The Most Dangerous Job Summary and Analysis

Meat-packing is now considered the most dangerous job in the U.S., as it was at the turn of the century when Upton Sinclair exposed the filth, worker abuse, and injuries. Slaughtering chickens ha become much more mechanized because of their size uniformity; cows, however, vary so much in size that the butchering is still mostly completed by hand. Because of the assembly-line process, each worker stands in one position and makes the same cut eight hours a day, as carcasses march on conveyor belts. Because profit is based upon volume, moreover, carcasses move as quickly as possible. Many line workers, afraid of "falling behind," take methamphetamines to increase alertness and speed. All of this culminates in an injury-laden business, with lacerations being the most prevalent injury type, followed by torn muscles, slipped disks and...