Tyson Foods has invested more than $540 million to upgrade U.S. facilities to protect workers from COVID-19. The company has engaged the services of Matrix Medical Network to implement a monitoring program using state-of-the-art algorithms to detect increases in incidence rate, both in plants and the communities where facilities are located. Action taken by Tyson Foods include:
- Ongoing program of weekly meetings to educate workers in all facilities
- Installing new signage and issuing information in multiple languages describing reccomended activities to prevent infection both in plants and in the community
- Installing HEPA air filtration in plant breakrooms
- Continuous daily cleaning in all facilities
- Installing infrared temperature scanners
- Designating social distancing monitors
- Providing employees with PPE
- Hiring 200 additional nurses, bringing the company complement of medical professionals to 600 involved in conducting health screens and to track cases
- Establishing clinics at seven large plant locations to provide workers and families with healthcare assistance
Company efforts have been guided by an independent panel of experts, including the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University.
Tom Brower, Senior Vice President of Health and Safety for Tyson Foods stated, “Given the widely reported rise of COVID-19 cases across the U.S. and other parts of the world, we know we must remain diligent in our efforts to protect our team members.” He added, “In addition to strategic testing we are committed to work with outside health experts to find new, even more effective ways, to tackle the virus.”