"We Were on Our Own": Animal Slaughtering and Processing Industry Workers' Perspectives on Workplace Health and Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic in North Carolina

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gigot, Carolyn ; Smith, Zachary ; Koehler, Kirsten ; Michlig, Georgia J. ; Hall, Devon J. Sr. ; Heaney, Christopher D.
• Description:
  Workers in the animal slaughtering and processing industry have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our mixed methods study aimed to describe worker experiences during the pandemic, focusing on workplace health and safety. We surveyed 69 animal slaughtering and processing workers in North Carolina between April 2021 and July 2022 and conducted in-depth interviews with 9 workers between July 2022 and April 2023. Nearly all survey participants reported their employers provided (94%) and required (90%) face masks, but fewer reported engineering or administrative controls. Interviewed participants described production as management's priority, over health and safety; difficulty taking time off when ill; inadequate communication from management; and an overall sense that "we were on our own" in maintaining health and safety at work, especially later during the pandemic. Though unlikely under the current administration, an enforceable Occupational Safety and Health Administration infectious disease standard, including appropriate policies for isolation and paid time off, could help protect worker health.
• Subjects:
  COVID-19 Food-Processing Industry Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Animal Products Workers; Slaughterhouses; COVID-19; Face Masks; Worker Health; Worker Safety; Health Communications; Infectious Diseases; Engineering Controls; Administrative Controls; Author Keywords: COVID-19; Infectious Disease; Animal Slaughtering And Processing; Occupational Safety; Mixed Methods
• ISSN:
  1048-2911
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; Atlanta Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  14 pdf pages
• Volume:
  35
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071162
• Citation:
  New Solut 2026 Feb; 35(4):410-423
• Email:
  cheaney1@jhu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance; Services
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20210901
• Source Full Name:
  New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy
• End Date:
  20260831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4cfda917e87bb93f5dfe2c0554e53d0e05b35f3df7efcc7a623e20b434dca8c606d8c2556d6cc9fbbb48d82a0350576ef55a90b47a9452bffd46787a78f62acd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/257929/cdc_257929_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 712.57 KB ]