September 5, 2014

Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Pilgrim's Corp. cited for safety record

Three top American poultry companies -- Cargill, Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's Corp. - are among this year's winner in the annual safety award given by the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council.

The council also recognized, on top of the three companies, 93 other chicken and turkey facilities for outstanding safety performance. The awards were given at the 2014 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry held in Destin, Florida, recently.

Despite more stringent requirements and qualification, the 2014 awards resulted in a record number of recipients, further highlighting the industry's commitment to workplace safety, the council said.

The awards recognize the winners' "excellent safety performance achievement as a result of effective and innovative programs," the council said. "The notable and constant decrease in illness and injury rates among poultry's workforce over the last two decades is a direct consequence of their dedication to worker safety."

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council consist of members of the US Poultry & Egg Association, the National Chicken Council, and the National Turkey Federation.

The three organisations represent companies that produce 95% of the United States' poultry products and directly employ more than 350,000 workers.

The total recordable poultry processing illness and injury rate for 2012 was 4.9 cases per 100 full-time workers per year, down from 5.8 in 2011.

This represents a 78% decrease from 1994, when the recorded rate was 22.7, demonstrating the enormous progress poultry processors have made in improving safety for their workforce.