Federal Data Show a Decline in Injuries and Illnesses, Yet Meat and Poultry Workers Continue to Face Hazardous Conditions

		Federal Data Show a Decline in Injury and Illness Rates for Meat and Poultry Workers

Injury and illness rates of total recordable cases in the meat and poultry  industry declined from an estimated 9.8 cases per 100 full-time workers in  calendar year 2004 to 5.7 cases in 2013, according to BLS data (see fig. However, the rates in the meat and poultry industry remained higher than  those of manufacturing from 2004 through 2013. While injury and illness rates have declined in the meat and poultry  industry, meat workers sustained a higher estimated rate of injuries and  illnesses than poultry workers from calendar years 2004 through 2013,  according to BLS data (see fig. USDA data show that its inspectors experience injuries and illnesses  similar to those experienced by other meat and poultry workers. Evaluations, Studies, and Stakeholder Views Indicate that Hazardous Work Conditions Persist

Since our findings in 2005 on meat and poultry workers facing hazardous  work conditions, NIOSH health hazard evaluations and academic  studies have found that meat and poultry workers continue to face the  types of hazards we cited, including hazards associated with  musculoskeletal disorders, chemical hazards, biological hazards from  pathogens and animals, and traumatic injury hazards from machines and  tools. DOL Faces Challenges Gathering Data on Injury and Illness Rates Because of Industry Characteristics and Inadequate Data Collection

		Meat and Poultry Worker Vulnerability and Employer Practices May Contribute to Underreporting of Injuries and Illnesses

Workers and employers may underreport injuries and illnesses in the  meat and poultry industry because of worker concerns over potential loss  of employment, and employer concerns over potential costs associated  with injuries and illnesses, according to federal officials, worker advocacy  groups, and studies. Specifically,  BLS’s annual SOII only collects injury and illness details—such as the  type of injury or illness—on cases that result in workers having to take  days off from work. For example, the survey does not collect detailed  information on MSDs that resulted in a worker being placed on work  restriction, transferred to a different job, or continuing in the same job  after medical treatment, making it more difficult to identify and track these  MSDs. Federal internal control standards call for agencies to track data to help  them make decisions and meet their goals. 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. Strengthening DOL’s  data collection on worker injuries and illnesses is the first step towards  achieving that goal. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

This report (1) describes what is known about injuries, illnesses, and  hazards in the meat and poultry industry since we last reported, and (2)  examines what, if any, challenges the Department of Labor (DOL) faces  in gathering data on injury and illness rates in this industry. A  limitation of this data source is that workers’ compensation data likely  undercounts injuries and illnesses. The information gathered in  these interviews is not generalizable to all plants or workers.
Why GAO Did This Study

DOL is responsible for gathering data on workplace injuries and illnesses, including those in the meat and poultry industry, where workers may experience injuries and illnesses such as sprains, cuts, burns, amputations, repetitive motion injuries, and skin disorders. GAO was asked to examine developments since its 2005 report, which found this industry was one of the most hazardous in the United States and that DOL data on worker injuries and illnesses may not be accurate, and recommended that DOL improve its data collection.
This report (1) describes what is known about injuries, illnesses, and hazards in the meat and poultry industry since GAO last reported, and (2) examines DOL's challenges gathering injury and illness data in this industry. GAO analyzed DOL data from 2004 through 2015, including injury and illness data through 2013, the most recent data available, and examined academic and government studies and evaluations on injuries and illnesses. GAO interviewed DOL and other federal officials, worker advocates, industry officials, and workers, and visited six meat and poultry plants selected for a mix of species and states. The information gathered in these visits is not generalizable to all plants or workers.

What GAO Found

Injury and illness rates in the meat and poultry slaughtering and processing industry declined from 2004 through 2013, similar to rates in all U.S. manufacturing, according to Department of Labor (DOL) data (see figure), yet hazardous conditions remain. The rates declined from an estimated 9.8 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2004 to 5.7 in 2013. However, these rates continued to be higher than rates for manufacturing overall. Meat workers sustained a higher estimated rate of injuries and illnesses than poultry workers, according to DOL data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evaluations and academic studies have found that workers continue to face the hazardous conditions GAO cited in 2005, including tasks associated with musculoskeletal disorders, exposure to chemicals and pathogens, and traumatic injuries from machines and tools.
DOL faces challenges gathering data on injury and illness rates for meat and poultry workers because of underreporting and inadequate data collection. For example, workers may underreport injuries and illnesses because they fear losing their jobs, and employers may underreport because of concerns about potential costs. Another data gathering challenge is that DOL only collects detailed data for those injuries and illnesses that result in a worker having to take days away from work. These detailed data do not include injuries and illnesses such as musculoskeletal disorders that result in a worker being placed on work restriction or transferred to another job. Further, DOL does not have complete injury and illness data on meat and poultry sanitation workers because they may not be classified in the meat and poultry industry if they work for contractors. Federal internal control standards require agencies to track data to help them make decisions and meet their goals. These limitations in DOL's data collection raise questions about whether the federal government is doing all it can to collect the data it needs to support worker protection and workplace safety.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making three recommendations, including that DOL improve its data on musculoskeletal disorders and sanitation workers in the meat and poultry industry. DOL, USDA, and CDC concurred with GAO's recommendations.