Like any employer, the U.S. poultry industry is subject to inspection by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. The industry says it’s committed to the safety and well being of its workforce. The 2014 Injury and Illness Report said overall injury and illness rates have dropped 81 percent in the last 20 years. The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, National Chicken Council, and National Turkey Federation are concerned about OSHA’s attempts to increase its authority. OSHA wants to conduct wall-to-wall inspections whenever the agency receives notice of an accident or employee complaint. The poultry organizations say there are legal limits on how and when OSHA may inspect, and they want OSHA to inspect facilities within the confines of the law. OSHA recently announced it would use any accident, complaint, or referral at every poultry facility to conduct wall-to-wall inspections. The poultry industry said OSHA’s plan oversteps the Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable search and seizure.
Poultry inspections outside legal limits
