As a food production company, we follow Good Manufacturing Practices including those relating to sanitation and disinfection of our facilities. While we’ve intensified cleaning and sanitation already, we’re committed to do all we can to keep team members safe including suspending a day of production for additional cleaning.
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SPRINGDALE, Ark. – April 19, 2020 – Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) announced today that its Logansport, Indiana, facility will cancel production for Monday for additional cleaning and sanitation efforts. The company is working hard to protect team members during this ever-changing situation, while also ensuring the company continues fulfilling its critical role of helping feed people in this community and across the country.
“While we understand the necessity of keeping our facilities operational so that we can continue to feed the nation, the safety of our people remains our top priority,” Jim Schmitz, Vice President of Pork Production Operations said. “Our plant production areas are sanitized daily to ensure food safety, and we have stepped up deep cleaning and sanitizing of our facilities, especially in employee breakrooms, locker rooms and other areas to protect our team members. We have team members dedicated to constantly wiping down and sanitizing common areas. In some cases, this additional cleaning involves suspending a day of production. We understand everyone, including our team members, is anxious during this challenging time and we’re committed in doing everything to be there for each other as we navigate through this together.”
Tyson workplace safety efforts are significant and strictly enforced. One of the first steps the company took to support team members was relax attendance policy to encourage workers to stay at home when they are sick. Logansport has implemented protective measures throughout the facility beginning in early March.
Protective measures inside facility
- Communication Efforts – We believe information is the best tool for combating this virus. We want our team members to express their concerns, so that we have an opportunity to address them. All communications about protective measures are translated and distributed in all languages spoken in our facility. Our efforts are a two-way street from providing updated information on info boards to asking team members for suggestions to better social distance.
- Temperature Checks – Logansport was one of the first four facilities to install infrared walk-through scanners to check team member temperature. Every team member has their temperature taken when they arrive at the facility. If they have a temperature of 100.4 or above, they are sent home.
- Face Coverings – We’re mandating our team members wear protective face coverings to help prevent spread of the virus. We’re grateful for the support of the Logansport community and partnered with local residence to make homemade cloth face covers for team members.
- Social Distancing – While we’re requiring face coverings to be worn, we know that social distancing is a crucial tool for stopping COVID-19 from spreading. That’s why we maintain CDC recommendation to stand 6 feet when possible, such as in restrooms, smoking areas and cafeteria. We’re also installing workstation dividers and providing more breakroom space by setting up a large tent outside with seating areas. We’ve added time between department breaks to reduce occupancy in stairwells and break area and created distance between break tables by putting up poly barriers. We also added additional time clocks throughout the facility to practice better social distancing. In addition to social distancing, we’re doing additional deep cleaning and sanitizing daily at our facilities. We also installed foot operated door openers on several doors throughout the facility to decrease the amount of people touching doorknobs.
Tyson Foods, which has mandatory health care coverage, is also waiving the 5 consecutive day waiting
period for short term disability benefits, so workers can receive pay while they’re sick with the flu or
COVID-19. In addition, we are:
- Waiving the co-pay, co-insurance and deductible for doctor visits for COVID-19 testing as well as eliminating pre-approval or preauthorization steps.
- Waiving co-pays for the use of telemedicine.
Relaxing refill limits for 30-day prescriptions of maintenance medication.
While these are challenging times, we remain committed to protecting our people while continuing to
meet the needs of our customers and consumers across America, and providing a local market for
hundreds of hog farmers from the area.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in
protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the
company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball
Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp®, and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more
sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much
good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 141,000 team members.
Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders,
customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and
environment entrusted to it. Visit TYSONFOODS.COM to learn more.
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Contact: HLI YANG, 479-290-2122