Source: Dani Friedland, MEATINGPLACE, 11/14/13


The overall incidence of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the animal slaughter and processing industries dropped in 2012, according to data released recently by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In 2012, the agency reported 6.3 total recordable cases of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers. In 2011, the BLS reported 6.4 similar cases.

The BLS derives that figure by dividing the number of injuries and illnesses by the total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; the result is then multiplied by 200,000, which is the base for 100 employees working 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year.

For slaughter excluding poultry, the BLS reported 8.7 recordable cases per 100 workers last year, up from 7.8 in 2011. Poultry processing recorded 4.9 cases per 100 workers in 2012, down from 5.8 in 2011.
The category of meat processed from carcasses saw a decrease to 5.8 recordable cases per 100 workers in 2012 from 6 in 2011. There were 6.4 cases in the rendering and meat byproduct processing categories last year, marking an increase from 5 cases per 100 workers in 2011.

Overall, the industry recorded more nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses than the average of 3.7 cases per 100 workers across all industries including state and local government. Food manufacturing as a whole recorded 5.4 cases per 100 workers.

Smithfield Foods announced that it finished 2012 with an organization-wide frequency rate of 3.42 work-related injuries and illnesses per 100 employees.

Further establishment-related data was not available. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration did not collect work-related injury and illness data via the OSHA Data Initiative in fiscal year 2012; this data previously included establishment-specific injury and illness rates collected from employers within specific industries with specific numbers of employees.

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