Poultry Industry Accepting Applications for Safety Recognition Award

Mar 17, 2023

The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is currently accepting applications from poultry industry facilities with outstanding safety programs. The program is open to National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF) and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) members with poultry processing plants, further processing facilities, egg processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills, animal support services and rendering facilities that, through the implementation of innovative and effective programs, have injury and illness rates below the industry average for three consecutive years.

Based on the latest data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the slaughter and poultry processing OSHA total recordable illness and injury rate for 2021 was 5.7 cases per 100 full-time workers. The 2021 rate of 5.7 represents an outstanding 75 percent decrease from 1994.

“The poultry industry depends on a dedicated workforce to produce nutritious and affordable food and is purposeful in investing in processes and procedures to diminish workplace hazards to protect our people,” said Adrienne Allison, director of Safety & Health Services, Poultry Operations, Tyson Foods, and chair of the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council. “The significant, incremental progress in reducing illness and injury over the last few decades is the result of the poultry industry’s perpetual commitment to worker safety.”

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council are made up of members from NCC, NTF and USPOULTRY. Collectively, the three organizations represent 95 percent of the nation’s poultry products, and their members generate more than 1.3 million total U.S. jobs.

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.