Wayne-Sanderson Farms has again been recognized by the Joint Poultry Safety & Health Council for its exceptional safety programs and performance. Twenty-three of the company’s facilities garnered awards at this year’s National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, with nine facilities earning the highest honor, an Award of Distinction. The annual awards recognize safety programs implemented by members of the poultry industry’s National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and US Poultry and Egg Association to improve safety performance and recognize high achievers in reducing workplace injuries and illnesses. Wayne-Sanderson Farms has historically been a big winner at the annual awards ceremony, earning 13 accolades in 2023 and 14 in 2022.
“At Wayne-Sanderson Farms, our commitment to health and safety is a mindset that we have worked hard to instill in our employees as a team effort that everyone has responsibility for,” said Reggie McLee, Vice President of Health and Safety at Wayne-Sanderson Farms. “These awards are a reflection of our collaborative efforts to prioritize our safety program and demonstrate that our approach is making a significant impact on the well-being of our team members.”
In another awards highlight, Reggie McLee was honored with a special recognition award for his 33+ years of leadership and dedicated service to the safety and health profession. He is responsible for retooling the Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ safety program from the ground up, after joining the company 16 years ago. Under his leadership, the program is centered around a theme of “Zero-Accident Culture” that is driven by personal accountability for safe workplace practices.
“Thanks to Reggie’s leadership, we have cultivated a sustainable culture of safety excellence that emphasizes our people as our top priority,” said Clint Rivers, President and CEO of Wayne-Sanderson Farms. “We take great pride in our achievements and celebrate the employees who contributed to this prestigious recognition.”
The Wayne-Sanderson Farms facilities recognized by the Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council for Exceptional Safety Performance include:
Awards of Distinction:
- Farms Adel, GA: Hatchery
- Albertville, AL: Hatchery
- Danville, AR: Processing Facility
- Elkin, NC: Hatchery
- Flowood, MS: Prepared Foods Facility
- Guntersville, AL: Feed Mill
- Ozark, AL: Feed Mill
- Troy, AL: Hatchery
- Enterprise, AL: Processing Facility
Awards of Honor:
- Albertville, AL: Processing Facility
- Decatur, AL: Processing Facility
- Dobson, NC: Processing Facility
- Dothan, AL: Processing Facility
- Hazlehurst, MS: Processing Facility
- Moultrie, GA: Processing Facility
- Tyler, TX: Feed Mill
- Collins, MS: Hatchery
- Tyler, TX: Processing Facility
Awards of Merit:
- Bryan, TX: Hatchery
- Franklin, TX: Feed Mill
- Laurel, MS: Feed Mill
- Waco, TX: Processing Facility
- Lindale, TX: Hatchery
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council consists of members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the three organizations represent companies that produce 95 percent of the nation’s poultry products and directly employ more than 350,000 workers. Award recipients were determined by a panel of recognized safety, academic and industry experts, who analyzed safety records from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, along with individual program elements to gauge effectiveness at eliminating or reducing illness and injuries over a three-year period, using total incident rates and Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rates as a standard measurement.
Source: Wayne-Sanderson Farms
