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Workers Moving Products in Food Supply Chain Face High Risk of Injury

Workers Moving Products in Food Supply Chain Face High Risk of Injury

May 10, 2023
Supply chain pressures can turn into worker injuries.

According to a new Penn State-led study, the risk of serious injury to workers in the food supply chain has increased due to pandemic-caused supply-chain problems. 

In an article on Penn State's website, researcher Judd Michael,  Penn State professor of agricultural and biological engineering compared the food industries to other industries and found that food manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing experience relatively high numbers of occupational injuries and fatalities.

“Materials handling and movement within and between facilities is critical to the efficient functioning of all links of the food-related supply chain, but product movement can be a source of occupational injuries,” he said, in the arcticle. “For example, manufacturers often use palletizers to aggregate individually packaged food products into a unit load before they can be transported using a pallet jack, forklift or other powered industrial truck.”

The survey examined OSHA data from 2015-2022 that involved severe injuries. The results were  1,084 severe injuries and 47 fatalities during the six-year period. Data indicated that 2020 saw a significant increase in severe injuries as compared to previous years.

Read full article here.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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