Reseña del libro "Prevention of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Poultry Processing (en Inglés)"
Originally published in 2004, these updated guidelines provide recommendations for poultry processing facilities to reduce the number and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In preparing the following recommendations, OSHA reviewed existing practices and programs as well as available scientific information on ergonomic-related risk factors in poultry processing facilities. OSHA's guidelines are designed specifically for the poultry processing industry; however, other industries may find the recommendations and solutions presented useful. The heart of these guidelines is the process for protecting workers and the description of various solutions that have been implemented by poultry processors. OSHA recommends that poultry processors consider these solutions in the context of a systematic process that includes the elements described in the pages that follow. In the mid-1980s, the poultry processing industry began to focus on the problem of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs include injury to the nerves, tendons, muscles and supporting structures of the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck and low back. In 1986, members of the poultry processing industry developed a guideline advocating training, identifying ergonomic hazards, and developing solutions to reduce ergonomic risk factors and early medical intervention as a means to reduce the occurrence of MSDs and their associated costs. In August 1993, OSHA published its Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for Meatpacking Plants [meatpacking guidelines]. The meatpacking guidelines specifically recommended that employers implement an ergonomics process to identify and correct ergonomics-related problems in their worksites. Then in 2004, OSHA published the first version of these guidelines, Guidelines for Poultry Processing - Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders. MSDs continue to be common among workers in the poultry processing industry. In fact, the incidence rate of occupational illness cases reported in this industry in 2011 and 2012 has remained high at more than five times the average for all U.S. industries. The rate in poultry plants of one musculoskeletal disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome, was more than three times the national average in 2012 and seven times the national average in 2011. Poultry industry employers were also more than three times in 2012 and almost six times in 2011 more likely to identify repetitive motion as the exposure resulting in a serious injury compared to employers in all industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the total 3,620 occupational injury and illness cases requiring days away from work that were reported among workers in the poultry processing industry in 2011 and 2012, 33% (1,190 cases) were MSDs. Many poultry processing jobs are physically demanding and involve factors that increase the risk of developing an MSD. These factors include repetition, force, awkward and static postures, and vibration. In addition, many operations in poultry processing occur with a chilled product or in a cold environment. Cold temperatures in combination with these ergonomic risk factors increase the potential for MSDs to develop. In these guidelines, we use the term MSD to refer to a variety of injuries and illnesses that occur from repeated use or overexertion, including: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Tendinitis; Rotator cuff injuries (a shoulder problem); Epicondylitis (an elbow problem); Trigger finger; and Muscle strains and low back injuries.
