Chapter 8

How does the injury rate in meat packing compare with the injury rate in other occupations?
The injury rate in meat packing is dangerously higher than most occupations.

What kinds of injuries do workers in meatpacking plants typically suffer?
These workers make about 2-3 cuts a second inside a slaughterhouse. After about 10,000 cuts, the knife would feel dull, and can cause pain from the hand down to the spine. It can also place pressure on the tendons, joints, and nerves. Workers also get lacerations from working with the knives.

What is the impact on workers of speeding up the line in meatpacking plants?
The impact of workers speeding up the line is meatpacking plants is that they are making a higher profit. Because of market pressures, companies alter how the meat is processed just to speed up the line in meatpacking plants.

Why don't more workers complain about safety conditions in the plants?
Most workers don't complain about their jobs because they need the money. As we previously discussed in Chapter 7, most of these workers are immigrants from poorer countries. This dangerous factory job is a gift from God to them.

What role do supervisors play in the reporting of workplace injuries in meat processing plants?
Supervisors play a role in reporting workplace injuries in meat processing plants. Often times they have affairs with co-workers and/or use drugs.

What does the author describe as the most dangerous type of work in these plants and what kinds of injuries do these workers risk?
The author describes as the worst job in the plant is the late-night cleaning crews. The stench is so bad that they throw up, and even by using a lot of soap the smell won’t come out.

What has been the impact of allowing plants to maintain their own injury logs?
The impact of allowing plants to maintain their own injury logs is that they can cover up accidents. In 1985, the OSHA log recorded only 160 incidents, which was off by about 1,000 percent. They later found out that the IBP lied about their incidents report.

How has the authority of OSHA changed over time?
When Regan was elected, the OSHA was understaffed and underfunded. Eventually the OSHA had enough power to close an IBP plant.

What does the author think about claims that meatpacking plants have a great deal of concern about the health and well being of their workers?
The author thinks that the claim about meatpacking plants being concerned is an untrue statement. The IBP made workers jump into work right after they come back from an injury or out of surgery. The BP said they were being cry- babies basically.

From a worker's point of view, what are some of the problems with Colorado's workers' compensation law?
The problem of the Colorado's worker' compensation law was that workplace safety isn’t being taken very seriously. If you got a workers compensation, Monfort fired him, even if a worker was with a company for 16 years. He wasn’t concerned with loyalty, just business.