Poultry industry facilities with outstanding safety programs are invited to apply for recognition under the Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program. The program is open to National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association members with poultry processing plants, further processing facilities, egg processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills and rendering facilities that, through the implementation of innovative and effective programs, have injury and illness rates below the industry average for three consecutive years.
The poultry processing OSHA total recordable illness and injury rate for 2014 was 4.3 cases per 100 full-time workers, down from 4.5 in 2013, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline. Poultry processing’s 2014 rate represents an outstanding 81 percent improvement from 1994.
“The poultry industry depends on our workforce of dedicated employees to provide a nutritious and affordable food source for our nation and the rest of the world. That is why we are so deeply invested in processes and procedures to further diminish workplace hazards. The substantial and consistent decrease in illness and injury rates among our workforce over the past two decades is a direct outcome of the poultry industry’s robust commitment to worker safety,” said Scott Rushing, manager of safety and health, Sanderson Farms, and chair of the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council.
Award program rules, regulations and application forms are available by clicking here. Application forms can also be obtained on the www.uspoultry.org website. The application deadline for the 2016 awards is April 22. The annual awards will be presented during the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, Aug. 15-17, in Destin, Fl.
