Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease)
October 17, 2009 - Butterball, LLC – the nation’s largest poultry processor – received two safety awards from the Arkansas Department of Labor for low injury rates in a ceremony on Monday, Oct. 12.
Butterball’s Ozark Feed Mill Operations is a recipient of the state’s Thirteen Year Safety Award for the lack of lost-time injuries during that time span. From January 1995 to the present, employees of Butterball’s Feed Mill Operations have accumulated 13 years without any days away from work due to work-related injuries or illness. Additionally, Butterball’s Ozark Live Operations received the Seven Year Safety award for its continued excellence in worker safety from Jan. 6, 2001 to Sept. 28, 2009, during which Ozark Live Operations employees have not experienced any lost-time injuries or illness.
The Arkansas Department of Labor, Insurance Department and Workers’ Compensation Commission presents the Seven Year Safety Award and the Thirteen Year Safety Award to companies that excel in ensuring occupational safety and health for employees over the designated time spans.
“We are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our employees day in and day out and are excited to be recognized for our efforts,” said Brian Rodgers, director of safety and risk management, “Worker safety is a number one priority for Butterball, so receiving this award further motivates our company to continue expanding successful safety programs.”
Butterball’s award-winning occupational safety program has helped the company overcome one of the largest challenges for food manufactures and has set a competitive benchmark for fellow processors to develop similar safety programs that meet or exceed industry standards.
“Butterball is a leader in the worker safety arena,” continued Rodgers. “In addition to these recent accolades from the Arkansas Department of Labor, the company has received national recognition for its worker safety programs from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program (OSHA VPP).”
The company’s safety initiatives have also prompted national attention from state and national government organizations, as well as recognitions from reputable organizations within the poultry processing industry, such as the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program (OSHA VPP), The American Meat Institute and The Ameritas Group in partnership with The National Provisioner.
About Butterball, LLC:
Butterball, LLC, the largest producer of turkey products in the United States, is headquartered in Garner, N.C. For more than 50 years, the iconic brand’s succulent whole bird products have been a central part of special moments. Today, company also has a broad array of offerings for retail, deli and foodservice that help make meals something to celebrate every day. Butterball products are enjoyed domestically and internationally.
The company’s three-pronged approach to Doing Business Right focuses on self-governance, sustainability and social responsibility. The initiative plays a key role in providing internal oversight for integrating values that are important to the company.
As the industry leader in quality and food safety, the company employs numerous processes to ensure the health of flocks and implements recognized prevention measures to exceed food safety standards in its six plants, located in North Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas and Missouri. In addition, Butterball has surpassed important workplace safety and health benchmarks set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.
For more information about Butterball, visit www.butterball.com. You can also call 1-800-BUTTERBALL for answers to your most puzzling questions about turkey preparation.
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