NIOSH Finds Carpal Tunnel Symptoms in 42% of Poultry Workers

A study by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health of a poultry plant in South Carolina found that 42% of line workers exhibited evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome, leading to new concerns about a proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow poultry plants to speed up production.NIOSH inspectors visited the poultry plant in May and August 2012 after the plant requested a waiver of USDA rules that limit the speed of slaughtering lines to reduce the chances of spreading salmonella. The inspectors found most employees at the plant reported multiple muscoloskeletal symp...