Associates at Perdue’s harvest operation in Rockingham, N.C., achieved a safety milestone after working two million consecutive production hours without experiencing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable lost-time case.
Counting toward the milestone began December 9, 2018.
“Achieving a milestone like this is because of our associates’ commitment to working safely every day and watching out for one another,” said Lee Hiner, director of Perdue’s Rockingham plant, which employs more than 1,200 associates. “I’m proud of our Rockingham team for their strong focus and dedication to ensure a safe and injury-free workplace.”
As Hiner explains, 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, all associate attend safety awareness training, and are encouraged to look for and report any potential hazard.
Perdue is a leader in workplace safety
Perdue is a leader in workplace safety among all North Carolina 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 2019, the lost-time rate for all North Carolina goods-producing industries combined was 0.80 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 0.90 per 100 workers annually, while Perdue’s companywide rate during that year was 0.31 per 100 associates. As of November 2019, Perdue’s lost-time rate was 0.31 per 100 associates.
