Johnsonville Sausage Inducted into Wisconsin Safety Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Safety Council and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development honored Johnsonville Sausage as the 14th inductee into the Wisconsin Safety Hall of Fame at the 73rd annual Wisconsin Safety & Health Conference on April 22. Johnsonville's President, Bill Morgan, accepted the award on the company’s behalf.
"WSC has a great working relationship with the Johnsonville team and they are true believers in the importance of an inclusive, strong safety culture," said Janie Ritter, Director of the Wisconsin Safety Council. "Johnsonville is certainly a shining example of a Wisconsin company who has embraced and lives by their successful safety-focused philosophy."
Johnsonville has developed a superior safety management system which covers approximately 1,600 workers in multiple locations. It is upgraded annually following evaluation of practices at each site and interviews with workers. The refusal to accept complacency in the company’s efforts to achieve zero injuries is a big part of the reason the safety program is as successful as it is today.
Johnsonville's safety culture promotes shared learning to drive continuous improvement. They often lead and participate in industry forums to share their safety learnings with others and learn about best practices. Each Johnsonville Sausage facility is focused on upstream systems to prevent injuries from occurring. Johnsonville’s injury and illness data is well below the industry average and two of their facilities achieved ZERO injuries in 2014. Each of their facilities strives to match that accomplishment every day! Teamwork is the key to Johnsonville’s success – a great culture based on teamwork, respect for every individual, personal growth, innovation and accountability.
“The Safety Culture at Johnsonville Sausage is second to none,” states Morgan. “And while we’re proud of the strong safety culture we’ve established, our challenge is not to be complacent with our safety results. We’ll continue to challenge every aspect of the business to achieve zero injuries. We have a moral obligation to provide a safe work environment for all of our members and a cultural expectation that every member has personal accountability for quality and safety.”
The Wisconsin Safety Hall of Fame was established to recognize individual leaders for outstanding commitment to safety within the workplace.
About Wisconsin Safety Council
The Wisconsin Safety Council is the state’s leading provider of workplace safety training and programming. Established in 1923, it is an educational division of WMC, the state manufacturers’ association, and is the state chapter of the National Safety Council. For more information, contact the Wisconsin Safety Council at 800.236.3400 or visit www.wisafetycouncil.org.
About Johnsonville Sausage, LLC
Wisconsin-based Johnsonville Sausage is the No. 1 national sausage brand featuring: brats, burgers Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links, breakfast sausage in fully cooked and fresh varieties, meatballs and summer sausage. Johnsonville employs approximately 1,500 members. Each member takes ownership of product quality to ensure the excellence and “Big Flavor” of Johnsonville Sausage. Founded in 1945 by the late Ralph F. and Alice Stayer, the company remains privately owned today. For additional Johnsonville company information, the latest recipes, contests and the Big Taste Grill tour schedule, visit www.johnsonville.com.