ituation in the Industry
The meatpacking industry is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the United States. Workers may be injured by moving animals, as well as by the stun guns the workers used to disable the animals. During hoisting operations, it is possible for 2,000-pound animals to fall on workers (Habes, 1994). A comparison of injuries in the meatpacking industry in relation to other industries is presented in Chart 1, below on this page.
Source: United States Department of Labor, 1999
Workers also can experience crippling arm, hand, and wrist injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome in a medical context is a nerve entrapment disorder. The tendons connecting the fingers to arm muscles pass through a small opening in the wrist, and they are surrounded by synovial sheaths. The synovial sheaths are thin, fluid-filled sacs, which swell when the tendons are overused. The swelling squeezes the median nerve against the wrist bone, or carpal ligament. The wrist is a free
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