Operating band saws, knives and slicing and dicing equipment requires a sharp focus if meat- and poultry-processing workers are to be safe and productive. But plant operators must focus on minimizing risks rather than expecting to eradicate all incidents, analysts say. When injuries happen, a leading cause is worker complacency, which often results from repeating the same cutting movements, he says.
“It becomes almost robotic in nature,” says Gregg Rentfrow, associate extension professor and meat science specialist in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. “Workers’ minds are elsewhere and they may not be paying attention to their knives or where their hands are. You can get bit when taking things for granted.”