Agropur inc. – Weyauwega Wins 22nd Annual Corporate Safety Award

Weyauwega company to be honored during annual Wisconsin Safety & Health Conference and Expo in Wisconsin Dells May 17-18
Madison – The Wisconsin Safety Council, the state’s leading provider of safety training and programming, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will honor Agropur’s Weyauwega facility as one of 15 companies to win this year’s Wisconsin Corporate Safety award. 

“This year’s winners embody the success stories that make Wisconsin one of the safest states to work” said Janie Ritter, director of the Wisconsin Safety Council. “We would like to congratulate the winning companies along with all the finalists as they are true models to businesses across the state of what it means to make the safety of their employees a priority each and every day”.
The winners were chosen based on information they provided on their organization’s safety and health leadership, training and implementation programs, and employee participation. Their applications also included information on their safety accomplishments and goals. The applications were judged by an independent panel of 45 safety, insurance and human resource professionals.
“On behalf of the State of Wisconsin, I congratulate this year’s Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award winners who are leading by example and understand the importance of safety both in and around the workplace,” said Department of Workforce Development Secretary Ray Allen.
Agropur inc-Weyauwega is a worldwide supplier of award-winning cheese and whey products. With a 60,000 square foot addition in 2015, Agropur-Weyauwega kept safety a priority even through the hazards that construction brings. The company addressed wet floor hazards and chemical concerns by implementing a slip-resistant footwear policy and training program to educate employees about the dangers of the chemicals. Agropur has successfully implemented several safety procedures and technologies such as hose reels and hooks, proper eyewash stations, safety rails and blue spot lights on fork lifts. Job Hazard Analysis aided the company in determining ergonomic risk per position and training is completed annually to address ergonomic concerns. Safety rewards, fire extinguisher training and the “It Can Wait” texting campaign has allowed Agropur employees to continue their safety procedures outside the job. Expanded lockout/tagout and confined space procedures, new safety assessment tools and the use of unsafe procedure reports will allow Agropur to continue their success of a safe workplace.
“Agropur inc., is excited and honored to be selected for its fourth Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award.  This achievement represents the collective efforts and focus of all team members at our Weyauwega facility.  Focusing on human behaviors and creating a 24/7 safety culture has allowed us to continue our pursuit of an injury free workplace” said Eric Rasmussen, Loss Prevention Director at Agropur inc.
The awards will be presented during the 74th annual Wisconsin Safety and Health Conference at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells on May 17-18, 2016.
Founded in 1923, the Wisconsin Safety Council is Wisconsin’s leading provider of workplace safety training and programming and is dedicated to saving the lives of Wisconsin workers. As the state chapter of the National Safety Council, WSC is the educational division of the Wisconsin Manufacturers’ Association and the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce. Representing more than 4,000 organizations across the state, WSC provides training, products, certification, research, resources and collaboration for the thousands of safety and health professionals in Wisconsin.
For more information, contact the Wisconsin Safety Council at 800-236-3400 or visit www.wisafetycouncil.org.
 
Contact:
Eric Rasmussen, eric.rasmussen@agropur.com, 920-944-0993
Janie Ritter, jritter@wisafetycouncil.org, 608-661-6930