TUCKER, GA. – The National Chicken Council (NCC), National Turkey Federation (NTF), and US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) announced they are accepting applications from their members for the Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program.

Eligible facilities for the recognition include poultry processing plants, further processing facilities, egg processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills, animal support services and rendering facilities.

The trade groups said qualified applicants must use effective safety programs and keep injury and illness rates below the industry average for three consecutive years.

Bureau of Labor Statistics recent data reported an injury rate of 2.6 per 100 full-time workers in the poultry industry, according to USPOULTRY.

This fell below the rate of 4.7 in similar agricultural industries and lower than 3.6 for the entire food manufacturing sector, all of the manufacturing industries at 2.8, and all of the general industry at 2.7.

The 2023 incident rate of 2.6 in poultry processing marks an 89% reduction from 1994 when the recorded rate was 22.7—the oldest data available from BLS.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of employees remains a top priority for the poultry industry,” said Allan Foy, corporate safety director at Farbest Foods and chair of the Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council. “The poultry industry’s dedicated workforce is essential to producing nutritious, affordable food. The industry continues to invest in processes and procedures that minimize workplace hazards. Year after year, meaningful progress is made in reducing injuries and illnesses, resulting in major improvements over the past few decades.”

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

The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council is comprised of members from the USPOULTRY, NCC and NTF. Together, the organizations represent companies that produce 95% of all US poultry products.

Interested members can apply for the award here.

The annual awards will be presented during the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, Aug. 18-20, in Destin, Fla.