Perdue Recognized as Leader in Poultry Workplace Safety

Company earns 33 Joint Industry Safety and Health Council awards

SALISBURY, Md., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council has awarded nine of Perdue's facilities its Award of Distinction, the Council's highest form of recognition for consistently implementing innovative and effective workplace safety health processes and systems. They were among 33 Perdue facilities across 14 states that received workplace safety awards at the 2022 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Fla.

"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 Randy Day, 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."

The company's food-producing facilities that received the Award of Distinction include Concord, Lewiston and Rockingham in North Carolina, Bridgewater, Va., Monterey, Tenn. and Georgetown, Del. The company's feed mill in Salisbury, Md., and broiler growouts in Hartford, Ky. and Forsyth, Ga. also earned the Award of Distinction.

The Award of Distinction criteria required these facilities to maintain their key Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety metrics — Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART), and Lost Work Day Incident Rate (LWDIR) — at levels at least 50 percent better than the industry average for three consecutive years. Award consideration was also based on each facility's written explanation of its safety programs and processes.

Perdue operations recognized with the Award of Honor, the Council's second highest honor, include Cromwell, Ky., Dillon, S.C., Milford, Del. and Gainesville, Ga. and the company's pet treat plant in Schulenburg, Texas. Perdue feed mills in Bridgeville, Del., and Candor, N.C., a growout office in Ahoskie, N.C., and breeder operations in Nashville, N.C., earned the Award of Honor. These facilities maintained their OSHA safety metrics at least 25 percent better than the industry for at least three straight years.

Fifteen facilities earned the Award of Merit for maintaining their OSHA safety metrics at least 25 percent better than the industry for at least two consecutive years. They include food-producing plants in Accomac, Va., and Perry, Ga.; broiler growout offices in Salisbury, Md. and Laurel, Del., a research farm in Princess Anne, Md., breeder operations in Baker, W.Va., Kentucky, western North Carolina and Thorntown, Ind.; feed mills in Burlington, Wash., Hurlock, Md., Washington, Ind., Nashville, N.C.; and hatcheries in Halifax and Murfreesboro in North Carolina.

Award consideration was based on injury statistics over three years and an evaluation of written applications by an independent panel of judges.

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council comprises members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Combined, these three organizations represent companies that produce 95 percent of the nation's poultry products and employ more 350,000 workers.

We're a fourth-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats®, Coleman Natural®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms® and Full Moon®, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores, and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com. 

Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.

Now in our company's second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.

SOURCE Perdue Farms