Kroger Manufacturing Honored As One Of America's Safest Companies

Cincinnati, OH - Kroger Manufacturing, a division of The Kroger Co., has been named one of the safest companies in America by Occupational Hazards, a leading safety, health and loss prevention magazine.

Kroger Manufacturing was cited for maintaining lower than average injury and illness rates and for actively involving both managers and employees in improving safety practices.

In honoring Kroger Manufacturing, the magazine singled out the Company's four principles that guide safety practices every day at Kroger: Nothing is worth getting injured over; all injuries can be prevented; safety will be managed; and safe behavior is a condition of employment for all employees. In the past 10 years, accident rates at Kroger Manufacturing have declined more than 75 percent.

"Some companies still believe that on-the-job injuries and illnesses are a cost of doing business. Kroger Manufacturing sees things quite differently," said Stephen G. Minter, editorial director and publisher of Occupational Hazards. "Kroger understands that work-related injuries and fatalities are a cost -- in human and financial terms -- that no company should expect to incur. That's why they apply their management skills, ingenuity and resources to ensuring that their employees are safe on and off the job."

"We care about the welfare of our associates and are committed to providing the safest work environment possible," said William Boehm, senior vice president of The Kroger Co. and president of Kroger Manufacturing. "This award is the direct result of the focus our entire Company places on safety. In fact, in the past 10 years, Kroger has cut accident rates in half in our stores, manufacturing facilities and warehouses. We believe every individual throughout our organization is responsible for safe work practices and reducing accidents."

Occupational Hazards, a Penton Media Inc. publication, founded America's Safest Companies in 2002 to honor the safest companies in the United States. Organizations that are considered for the award must demonstrate the following: support from management and employee involvement; innovative solutions to safety challenges; injury and illness rates lower than the average for their industries; comprehensive training programs; evidence that prevention of incidents is the cornerstone of the safety process; good communication about the value of safety; and a way to substantiate the benefits of the safety process.

Kroger Manufacturing operates 42 food processing plants in the U.S. that produce breads, dairy products, meat and thousands of grocery items for Kroger customers, including many of Kroger's corporate brand products such as its exclusive line of Private Selection items available only in Kroger's family of stores.

SOURCE: Kroger Co.