Workplace Safety Plan for Bacterial Infection Hazard in a Piggery and Abattoir Setting

Running head: WORKPLACE SAFETY PLAN FOR BACTERIAL INFECTION HAZARD IN
A PIGGERY AND ABATTOIR SETTING 1
Workplace Safety Plan for Bacterial Infection Hazard in a Piggery and Abattoir Setting
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WORKPLACE SAFETY PLAN FOR BACTERIAL INFECTION HAZARD IN A PIGGERY
AND ABATTOIR SETTING 2
Workplace Safety Plan for Bacterial Infection Hazard in a Piggery and Abattoir Setting
Introduction
Occupational safety is one of the major concerns of both workers, employers, labor and
human rights among various governments (World Health Organization, 2006). The working
environment is associated with a variety of risks that affect the health, productivity and may
endanger the life of the worker. A conducive workplace is a necessity to enhance productivity
among workers which in turns acts as an incentive for motivation-enhancing the achievement of
set goals. Workplace safety is, therefore, an essential aspect of any employment. A range of
workplace risks can be controlled if proper mechanisms to avert them are formulated and put in
place. The hazards associated with work can be categorized into physical, biological, chemical,
hazardous drugs, radiations, shift work, stress, and violence and the ergonomic risks (Gorman et
al., 2014). However, the biological hazards especially those caused by a microorganism such as
bacteria are widespread due to their ubiquitous nature that increases chances of contraction
(Brown et al., 2017). Furthermore, these bacterial instigated infections that eventually cause
diseases have reduced chances of successful treatment since that have mutated into antibiotic
resisting strains. An example of such contamination is the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) that is common in a range of environments for example hospitals and most
recently associated with the presence of animals or animal products (Morris et al., 2012). Mover,
they are the now the most endangering type of infection that is likely to occur whenever a human
comes into contact with an animal, for example, the pets. The health risks associated with MRSA
infections can be lethal highlighting the need to devise an occupational health management plan
for this infection. The piggery units and their slaughterhouses have a high prevalence of this
bacteria predisposing those working in this environment to great risks (Casey et al., 2013). In this

WORKPLACE SAFETY PLAN FOR BACTERIAL INFECTION HAZARD IN A PIGGERY
AND ABATTOIR SETTING 3
article, the MRSA infection as a health hazard at the workplace, which is the Corowa piggery
and abattoir of Australia will be discussed. Also, a management strategy for this workplace
menace will be developed as well as be described.
MRSA infection an occupational hazard
Irresistible maladies have been persistent with humanity since it first occurred. Stable
settlements and vicinity to creatures containing pathogens to flourish and spread amongst other
animals and people and irresistible infections are sparked unmistakable impacting on life and
leading to the demise of the individual (Whitmee et al., 2015). There started the sharing of
bacterial species amongst the animals and people, and co-advancement of pathogens with their
hosts. It is estimated that more than 60% of the developing human pathogens originate from
creatures (Cutler, Fooks & Van Dar Poel, 2010). Staphylococcal contaminations are of
significance in both human and veterinary medicine. Staphylococcus aureus is a noteworthy
occupant or transient colonizer of the skin and the mucosa of humans and primates. So often the
bacteria thrive on living creatures, despite the fact that different types of Staphylococci also
typically colonize. Whenever S. aureus obtains passage into the host, it can influence an
assortment of diseases, from gentle skin contamination to hazardous intrusive disorders.
Staphylococcus aureus can speedily form protection any anti-infection therapy through various
clinical utilizations (Blair et al., 2015). Mutating against methicillin which demonstrates
protection from all beta-lactam drugs was first revealed in 1961. Methicillin resistance is because
of acquiring of the mecA quality, which encodes for another protein designated as PBP2a. This
protein is crucial in the synthesis of substances very fundamental in building the bacterial cell
divider. PBP2a has a low proclivity for β-lactam antimicrobials and gives protection from
methicillin and the other beta-lactams (Blair et al., 2015).

WORKPLACE SAFETY PLAN FOR BACTERIAL INFECTION HAZARD IN A PIGGERY
AND ABATTOIR SETTING 4
MRSA has for some time been viewed as the model of multidrug-safe nosocomial pathogens,
causing diseases in clinics and social insurance offices. Towards the end of the 1990s, another
MRSA showed up abruptly in an alternate setting. The new MRSA strain, assigned (CA) -
MRSA can cause diseases in young and generally healthy people, demonstrating abnormal
harmfulness and ability to spread (Dai et al., 2013). As of late, MRSA developed as a persistent
colonizer of animal populaces, perhaps supported by the substantial anti-toxin use in this
animals. In nourishment, primarily in pigs, another MRSA strain with zoonotic potential has
been appeared and is called domesticated animals related to MRSA. S. aureus gets Iron, a first
bacterial supplement, from hemoglobin, following lysis of dark red cells as a result of the effect
of S. aureus hemolysin. Hemoglobin is discharged and bound to a surface receptor, the iron
surface determinant B (IsdB), before being debated. This receptor has a higher proclivity for
human hemoglobin than for the hemoglobin of different warm-blooded creatures. This clarifies,
in any event to some extent, why S. aureus flourishes within sight of human blood and why
people are for the most part the particular host for S. aureus (Pishchany et al., 2010).
Details of the workplace
The Corowa piggery and slaughterhouse is the largest pig raring farm in the southern
hemisphere. It has a total of a total of about 45,000 sows and with its abattoir having one million
slaughters per year making it the largest pork provider in Australia. Its exact location is Corowa
in the New South Wales in the Redlands road (Corowa Piggery & Abattoir, n.d.). The piggery
and abattoir have about 300 workers that include the butchers, security officers, veterinaries both
animal nutrition and pork inspections, general cleaning workers, the pig feeders and those in the
administrative roles. Among these workers 74% are men and women form 26 percent. The
dominant employees are lack higher institution qualifications, and the remaining are