The Many Unreported Dangers of America’s Slaughterhouses

Slaughterhouses, which rank among the most dangerous places to work in the United States, have grown safer in recent years. But there’s still progress to be made: A new report by the Government Accountability Office reveals that many injuries and illnesses sustained by meat and poultry workers go unreported.  Rates of injury and illness among slaughterhouses and processing plants dropped between 2004 and 2013. But much of the data we rely on to track the hazards of the job may be inadequate, the report notes, citing a lack of paid sick leave at some slaughterhouses and processing plants, and efforts to keep workers’ compensation or insurance premiums low. The Department of Labor also only collects injury or illness data when the incident involves days missed from work. Poultry and meat industry workers also often underreport any illness and injuries, for fears of losing their jobs, the report found. “Our findings raise questions about whether the federal government is doing all it can to ensure it collects the data it needs to support worker protection and workplace safety,” the authors of the report write...more