Jennie-O Turkey Store processing plant in Barron, Wisconsin is taking measures to prevent a possible COVID-19 outbreak. Concerns surfaced after some cases of COVID-19 among employees forced the suspension of operations at a Minnesota turkey facility.
Frozen Turkey Meatballs producer Jennie-O began implementing extra safety precautions in early March. Barron plant manager Chad Nisbit said employees normally worked 1 to 1.2 meters apart, but lately, they’ve been practicing social distancing and doing extra sanitation, according to media outlet WQOW.
“Everyone in the facility right now has safety glasses, cotton masks,” said Nisbit. “We are also in the process this week, we’ve gotten face shields that employees can wear on their helmets. Those are items that we are testing,” Nisbit said.
Jennie-O installed 75 to 80 plastic barriers in the Barron plant’s cafeteria to visually remind employees about social distancing. Richard Carolson, vice-president of quality management for Hormel Foods, the parent company of Jennie-O, said employees are not required to eat alone, but if they do eat within less than 2 meters of each other, they should have a barrier between them. “In mid-March, we rolled out a program, that is a COVID-paid program so that if employees are sick, we’re asking them to stay home and we will pay them for staying home because their welfare and the welfare of their fellow team members is that important to us,” Carolson added.