tailieunhanh - Illnesses and Injuries Reported by Latino Poultry Workers in Western North Carolina

The best breed of waterfowl to raise depends on several factors, including the reason for raising them and the amount of space available. Ducks are small and require less space than geese. However, they need a year round grain supplement and are more prone to predators. Geese require twice as much space as ducks, but do well on limited grain when they have plenty of grazing space. They are seldom bothered by predators. Some waterfowl are raised for meat. They can be purchased from a commercial hatchery or local feed store. Duck breeds favored for meat production. | AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE 49 343-351 2006 Illnesses and Injuries Reported by Latino Poultry Workers in Western North Carolina Sara A. Quandt PhD 1 Joseph G. Grzywacz PhD 2 Antonio Marin MA 2 Lourdes Carrillo BS 3 Michael L. Coates MD MS 2 Bless Burke MA 3 and Thomas A. Arcury PhD2 Background Poultry processing is the largest sector of the meat products industry. Many workers are immigrants few data exist on their illness and injury rates and the impact of workplace safety environment. Methods Survey interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 200 Latino poultry workers employed by three different companies in western North Carolina topics included symptoms work-related illnesses and injuries and plant safety climate. Results Most respondents were 35 years of age and had been in the US 10 years. Frequency of self-reported symptoms was high particularly for musculoskeletal symptoms. Despite symptoms workers reported not missing work or seeking medical care. Occupational injuries and illnesses and symptoms varied by company. Between-company differences in injury and illness rates were consistent with perceived safety and company provision of personal protective equipment. Conclusions Symptoms reported exceeded rates reported by other community clinical and occupational samples. Findings suggest policy changes and research are needed to reduce the high rates of occupational illnesses and injuries in this vulnerable population. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49 343-351 2006. 2006 Wiley-Liss Inc. KEY WORDS occupational injury immigrant worker poultry processing occupational safety symptoms INTRODUCTION Poultry is now the largest and fastest growing sector of the . meat products industry both in pounds produced and in number of workers. Nationwide workers in processing plants numbered about 235 100 in 2004 Bureau of Labor Division of Public Health Sciences Wake Forest University School of Medicine Winston-Salem North Carolina department of Family and .