News Releases
February 17, 2009
Call for Entries: 2009 Dairy Industry Safety Awards
Media Contact
Marti Pupillo
(202) 220-3535
(Washington, D.C. — February 17, 2009) The International Dairy Foods Association is now accepting applications for the sixth annual Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards, a program that honors facilities for outstanding worker safety performance. Award winners will be notified this spring and featured in Dairy Field Reports, which co-sponsors the safety awards program.
IDFA began the program in 2004, and the rate of industry participation continues to grow each year.
"This awards program allows our member companies to demonstrate what a high priority worker safety is for them, and we continue to be pleased with the high level of participation year after year," said Clay Detlefsen, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs. "We encourage facilities to send in nominations for their processing and trucking operations."
Applicants will be judged on specific data required by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the facility's "Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses" report (OSHA Form 300A). Employers are required to post their OSHA 300A forms from February 1 through April 30 each year.
Processing facilities will be 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, there are awards for small, medium and large facilities that achieve the best overall safety performance rates based on the OSHA data.
Trucking operations will receive certificates for having no lost days and no cases involving job transfers or restrictions.
Entry forms are available here, and there is no fee to enter. All entries must be submitted to IDFA no later than March 31, 2009.
For award criteria or more information, contact Detlefsen at cdetlefsen@idfa.org or (202) 220-3554.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, DC, represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 530 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85% of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. IDFA can be found online at www.idfa.org
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