USDA asks meat inspectors to provide their own safety gear
The United States Department of Agriculture is asking meatpacking plant inspectors to provide their own protective gear, even after the death of a fellow employee from coronavirus. Inspectors oversee the safety and labeling of products and work shoulder-to-shoulder next to company employees on the slaughter and processing lines. At the beginning of April, USDA said it would provide a single $50 reimbursement for inspectors to purchase their own PPE. More than 100 inspectors have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The lack of protective gear for employees has led to an uproar from union-represented inspectors. Politico has the story.
