Meat+Poultry - July 2017 - 60

PA C K A G I N G S O L U T I O N S

Packaging
e-tool
OSHA's whole bird bulk packaging e-tool describes the tasks and
hazards that go along with those tasks. The following provides a quick
overview of the tool. For the complete tool, and others, visit
www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/poultry/packaging/whole_bird.html.

TASK 1 Box Liner
The box liner is responsible for placing a large plastic bag into the
packing box. The bag is used to line the box to prevent loss of liquids
and maintain freshness. This is important when packing whole birds
because they are not sealed with any other waterproof material.
Hazards
* May include a congested work area and bending and reaching.
Possible solutions
* Use palletizer to maintain position of box materials so employee
can stand upright and keep arms in close to body during tasks.
* Whenever possible replace manual operations with automated
operations.
* Rotate tasks.
* Provide an adjustable work table or stand so task can be
performed without torso bending or reaching.

"The key factors in determining which birds
to use for whole birds are weight and grade,"
says Roger Stearns, plant manager at Miller
Poultry. "Many of our customers require weight
ranges in 0.5-lb. increments (example: 3.25 lbs.
to 3.75 lbs.). This aids the grocery store in their
cooking process to ensure consistent cooking
times for both food safety (reaching proper

"Packaging has also evolved
from 'bird in a bag' to
specialty bags"
- ROGER STEARNS

cook temp) and quality (not overcooked). Our
customers look for and expect a grade that is
greater than a USDA grade A chicken for their
rotisserie programs."
At Fieldale Farms, customers help in
determining what happens during processing
for whole birds, as well. According to David
Rackley, plant manager, the injection for
whole birds usually consists of some sort
of sea salt brine. Then a spice combination
preferred by the customer will be used in a
rub form, providing the correct flavor. Fieldale
runs a two-bird program with the smaller of
the two, 4.5 lbs. live weight, used for whole
bird products. A shackle scale coupled with
computer software sends the birds where they
need to go according to weight.

WHOLE BIRD TECH

TASK 2 Unloader/Box Filler
Birds are lifted directly from a conveyor and are placed into a shipping
box. Employees may lift up to three birds in each hand.
Hazards
* Include bending at the waist, reaching above the shoulders and
gripping slick product.
Possible solutions
* Use a diverter to push birds off the conveyor directly into the box
so employees do not need to manually lift product.
* Provide a height-adjustable packing stand so boxes can be loaded
without bending at the waist.
* Provide a height-adjustable work platform so employees can
adjust their height in relation to the conveyor.

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 07.17 | www.meatpoultry.com

As with all current technologies, whole bird
packaging-specific technology has evolved
considerably in the past five to 10 years.
According to Stearns, a key change in the
category has come in the form of choices in the
available machinery processors have access
to. Miller uses Cryovac/Sealed Air on its whole
bird packaging line. "Cryovac has several
models of packaging machines to choose
from," he says. "Models range in speed/birds
per minute depending on your capacity needs."
When faced with the multitude of choices
available for packaging whole birds, plant
managers and executives need to consider
how each different machine might fit into
the overall scheme and layout of the facility.
"The overall footprint of the machine is
important as it needs to fit into the plant
comfortably and increase the efficiency of the
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Meat+Poultry - July 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat+Poultry - July 2017
