Tyson Green Forest, Arkansas Plant Surpasses Three Million Safe Manhours
April 12, 1997 / Green Forest, AR
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:TYSNA) announced today that the team at its Green Forest Processing Plant has worked more than three million manhours without a lost-time accident.
The approximately 1400 Team Members who contributed to the achievement were honored today with picnic and celebration attended by corporate, local and state leaders. President and Chief Operating Officer Donald "Buddy" Wray in presenting the Chairman's Safety Circle Award for three million safe manhours to the group remarked, "One million safe manhours puts a plant in an elite class. Three million makes you the elite of the elite. Of the thousands of plants in Arkansas, this plant is included with only sixteen which have reached the three million mark since 1976. People from around Arkansas and 60,000 Tyson people nationwide are looking with respect and admiration on this achievement. From everyone at Tyson, I'd like to offer our sincere congratulations and thanks."
In the ceremony, James Salkeld, Director of the Arkansas Department of Labor, and Eldon Coffman of the Arkansas Workers Compensation Commission presented an award commemorating the achievement from the state to Green Forest Plant Manager Chris Graves.
The safety streak was started on February 5, 1996, and the three million mark was reached on March 1, 1997. The three million manhour accomplishment is certified using data supplied to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The most recent information available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that Tyson's lost-time injury record is nine times lower than that of the poultry industry, and almost three times lower than that of all industry combined.
The Green Forest Plant does both first processing and further processing, producing fresh poultry products and a variety of further processed items. It is complemented by a Tyson processing plant and hatchery in Berryville and Tyson's feedmill in Bergman. The complex Live Production department works with 420 Tyson contract growers to provide birds for the two processing plants. Greg Spencer is the Tyson Complex Manager.