The most dangerous cities in Georgia in which to work are:
- Gainesville
- Claxton
- Cumming
- Carrollton
- Lithonia
What do all of these Georgia cities have in common?
Each of them is home to a meatpacking plant. You might be thinking to yourself, “Here we go: another blog about cruelty to animals and the harsh treatment of living creatures in meatpacking plants.” Although this actually is a concern to millions of Americans, it’s not what we’re going to discuss. There is something we should be even more concerned about, something of which few Americans are aware.
Here are just a few of the many facts:
- The meatpacking industry is a hugely profitable industry that makes more money the faster their lines run, but the faster the lines run, the more exhausted workers become and the more hazardous their jobs become.
- The U.S. is the largest producer of beef and poultry in the world. Yet the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) still do not have any regulations on line speeds in meatpacking plants. It’s 2013, and for decades the meatpacking industry has created literally thousands of amputees and disabled workers, and caused numerous deaths due to line speeds that increase profits with little regard for workers’ safety.
- Employees are fearful to report injuries because meatpacking plants are notorious for finding a valid reason to fire injured workers or placing them in humiliating or demeaning positions until they choose to quit on their own. Because of this, the number of actual injuries is much higher than what is reported. In addition, employees are required to sign a legal document waiving all rights to sue the company if they are ever injured.
- A whopping 60% of poultry line workers suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Also, 62% of employees from meatpacking plants reported having been injured within the past year while on the job.
- When interviewed, 73% of workers said that line speed had increased in the past year. An almost unanimous 94% reported that staff had decreased or stayed the same during these line speed increases.
- Only 44% of employees interviewed remember ever receiving any information about workers compensation.
If you or someone you love has been injured working in a Georgia meatpacking and processing plant, don’t allow yourself to be disregarded any longer. Contact a workers’ compensation attorney to find out your options for compensation.
