The International Dairy Foods Association recognized 23 dairy business operations for their outstanding achievements and improvements in worker safety with the IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Award. This is the 21st year that IDFA has sponsored this program, highlighting U.S. dairy companies’ outstanding workplace safety achievements.
“IDFA’s Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards highlight the exceptional efforts of dairy companies to foster a culture where workplace safety is not just a goal, but a shared responsibility,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “Each award represents the success of the innovative and proactive approaches that IDFA members take to improve safety within their processing environments. Consumers and customers of dairy foods companies value how these innovations help to deliver safe, nutritious food to people around the world.”
Each awardee applied by providing their occupational injury and illness performance rates and a detailed narrative essay on safety and training efforts at the facility and leading indicators, with equal weight given to essays and injury statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Judging this year was conducted by Pete VanDerlyke, PhD, CSP, of Harbor Freight Tools, and Danielle Quist of IDFA.
“IDFA’s members continue to expand the use of leading indicators as a key part of a strong safety and health program,” said VanDerlyke. “Implementation of leading indicators that include management commitment and employee engagement, along with traditional lagging indicators, enhances a safety and health program and builds a strong safety culture throughout the company. These awards continue to demonstrate the understanding of how and why a strong safety culture is such an integral part of any dairy facility operation.”
2024 Outstanding Awards in Workers Safety
- Agri-Mark, Inc./Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Transportation DSD
- Agri-Mark, Inc./Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Transportation Shuttle
- Albertsons Companies, Safeway Bellevue Ice Cream — Bellevue, Wash.
- Byrne Dairy, Inc. — Cortlandville, N.Y.
- Centennial Farms Dairy — Atlanta, Ga.
- Crystal Farms Dairy Company — Lake Mills, Wis.
- Columbia River Technologies — Portland, Ore.
- Glanbia Nutritionals — Richfield, Idaho
- Glanbia Nutritionals Transportation
- HP Hood LLC, Vernon Transportation
- The Kroger Co., Layton Dairy — Layton, Utah
- The Kroger Co., Mountain View Dairy — Denver, Colo.
- The Kroger Co., Pace Dairy of Indiana — Crawfordsville, Ind.
- The Kroger Co., Pace Dairy of Minnesota — Rochester, Minn.
- The Kroger Co., Swan Island Dairy — Portland, Ore.
- Lactalis American Group — Merrill, Wis.
- Michigan Milk Producers Association — Constantine, Mich.
- Nelson-Jameson — Marshfield, Wis.
- Nelson-Jameson — Turlock, Calif.
- Tolleson Dairy — Tolleson, Ariz.2024
Most Improved Award in Worker Safety
- Albertsons Companies — Hatfield, Pa.
- Idaho Milk Products — Jerome, Idaho
- The Kroger Co., Crossroads Farms Dairy — Indianapolis, Ind.
IDFA will accept applications for the 2025 Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards in mid-2025. For reference, the 2024 award program rules, regulations, and application form are available here.
