Carthage processor shines in OSHA program

Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials will visit Butterball LLC’s Carthage plant tomorrow to honor the turkey producer for its employee safety record.

The plant, 411 N. Main Ave., is earning the highest status in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program for the second straight year. The Carthage meat processor is among 1,614 federal VPP star sites nationwide and 80 in food manufacturing, as of Jan. 31, according to OSHA. In Missouri, there are 64 approved work sites, including BlueLinx Distribution Center, Kraft Foods Cheese Division, Regal Beloit and Springfield Remanufacturing in Springfield; Citizens Memorial in Bolivar; Lozier in Joplin; National Enzyme Co. in Forsyth; and Tyler Pipe in Marshfield.

VPP companies maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries, according to OSHA.

Participating employers submit applications to OSHA and receive on-site evaluations by teams of safety and health professionals. With VPP status, employers are re-evaluated every three to five years and are exempt from OSHA inspections while they maintain their VPP status.

VPP is among five OSHA cooperative programs, including the Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program, OSHA Challenge and the Alliance Program.

In 2009, the Butterball Carthage plant received an American Meat Institute merit award for worker safety programs. The 24-hour production plant slaughters and processes poultry.[[In-content Ad]]