The International Dairy Foods Association, Washington, D.C., named 144 dairy operations to receive IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards and Achievement Certificates this year. This is the eighth year that IDFA has sponsored the program, which highlights the outstanding worker-safety records of U.S. dairy companies.
Among those rewarded for superior worker safety is Dean Foods Co., Dallas, who received 69 total awards.
“Quality and safety are our highest priorities, and we strive for continuous improvement - in our plants, on the road, at our customer locations and in our offices,” says Mike Ahart, vice president of transportation for Dean Foods.
The award program includes categories for both processing facilities and trucking operations in the dairy industry. In addition to the 32 processing category award winners, IDFA awarded achievement certificates to 24 processing operations for having no injury cases that resulted in lost time away from work. IDFA also recognized 88 trucking operations, more than double the number last year, for having a Zero DART rate, or zero cases with days away from work, restriction or job transfer in 2010.
The operations for each nominated Co. were judged solely on specific data required by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on the facility’s “Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses” report. This year’s award decisions were based on data from OSHA reports for the 2010 calendar year.
Processing facilities were judged in four product categories - natural and processed cheese; dry, condensed and evaporated products; ice cream and frozen desserts; and fluid milk. Within each product category, IDFA accepted nominations for small, medium and large facilities that achieved the best overall safety performance rates based on the OSHA data.
“The number of participants jumped dramatically this year, demonstrating that dairy companies and their employees are proud to receive these awards each year. Their continued positive response just serves to highlight the intense commitment to worker safety within the dairy industry,” says Clay Detlefsen, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs. “IDFA congratulates all the participants on their hard work, dedication and superior level of achievement.”
Here is the list of winners:
Plant Safety Category Winners
Agropur Cooperative, Luxemburg, Wis.
BGC Grocery Co., Tyler, Texas
Cabot/McCadam, Agri-Mark, Middlebury, Vt.
DairiConcepts, Dalbo, Minn.
DairiConcepts, Greenwood, Wis.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Adrian, Mich.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Fort Morgan, Colo.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Monett, Mo.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Turlock, Calif.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Zumbrota, Minn.
Foremost Farms USA, Clayton, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Marshfield, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Preston, Minn.
Foremost Farms USA, Waumandee, Wis.
The Dannon Co., Inc., Minster, Ohio
Dean Foods Co. of California, ice cream plant, Buena Park, Calif.
Dean Foods Co., WhiteWave Foods, Bridgeton, N.J.
Kemps LLC, Franklin milk plant, Duluth, Minn.
HP Hood LLC, Rosenberger's Dairy, Hatfield, Pa.
Hunter Farms/Harris Teeter, High Point, N.C.
Kemps LLC, Franklin milk plant, Duluth, Minn.
The Kroger Co., Layton Dairy, Layton, Utah
The Kroger Co., Pace Dairy Foods of Indiana, Crawfordsville, Tenn.
The Kroger Co., Southern Ice Cream Specialties, Marietta, Ga.
The Kroger Co., Tamarack Farms Dairy, Newark, Ohio
The Kroger Co., Westover Dairy, Lynchburg, Va.
Nestlé Canada Inc., London Manufacturing, London, Ontario, Canada
Nestlé USA Inc., Dreyer's ice cream Salt Lake operations center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Nestlé USA Inc., Dreyer's ice cream Tulare operations center, Tulare, Calif.
Safeway Inc., Phoenix ice cream plant, Phoenix, Ari.
Saputo Cheese USA Inc., Monroe, Wis.
Wells Enterprises, Inc., St. George, Utah
Plant Safety Winners - Zero Lost Workdays
DairiConcepts, Bruce, Wis.
DairiConcepts, Chili, Wis.
DairiConcepts, Hummelstown, Pa.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Beaver, Utah
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Hughson, Calif.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Houston, Texas
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., West Middlesex, Pa.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Winthrop, Minn.
Dean Foods Co. of California, milk plant, Buena Park, Calif.
Deans Foods Co., WhiteWave Foods Co., Mount Crawford, Va.
Foremost Farms USA, Ama Center, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Apleton, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Cilton, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Lancaster, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Plover, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Milan, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Richland Center, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Sparta, Wis.
Foremost Farms USA, Wilson, Wis.
Glanbia Foods, Inc., Twin Falls plant, Twin Falls, Ida.
The Kroger Co., Centennial Farms Dairy, Atlanta, Ga.
