Feed mill marks 35-year safety record

Cargill’s pork feed mill in London, near Russellville, has gone 35 years without a lost-time accident, the first facility of any kind to reach the milestone since the Arkansas Department of Labor began keeping records in 1976.

The record spans the history of the plant, which began operations in 1980. The mill has gone more than 12,700 days without an accident, said Bud Akers, the plant’s manager.

The facility makes and delivers hog feed for nearly 100 contracted farms in the region, as well as the company-owned Sandy River sow farm, and processes more than 152 million pounds of feed annually.

Jobs include grinding, mixing and pelleting feed, as well as lifting and handling several tons of feed daily and delivering the loads to farms.

The safety program is employee-led and supported by management.