By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
Clark Thomas and Ralph Hudson are becoming familiar visitors to the employee cafeteria at Tyson Foods in Nashville.
The two Little Rock men visited twice in 2016, and were back again last Wednesday morning.
The purpose of their visits each time has been to recognize Tyson associates for another one million manhours without a lost time accident on the job.
In 2016, the Nashville plant was recognized for two million and three million manhours records. The award was back to one million, last week, because there had been an on-the-job accident which snapped the safety streak. The streak, however, is back at one million plus.
Hudson, the Deputy Director of the Arkansas Department of Labor, and Thomas, who is the OSHA coordinator for the department of labor, both congratulated Tyson associates and management for cultivating a focus on safety. Hudson presented a plaque to three members of the plant’s safety committee, and Thomas gave a brief slide show on safety. The event took place in the plant cafeteria, where employees were served hotdogs and hamburgers, and some won widescreen television sets and deluxe gas grills in drawings. Complex manager Mike Hanson announced winners’ names to cheers from the full room.
Hudson said “You guys are elite,” and repeated that “small things matter,” a mantra of his previous visits. “Safety is not a destination, it’s a journey.”
Thomas charged the employees:”Be a brother’s or sister’s keeper.”
“Don’t be afraid to speak out for safety.”
Members of the plant safety committee include:
1st shift — Carolyn Gilliam, Geraldine Avalos, committee president Vincent Goodloe, Stacey Davis, Gary Jones, Gabriel Servante, Lavette Ester, PJ Mascarenas, Jackie Deere, Dale Keys, Joe Bobo, Mike Vaughn, Kirk Manning, Michael Davis, Rodney Mitchell, Jimmy Harris, Bill Shute, Michael Harris.
2nd shift — Michael Price, Michael Stinson, Patricia White, Brenda McCauley, Greg Randle, Shelita Brown, Evelyn Love, Joey Ford, Jadden Walton, Brennon Watts, safety specialist Cheryl Cogburn.
3rd shift — Maurice Bull, Terry Hill, safety specialist Earicker Smith, Brandon Erickson, Robert Witherspoon.
Justin Turner is the Plant Safety Manager. Jack Lacefield is Complex Safety Manager.
