It’s not only animals that suffer horrifically in slaughterhouses. People working within this industry in the U.S. are three times more likely to suffer from a serious injury than any other industry, while those working with pigs or cows are seven times more likely to suffer from repetitive strain injuries.
Data released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed that serious injuries involving amputations happen twice a week on average in slaughterhouses.
With the proposed Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection rule still under debate, experts are concerned that these shocking rates of injury will only rise. While a coalition of animal advocacy organizations — including Lady Freethinker — is speaking out against this high-speed slaughter program on behalf of both animals and workers, the terrible plan is still on the table. If it becomes reality, it will see 1300 pigs processed every hour, putting pressure on employees to maintain speed while compromising on food safety inspections, animal welfare, and worker health.
One meat plant worker has begged the USDA not to go ahead with the proposed high-speed slaughter system.
“Every co-worker I know has been injured at some point,” said Eric Fuerstenberg. “I can attest that the line speeds are already too fast to keep up with. Please, I am asking you not to increase them any more.”
The changes would put the responsibility on plant workers themselves to check animal carcasses and control line speeds, whereas currently, FSIS inspectors are tasked with the job. Critics are concerned that the workers may be unwilling to slow down these line speed to perform thorough quality control and safety checks, as the emphasis from employers is on rapid production.
Clearly, slaughterhouses are hell on earth for the animals that pass through them, but the numbers show that it’s no picnic for the workers, either — many of whom are immigrants or refugees with limited job options. With increasing pressure for non-stop production of meat to accommodate a rapidly growing world population, it’s yet another reason to choose a plant-based diet for a more compassionate world.
If theses workers were complying by animal welfare standards an. Not pleasure torturing,there wouldn’t be “accidents” .But CLEARLY it’s not accidental by compliance,but going to extreme measures of torture An rage is the cause.NO PITY ,FROM ME ,IM SEEING THEY GET WHAT THEY GIVE .
No sympathy for the workers whatsoever. Most of them are NOTHING but vicious, cruel, brutal, sadistic, barbaric animal abusers anyway, who don’t a damn about the animals that they so enjoy torturing and tormenting before literally hacking some of them to pieces whilst they are still alive and sometimes, even conscious. The injuries they receive are NOTHING compared to the wanton and blatant, rampant cruelty that they inflict onto ALL the innocent animals and birds that pass through these filthy, stinking, hell-hole slaughter houses. Karma payback for these depraved POS.
Do not care about the workers – shut these barbaric places down
Shut all slaughterhouses forever.
No sympathy for workers.
Please put an end to this horrific practice!!!
Please put an end t this horrific practice!!!
COMMENTI have no sympathy at all for the brutal killers of defenceless animals. The mistreatment and destruction of healthy animals is in 1 word WALGLY
What a shame that these cruel, brutal, sadistic, barbaric slaughterhouse ‘workers’ get injured – NOT. Its Karma payback for the disgusting, sickening, inhumane way that these glorified animal abusers treat all species that enter these hell-hole places. Perhaps they ought to think about the way THEY hack off animal’s limbs before they’re dead, how they skin them whilst they’re still alive, how they put them into scalding tanks whilst fully conscious, how they slit their throats whilst they’re crying and writhing in pain and agony….so if its okay for these ‘workers’ to treat animals like this, then now they know how it feels to be tortured and tormented.
Excellent comment Irene….SLAUGHTER HOUSES ARE BRUTAL. THESE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE HAVE NO FEELING FOR ANY FARM ANIMALS WHAT SO EVER. JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE TRANSPORTED IN OTHER COUNTRIES. ANIMALS ARE LEFT IN HOT TRUCKS WITH NO WATER AND DIE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER BEFORE THEY GET TO THE UNSPEAKABLE……UNIMAGINABLE CRUEL SLAUGHTER HOUSE. IT’S SICKENING!!
Ii have no pity for them , it is just !!!!
Factory farm animals suffer UNIMAGINABLE, UNSPEAKABLE ANIMAL CRUELTY EVERY SINGLE DAY. PIGS ARE LUCKY IF THEY LIVE TO 6 MO. THEY ARE STUFFED IN SMALL CRATES NEVER ABLE TO TURN AROUND OR SEE DAYLIGHT. THEN THEY ARE SHIPPED TO THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES TO EXPERIENCE HORRIFIC PAIN AND SUFFERING. If the workers get hurt killing animals, oh well! That’s the choice the workers made. Farm animals DON’T have a choice.
of all the technology that is out there , you mean to tell me slaughter house can’t be a safe place to work , shame !
There should not be any debate about moderizing the Swine Slaughter Inspection to slow it down so many animals are suffering and the workers are now getting very badly iñjured very quickly if they don’t decide to do this it will just make them go faster and the rate of people getting injured will go up it’s a bad idea so this should not happen
Well what goes around comes around. These workers inflict enormous pain and suffering on other beings, so they receive it. It’s their choice, I have no pity for them, it is just.
Hi Belle! You got that right. Factory Farm animals are Brutally killed and suffer a PAINFUL Agonizing Death. It’s sickening. People that work in these slaughter houses have no feelings for the pain that these animals go through. They want to play, then they will pay.
The people that own these slaughter houses care for no one or anything but themselves.
Anybody who works in a slaughter house as viscous as the reports with photo’s have told the inner story, deserves the pain that this petition talks about……………I can give a rat’s ass about all the workman’s compensation cases these kind of jobs brings………………………. What the injured workers need too do to prove their innocents, is to sue each slaughter house like one of those attorney commercials that are viewed on national t.v. Then, perhaps I can have a little compassion. Otherwise, to hell with them.
I have no compassion for anyone that slaughters animals to feed other animals. Domestic animals want to live with their babies, in the sun, in the air and eat plants. Wild animals kill animals to feed themselves but don’t slaughter their preys in the horrific ways slaughterhouse employees do. So, after 40 years vegan, I’m not feeling any compassion at all for the amputees in this case. War amputees I feel for and I would help but not the ones who kill peaceful animals when there’s so much plant food available and you can grow it yourself. And…you know where it came from and no one suffered their loss of limbs.
Vegan?
Just stop eating meat and supporting this vile and cruel industry, simple as that! We have been vegan for nearly 9 years, never been healthier or happier or eaten such delicious food. I really don’t understand people who continue to eat dead carcasses.
Our family is vegetarian, we are opposed to the proposal of speeding up slaughterhouses.
This is insane!!! USDA is out of control- we need to pull the reins in now. Animals and people are both suffering. Do they even care?
Should not have to be a race, that’s just wrong