At the 2023 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Fla., the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council recognized 32 of Perdue Foods’ facilities across 14 states for leadership in implementing innovative and effective workplace safety health processes and systems. Three Perdue facilities received the Award of Distinction, the council’s highest award, including food-producing facilities in Cromwell, Ky., and Schulenburg, Texas, and a feed mill in Nashville, N.C.

“Workplace safety is an absolute at Perdue, including an unwavering commitment from management and an ongoing safety culture that engages all associates in maintaining a safe workplace environment,” said Kevin McAdams, CEO of Perdue Farms. “Each year, we set goals around people, products, planet, and profitability, and we always put people first in that equation. We believe there’s nothing more important than creating a safe, supportive, and healthy work environment where our associates can be successful and return safely to their families at the end of the workday.”

To qualify for an Industry Safety and Health Award, facilities must maintain their key Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety metrics — Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) — at levels lower than the industry average for three consecutive years. Additionally, facilities cannot have a severe injury or fatality (SIF) during the award period. The OSHA metric ultimately determines only 40% of the application score. An independent panel of judges' score of each facility’s written explanation of its safety programs and processes comprises the majority (60%) of the award consideration. This year only 23 facilities (13%) of 170 facilities in four categories achieved a total score above 90 and the Award of Distinction.

Nineteen Perdue operations were recognized with the Award of Honor, the council’s second-highest honor. They include food-producing operations in Rockingham, N.C., Monterey, Tenn., Milford, Del., Accomac, Va., and Perry, Ga (harvest), grow-out operations in Fredericksburg, Pa., Mount Vernon, Wash., Hartford, Ky, Ahoskie, N.C., and Delmarva south region, a feed mill in Candor; N.C., hatcheries in Hurlock, Md., Murfreesboro and Halifax, N.C., and Forsyth and Trion, Ga, breeder operations in Statesville, N.C., and DeFuniak Springs, Fla., and a research farm in Westover, Md. These facilities scored between 80 and 90 points on their application.

Nine facilities earned the Award of Merit for maintaining scoring at least 70 points on the application. They include a food-producing plant in Petaluma, Ca., the company’s Innovation Center in Salisbury, Md., breeder operations in Nashville, N.C., Baker, W.V., and Hartford, Ky.,  feed mills in Bridgeville, Dela., and Washington, Ind. and hatcheries in Santa Rosa, Calif., and Westover, Md.

Source: Perdue Farms