Customized Safety Management System Helps Food Distributor Protect Both Workers and Equipment During Sizable Expansions

Company Profile

Cutting Edge Meat Processors LLC is a USDA licensed meat processing plant. In April of 2013, the owners of S&J Food Distributors purchased Melody Meats & Seafood Corp located in Tacoma, Washington. They changed the name of that company to Cutting Edge Meat Processor LLC. In 2020, Cutting Edge Meat Processors moved its operation to a larger facility located in Lakewood, Washington. Cutting Edge Meat processes beef, pork, and poultry under the brand “Emerald City Meats.” The plant processes and boxes all customers' needs, including diced, sliced and portioned cut proteins.

Situation

The company recently invested $2.85 million to expand two separate facilities in the cities of Lakewood and Tacoma. S&J’s facilities house a U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified meat processing plant, spice packaging, and distribution. The expansion will increase S&J’s manufacturing capacity and distribution capability to keep pace with continued growth. New 27,000-square-foot expansion demonstrates resiliency and commitment to the area, retaining 47 jobs and adding 15 new jobs in time.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) helped with funding and provided a $12,500 grant to the company to get the project off the ground. The money was explicitly used to hire Impact Washington to help with plant layout, regulatory compliance, and ensure the new facilities kept up with food production standards.

Solution

Impact Washington’s initial engagement with S&J Food Distributors in 2020 led the company through a rigorous process to ensure the new facility met federal, state, and local standards for food production. Soon after this initial engagement, Covid-19 hit. Impact Washington provided a no-cost comprehensive Workplace Safety Plan specific to Cutting Edge Meat Processors that included all necessary components to open the new facility to keep their team and community safer.  

To keep their expansion on track, S&J’s saw the need to continue working with Impact Washington to develop the foundation of a Company Safety and Health Program for the additional manufacturing capacity and additional jobs the expansion would create. The next phase of consulting was partially funded from the available CARES Act.

OSHA has recently updated the Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs it first released 30 years ago to reflect changes in the economy, workplaces, and evolving safety and health issues. The new recommended practices are designed to be used in various small and medium-sized business settings.

Impact Washington worked with S&J’s leadership team on a step-by-step approach to developing a Company Safety and Health Program. The goal was, to begin with, a basic program and simple goals and grow from there. The program included a hazard/compliance physical inspection, written safety policies, and procedures while identifying any need for additional written programs. The program also involved a clear direction and template for an Accident Prevention Programs (APP), incorporating the needed policies and procedures. Other program elements include training to conduct and document a hazard assessment for personal protective equipment requirements. Impact Washington’s trusted Advisor helped S&J Food Distributors set up, create standards, and provide training for an in-house Safety Committee, including the development of safety training materials. Additional guidance was given to help S&J conduct a safety training needs assessment to develop a safety orientation and safety training program. Lastly, Impact Washington provided leadership training to assist the management team with Job Hazard Analysis development and structure, leading to specific training documents for each job task or classification.

By promoting occupational health and safety within S&J Food Distributors and communicating to workers and management about risks and hazards while performing various job-related tasks, the company experienced significant results in its expansion efforts.

Results

• Increased sales by $50,000
• Invested over $25,000 in workforce practices and employees training
• Created 5 new jobs and retained 35 positions
• Saw a cost savings of $25,000
• Invested over $1 million in equipment 
• New 27,000 square-foot expansion
• Invested $50,000 in new products