Severe injuries from product movement in the U.S. food supply chain.

INTRODUCTION: The modern food supply chain presents unique hazards to employees that result in higher morbidity and mortality rates versus other industries. Employees in food manufacturing, wholesaling, and even retailing experience relatively high numbers of occupational injuries and fatalities. One reason for the high hazard rates may be the reliance on a synergistic packaging system designed to load and transport food products within and between manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Packaged food products are often aggregated using palletizers before they can be transported by forklifts and pallet jacks. Materials handling within facilities is critical to the efficient functioning of all members of the food-related supply chain, but product movement can be a source of occupational injuries. No previous research has examined the cause and result of such hazards. METHOD: This paper aims to examine severe injuries related to the packaging and movement of food products in segments of the food and beverage supply chain from manufacturing to retailing. An OSHA database was used to investigate all severe injuries in the six years from 2015 to 2020. The focus was on the food supply chain for the period since OSHA began mandating new reporting procedures for severe injuries. RESULTS: Results show there were 1,084 severe injuries and 47 fatalities during the six-year period. Fractures of the lower extremities were most prevalent, with the most frequent event type being transportation-related such as pedestrian-vehicle incidents. Significant differences were seen in the three parts of the food supply chain. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Implications are drawn for key sectors of the food-related supply chain to reduce packaging- and product movement-related hazards.

Non-occupational injuries caused by transport packaging: Residential and retail hazards.

BACKGROUND: Background: Pallets are key components of domestic supply chains, and yet present unique hazards when used by homeowners and retailers for unintended uses. No previous works have investigated non-occupational injuries that occur due to unintentional contact with pallets. This study sought to describe the incidence and epidemiology of non-occupational pallet-related injuries as seen in United States emergency departments (EDs). METHOD: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was used to derive national, weighted estimates of pallet-related injuries by age, sex, injured body part, and location where injury occurred. Data for the years 2014 to 2018 were analyzed with all relevant narratives reviewed. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2018, there were an estimated 30,493 persons who visited an ED for a pallet-related injury. The yearly incidence of pallet injuries rose during this period. The 35-44 age group (n = 5,481) was most likely to be injured, but about 3,000 children and youth under 18 years of age were injured and more than 4,000 persons 65 years of age or older suffered injuries. The elderly were especially likely to suffer injuries from slip, trip and fall incidents. The lower extremities were the most commonly injured body parts. An estimated 3,964 persons, accounting for approximately 14% of all pallet-related injuries, were treated for injuries incurred while at a retail establishment. African Americans, Hispanics, and the elderly appeared to be disproportionately more likely to have pallet-related injuries in retail locations. CONCLUSIONS: Non-occupational pallet-related injuries affect a wide range of patients and cause a variety of injuries, with the elderly being especially vulnerable to tripping incidents. Retailer prevention strategies should focus on the misuse of pallets for merchandising purposes. Industry should maintain control of pallets so they are not used for unintended purposes. Practical applications: Retailers should limit the use of pallets for floor-level merchandising purposes and remove pallets from customer-facing locations where unintentional contact could occur. Owners of pallets should maintain them in a controlled supply chain so that they don't leak out into the hands of homeowners. Policy-makers should educate the public about the dangers of used pallets.

Production supervisor impacts on subordinates' safety outcomes: an investigation of leader-member exchange and safety communication.

PROBLEM: Supervisors are increasingly important to the functioning of manufacturing operations, in large part due to their role as leaders. While supervisors' relations and communication with their subordinates are known to be important in influencing subordinates' behavior, little is known about how these two factors will impact subordinates' safety. This study investigated how much each factor contributes to safety-related outcomes for blue-collar production employees. METHOD: Production employees at five Pennsylvania wood manufacturers completed a survey during their work shift. Five hundred and ninety eight employees provided data on leader-member exchange (LMX), safety communication, and safety-related events. Archival data on OSHA recordables were also obtained from the producers' human resources database. RESULTS: Analyses found that the influence of LMX was greater than that of safety communication in predicting safety-related events. Neither LMX nor safety communication was significantly related to OSHA recordables. Results also demonstrated that employee job satisfaction and demographic variables such as gender and age have safety implications. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Results from this study further emphasize the importance of production supervisors and illustrate the potential role of leader-member exchange in enhancing workplace safety. Specifically, organizations should foster positive social exchange between their employees and supervisors and enhance the leadership qualities of supervisors to help reduce workplace injuries.

Management commitment to safety as organizational support: relationships with non-safety outcomes in wood manufacturing employees.

INTRODUCTION: Employee perceptions of management commitment to safety are known to influence important safety-related outcomes. However, little work has been conducted to explore non-safety-related outcomes resulting from a commitment to safety. METHOD: Employee-level outcomes critical to the effective functioning of an organization, including attitudes such as job satisfaction and commitment to the organization, were included on surveys given to 641 hourly production employees at three wood products manufacturing facilities. Participants' were asked about perceptions of management commitment to safety and job-related variables such as perceived dangerousness of their position, organizational commitment, and withdrawal behaviors. Supervisors also rated the performance of each of their hourly subordinates. RESULTS: Results suggest that employee outcomes differ based on perceptions of management's commitment to safety. Specifically, management commitment to safety was positively related to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job-related performance. We also found a negative relationship between commitment to safety and employee withdrawal behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that increasing employee perceptions of management's personal concern for employee well-being through a dedication to safety will result in positive outcomes beyond improved safety performance. These results also imply that there is a type of social exchange between employees and management that may affect employees similarly to perceived organizational support. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Results further reinforce the value of a commitment to safety by a firm's management. Organizations with a strong commitment to safety may enjoy not only a reduction in safety-related events but also increases in desirable employee attitudes and behaviors.