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Occupational Injuries and Infccfions

A survcy of meat handlers affected with skiti scusis in North Yorkshire over a period of fivc ycSrs (1979-84) showcd that out of a totaTof 467 cases the lesions included septic cuts and scratches, paronychia (inflammation. of the skin fold at tKeside of a nail), abscess and associated lyrriphadenitis as well asTnfections of pierced ears and tattoos. Organisms iso-lated included beta-haemolytic streptococci (S/r. pyogencs in 203 episodes) and Stapliy-lococeus aiireus in 170 episodes.

A condition of acule erythema of the hands and wrists sometimes occurs in persons engaged in the handling and trimming of pan-crcas. Susceptible individuals are affected wF>?n no protection is wom and the lesion is an extremely painful one, marked reddening of the skin occurring.

A well equipped first-aid room with a quali-fied nurse is essential, especially in the larger establishment. An industrial nurse can also make a significant contribution to the stan-dards of hygiene in a meat plant. Close liaison with the rnedical profession can lead to a high standard of preyentive medicine materially beneTTfing staff welfare and working con-ditions.

Especially in cutting and boning rooms, safety gloves and aprons madę of chain mail or similar materiał are necessary. There should be a high standard of eteanliness and tidiness of working, with no organie or other materiał lying on floors to cause falls. Machinery should always be efficiently maintained and dangerous working parts should be adequately encased. Since it is not unusual for carcases or trolleys to fali off ovcrhead round or fiat bars it is wise to provide Staff with safety helmets. Equipment must be prop-erly handled by Staff and frequent advice about safety and the necessity for clean, tidy working conditions should be an essontia! part of all meat-trade activities. Plastic water-proof footwear with microccłlular sol es is of great value in preventing slipping on wet floors. and well designed protective dothing changed at least daily is essential.

ZOONOSES

Whilc injuries of various typcs including elec-trocution are common, workers in the meat incfuśtry, especially in the slaughtering sector.

are at particular risk in acquiring certain zoo-noses (diseases and infections which are nat-. urally transmitted betwcen vertebratc animals and man). Thesc include anthrax, brucellosis. contagious pustuląr dermatitis, erysipelas, leptospirosis, listeriosis, louping-iłl, orni-thosis. psittacosis, Q-fever, ringworm, sal-monellosis, streptococcal meningitis. TB and tularaemia.

Anthrax

There has been a significant decrease in the number of reported cases of anthrax in Great Britain in recent years. In England and Wales in the period 1961-65 there were 56 cases with four deaths while in the years 1976-80 only 14 cases were reported, with no deaths.

The disease was madę notifiable under the Public Health Act in December 1960 and the decline in incidence was most noticeabłe in those persons employed in the wool, hair and bristłe trades. This was mainly due to the introduction in 1965 of vaccination and in 1978 to labelling of the unsterilized product.

However, workers in these particular trades, those handling bonę flour and even those not in associated occupational trades are still at risk. The fact that anthrax is not necessarily associated with sudden death in the animal means that great vigilance is required and that yęterinary ante-mortem inspection..is essential.

Cutancous anthrax appears to occur morę often on the hands and arms of meat handlers • while the face and neck are morę often affected in workers employed in other industries

(Fig. 12.1).

Brucellosis

While personnel engaged in the actual handling of livestock, dressing of carcases, gul and tripe and disposal of rejected materiał and hides are at greatest risk, all abattoir staff are at hazard, especially when many reactor animals are slaughtered as in an eradication schemc. In some instanccs of human infection the actual modę of infection has been difficult to cxplain.

In 1966, a study in Edinburgh revealcd anti-bodies to Brucella abortus in 12.5% of tested abattoir workers and (presumably from drink-ing unpasteurized milk from infected herds) in 1% of the population there.