WHAT HAPPENED: The Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council recognized a record 272 chicken and turkey facilities for outstanding safety performance at the 2026 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, held in Destin, Fla. The awards were based on injury statistics from a three-year period (2023–2025) and written applications reviewed by academic and industry safety experts.
WHAT WAS THE BREAKDOWN: Of the honorees, 81 facilities received the highest level of recognition — the Award of Distinction — for maintaining injury and illness rates at least 75% lower than Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) averages, alongside excellence in safety training and employee involvement. Another 113 facilities earned the Award of Honor (incident rates 50–75% lower than BLS averages), and 78 facilities received the Award of Merit (rates equal to or up to 50% lower than BLS averages).
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Safety is not simply a metric, a program or something we measure at the end of the year,” said Rick Hellinga, senior director of Safety, Health and Loss Prevention at Simmons Foods and chair of the Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council. “It is a responsibility we share every day, and it is reflected in how we work and how we care for the people who do that work. Recognizing a record 272 facilities this year is an outstanding achievement.”
WHY IT MATTERS: The Joint Industry Safety & Health Council — made up of members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council, and National Turkey Federation — represents companies producing 95% of the nation’s poultry products and directly employing more than 350,000 workers. This year’s record number of recognized facilities underscores the industry’s sustained investment in workplace safety and reinforces the sector’s broader narrative around employee well-being.
