House of Raeford Farms’ Arcadia, Louisiana division announced that they have reached one million man hours without a lost time accident. The period covered was from January-August 2012. “Our safety committee, made up of volunteer line employees, managers, and union representatives, has been trained in the OSHA 510 course; conducts international plant safety audits; and encourages input from all employees to maintain a safe workplace,” said Kevin Pittman, safety director for the Arcadia complex.
Pitman also highlighted the Arcadia division’s “Near Miss” initiative that investigates incidents that did not result in an accident but had the potential. “This program has proven to be an effective preventive measure,” Pittman said.
Earlier this summer the Arcadia plant was awarded the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council’s Award of Merit for significant accomplishments in workplace safety and health. This award is for facilities with OSHA recordable rates less than the industry average over a three-year period and who demonstrate innovative and effective safety programs.
“these are significant safety achievements for our operations,” said Mark Van Benthuysen, complex manager. “The health and safety of our associates is vital and requires a tremendous amount of effort on all levels to be successful.”
