
Poultry Processing Line Speed Evaluation Study (PULSE)
In November of 2022, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) funded a research team
from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to “assist the FSIS in assessing the
relationship between evisceration line speed in young chicken and swine slaughter establishments
and the scope, magnitude, and factors that influence worker safety and health risks for establishment
employees impacted by the speed of the slaughter line.” The scope of work included evaluating the
impact of evisceration line speed on the risk of (i) acute and chronic work-related musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) and (ii) antimicrobial-related respiratory exposure. Between November 2023 and
April 2024, the Poultry Processing Line Speed Evaluation (PULSE) study team enrolled 1,047 poultry
processing establishment workers at eleven New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) establishments
operating at evisceration line speeds between 140 and 175 birds per minute (BPM). The study team
conducted surveys and medical interviews and took measurements of ergonomic exposures and
airborne peracetic acid (PAA) concentrations. Data from the surveys, interviews, and exposure
measures were analyzed and the key findings are presented in this report.