Queensland poultry processing industry and labour hire campaign

Campaign focus

Compliance assessments in the poultry processing industry were undertaken from September 2018 to April 2019. This included labour hire agencies that supply labour to poultry processing workplaces.

The campaign piloted a safety self-assessment tool (PDF, 0.18 MB) designed for the industry. The tool enabled companies to audit their health and safety systems, identify non-compliance against work health and safety regulations, and manage identified risks. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland also conducted workplace inspections and assisted organisations to identify issues and areas for improvement, including a compliance audit of labour hire practices.

The most common safety issues identified related to electrical safety, hazardous chemicals and hazardous manual tasks. Some of the hazards identified are also key contributors to musculoskeletal disorders, including:

• manual tasks that were repetitive and/or involved high forces and awkward postures, contributing to heightened risk of sprains, strains or overuse injury
• inadequate footwear and pooled water, contributing to risk of slips, trips and falls.
• poor maintenance of hand tools (e.g. blunt knives) and equipment (e.g. pallet jacks, trolleys) resulting in overexertion and high forces required for manual tasks.
• poor maintenance, adjustability, and design of fixed plant, which can contribute to awkward working postures and overexertion.
• inadequate training of workers in safe work practices.

Resources

Guidance

• Knife sharpening programs in the red meat processing industry
• Guide to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (PDF, 0.35 MB) (includes information on training, instruction and supervision)
• Labour hire agencies: Managing the safety of on-hired workers (PDF, 0.28 MB)
• Host employers: Managing the safety of labour hire workers (PDF, 0.26 MB)
• Poultry processing campaign report (PDF, 1.48 MB)
• Managing the risk of knives at work
• Preventing injuries in poultry processing – recent findings

Assessment tool

• Poultry processing industry self-assessment checklist (PDF, 0.18 MB) looks at common work health and safety issues for the poultry processing industry, including labour hire workers.

Codes of practice

• Work health and safety consultation, co-operation and co-ordination Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 0.54 MB)
• How to manage work health and safety risks Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 0.65 MB)
• Hazardous manual tasks Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 1.38 MB)
• Managing the risks of plant in the workplace Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 1.57 MB)
• Managing the work environment and facilities Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 0.57 MB)
• Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace code of practice 2021 (PDF, 1.21 MB)

Where to get help

Take advantage of the tailored, face-to-face advice provided by our Injury Prevention and Management (IPaM) advisors. IPaM advisors can assist you assess your poultry processing and labour hire systems and advise you on how to make improvements. IPaM is free for Queensland businesses. Register for IPaM now to talk to an advisor or email for more information.

More information

For further information please contact Workplace Health and Safety Queensland at manufacturing.whsq@oir.qld.gov.au or call 1300 362 128. Information on the labour hire licensing scheme can be found at labourhire.qld.gov.au