aprons, boots, head protection, eye protection, a respirator and gloves. Always wash your hands and shower before going home for the day, leaving you work clothes and equipment at work. Take part in any health monitoring plans. The employer must provide these plans and any special safety equipment at no cost to the workers.
Killing the Chickens
This stage poses safety hazards for workers. Workers who operate the automatic dumper system, which empties the birds out of their transport cages and onto a conveyor belt, are exposed to two types of injuries. Controls for the machinery may be located in such a way that they cause arm, shoulder or back stress. This can be remedied by relocating the controls or wearing gloves to protect the hands. The other danger is that of working around large machines with moving parts. The more active a worker is around these machines, the greater the chance that he could slip and fall onto or into the machinery. To prevent this, there should be guard rails around any moving parts, and floors should be clean and dry to prevent slipping.
The kill room attendant uses a knife to kill any birds missed by the automated killing machine. In addition to possible repetitive stress injuries from using the knife, the killing room attendant is exposed to blood from the chickens, which can spread disease if it gets into the worker's eyes or on his face. He also stands in 2 to 3 inches of blood while working, so there is a possibility of slipping and falling. To avoid injuries here, workers should wear PPE, including rubber boots with good soles; rooms should have proper drainage systems to remove blood quickly; and workers should use a sharp knife to reduce repetitive stress.
Processing the Chickens
Once the birds have been killed and the feathers removed, the internal organs must be removed. This includes hanging the birds on the conveyor line, cutting open the chickens, removing their organs, and inspecting hearts and livers for signs of disease. All of these jobs require standing in the same place for long periods of time, stretching or reaching motions, and repetitive actions. Some of these workers, especially those who use knives or scissors, are subject to carpal tunnel syndrome caused by the stress of repeatedly performing the same task. To alleviate the fatigue and muscle strain of standing, workers should be rotated to positions where they are doing different jobs. Providing stools, chairs or footrests allows workers to change their positions. To avoid repetitive stress injuries, workers should use sharp instruments and wear properly fitted gloves.
Packaging
Once the birds have been gutted, they are packaged as whole chickens, parts, or boneless parts. This again involves repetitive motion using a knife. To avoid repetitive stress injuries, such as tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, workers should be rotated to duties that do not use the same muscles or motions. Some processors use electric saws to cut up the chickens. There is a risk of cuts and lacerations from the saw. To help reduce the risk of injury, workers should wear cut-proof mesh gloves and keep their hands on the sides of the blade when feeding the chicken through the saw.
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