Reduction in Laceration Injuries in Meat Workers Through Introduction of Cut Resistant Cotton Gloves

Abstract

Laceration injuries to fingers, hands and arms represent 30% of all workers compensation injuries in the Australian Meat Industry (South Australian WorkCover 1999). These injuries result from razor sharp knives, used in the slaughtering, boning and packing of beef, sheep, poultry, pigs and kangaroos. Whilst meat workers have been provided with woven wire mesh gloves to wear on their non knife hand, it is evident that many workers choose not to wear this form of hand protection thus increasing their risk of laceration injuries. It is also evident that the knife hand is totally unprotected in the event that the hand slips off the handle across the razor sharp blade of the knife.

This project involved a 6 month evaluation of wearing cut resistant cotton gloves in the slaughtering and boning processes of the read meat industry in South Australia. These field trials indicated a range of benefits from the wearing of these gloves as well as identifying a number of design issues to be addressed by the manufacturers before full adoption of these gloves could be possible by meat workers in this industry.