The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council today recognized 68 chicken and turkey facilities for outstanding safety performance by implementing innovative and effective safety and health programs. The annual safety awards were presented during the 2012 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry held in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
“I not only commend these plants and their management teams for their tremendous efforts to protect their workers, but for their ongoing dedication to further progress,” said Mike Brown, National Chicken Council president. “The significant and consistent decline in illness and injury rates among our workforce over the past two decades is a direct result of their strong commitment to worker safety.”
John Starkey, president of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, commented, “The industry recognizes that our people are our most valuable asset, and worker safety efforts have never been stronger. Poultry companies continue to devote people, time, and other resources to actively identify and correct workplace hazards. These awards acknowledge excellent safety performance achievement through effective and innovative programs.”
“The poultry industry has been diligent in reducing recordable injuries and illnesses for nearly 30 years,” said National Turkey Federation President Joel Brandenberger. “These awards acknowledge the excellent safety performance achievements the poultry industry has accomplished. We hope by highlighting these facilities we can all learn additional practices and tools to further protect the people that work hard every day in our plants to provide high-quality, safe and nutritious protein for consumers.”
Award consideration was based on injury statistics over three years and an evaluation of written applications by three judges: Gary Pohlmann of Marsh Risk Consulting; Doug Britton, program manager for Agricultural Technology Research at Georgia Tech Research Institute; and George Nassif of Aon Global Risk Consulting. Twenty-five facilities received the highest level of recognition, “Award of Distinction.” The other categories included “Award of Honor” and “Award of Merit.”
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council consists of members from U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the three organizations represent companies that produce 95 percent of the nation’s poultry products and employ over 350,000 workers.
Award of Distinction
Butterball LLC
- Ozark, AR – Processing
- Carthage, MO – Processing
- Huntsville, AR – Processing
Cargill Turkey Production LLC
- Butterfield, MO – Feed Mill
- Springdale, AR – Feed Mill
Cargill Value Added Meats
- Temple, TX – Feed Mill
- Waco, TX – Processing
Keystone Foods
- Albany, KY – Processing
- Franklin, KY – Hatchery
- Camilla, GA – Processing
Perdue Farms Inc.
- Perry, GA – Cook Plant
- Dillon, SC – Processing
- Perry, GA – Fresh Processing
- Concord, NC – Further Processing
- Salisbury, MD – Processing
- Rockingham, NC – Processing
- Accomac, VA – Processing
- Georgetown, DE – Roaster Complex
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
- Falkville, AL – Feed Mill
- Batesville, AR – Processing
Sara Lee Foods
- Storm Lake, IA – Processing
Simmons Foods
- Siloam Springs, AR – Further Processing
Wayne Farms LLC
- Pendergrass, GA – Processing
- Decatur, AL West – Hatchery
- Union Springs, AL – Processing
Award of Honor
Butterball LLC
- Mt. Olive, NC – Processing
Cargill Turkey Production LLC
- California, MO – Feed Mill
Cargill Value Added Meats
- Springdale, AR – Processing
Cobb-Vantress, Inc.
- Siloam Springs, AR – Feed Mill
- Timpson, TX – Hatchery
Gerber Poultry
- Kidron, OH – Processing
Hubbard LLC
- Pikeville, TN – Hatchery
Keystone Foods
- Gadsden, AL – Processing
- Eufaula, AL – Processing
Moroni Feed Company
- Moroni, UT – Feed Mill
Perdue Farms Inc.
- Cromwell, KY – Hatchery
- Forsyth, GA – Hatchery
- Bridgewater, VA – Further Processing
- Nashville, NC – Feed Mill
- Cromwell, KY – Processing
- Washington, IN – Turkey Processing
- Forsyth, GA – Feed Mill
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
- Moorefield, WV – Hatchery
- Broadway, VA – Processing
- Moorefield, WV – Feed Mill
- Harrisonburg, VA – Feed Mill
- Mayfield, KY – Processing
- Pittsburg, TX – Hatchery #1 & #2
- Natchitoches, LA –Processing
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
- Laurel, MS – Processing
- McComb, MS – Processing
River Valley Animal Foods
- Robards, KY
- Texarkana, AR
Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative
- Hinton, VA – Processing
Wayne Farms LLC
- Troy, AL – Hatchery
- Laurel, MS – Feed Mill
- Danville, AR – Hatchery
- Decatur, AL East – Further Processing
- Decatur, AL – Fresh Plant
Award of Merit
House of Raeford Farms
- Arcadia, LA – Processing
Peco Foods, Inc.
- Sebastopol, MS – Processing
Perdue Farms Inc.
- Dothan, AL – Processing
- Salisbury, MD – Hatchery 2
- Murfreesboro, NC – Hatchery
Pilgrim’s Corp
- Athens, GA – Feed Mill
- Broadway, VA – Hatchery
- Moorefield, WV – Prepared Foods
- Canton, GA – Processing
