WASHINGTON – The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report asking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) how it plans to look at persistent meat and poultry worker safety hazards related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its findings, the GAO looked at three objectives starting with how meat and poultry companies responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the pandemic affected meat and poultry workers. Next, it determined the enforcement actions OSHA took to ensure worker industry safety and challenges with enforcement. Finally, it wanted to determine how OSHA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) collaborated during the pandemic. 

OSHA responded by increasing meat and poultry plant inspections but faced enforcement challenges. The GAO report noted that agency officials’ ability to protect workers was limited because existing standards did not target COVID-related hazards, like jobs requiring workers to stand in close proximity.

In the first few months of the pandemic, meat processors began implementing procedures that included requiring masks, encouraging distancing in communal areas and installing barriers. Fifteen companies responded to the GAO’s report with similar procedures during this period.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes a provision to monitor and report on the federal pandemic response. The GAO also reviewed federal efforts on worker safety in the meat and poultry industry during the pandemic.

GAO added that the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 allows OSHA to develop safety and health standards for specific industries.

“OSHA is developing an infectious disease standard for healthcare workers, but not for workers in meat and poultry processing,” the GAO stated. “Without assessing the actions needed to better protect meat and poultry workers — such as assessing the need for an industry standard — OSHA may be missing an opportunity to protect workers.”

The main recommendation from the GAO was for OSHA and the FSIS to set an industry standard to protect meat and poultry workers. OSHA stated it would respond to the recommendations after the report was issued. FSIS agreed with the recommendation to collaborate.

During August 2022, the agencies also updated their 1994 memorandum of understanding that says FSIS should report hazards to OSHA, including infectious diseases.

“The agencies did not follow some leading collaboration practices, such as defining outcomes and including key participants,” GAO said. “By following these practices, OSHA and FSIS could better collaborate on meat and poultry worker safety.”

The entire GAO report can be found here.