Preventing cumulative trauma injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
and tendonitis, is a critical part of every poultry and egg plant safety program. An effective ergonomics program can assist in reducing both the frequency and severity of these types of injuries. The goal of ergonomics is to 'fit the job to the person,' rather than making the person fit the job, to ensure that the work environment is as comfortable and safe for the worker as possible.
“Since the 1980s the poultry industry has worked diligently to reduce workplace injuries including cumulative trauma cases,” said Paul Pressley, USPOULTRY executive vice president. “Through workplace redesign, medical intervention and training programs, the incidence rate for workplace injuries in poultry plants have dropped by 80 percent in the last 20 years. Ergonomics programs have been a large part of this successful effort.”
In conjunction with industry safety experts, USPOULTRY has updated available supervisor training materials with a narrated PowerPoint slideshow program that provides basic training for supervisors in four parts: Introduction to Ergonomics, Understanding Musculoskeletal Disorders, Risk Factors and Ergonomic Controls. The CD-based program also includes editable PowerPoint versions and a script to allow USPOULTRY member companies to customize the program to include company-specific procedures.
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