Associations Between Work-Zone Groups and Compensation Claims: Experience From a Poultry Meat Processing Plant

Area of Science:

• Occupational health and safety
• Industrial hygiene
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Work-zone grouping influenced intervention programs for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), safety climate, and disability management.
• Previous findings suggested work-zone differences in poultry processing plants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if compensation claim outcomes varied across different work-zones within a poultry meat processing plant.
• To identify specific work-zones with higher compensation claim costs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized de-identified workers' compensation claims data categorized by work-zone (kill, process, despatch).
• Employed multivariable generalized linear modeling to analyze compensation claim costs.
• Adjusted analyses for age, shift, and claim type.

Main Results:

• Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) claims costs per claim were 3.5 times lower in the kill-zone versus the despatch-zone.
• Shift worked and claim type were identified as significant covariates influencing claim costs.

Conclusions:

• Organizations should prioritize interventions in work-zones exhibiting poorer compensation outcomes.
• The association between organizational microclimates and compensation claims warrants consideration for targeted improvements.