USDA-FSIS to Study Effect of Poultry Line Speed Waivers on Worker Safety, Eligible Establishments Must Apply for Modified Waivers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has announced that it will conduct a study about the effect of increased poultry line speeds on worker safety. The study will inform the agency’s future rulemaking regarding line speed waivers that are issued under its New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS).
The decision to conduct a study was prompted by a court case challenging the issuance of line speed waivers to certain establishments participating in NPIS, in which the U.S. District Court of D.C. granted USDA’s motion for remand. The line speed waivers allow poultry processing facilities to increase their production line speeds, which labor unions argue endanger workers by increasing the risk of injury and making social distancing challenging.