CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, U.S. — Cargill’s Corn Milling facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S., recently achieved a safety milestone in having reached five years with no lost time accidents, Cargill said on March 21. A lost-time accident is an incident which leads to one or more days off work.

“Achieving and maintaining a safe work environment is something that we take very seriously, and in fact it is one of our core business values," said Mike Smith, vice-president, Cargill Corn Milling Operations. "For us to be successful, safety must be a shared mindset that instills awareness and ongoing diligence about safe practices and behaviors in all of our employees, in everything we do, whether in the home or at work."

As a business, Cargill Corn Milling North America has invested millions of dollars in recent years in both employee training as well as onsite safety improvements to achieve these kinds of safety records.

Cargill Corn Milling managers cite an increased effort to instill greater employee awareness and appreciation of the importance of workplace safety for themselves, customers and other onsite visitors, as key drivers behind meeting a high level of safety performance.

The Cedar Rapids team makes use of the Behavioral Based Safety program, which focuses on changing the behavior of employees to enhance safety.

“This is quite an accomplishment and represents that our engaged workforce sees safety as a key part of our success," said Christy Venne, facility manager, Cargill Corn Milling North America.  “Maintaining a culture of watching out for each other's safety and well being magnifies the significance of this accomplishment.”