The poultry industry has been systematically improving worker safety for more than three decades, with current injury/illness rates now essentially the same as manufacturing as a whole, according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn. (USPOULTRY).

Locking out machinery and equipment prior to service or maintenance is an essential element of protecting employees from unexpected energization or motion, the start-up of machine or equipment or the release of stored energy.

Violations of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) Lockout/Tagout Standards consistently are among OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards across all industries. To avoid accidents and ensure compliance with applicable regulations, it is essential to follow the proper steps of conducting lockout/tagout.

As a continuation of the poultry industry’s improvement in worker safety and as a method of overcoming some of the language barriers that can occur in poultry plants, USPOULTRY has developed a poster and video demonstrating the proper steps for completing lockout/tagout on equipment or machinery, with the goal of illustrating some basic concepts with few words.

These visual materials help member companies train staff while addressing the communication challenges with the many languages that are spoken in poultry facilities. USPOULTRY developed the material with input and review by the Joint Industry Safety & Health Council.

The poster can be viewed and downloaded from the USPOULTRY website, while the video can be viewed through USPOULTRY’s YouTube page.

Founded in 1947 and based in Tucker, Ga., USPOULTRY is an all-feather organization representing the complete spectrum of today’s poultry industry. Its mission is to progressively serve member companies through research, education, communication and technical assistance.