The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has recognized 51 of Smithfield Foods Inc.’s U.S. locations, including the Smithfield plant, with Environmental Recognition Awards and 33 of its U.S. facilities with Worker Safety Awards.

“Through our culture of continuous improvement, Smithfield has led industry efforts to ensure the health and safety of our workforce and to implement improvements across our value chain that safeguard the environment,” said Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. “We’re delighted that NAMI has once again recognized dozens of our facilities for their good stewardship of our Smithfield Family members, planet and natural resources in the communities we operate in.”

NAMI honors meat packers and processors that “go above and beyond safety and environmental compliance” via its annual awards program and will recognize winning facilities during the association’s annual conference this week.

“Smithfield Foods continues to be an industry leader in environmental stewardship and worker safety,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute. “Their comprehensive continuous improvement efforts at their facilities across the nation demonstrates a commitment to the men and women who work at Smithfield and to the communities they call home.”

NAMI’s Environmental Recognition Awards honor companies’ dedication to continuous environmental improvement through the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Award recognitions begin at the Tier 1 level with simple environmental compliance policies and culminate with Tier 4, celebrating the most complex programs with associated ISO 14001 certification. More than 40 Smithfield locations received Tier 4 recognition.

NAMI Worker Safety Awards honor facilities for high levels of safety performance and for implementing injury, illness reduction and other initiatives reflecting effective health and safety programs. The National Safety Council determines the designation level of each facility by analyzing both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Total Recordable Cases rate and the rate for Cases with Days Away from Work, Job Transfer or Restriction (DART). Eighteen Smithfield locations received the Award of Honor, the highest award bestowed by the organization.