Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Dobson, North Carolina, complex was recently awarded three safety awards from the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Safety Awards program, instituted to recognize private and public firms that achieve and maintain excellent safety records. The complex was recognized during the department’s 2023 Safety Awards banquet on June 23 in Winston Salem with a Silver Award for the processing facility in Dobson, a Gold Award for the hatchery in Elkin and a Gold Award for the feed mill in Newton.
“Maintaining a safe workplace is a top priority for our company,” said Reggie McLee, vice president of safety and health for Wayne-Sanderson Farms. “We believe in a zero-accident culture, where every team member is expected to take an active role in protecting their own safety, and the safety of others, by looking for hazards in the workplace and calling out unsafe actions or conditions.”
Administered through the Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau of the Occupational Safety and Health Division, the program is designed to stimulate interest in accident prevention and to promote safety in the workplace by providing an incentive to employers and employees to maintain a safe and healthy workplace. To qualify for the annual safety award, facilities must have no fatalities within the calendar year and maintain an incidence rate of at least 50% below the average for its industry group.
“These awards mean a lot to us here in Dobson,” said Matthew Wooten, complex manager for Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Dobson complex. “Our success is a result of the dedication of our team members to one another’s safety, and it is great to be recognized for that dedication.”
