The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is extending the application submission deadline from poultry industry facilities with outstanding safety programs to May 8.

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 slaughter and poultry processing OSHA total recordable illness and injury rate for 2018 was 3.5 cases per 100 fulltime workers. The 2018 rate of 3.5 represents an outstanding 84 percent decrease from 1994.

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 annual awards will be presented during the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, Aug. 10-12, 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.