Meatpacking Jobs in Georgia – What You Should Know as a Georgia Meatpacking Worker about this Dangerous Industry
When Decatur residents go to buy steaks, chicken, and ground turkey at their local grocery stores or big-box supermarkets, they are likely to think about the rising cost of their dinners rather than about the hard-working Decatur and Georgia workers who truly “bring home the beef”. Indeed, meat and poultry meatpacking jobs are extremely labor-intensive and require workers in a number of dangerous occupations to get meat and poultry from local and factory farms to the slaughterhouse to neatly portioned-out and packaged ready-to cook products on grocery store shelves. What Decatur residents may not know is that Georgia is a top state for meatpacking and thousands of Peach State workers go to work in meatpacking plants every day. But just how popular are meatpacking jobs in Georgia and what hazards must Georgia meatpacking workers face every day on the job? We answer those questions here.
Georgia: A Top Meatpacking State
It is no surprise that many people in Decatur have never seen a meatpacking plant. Often tucked out of view, meatpacking plants can be mysterious places with little transparency as to what goes on behind the scenes of a beefy meal, whether it be hamburger or filet mignon. However, the truth is that Georgia is a top state for meatpacking jobs, with 5,550 Georgia workers employed in meatpacking in 2020. In fact, Georgia only trails North Carolina and Texas as the top meatpacking states, with 5,910 and 6,020 workers employed in those states in 2020, respectively.
Amputation Hazards in Meatpacking Work
Meatpacking work is so dangerous that the federal Fair Labor Standards Act generally prohibits workers under 18-years of age from working with meatpacking or meat-processing machines. One great risk to workers who work in meatpacking and meat processing is the risk of a limb or digit being cut partially or completely off, known as an amputation injury. Working with heavy equipment that slices, punches, or trims under fast-paced conditions and potentially on slippery surfaces or equipment that may become slick pose a risk to workers of an amputation injury. It is, therefore, very important for Decatur meatpacking and meat processing workers to remain vigilant on the job and adhere to safety protocols, and for employers to ensure the highest safety standards in the workplace.
Help for Injured Workers in Decatur
Unfortunately, workplace accidents in meatpacking and meat processing in Georgia can and do happen, even when Georgia employers and workers work hard to effectively implement and exercise safety protocols. Fortunately, most workers in Decatur are entitled to important workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured on the job and are disabled from work. In order to find out whether you may be entitled to Georgia workers’ compensation benefits in Decatur after a serious workplace injury, it is best to speak to an experienced Decatur workers compensation lawyer as soon as possible.
The experienced Decatur workers’ compensation lawyers at the O’Connell Law Firm offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help fight for you to get workers compensation benefits due. Contact the O’Connell Law Firm and learn about your rights to workers’ compensation in Decatur for free.
Source:
bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/high-concentrations-of-slaughterers-and-meat-packers-in-iowa-south-dakota-and-nebraska-in-2019.htm#:~:text=Texas%20(6%2C020)%2C%20North%20Carolina,%2C%20and%20Nebraska%20(3.8).
