The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the North American Meat Institute have formed an alliance to protect meatpacking and processing workers by reducing and preventing exposure to COVID-19.
As part of this new alliance, OSHA and NAMI will work together to share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding potential exposure to COVID-19, develop information on the recognition of COVID-19 transmission risks and best practices on preventing such transmission, and conduct outreach on effective approaches for preventing COVID-19 transmission in meat packing and processing facilities.
“The security of America’s food supply relies on meat processing facilities continuing to operate with a healthy workforce,” said Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, in a statement. “Together, OSHA and the North American Meat Institute can help ensure that employers in this critical industry have the tools and information they need to protect workers from the risk of the coronavirus.”
Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commerical Workers International Union, shared his outrage over the deal, saying in a statement, "This is a shameless attempt to silence worker voices and give giant corporations direct access to the federal agency that is supposed to be in charge of oversight and accountability. Allowing the meat industry to conduct safety oversight of itself is dangerous for both workers and the safety of the food we eat."
Related: UFCW Creates Contact-Tracing Program; UFCW, Health Experts Call for Nationwide Mask Mandates.
from Foodservice https://ift.tt/2EfqMCa
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