MORGANTON, NC. — Poultry processor Case Farms confirmed that on April 29 it reached one million man-hours without experiencing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable lost-time accident (LTA) at the Morganton, NC, processing facility.

“Achieving this benchmark is a direct reflection of the employees and supervisors along with the culture here at Case Farms,” said Derrick Caldwell, day shift safety supervisor at the Morganton facility. “Together, we will all move in the direction of Case Farms’ commitment to both safety and a premium product.

An OSHA lost-time accident occurs when an employee receives an injury where a doctor determines that the person cannot come to work until fully recovered. Case Farms explained that it usually takes about five to six months for a facility at its size to reach one million man hours without a lost-time accident.

“Every member should take pride in this achievement, as our goal is for everyone to return home safely each day,” said Tyler Foster, the night shift supervisor for Case Farms. “Safety is a priority, and this achievement exemplifies that. I look forward to continuing our safety achievements, as I ensure each devoted and committed member of the complex will do so as well. I thank everyone who helped attain this goal, and I am looking forward to continuing to move the needle forward in the safety arena constantly. It is a privilege to be a small part of the team that makes this happen.”

Case Farms added that it continues implementing a company-wide worker safety program comprised of core elements needed to achieve its safety and health goals. 

Throughout the company, Case Farms processes 3.7 million birds per week and has 3,300 employees. It produces 1.1 billion lbs of fresh, partially cooked, and frozen-for-export poultry products per year.