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Georgia Tech Receives OSHA Grant to Develop Safety Training Program
for Third-Shift Poultry Processing Workers
Georgia Tech was recently awarded a Susan Harwood Grant by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop a comprehensive
safety training program for third-shift sanitation and maintenance
workers in the poultry processing industry.
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The safety training program will focus on hazards associated
with third-shift maintenance and sanitation operations in poultry
processing plants, such as the use of high pressure and temperature
water systems.
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“The goal of the training program is the continued reduction
of work-place injuries and the prevention of fatalities associated
with third-shift
maintenance and sanitation operations in the poultry processing industry,” says
James Howry, research associate and project director. “Working
with industry, we plan to develop a comprehensive training program
with emphasis on the high-hazard worker exposures related to equipment
and machine lockout/tagout and entry into permit-required confined
spaces.”
While the main focus of training will be on confined
space and energy control, Howry says topics will also address hazards
associated with
walking and working surfaces, personal protective equipment, the
use of high pressure and temperature water systems, and hazard communication.
The
Hardwood grant, totaling $118,075, will be used to develop new training
materials, including course notebooks, CD-ROMs, and videos;
conduct train-the-trainer courses in several different regions of
the country; and assess worker training sessions at several plant locations.
Approximately 90 individuals from all areas of the poultry processing
industry will be targeted to participate in six 2-day train-the-trainer
courses. These individuals will receive trainer manuals and presentations
on CD-ROMs. Tentative locations for the train-the-trainer courses
are Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and Minnesota.
The worker-based
training will be conducted by industry or contractor trainers using
training modules and materials developed by the program
and distributed at the train-the-trainer courses. Program team members
will audit several of the training offerings to ensure effective
transfer. The worker-based training materials will be designed for
individuals
fluent in both English and Spanish languages in recognition of the
large percentage of Hispanic workers in the poultry industry.
Howry
says it is anticipated that by the program’s end an estimated
9,000 third-shift sanitation and maintenance workers will have received
training.
A coordinating committee was recently assembled by the National
Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation to advise the
Georgia Tech
team on course content needs.
“The primary method of achieving success will be the development
and transfer of tailored materials to help train workers to anticipate,
recognize, evaluate, and control hazards associated with third-shift
sanitation and maintenance functions,” says Howry.
This year,
OSHA awarded more than $10.1 million in grants to 55 nonprofit organizations
for safety and health training and educational programs
targeted for employees in high-hazard industries, those with limited
English proficiency, those who are hard-to-reach, and those in industries
with high fatality rates, as well as small business employees.
The training
grants are named in honor of the late Susan Harwood, a former director
of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA’s Health
Standards Directorate, who died in 1996. During her 17-year tenure
with the agency, Harwood helped develop OSHA standards to protect employees
exposed to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde,
asbestos, and lead in construction.
Key Elements of the Train-the-Trainer Course
Introduction to OSHA
Overview of Workplace Hazards
Task Analysis
Machinery and Machine Safeguarding
Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO)
LO/TO Exercise
Hazard Communication
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
Slips, Trips, and Fall Prevention
Electrical Safety
Permit-Required Confined Spaces (PRCS)
PRCS Exercise
High Pressure and a Spray Operation
Ergonomic Considerations
Evaluation of Safety and Health Programs (S&H)
S&H Programs Exercise
Key Elements of the Worker-Based Training
Course
Energy Control (Lockout/Tagout)
Machine Guarding
Electrical Safety
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Ergonomic Considerations
Confined Space Procedures
How to Recognize Hazards
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