Tyson Foods Launches New, Nationwide COVID Monitoring Strategy; Expands Health Staff
July 30 2020 - 6:55AM
As part of its commitment to team member safety and continually
evolving efforts to protect workers from COVID-19, Tyson Foods,
Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is launching a new, industry-leading monitoring
program and expanding its occupational health staff, including a
new chief medical officer position.
The comprehensive COVID monitoring strategy was designed with
the assistance of outside medical experts and includes ongoing,
data driven COVID testing of workers without symptoms, as well as
those who exhibit certain symptoms or have been in close contact
with someone who has the virus.
“While the protective measures we’ve implemented in our
facilities are working well, we remain vigilant about keeping our
team members safe and are always evaluating ways to do more,” said
Donnie King, Tyson Foods group president and chief administrative
officer.
“We believe launching a new, strategic approach to monitoring
and adding the health staff to support it will help further our
efforts to go on the offensive against the virus,” he said. “Adding
more resources and technologies reinforces our commitment to
protecting our team members, their families and plant
communities.”
Tyson Foods has been using testing as a tool to protect workers
and has likely been involved in more testing than any other company
in the country. Already having tested nearly a third of its
workforce, the company plans to test thousands of workers every
week across all of its facilities. Currently, less than one percent
of Tyson Foods’ U.S. workforce of 120,000 team members has active
COVID-19. The company is continually tracking active COVID-19 cases
involving company team members as well as the case levels in the
communities where the company operates.
The new monitoring strategy Tyson Foods is implementing was
designed with input from Matrix Medical and is consistent with CDC
guidance.
To support the effort, Tyson Foods has created a chief medical
officer position and plans to add almost 200 nurses and
administrative support personnel to supplement the more than 400
people currently part of the company’s health services team. The
additional nurses will conduct the on-site testing and assist with
case management, coordinating treatment for team members who
contract the virus.
“What we’re adopting is a strategic, ongoing approach to
combatting COVID-19,” said King. “It involves weekly testing of
team members at our facilities to monitor for the presence of the
virus. By using data science to test a statistically sound sample
of team members, we have a better chance of staying ahead of any
potential virus spread and protecting our teams and
communities.”
“As the largest union for America's meatpacking workers, we
welcome this important step by Tyson Foods, which demonstrates the
leadership needed to strengthen COVID monitoring across the
industry,” said United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
International President Marc Perrone. “UFCW is urging all companies
in the industry to follow Tyson's lead and take immediate action to
expand COVID monitoring as we work to flatten the curve. Together,
we will continue to look for new and better ways to protect the
health and safety of the brave frontline workers who are so
important to the nation’s food production system.”
The testing program includes three categories:
- Strategic, always-on monitoring. Team members who have no
symptoms may be selected for testing based on an algorithm-based
selection process. The number tested each week will be dynamic and
adjusted based on factors, such as the number of positive cases
involving plant workers as well as people in the
community.
- Symptomatic team members. The company conducts health
screenings daily as team members arrive for work. Those found to
have symptoms will be tested using CDC guidance.
- Close contacts. Team members who have come into close contact
with co-workers (or non-Tyson personnel in the workplace) who have
symptoms or have tested positive will be tested according to CDC
guidance.
“We’ve been piloting this program at several of our facilities
and have seen great success,” said King. “Our team members tell us
they feel especially supported by this scientifically sound
combination of testing and monitoring.”
Medical experts believe this monitoring approach is the best way
to screen for COVID-19 in an ongoing way that helps determine the
prevalence of the virus and how to keep it under control. It will
especially be helpful in identifying team members who have the
virus but are not showing any symptoms.
“The new monitoring program we helped Tyson create is a
science-first approach that’s really on the cutting edge of how
workplaces can best mitigate the risk of the virus,” said Dr.
Daniel Castillo, chief medical officer for Matrix Medical Network,
which has assisted in the development of the advanced testing
protocols. “You’ll likely see many others adopt a similar approach
in the coming months because it’s a process that looks both at
people showing symptoms as well as those who do not.”
Worker health and safety is Tyson Foods’ top priority. The
company formed a coronavirus task force in January and has since
transformed its food production facilities with protective
measures, from symptom screenings and face masks, to workstation
dividers and social distance monitors.
Tyson Foods has given plant tours to government leaders, and
officials from the CDC and LULAC, the nation’s largest and oldest
Hispanic organization, so they could see the measures the company
has put place. LULAC has acknowledged that Tyson Foods has “made
significant strides.”
About Tyson FoodsTyson Foods, Inc. is one of
the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in
protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three
generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio
of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire
Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State
Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more
sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise
the world’s expectations for how much good food can do.
Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 141,000 team
members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate
with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers,
communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals,
land and environment entrusted to it.
Visit TYSONFOODS.COM.
Contact: Gary Mickelson, 479-236-9022
CATEGORY: IR, NEWSROOM
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