Cobb-Vantress, Inc. was recently recognized by the North Carolina Department of Labor with a gold award for the company’s exemplary safety records at its hatchery and production office in Wadesboro. A gold award, the department’s top honor, signifies that Cobb team members had a low rate of days away from work, job transfers or restrictions, and that these figures were more than 50 percent lower than the poultry industry average.
This award adds to the facilities’ existing accolades for 2017, which include a Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award of Honor for the hatchery and a Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award of Merit for the production center.
“Our North Carolina facilities are successful in safety and health systems because we regularly train team members of all levels on safe work practices and we encourage a culture of mutual respect and open communication, which creates a climate conducive to safety,” said Sommer Barnes, Cobb’s environmental health and safety manager (EHS) for the Southeast region. “The gold award is a great honor, but it serves as an important reminder that we can’t lose sight of this goal. We’ll strive for continuous improvement.”
Regardless of facility location, each Cobb team member undergoes extensive safety and health training, beginning with a detailed orientation training. But the training doesn’t end there. Throughout each employee’s career at Cobb, he/she will receive regular, ongoing safety training, which is available in multiple languages. This continued education helps to keep employees informed of important safety requirements, job-specific hazards and safety protocols. Cobb also prides itself in using industry-leading technology to promote team member safety — from engineering controls to personal protective equipment.
“Workplace safety is our top priority,” said Adam Prater, associate director of EHS at Cobb. “At Cobb, we truly believe in our ‘One Family. One Purpose.’ promise. We believe that all of our team members deserve a safe place to work each day so they can return to their families at the end of the day.”
To further enhance the company’s safety program, Cobb employs both full-time safety managers and occupational health nurses, and conducts regular workplace safety and health audits. Additionally, corporate health and safety professionals complete a compliance audit of each facility every two years.
