Perdue Farms has received top honors in workplace safety by the 2024 National Safety Council for the Poultry Industry. The company secured the most Awards of Distinction of any member company, with 12 facilities being recognized with this award. In total, Perdue Foods' facilities across 15 states were recognized by the Joint Safety and Health Council for their leadership in implementing innovative and effective workplace safety health processes and systems.

At the 2024 National Safety Council for the Poultry Industry event in Destin, Fla., five Perdue Foods processing facilities and seven additional facilities received the Award of Distinction, the highest honor awarded by the council.

Perdue sites receiving the Award of Distinction:

• Milford Plant, Del.
• Schulenburg Plant, Texas
• Monterey Plant, Tenn.
• Lewiston Plant, N.C.
• Perry Plant Harvest, Ga.
• Bridgeville Feedmill, Del.
• Eagle Springs Hatchery, N.C.
• Kenly Hatchery, N.C.
• Trion Hatchery, Ga.
• Ahoskie Growout, N.C.
• Perry Growout, Ga.
• Brownsville Breeders, Ky.

"At Perdue Farms, the well-being and safety of our associates is our top priority," said Gregg Uecker, chief supply chain and operations officer, Perdue Farms. "We foster a culture where safety is paramount in every aspect of our operations. The commitment is evident in our comprehensive safety programs and the active participation of all team members and site locations. We understand that a safe and healthy workplace is foundational to our associates' success and their ability to return home safe each day."

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 and Days Away, Restricted or Transferred — at levels lower than the industry average for three consecutive years. Additionally, facilities cannot have a severe injury or fatality 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 60 facilities (25%) of 244 facilities in four categories achieved a total score above 90 and the Award of Distinction.

Additional awards:

Awards of Honor: Fifteen Perdue operations received this award, the council’s second-highest honor. They include the food-producing operations at Cromwell Plant, Kyy; Georgetown Plant, Del.; Washington Plant, Ind.; Concord Plant, N.C.; support activities Mountain Valley Breeders, W.Va.; Beaver Dam Growout, Ky.; Delmarva Growout, Md.; Dillon Growout, S.C.; Draper Valley Ranch, Wash.; Fredericksburg Growout, Pa.; Nashville Breeders, Tenn.; Hurlock Feed Mill, Md.; Nashville Feed Mill, Tenn.; Murfreesboro Hatchery, Tenn.; and Santa Rosa Hatchery, Calif.

Award of Merit: Twelve facilities earned the Award of Merit. They include food-producing plants in Petaluma, Calif.; Bridgewater, Va.; DeFuniak Springs, Fla.; Rockingham, N.C.; the company’s Innovation Center in Salisbury, Md.; hatchery operations in Halifax, N.C.; Forsyth, Ga.; and Salisbury, Md.; the following support activities Candor Growout, N.C.; Delmarva North Growout, Del.; Westover Research Farm Maryland; Western North Carolina Breeders.  

Source: Perdue Farms