Perdue's Cromwell, Ky., operation associates achieve safety milestone

Associates at Perdue’s Cromwell operation achieved a safety milestone on March 27, 2014, after working one million production hours without experiencing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable lost-time case. Counting toward the milestone began in September 2013.

To celebrate, the operation’s associates were treated to grilled hamburgers and hot dogs prepared by management team members. Associates also will receive from Perdue a commemorative T-shirt in recognition of their achievement.

“It is very important to recognize that it was our associates who made this happen,” said Jim Booth, director of Perdue operations. “Perdue has a strong safety program, but it takes the cooperation and commitment of all of our associates to make it work.”

Associates from the Cromwell processing plant and live haul department contributed to this milestone.

According to Booth, Perdue has a standard, companywide safety program that encourages active employee participation and input. Associates take part in safety committees, which meet regularly to discuss safety issues, as well as perform safety inspections before the start of each shift. Associates have the authority to stop production or prevent start-up if any unsafe condition exists. In addition, every associate attends safety awareness training, and is encouraged to look for and report any potential hazard.

Perdue is a leader in workplace safety among all Kentucky industries and all industries nationwide combined. According to statistics released by the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, during their most recently reported year in 2014, the lost-time rate for all Kentucky industries combined was 1.2 per 100 workers.

According to those same Bureau of Labor statistics, the nationwide lost-time rate for all goods producing industries combined for that same year was 1.2 per 100 workers annually, while Perdue’s companywide rate during that year was 0.15 per 100 associates. As of March 2014, Perdue’s lost-time rate was 0.14 per 100 associates.

Perdue’s companywide OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate is 2.40 as compared to the current Poultry Industry rate of 4.90, and is also better than the General Manufacturing rate of 4.30.

Source: Perdue Farms

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