Sampson safety earns awards

Michael B. Hardison, The Sampson Independent, Clinton, N.C.
·7 min read

Aug. 17—The Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce and North Carolina Department of Labor honored local businesses for their upstanding safety records during the annual Safety Awards Banquet Monday night, held at Coharie Country Club.

North Carolina's Commissioner of Labor Josh Dobson was able to attend this year's banquet, which he unfortunately missed the previous year.

"It's especially special that I get to be here tonight and I thank the Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce and sponsors for putting this on," he said. "It's pretty special for me to be here since I wasn't here last year."

"It's an honor for me to be here, congratulations on the awards that you're going to get tonight," Dobson said. "I couldn't be prouder to be here to give them to you as North Carolina's Commissioner of Labor and representing the Department of Labor."

Dobson was the program speaker and spoke on his most important issues he's working to remedy as state Labor Commissioner.

"After 12 years in elected office, what bothers you the most and what keeps you up at night as an elected official, I often ask myself that," he said. "Three things, one, the workforce shortage that we have in the state. If we don't figure out how to solve that, we're going to have long term consequences that really are immeasurable at this point and it worries me."

"The fatalities that happen on the job, every fatality that happens during a month in North Carolina, comes across my desk, I take it personal, because it happened on my watch," he continued. "The law enforcement shootings that we've had just in the last three weeks, I take it personal and anytime that happens it keeps me up at night."

"My goal before my time is up at labor is to end fatalities in North Carolina on the worksite, we may never get there but that's my goal."

His final issue, in closing his speak, touched on political division and the roll it plays in both hindering and potentially solving these problems.

"The third thing in wrapping up is the political division in our state and in our country," he said. "I'm not on the ballot this November so this is not a political speech, I just want to talk to you from my heart for just a second."

"Politics has become entertainment and it seems that whomever is the loudest and whomever can say the most extreme things get the most attention," he continued. "Because it has become more divisive and because politics has become entertainment, it has diverted us away from solving the big problems that we have to solve as a state."

"We've got healthcare issues, we've got education needs, we've got a workforce shortage we've got to stop. But, my theory is, if we came forward with 10 policy proposals to solve the workforce shortage, because of the political division, I'm not sure we could get it solved and that bothers me."

Dobson continued speaking on this issue concluding by noting that simply listening is all it could take to find solutions for these issues.

"How do we change that — well, I don't have all the answers, but I do believe if we start listening to each other, especially to those that disagree with us, and try to understand someone else's perspective. We might just find that there's more that unites us than what divides us."

"I believe that's how we can get past some of the political division that we have in our state and in our country," he said. "Frankly, if you get out of the extremes towards one another, I think most people are hungry for a kind of politics that brings people together to solve the big problems that we have to solve, as opposed to focus on the division that we see in our state and in our country."

Recipients

SILVER AWARDS

Criteria, rate of days away from work must be at least 50% below the industry average.

First Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 21 — Swine Fishing Service, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 50 — Maintenance, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 55 — Land Development, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 776 — Pope Turkey Farms, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-14A, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-20, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-42

Second Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 778 — Owens Turkey Farm, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-62, S&W Ready Mix Concrete, Kinston Plant.

Third Consecutive Year

Cintas Corporation, Location 399, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept Market Hog Hauling 23 H.

Fourth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-16A

Sixth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-17B

GOLD AWARDS

Criteria, rate of days away from work, job transfer or restriction must be at least 50% below the industry average.

First Year

City of Clinton, Recreation Department, Prestage Farms Inc., 23 L Loading Crew, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 29I Iowa, Drivers (Long Haul), Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 701 & 702 — Turkey Hatchery, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 771, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 85 — Garage, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-1, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-12D, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-14C, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-16B, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-17A, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-19A, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-19B, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-19D, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-21, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-22A, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-23, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-3, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-4, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-43B, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-45A, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-45B, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-6, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-60, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-7D, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-7E.

Second Consecutive Year

City of Clinton, City Hall-City Hall Annex, City of Clinton, Police Department, Guilford by Lear, Keanansville, Prestage, Farms Inc., Dept 43 — Feed Hauling, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-10, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-12B, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-14B, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-19C, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-22B, Prestage Farms Inc., Turkey Loaders Dept 12.

Third Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 11- Turkey Service, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 13, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 16 Turkey Brooder Clean Out, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 27 — Ingold Wash Bay, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 30A — A.I. Center, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 30B — A.I. Center, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 31 — Swine Farm Management, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 40 — Clinton Feed Mill, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 772 — Williamston Turkey Farm, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-15, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-22C, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-7B.

Fourth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 26 — Nursery Service, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 29 — Feeder Pig Hauling, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 6 Turkey Haulers, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-12A, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-58, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-7C.

Fifth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 70 — Supervisors

Sixth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 25 Vaccination Crew, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-2, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-46, S&W Ready Mix Concrete, New Bern Plant.

Seventh Consecutive Year

City of Clinton, Street Division, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 18, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 703 — Hatchery Drivers, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-8.

Eighth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 46 — Moltonville Feed Mill, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 80 — Warehouse, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 90 — Administration.

Ninth Consecutive Year

City of Clinton, Wastewater Treatment

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 42 — Ingredient Hauling

Tenth Consecutive Year

J.W. Transport Inc.

Twelfth Consecutive Year , Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 41, Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-44.

Fourteenth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-13

Sixteenth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 775 Delway Turkey Farm, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 777 Ingold Turkey Farm, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 779 Garland Replacement Farm.

Seventeenth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 36 — Cattle Department, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 704.

Eighteenth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Sow Farm — P-7A

Twentieth Consecutive Year

Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 15 — Diagnostic Lab, Prestage Farms Inc., Dept 82 — Feed Laboratory.

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook, and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.