Upton Sinclair's Meatpacking Industry

The Jungle: Upton Sinclair
The meatpacking industry in the 1900's was backbreaking labor, unsafe conditions and extremely unsanitary; with meat that had tumbled out on the floor, in the dirt and sawdust, where the workers had trampled and spit uncounted billions of consumption germs. There would be meat stored in great piles in rooms; and the water from leaky roofs would drip over it, and thousands of rats would race about on it. With people lacking supervision and being underpaid. Under aged children were often employed and forced to work long hours for very little pay. Enforcing simple things like hand washing and requiring the use of hairnets were unheard of. Therefore the meat was often contaminated with sweat, dirt, and human hair. Many changes needed to be made this industry such as hiring more meat inspectors to check the condition of the meat before being sent to sell. Most important improve personal hygiene conditions and enforcing rules on it. This will help prevent diseases being passed on and contaminating meat products. Also changing the safety conditions and compensating workers from accidents caused during work and for

This industry has had the highest injury rate of any industry from accidents caused by machinery; Workers can be seriously injured by moving animals also suffer from crippling arm, hand, and wrist injuries. Back injuries can result from loading and unloading meat from trucks and from moving meat, meat racks, or meat trees along overhead rails. Workers can be severely burned by cleaning solvents and burned by heat sealant machines when they wrap meat. Many workers can also injure themselves by falling on treacherously slippery floors and can be exposed to extremes of heat and cold. Has caused workers many health effects with injuries many layoff due to safety