Worker health in intensive farms and slaughterhouses

Research has shown that workers in industrial animal farms such as chicken and pig units are at risk of respiratory diseases, including bronchitis, coughs, asthma, and mucous membrane irritation. The poor air quality in animal sheds can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, as well as exposing workers to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Workers are exposed to high levels of ammonia, bacteria, viruses, moulds and dust. The dust contains particles of skin, feathers, litter, feed, faeces and feed additives as well as various antibiotics. It can also contain gases such as hydrogen sulphide from animal slurry stores.

Slaughterhouses

Modern slaughterhouses run at high speed. They aim to kill and process ever larger numbers of animals per hour. In Europe, the slaughter line in a chicken slaughterhouse kills up to 10,000 birds per hour. In the US, some cattle plants slaughter 400 cattle an hour, compared to less than half that number per hour 20 years ago. The speed required puts physical and psychological strain on the workers and puts them at increased risk of injury. According to a US study, a single worker in a cattle slaughterhouse may be required to carry out a repetitive but skilled task, such as using a captive bolt gun to stun cows or using a long knife to cut cows’ carotid arteries, for eight and a half hours at a time.

Because of the repetitive and tiring work that the slaughterhouse workers have to do, the animals suffer too. There is evidence that at some US slaughter plants up to 20 per cent of the cattle are not stunned correctly at the first attempt, causing them pain and fear.

Injuries in slaughterhouses

Workers in a modern slaughterhouse in the US have an injury rate that is reportedly three times higher than in other US factories. Every year one in three meatpacking workers suffers a work-related injury that requires medical attention. In killing, disembowelling and cutting up the animals, large sharp knives are used, and it is not uncommon for workers to wound either themselves or their workmates accidentally.

It is likely that in other countries in Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa, injuries to slaughterhouse workers are also common. In countries where the animals are not stunned before slaughter, the frightened animals may be manhandled to the ground and may try to escape or resist the slaughtermen, adding to the possibility of workers being injured.

Use of immigrant workers

In industrial countries, many of the jobs in slaughterhouses are carried out by immigrants who are not in a position to choose a more pleasant job. Worker turnover is very high, partly because of the unpleasant and potentially dangerous nature of the work. Many of the workers are illiterate or unable to speak the language of the country they are working in, therefore unable to understand the training or safety instructions they are given.