Lewiston, N.C. (Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014) — Associates at Perdue Farms’ Lewiston processing plant have achieved another workplace safety milestone by working more than 7 million consecutive production hours without an Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) lost-time injury accident. Counting toward the current began in June 2012. Their previous highest total was 10 million hours achieved in 2008.  Lewiston was the first Perdue facility to reach the seven-million-hour milestone.

“We’re very proud of the safety culture that we’ve created in Lewiston,” said Jeff Stalls, Perdue director of operations. “Working safely and looking out for one another is a responsibility shared by each member of our team. There’s nothing more important than the safety of our people.”

To celebrate the milestone, the operation’s 1,750 associates were treated to a celebration that included cake, snacks, entertainment and an extended lunch on Friday, Aug. 29. Each associate received from Perdue a commemorative windbreaker jacket in recognition of the achievement.

The Lewiston plant was recently recognized by North Carolina Department of Labor with the Five Million Safe Man Hours Award and the Gold Safety Award. In 2013, Lewiston received the Poultry Industry Safety Council Award of Merit for maintaining OSHA safety metrics at least 25 percent better than the industry average for two consecutive years. In August, Lewiston received the 2014 Award of Honor from the Council for maintaining this record for three straight years.

According to Stalls, 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, every associate attends safety awareness training, and is 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 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 2012, the lost-time rate for all Georgia industries combined was 1.5 per 100 workers.

According to those same Bureau of Labor statistics, the nationwide lost-time rate for all industries combined for that same year was 1.9 per 100 workers annually, while Perdue’s companywide rate during that year was 0.15 per 100 associates. As of August 2014, Perdue’s lost-time rate was .20 per 100 associates.

Perdue’s companywide OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate is 2.31 as compared to the current Poultry Industry rate of 4.90, and is also better than the General Manufacturing rate of 4.30.

About Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for everyone we touch through innovative food and agricultural products. Since our beginning on Arthur Perdue’s farm in 1920, to our expansion into agribusiness and the introduction of the PERDUE® brand of chicken and turkey under Frank Perdue, and continuing with our third generation of leadership with Chairman Jim Perdue, we’ve remained family owned and family operated. We are the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness.

Through our PERDUE®, HARVESTLAND®, and COLEMAN NATURAL®, and COLEMAN ORGANIC® food brands; agricultural products and services; and stewardship and corporate responsibility programs, we are working to become the most-trusted name in food and agricultural products. Learn more about Perdue Farms and our Corporate Responsibility Report at www.perduefarms.com.