10.5 OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created by Congress due to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The act was established to ensure safe and healthy working conditions by setting and enforcing appropriate standards for working men and women. Because OSHA is a part of the United States Department of Labor, they are responsible for ensuring that private sector employers and their employees uphold the safety and healthy working standard conditions. OSHA  provides these employers with outreach, training, education, and assistance so these private sector employers are in compliance with the OSHA working standard conditions.

             OSHA has created Safe + Sound, which is a year-round campaign in hopes of encouraging every workplace to set in place a safety and health program. The National Chicken Council is one of the participating agencies that has a safe and health program supported by OSHA. According to the 2014 Injury and Illness Report released by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), injuries and illnesses within the poultry sector’s slaughter and workforce has fallen 81% in the last 20 years and continues to decline. Several agencies including the National Turkey Federation, Poultry and Egg Association, OSHA, and of course The Chicken Council have formalized a working relationship to share injury, illness, and hazard exposure data in hopes of developing new training, outreach, and communication to continue improving their safe and health program. 

            I selected the National Chicken Council because I consume this type of poultry and incorporate it into my diet on a regular basis. Knowing there is a safety and health program the National Chicken Council has developed along with OSHA reassures me that there are specific safety and health standards and conditions that have to be abided by. Although I am aware that there is still room for improvement in the safety and health program, statistics have proven workplace injuries and illnesses regarding the National Chicken Council regarding its’ employees and poultry have been steadily declining and continue to decline.  The decline in injuries and illnesses around the poultry supplied by the National Chicken Council has lead to a smaller amount of outbreaks and diseases in the poultry I consume.