Chicken, turkey companies recognised for outstanding performance

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council have recognised chicken and turkey companies that exemplified outstanding safety performance through the implementation of innovative and effective safety and health programs.

The first annual safety awards were presented during the 2010 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry.

“The poultry industry has been diligent in reducing recordable injuries and illnesses over the past 25 years,” said Mike Klun, environmental health and safety manager, Cargill Value Added Meats. “Thus, it is important to 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 our co-workers.”

Award consideration was based on injury statistics over 3 years and an evaluation of written applications by 3 judges: Craig Wyvill, recently retired director of the Agricultural Technology Research Program at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Gary Pohlmann of Marsh Risk Consulting and Doug Britton of GTRI.

Awards were presented to 48 facilities with 8 in the highest category “Award of Distinction”. The other categories included “Award of Honor” and “Award of Merit.”

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council is made up of members from U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the 3 organizations represent companies that produce 95% of the nation’s poultry products and employ hundreds of thousands of workers.

Award of Distinction

Butterball LLC
• Alix, AR Feed Mill
• Huntsville, AR
• Mt. Olive, NC
• Ozark, AR
Cargill Turkey Production LLC
• Temple, TX Feed Mill
Equity Group Kentucky Division LLC
• Albany, KY
Simmons Foods Inc.
• Van Buren, AR
• Wayne Farms LLC
• Pendergrass, GA

Award of Honor

Butterball LLC
• Carthage, MO
Cargill Value Added Meats
• Waco, TX
Cobb-Vantress, Inc.
• Siloam Springs, AR Feed Mill
Equity Group Eufaula Division LLC
• Bakerhill, AL
Equity Group Georgia Division LLC
• Camilla, GA Fresh & Further Processing
Gold’n Plump Poultry
• Cold Spring, MN
Perdue Farms, Inc.
• Dillon, SC
• Perry, GA Cook Plant
• Rockingham, NC
• Salisbury, MD Processing
Simmons Foods Inc.
• Siloam Springs, AR Further Processing
• Siloam Springs, AR Hatchery
• Siloam Springs, AR Plant 1
Townsends of Arkansas
• Batesville, AR
Tyson Foods River Valley Animal Foods
• Seguin, TX
Wayne Farms LLC
• Danville, AR Feed Mill
• Danville, AR Hatchery
• Laurel, MS Hatchery

Award of Merit

Cobb-Vantress, Inc.
• Fayetteville, AR Hatchery
• Wadesboro, NC Hatchery
Equity Group Georgia Division LLC
• Camilla, GA Hatchery
• Gold’n Plump Poultry
• Luverne, MN
Marshall Durbin Companies
• Jasper, AL
Michigan Turkey Producers
• Grand Rapids, MI
Perdue Farms, Inc.
• Candor, NC Feed Mill
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
• Hammond, LA
• Laurel, MS Processing
Sara Lee Corporation
• Storm Lake, IA
• Townsends, Inc.
• Siler City, NC
Tyson Foods River Valley Animal Foods
• Robards, KY
Tyson Foods, Inc.
• Hope, AR
• Hope, AR Feed Mill
• Hope, AR Hatchery
• Rogers, AR
Wayne Farms LLC
• Danville, AR
• Decatur, AL Processing
• Decatur, AL West Further Processing
• Dobson, NC
• McComb, MS