Chris Roberts outlines Tyson advances for Perry Lions Club

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Tyson Fresh Meats Safety Director Chris Roberts, center, was welcomed to a recent meeting of the Perry Lions Club by his former fellow Tyson employee Rick Hoesing, left, and Perry Lions Club President Roger Niemeyer. Photo courtesy Perry Lions Club

The Perry Lions Club hosted guest speaker Chris Roberts, safety director at Tyson Fresh Meats in Perry, at a recent meeting at the Hotel Pattee. Photo courtesy Perry Lions Club

The Perry Lions Club hosted guest speaker Chris Roberts, safety director at Tyson Fresh Meats in Perry, at a recent meeting at the Hotel Pattee.

Roberts, an East Greene High School graduate, said he has held many positions at Tyson’s during his long career with the company. He started out working on the production line and then moves to a maintenance position before assuming his present job as safety director.

He shared with the Lions an introductory video about Tyson Foods Inc. and the company’s continual quest to deliver quality products to the consumers.

Roberts described about the Perry plant’s new automation systems and explained how these systems have allowed the company to increase production. He said a few years ago the plant processed 6,500 hogs a day but now, thanks to automation, the company is slaughtering some 9,000 hogs daily.

Worker safety has also significantly increased, Roberts said. He said that a few years ago, there used to be 200 to 300 injuries every year, but now there were only 10 injuries in the past six months.

The company also put many procedures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep the workers safe, such as physical dividers between work stations, masking and hand-sanitizing stations everywhere.

One of the main issues now facing the company is a labor shortage, Roberts said. When he was asked about the changes in the law being considered by the Iowa Legislature that would allow people younger than 18 to work in factories, he said that he was opposed because of safety concerns.

Ray Harden is the Perry Lions Club Secretary.

1 COMMENT

  1. Against children working in slaughterhouses?
    That’s a bold, courageous stance, thinking of the children like that.

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