Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 11/2/16

The number of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the poultry processing industry remains at an all-time low, according to the latest report from the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The rate for 2015 was 4.3 cases per 100 full-time poultry processing workers, identical to the 2014 rate and lower than the rate of 4.7 per hundred workers in the total food manufacturing industry. The rate is specific to animal slaughter and processing and is 81 percent lower that the rate of 22.7 recorded in 1994, the oldest data available on the agency’s website.

The results are indicative of the industry’s concern about the safety of its workers, according to a joint statement from the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Foundation and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association provided after the report’s release. “While the past two decades have seen a dramatic decrease in the numbers and rates of injury and illness, the poultry industry is committed to seeking new and innovative ways to protect our workforce,” the statement added.

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