The Organization of Work: Implications for Injury and Illness Among Immigrant Latino Poultry-Processing Workers

Abstract

The US poultry-processing industry employs a large number of immigrants and has among the highest occupational illness rates for manufacturing. Previous research has not studied the potential health effects of psychosocial indicators of how poultry-processing work is organized. The investigators collected survey data from 200 immigrant Latinos working in poultry processing. Management practices (eg, poor commitment to safety, abusive supervision) and indicators of job design (eg, authority, variety, psychological workload, frequent awkward posture, and repetitive movement) were associated with risk of recent musculoskeletal problems, respiratory problems, and self-reported injury/illness. The results provide preliminary evidence suggesting that the organization of work underlies injury and illness among immigrant workers in poultry processing.