Researchers affiliated with Emory University have found evidence that food workers have a 60 percent higher rate of occupational injuries and illnesses than other industries. According to data gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), severe injuries requiring time off from work were more than twice as likely among food workers. To put the size of the problem into perspective, BLS statistics show 57,975 excess injuries and illnesses for workers in the food industry.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed fines of $105,000 for an Ohio manufacturing company after a 62-year-old machine operator crushed her hand in an unguarded hydraulic press. According to OSHA, the company failed to utilize safeguards that could have prevented the accident. The woman, a 15-year employee of the company, has undergone three surgeries to repair damage to her hand and has been unable to return to work. In some cases, unguarded ma