Meat processing plants, also referred to as slaughterhouses, can be very dangerous places to work. They are often not very well regulated, the work pace is fast, and workers are tasked with long shifts in unfavorable conditions. The space is not especially sanitary, and workers are exposed to many sharp objects from hooks that hold the carcasses to knives for breaking down the meat to grinders and slicers.
In all, the processing plant environment is a hazard, and unfortunately, because many employees who work in them are often immigrant laborers working below minimum wage, it is difficult to receive compensation for workplace injuries. However, it is worth seeking the help of a worker’s comp lawyer if you feel you have been unfairly overworked, resulting in a serious injury.
Below, a worker’s comp lawyer from Tolbert Beadle, LLC discusses common issues and injuries that occur in meat processing plants, and how a worker’s comp lawyer can help represent the injured in court.
Severe Lacerations
Due to the high speed at which processing plants often move, many workers will fatigue after performing the same repetitive tasks. As they become tired, they may lose focus and accuracy with their tools. It is not uncommon for workers to cut themselves, sometimes to severely that they lose a digit or an appendage.
In places where meat is fed through a hopper or grinder, jams in the machinery can cause workers fixing the malfunction to lose hands or arms as well. In these cases, it is smart to get a hold of a worker’s comp lawyer as soon as you are able, in order to fight for ample compensation.
Injuries from Lifting
Many workers are tasked with hefting large portions of an animal carcass onto a hook or conveyor belt. Others are tasked with lifting lighter portions of the animal, but because of the bulk of the portion, they must hold it in an unsafe way. These kinds of repetitive, unsafe movements will wear down the body over time, causing fatigue, inflammation, joint pain, and more. Workers who have to frequently bend often develop back problems.
In any of these cases, it’s smart to seek the counsel of a worker’s comp lawyer once the injury interferes with your ability to work.
Illness and Disease
Because workers must come into contact with potent sanitary chemicals, pesticides, bacteria, and fecal matter, illnesses can be common within processing plants. All of these things can cause workers to become ill and miss work for days or weeks on end. In events such as this, a worker’s comp lawyer willing to fight the processing plant can help get you compensation for your losses.
Call a Tolbert Beadle, LLC Worker’s Comp Lawyer
If you’re working in a processing plant or other factory where you’re tasked with repetitive labor that causes soreness, inflammation, or injury, then it’s time to call a worker’s comp lawyer. Give Tolbert Beadle, LLC a call or contact us, and let us fight for you in your time of need.
