Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 9/4/13


In the latest attempt to thwart USDA’s proposed poultry rule changes, the Southern Poverty Law Center and a coalition of civil rights groups on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the USDA to jointly set line speed limits in poultry and meat processing plants.

Currently, USDA alone regulates line speeds. The groups argue that since USDA’s focus is on food safety, OSHA should be involved in setting limits based on concerns over worker injuries.

The petition also specifically calls on USDA to reconsider its proposed rule change that would increase poultry processing line speeds from a maximum of 140 birds per minute to 175.

“OSHA’s current failure to regulate poultry and meat processing plant work speed puts plant workers at significant risk of permanently disabling cumulative trauma disorders,” the petition argues.

The groups urge OSHA to establish a standard that limits work speeds, create standards that address the specific injuries caused by keeping up with the line speeds and ensure that existing safety guidelines are enforceable.

In addition to the SPLC, the coalition includes: Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Coalition of Poultry Workers, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Farmworker Advocacy Network, Heartland Workers Center, Interfaith Worker Justice, Midwest Coalition for Human Rights, National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, North Carolina Justice Center, Northwest Arkansas Worker Justice Center, Refugee Women’s Network, Student Action with Farmworkers and Western North Carolina Workers’ Center.

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