Green light to speed it up

Two more pork processors got the green light to increase line speeds; in other words, the hog harvesting facilities have been allowed to accelerate their speed, which was previously limited by regulation.

• The plants are Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. and Swift Pork Company.
• Due to line speed regulation, last year facilities began running 25% to 30% slower, and the national capacity of hog slaughter decreased by 2.5%.

But the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has implemented trials to experiment with each facility’s ergonomics, automation, and crewing.

• The goal is to assess whether the company can speed up its lines while also creating work environments that protect food and worker safety.

NSIS establishments can apply to participate in this trial and must implement worker safety measures; under these guidelines, they’re required to operate at line speeds that don’t exceed 1,106 head per hour.