The Kroger Co., Winchester Farms Dairy, Winchester, Ky.
Publix Super Markets, Inc., Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Saputo Cheese USA Inc., Paige Plant, Tulare, Calif.
Trucking Safety Winners - Zero DART Rate
Cabot Creamery Distribution Center, Montpelier, Vt.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Concord, N.H.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Fair Oaks, Ind.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Twin Falls, Ida.
Dean Foods Co., Barber Dairies, Dothan, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., Barber Dairies, Jasper, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., Barber Dairies, Hanceville, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., Barber Dairies, Tupelo, Miss.
Dean Foods Co., Berkeley Farms, LLC, Castroville, Calif.
Dean Foods Co., Berkeley Farms, LLC, Modesto, Calif.
Dean Foods Co., Brown's Dairy, Bogalusa, La.
Dean Foods Co., Foremost Dairies, Longview, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Foremost Dairies, Shreveport, La.
Dean Foods Co., Gandy's Dairies, LLC, Clovis, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Gandy's Dairies, LLC, Fort Stockton, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Gandy's Dairies, LLC, Junction, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Gandy's Dairies, LLC, Lamesa, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Gandy's Dairies, LLC, San Angelo, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Gandy's Dairies, LLC, Van Horn, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Fresh Dairy Direct, Highland, Calif.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Albany, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Bluefield, Va.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Jacksonville, N.C.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Lenoir, N.C.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Lynchburg, Va.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, South Boston, Va.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Tifton, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Valdosta, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Warsaw, Va.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Waycross, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Land-O-Sun Dairies, LLC, Wilmington, N.C.
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms Dairy, Denison, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms Dairy, Paris, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms Dairy, Sweeny, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms Dairy, Weatherford, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms Dairy, Wichita Falls, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms/Hygeia Dairy, Victoria, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Oak Farms/Hygeia Dairy, Laredo, Texas
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Anderson, S.C.
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Athens, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Cleveland, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Decatur, Ga.
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Mobile, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Smiths Station, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., Mayfield Dairy Farms, LLC, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., McArthur Dairy, Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Dean Foods Co., McArthur Dairy, Key West, Fla.
Dean Foods Co., McArthur Dairy, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Brook Dairy, Ashtabula, Ohio
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Cortez, Colo.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Craig, Colo.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Grand Junction, Colo.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Lewiston, Id.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Lihue, Hawaii
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Idaho Falls, Ida.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Jackson, Wy.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Pocatello, Ida.
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, St. George, Utah
Dean Foods Co., Meadow Gold Dairies, Twin Falls, Ida.
Dean Foods Co., Purity Dairies, Clarksville, Tenn.
Wells Enterprises, Inc., Le Mars, Iowa
Dean Foods Co., Purity Dairies, Cullman, Ala.
Dean Foods Co., Purity Dairies, Hohenwald, Tenn.
Dean Foods Co., Purity Dairies, Lebanon, Tenn.
Dean Foods Co., Purity Dairies, Waynesboro, Tenn.
Dean Foods Co., Robinson Dairy, Silverthorne, Colo.
Dean Foods Co., Terrance Dairy, Calverton, N.Y.
Dean Foods Co., TG Lee Dairy, Melbourne, Fla.
Dean Foods Co., TG Lee Dairy, Orange City, Fla.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Minot, N.D.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Houston, Texas
Dean Transportation, Inc., Moorehead, Minn.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Thief River Falls, Minn.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Broughton Foods, Old Washington, Ohio
Dean Transportation, Inc., Broughton Foods, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Creamland Dairies, Gallup, N.M.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Creamland Dairies, Santa Fe, N.M.
Dean Transportation, Inc., Purity Dairies, Huntsville, Ala.
HP Hood LLC, Albany, N.Y.
HP Hood LLC, LaFargeville, N.Y.
HP Hood LLC, Heluva Good Transportation, Sodus, N.Y.
HP Hood LLC, Penn Maid Dairy, Philadelphia, Pa.
Kemps LLC, Eau Claire Distribution, Eau Claire, Wis.
Kemps LLC, LaCrosse Distribution, LaCrosse, Wis.
Kemps LLC, Mason City Distribution, Mason City, Iowa
Kemps LLC, Merrill Distribution, Merrill, Wis.
Kemps LLC, Minneapolis Ice Cream Distribution, Minneapolis, Minn.
IDFA will issue a call for nominations for the next Dairy Industry Safety Awards competition in early 2012.
