Slaughterhouses in the United States of America support the economy while at the same time providing meat supplements to the local and international markets. Despite the social and economic benefits of slaughterhouses, it should be noted that slaughterhouses in the United States are considered to be one of the riskiest workplaces on earth (Grandin & Deesing, 2008). The study embarked on establishing the factors that make slaughterhouses to be the riskiest work places in the world and concluded that inadequate safety procedures, long work hours and fatigue, mixed with the use of sharp knives and heavy machinery serve as risky and occasionally deadly recipe.
Introduction
Slaughterhouses have been a contentious issue in the American society and world at large. Slaughterhouses refer to facilities that are used for killing animals for consumption. In the United States, billions of animals ranging from turkeys, chickens, ducks, goats, cattle, and several other edible animals are slaughtered each year (USDA, 2012). This is done to meet the ever increasing demand for meat and meat products in the United States and outside markets. According to Schlosser, (2002) the slaughterhouse is considered to be the most dangerous work place in …show more content…
Workers engaged in cutting meat and doing supporting tasks such as cleaning, inspecting the slaughterhouse and record taking are encouraged to wear aprons. This habit can be quite risky if such a person moves to the machinery section to process meat in the same attire. Since processing machines have moving parts, a worker’s apron can be caught in the moving parts leading to serious injuries (Grandin, 2000). In such cases, workers run the risk of being maimed or dismembered even if they manage to survive. In rooms with heavy machinery, members are encouraged to wear overalls without any loosely hanging clothing