Thirty years ago the poultry industry had a well-earned reputation for poor worker safety, and though the trend lines have changed significantly in the last two decades, federal regulators want to do more to reduce injury and illness on the job. “We acknowledge that there was a serious need to improve worker safety rates … and the poultry industry is committed to continual improvements in the years ahead,” said Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation based in Gainesville. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new Regional Emphasis Program aims to improve worker safety through outreach, education and enforcement efforts.