Slaughterhouses Suck for Human Workers, Too

Posted by Calvin on August 28, 2024

Even though more and more folks are choosing to go vegan, almost 10 billion animals are slaughtered in the U.S. every year. 😨 Slaughterhouses—the buildings where these killings take place—are obvi nightmarish for the animals, but what about the humans tasked with killing them? Here’s how slaughterhouses exploit human workers:

Who Are Slaughterhouse Workers?

Slaughterhouse workers disproportionately come from underserved populations—about 80% of frontline meatpacking workers are BIPOC, and more than half were born outside the U.S. Many slaughterhouse managers hire undocumented immigrants, whom they can fire as they please, and this industry often doesn’t pay a living wage.

What Is It Like to Work in a Slaughterhouse?

Working conditions in slaughterhouses are straight-up grim. Employees often have to work 10 or more hours a day in fast-paced lines—those tasked with shooting cows with a captive-bolt gun kill about 2,500 animals per day, or one cow every 12 seconds. Workers often aren’t allowed bathroom breaks, so they have to go in their pants. 😰 And female employees experience frequent sexual harassment and exploitation.

What Injuries Do Slaughterhouse Workers Get?

Workers in slaughterhouses have the highest injury rates of those in almost any industry. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration records, about 17 “severe” accidents happen each month in U.S. slaughterhouses and machinery cuts a limb off about two slaughterhouse workers each week. Many workers lose their eyes, fracture their fingers, or sustain head trauma.

What Illnesses and Chronic Pain Do Slaughterhouse Workers Experience?

Slaughterhouse workers often get sick or develop chronic pain because of the sus working conditions. People who work in pork and beef plants are almost seven times more likely to develop repetitive strain injuries. Workers suffer from chronic pains in their hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, and back. And line workers have a higher risk of getting several bacterial infections, which may lead to serious illnesses. 🤢

How Does Working in a Slaughterhouse Affect Someone’s Brain?

There are many reasons why slaughterhouse workers struggle with mental health, but systematically killing others for a living plays a huge role. Research shows that workers can suffer from a type of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and experience depression at levels four times higher than the national average. It def makes sense that cutting, dismembering, skinning, and boiling animals alive on a daily basis would mess with someone’s head. 😢

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As long as there’s a demand for meat, animals will continue to be violently killed and slaughterhouse workers will keep being exploited. But by going vegan, you can help drive that demand down. Use our free “Guide to Going Vegan” to make the transition as smooth as possible!