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Poultry Plant Safety

DeLong's Poultry Plant Safety

05 Jan Poultry Plant Safety

Posted at 12:07h in Plant Safety by

Working in a poultry processing plant can often be dangerous. If you’ve worked in the industry, you’re aware of the serious health and safety hazards that one can be introduced to. It is the shared job of everyone from management to the hard workers to ensure that OSHA safety protocols are followed to prevent health concerns, identify possible hazardous problem areas, and to keep everyone involved in poultry processing safe. In this informative guide, we will take a good, deep look at safety requirement. We will answer the question “what is OSHA?”, discover the common health and safety concerns found in plants, and offer a detailed checklist for you and your plant workers to follow to make sure everyone is able to contribute to making the workplace a safe, clean, healthy environment for all.

OHSA Safety Sign Standards

What is OSHA?

OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is tasked with assuring safe and healthy working conditions for the working class by setting strict health standards and providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. OSHA has established guidelines for the poultry processing industry due to high serious injury rates (injuries that require a day or more away from work or restricted activity to recuperate).

Common Safety Concerns
in Poultry Processing Plants

Lack of Personal Protective Equipment

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Lockout/Tagout

Machine Guarding

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Chemical Hazards: Ammonia, Chlorine, Hydrogen Peroxide, Peracetic Acid, Carbon Dioxide

Loud occupational noises

Blocked exits

Lack of sanitation and cleanup operations

Plant Safety Checklist

Lack of Personal Protective Equipment
Create a central location where all PPE is stored and make sure workers know where this is located.
Ergonomics & Musculoskeletal Disorders
Establish an ergonomics plan of action. Management should provide support to workers & should encourage the early report of injuries.
Lockout/Tagout
Establish an effective training program for lockout/tagout operations to prevent injury from accidental machine startup during maintenance.
Machine Guarding
Any machine that may cause crushed fingers, hands, amputations, burns, blindness, or death must be safeguarded. Ensure OSHA compliance.
Slips, Trips, & Falls
Consistently inspect work areas to identify problems. Train workers on fall hazards and how to report a problem area. By painting floors and adding traction you can prevent falls.
Chemical Hazards
Improve sanitation and ventilation measure to protect workers from biological hazards and implement OSHA’s hazard communication standard.
Loud Occupational Noises
Make sure ear protection is provided and easily accessible by employees.
Blocked Exits
Choose certain employees to routinely check emergency exits to ensure workers can easily exit in case of an emergency. An exit door must be able to be opened without keys, tools, or special knowledge.
Lack of Sanitation & Cleanup Operations
Create a plan of action, designating certain cleanup operations to specific employees.

Delong’s Gizzard Equipment Safety

While we are talking safety, we thought we would include some safety tips to utilize when using our Peeling Rollers. These rollers are designed to pinch and pull any loose material whether it is skin, clothes, or any other loose items coming into contact with them.

No Gloves
No Long Sleeves
No Loose Shirts or Smocks
No Long Fingernails
No Pressing tips of fingers toward or in rollers
Yes, apply pressure to gizzard with horizontal flat part of palm and bottom flat of fingers only
Yes, inspect every gizzard before peeling it for best quality.
Yes, if the gizzard has been peeled it goes to the good product chute.

It is our hope that you and your processing plant will put OSHA requirements and the safety of your workers at the forefront of your operation. We hope this guide will help you get on the road to doing just that. DeLong’s is one of the leading authorities on poultry processing rollers in the United States, providing some of the best rollers in the industry, providing you with safer processes (and safety information!), higher yield, and a better bottom line. Contact us today to learn how we can be of assistance to you.

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