Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 86-505-1885, Longmont Turkey Processors, Inc., Longmont, Colorado

摘要

In response to a request from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7, an evaluation of possible hazardous working conditions was made at the Longmont Turkey Processors, Inc. (SIC-2017), Longmont, Colorado. The facility processed live turkeys and some partially processed chilled or frozen birds. Workers were concerned about carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other musculoskeletal injuries. Injuries to personnel were reviewed, based on OSHA Logs and facility medical logs. Job types were classified as high, intermediate, or low in risk for incurring a repetitive trauma injury due to job performance. Persons employed in boning, bird hanging, evisceration, production and raw manufacturing were more likely to experience difficulties than those who fell in jobs classified as low risk. Video tapes of 14 production jobs in the eviscerating department and 22 in the boning and specials lines were analyzed. One primary risk factor involved the number of cuts made per day. Considerable underreporting of incidents was noted in the OSHA Logs. The authors conclude that identifiable groups of workers are at greater risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain disorders.