OSHA Inspection: HILLSHIRE FARM CO INC

Issued

Nov 23, 1988

Abate by

Aug 30, 1993

Penalty

Initial $10,000 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees in the Kitchen
Department were required, as part of their job, to perform repetitive,
forceful motions in postures and with upper extremities that resulted
in stressors that caused numerous incidents of cumulative trauma or
musculoskeletal disorders.
In the sausage manufacturing kitchen, kitchen operators (stuffers) were
exposed to cumulative trauma stressors of the upper extremities
(including hands, wrists and arms) resulting from the following: static
standing work posture, static stuffing hand position with deviated
wrist, repetitive sausage twirling, repeated throwing of meat overhead
to the meat return conveyor, knot tying, cold environment, and forces
on hand/wrist required by sausage forming.
Worker positions:
a) stuffing sausages, table 1, side 1.
b) stuffing sausages, table 1, side 2.
c) stuffing sausages, table 2, side 3.
d) stuffing sausages, table 2, side 4.
e) stuffing sausages, table 3, side 5.
f) stuffing sausages, table 3, side 6.
g) stuffing sausages, table 4, side 7.
h) stuffing sausages, table 4, side 8.
i) stuffing sausages, table 5, side 9.
j) stuffing sausages, table 5, side 10.
k) stuffing sausages, table 6, side 11.
l) stuffing sausages, table 6, side 12.
m) stuffing sausages, table 7, side 13.
n) stuffing sausages, table 7, side 14.
o) stuffing sausages, table 8, side 15.
p) stuffing sausages, table 8, side 16.
q) stuffing sausages, table 9, side 17.
r) stuffing sausages, table 9, side 18.
Feasible means of abatement may include, but are not limited to the
following:
1) Providing each stuffing station with a powered turntable.
2) Allowing rotation of stuffer (operators) between the 2 sides of a
table.
3) Seating the stuffer operator.
4) Providing an arm support for the sausage forming hand.
5) Lowering the meat return conveyor (or raising work station).
6) Redesign of stuffing horn to bring stuffer's hand into more neutral
work position.
7) Hand and/or wrist warming devices.
8) Provide a tool/device which will guide or deflect rope sausage into
coil on the twirling platter.

Issued

Nov 23, 1988

Abate by

Aug 30, 1993

Penalty

Initial $10,000 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees in the Kitchen
Department were required, as part of their job, to perform repetitive,
forceful motions in postures and with upper extremities that resulted
in stressors that caused numerous incidents of cumulative trauma or
musculoskeletal disorders:
In the kitchen, kitchen helpers were exposed to cumulative trauma
stressors of the upper extremities (including hands, wrists and arms)
while twirling the coils of rope(endless) sausage. The stressors result
from the repetitive hand and arm motion involved with twirling,
repetitive arm motion involved with throwing meat onto meat return
conveyor, repeated knot tying, cold environment, and static standing
posture.
Worker positions:
a) twirling, table 1, side 1.
b) twirling, table 1, side 2.
c) twirling, table 2, side 3.
d) twirling, table 2, side 4.
e) twirling, table 4, side 7.
f) twirling, table 4, side 8.
g) twirling, table 6, side 11.
h) twirling, table 6, side 12.
i) twirling, table 9, side 17.
j) twirling, table 9, side 18.
Feasible means of abatement may include, but are not limited to the
following:
1) Providing each rope (endless) twirling station with a powered
turntable.
2) Lower meat return conveyor relative to twirler's workstation.
3) Seating the sausage twirler.
4) Provide wrist/hand warming devices.
5) Rotation of kitchen helpers between link and rope (endless) sausage
lines.
6) Provide a tool/device which will guide or deflect rope sausage into
a coil on the twirling platter.

Issued

Nov 23, 1988

Abate by

Aug 30, 1993

Penalty

Initial $10,000 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees in the Kitchen
Department were required, as part of their job, to perform repetitive,
forceful motions in postures and with upper extremities that resulted
in stressors that caused numerous incidents of cumulative trauma or
musculoskeletal disorders:
In the kitchen, kitchen helpers were exposed to lifting and cumulative
trauma stressors to the back, neck, and upper extremities (including
hand, arm and wrist) while picking up and hanging sausage product.
These stressors include repeated one-handed stick holding while picking
up sausage onto stick, repeated hand motions of looping sausage onto
stick, cold environment, repeated reaching and lifting while placing
loaded smokehouse stick on overhead conveyor.
Worker positions:
a) picking up sausage, table 1, side 1.
b) picking up sausage, table 1, side 2.
c) picking up sausage, table 2, side 3.
d) picking up sausage, table 2, side 4.
e) picking up sausage, table 3, side 5.
f) picking up sausage, table 3, side 6.
g) picking up sausage, table 4, side 7.
h) picking up sausage, table 4, side 8.
i) picking up sausage, table 5, side 9.
j) picking up sausage, table 5, side 10.
k) picking up sausage, table 6, side 11.
l) picking up sausage, table 6, side 12.
m) picking up sausage, table 7, side 13.
n) picking up sausage, table 7, side 14.
o) picking up sausage, table 8, side 15.
p) picking up sausage, table 8, side 16.
q) picking up sausage, table 9, side 17.
r) picking up sausage, table 9, side 18.
Feasible means of abatement may include, but are not limited to the
following:
1) Providing a stick holding device while looping sausage onto stick.
2) Provide a stick lifting device for placing on overhead conveyor.
3) Lowering overhead conveyor hanging height relative to work station.
4) Provide arm/wrist warmers.
5) Rotation of helpers between rope (endless) and link lines.
6) Establish reasonable maximum limits for amount of meat on a loaded
smokehouse stick.
7) Provide a resilient pad/mat for workers to stand on.

Issued

Nov 23, 1988

Abate by

Aug 30, 1993

Penalty

Initial $10,000 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees in the Kitchen
Department were required, as part of their job, to perform repetitive,
forceful motions in postures and with upper extremities that resulted
in stressors that caused numerous incidents of cumulative trauma or
musculoskeletal disorders:
In the kitchen, kitchen helpers were exposed to cumulative trauma and
lifting stressors of the back, neck and upper extremities (including
hands, wrists and arms) while lifting sticks from the overhead conveyor
and placing them onto smokehouse racks. These stressors include
repeated reaching upward while holding the loaded smokehouse stick with
both hands, repeated bending and/or stooping while holding this stick,
and cold environment.
Worker positions:
a) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 1, side 1.
b) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 1, side 2.
c) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 2, side 3.
d) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 2, side 4.
e) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 3, side 5.
f) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 3, side 6.
g) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 4, side 7.
h) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 4, side 8.
i) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 5, side 9.
j) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 5, side 10.
k) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 6, side 11.
l) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 6, side 12.
m) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 7, side 13.
n) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 7, side 14.
o) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 8, side 15.
p) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 8, side 16.
q) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 9, side 17.
r) transferring sticks from overhead conveyor to smokehouse rack,
table 9, side 18.
Feasible means of abatement may include, but are not limited to the
following:
1) Lower top rack level height relative to work station.
2) Raise lower rack level height relative to work station.
3) Lower overhead conveyor height relative to work station.
4) Establish reasonable weight limits for amount of meat to be loaded
on a smokehouse stick.
5) Provide a resilient pad/mat for workers to stand on.
6) Implement an automated stick racking system.