Quality Pork Processors safety program is second to none. QPP has total commitment to safety from the President on down. The commitment also goes through each line Supervisor to the newest employee.
Communication is the key to keeping our safety program strong. People in the organization communicate about safety daily. The following is a brief synopsis of QPP's safety programs and injury records.
Safety Mission Statement
The employees of Quality Pork Processors, Inc. are its most important asset and we are vitally concerned about the employees' participation, awareness and education. Through the plant's established committees and programs on safety, health and ergonomics, the employees are encouraged to participate and provide input to develop and maintain a safe and effective work place.
Our safety, health and ergonomic programs are and must continue to be an integral part of all operations.
Safety Policy Statement
"Safety is always #1 at QPP"
Injury Rates
QPP has experienced excellent injury rates throughout the plants existence. Our plant has been well below the meat industries average for many years. The lost workday incident rate is also well below the industries. This excellent safety record could not be achieved without top management leadership and support, as well as full employee participation.
Safety Responsibilities
A core value at QPP is that safety is every employee's responsibility. QPP employs full time Safety Director who oversee and direct the program. The plant also employs 4 full time coaches who handle all safety training for new employees. Each supervisor has measurable safety goals to achieve every quarter. This keeps the line supervisors involved in the program. Every employee has safety responsibilities as part of his or her job as well. At QPP, safety is everybody's business and job.
STOP Program
STOP (Safety Training Observation Program) is a non-punitive system that allows supervisors and employees to discuss unsafe acts and behaviors. The goal of the program is to help the employees understand what could happen if the unsafe practice continues. The program harbors continual communication between employees and Supervisors about safety. STOP audit cards are completed after a Supervisor makes an observation. Part of the process involves corrective action to prevent the act from happening again. Our Supervisors must perform a specific number of observations as part of their job. This program is directly tied to the Supervisor's quarterly bonus. Since inception of this program, injuries and claims have dropped dramatically.
Safety Training
All new employees are required to participate in the plant's orientation. This involves introductions to such programs as personal protective equipment, lockout/tagout, chemical safety, ergonomics and emergency action plans. The training is then reinforced through our monthly safety meetings. Each month, Supervisors are given a specific safety agenda to discuss with their employees. Employees are also given the opportunity to discuss any concerns they may have in an off the floor setting.
Personal Protective Equipment
QPP has very strict requirements for using protective equipment. The only goal for the PPE program is to have 100% of our employees using 100% of the equipment 100% of the time. This means the employee is responsible for using, maintaining and replacing equipment. Supervisors are constantly auditing their people for equipment use.
Safety Awards
Each quarter, QPP promotes a positive safety messages and monitoring by creative methods to involve everyone. Example, Contests-Raffle drawings and Helping Others Be Safe (HOBS) program.