The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is accepting applications from poultry industry facilities with outstanding safety programs. The program is open to National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association members with poultry processing plants, further processing facilities, egg processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills and rendering facilities that, through the implementation of innovative and effective programs, have injury and illness rates below the industry average for three consecutive years.
Based on the latest data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the poultry slaughter and processing OSHA total recordable illness and injury rate for 2016 was 4.2 cases per 100 fulltime workers. The 2016 rate represents an outstanding 82 percent improvement from 1994.
“The poultry industry is dependent on a workforce of committed employees to supply a nutritious and affordable food source, and we are greatly invested in processes and procedures to reduce workplace hazards. The considerable and consistent improvement in illness and injury rates among our workforce over the past two decades is a result of the poultry industry’s continued dedication to worker safety,” said Mick Berning, associate vice president of environmental, health and safety, Cargill, and chair of the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council.
Award program rules, regulations and application forms are available by clicking here. Application forms can also be obtained on the www.uspoultry.org website. The application deadline for the 2018 awards is April 20. The annual awards will be presented during the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, Aug. 13-15, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida.
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council are made up of members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the three organizations represent 95 percent of the nation’s poultry products, and their members generate more than 1.3 million total U.S. jobs.
