By KAREN BINDER
Illinois Correspondent

PARIS, Ill. — It’s no small task to work one million hours without any of 476 employees reporting an accident to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

That’s why the crew at Syngenta’s seed corn facility in Paris, near the Illinois-Indiana border in east central Illinois, was celebrating recently.

On Feb. 6, all of the employees contributing to the seven-year record were treated to lunch, including seasonal staff who work during peak summer and harvest times. They also were feted by the Paris Mayor Craig Smith and the Illinois Safety Council.
“We have 47 people working at the plant now,” plant manager Doug DeLong said in a press release. “But during the peak of harvesting season, that number may be as high as 150. That’s why achieving this award means so much to all of us. It represents the dedication that Syngenta Paris employees make to personal safety.”

Technically, the plant’s achievement is the completion of one million work hours without an OSHA-recordable accident. However, this is a claim that Syngenta is making on its own. OSHA officials in Peoria, Ill., explained that they do not track how long any workplace goes without reporting a death(s), injuries to three or more workers or work-related illnesses in the workplace.

“Since 1925, the Illinois Safety Council’s mission has been to prevent accidents and sufferings caused by injuries. Reaching a million man hours for an operation like Syngenta Seeds is like winning the lottery,” said Rick Vulpitta, Illinois Safety Council president. “That is why we honored Syngenta Seeds and hope they have continued success and tell their story to others.”

Claiming the milestone is hard work by the plant’s employees. DeLong explained in a press release that company holds daily safety meetings, the safety committee meets every two weeks to review maintenance needs, and the training program for new employees is extensive.

But DeLong added that the core of their safety program is the personal mindset that responsibility and awareness must be top of mind.

“Safety is our number one priority,” DeLong said in the press release. “And as a manager, I hold myself personally responsible that it stays that way. This is very important to us.”

Syngenta is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minn., and has more than 24,000 employees in more than 90 countries.