Conduct

JBS USA is committed to conducting all activities in compliance with labor and human rights laws; a series of internal and external policies guarantee this process. For example,a Supplier Code of Business Ethics and Conduct has been developed,, which ensures that vendors meet or exceed our high standards when conducting business with JBS USA. Learn more in JBS/Ethics and compliance.

We have a 2020 goal for all of our partners with agreements entered into since 2018 to be in agreement with this code.

Community Relations

JBS USA prioritizes work with partner organizations that support the disadvantaged and those in need, improve the development and wellbeing of youth, promote agriculture, support the Company’s team members, promote acceptance and diversity, and support local communities.

The Company particularly recognizes the important role it plays in the communities where team members live and JBS USA operates. In addition to its role as a major job creator, the Company has a long history of partnering with local non-profit organizations and encourages team members to take every opportunity to be active stewards of their community. The goal is for our hometowns around the world to consider JBS USA a good neighbor.

To make sure volunteering, sponsorships and donations have the most meaningful impact, the Company always seeks to support local initiatives, many of which benefit community schools, hospitals and youth organizations. This approach to community involvement allows the Company to have an impact where its team members live and work, with the greatest possible benefit.

The Company does not set consolidated giving or volunteering targets. Instead, each JBS USA unit has an annual budget dedicated to supporting local initiatives and communities, based on an assessment of regional priorities. They are encouraged to follow basic guidelines for partnering with the community and determining the best use of funds. For example, while some facilities focus on working to better the lives of local youth, others choose to fight hunger.

At the national level in the USA and Canada in 2019, JBS USA and Pilgrim’s supported the United Way, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Relay for Life, American Red Cross and local learning institutions, such as public schools, colleges and universities.

Together with the government of Brooks, Alberta, JBS USA supports the JBS Canada Center, a facility where immigrants are able to play sports, attend educational activities and socialize, among other services. For example, in the library thousands of people become more familiar with the English language and Canadian culture.

In Australia, Primo Foods supports Foodbank, an initiative aimed at serving people living with food insecurity, by donating products valued at approximately AUD 390,000. The Company also collaborated in the CEO CookOff, another project geared toward vulnerable communities, to provide food to six million people through donations of cash and products. At an event to commemorate the project, the CEO of Primo cooked for 1,400 guests from Sydney’s most impoverished communities, along with 300 business leaders and 50 of the best chefs in Australia. Throughout the year, JBS’s Australian operations sponsored more than AUD 648,000 and donated 122 metric tons of food.

Pilgrim’s Moy Park, invested in initiatives targeting education in rural communities, which include scholarships, job placement support and training in business disciplines to better qualify young people for meaningful employment. The Company also partnered with the Marie Curie Foundation, an institute committed to providing care to people with terminal illnesses and their families. Marie Curie nurses provide 24-hour practical support day and night to patients in their homes and at nine hospitals.

Since 2015, Moy Park has also partnered with FareShare, the largest food redistribution institute in the United Kingdom, whose goal is to combat hunger by redistributing excess food to charitable institutes. In 2019, products equaling 370,000 meals were donated for redistribution across FareShare’s entire network of 21 Regional Centers, reaching homeless shelters, breakfast and lunch clubs, domestic violence shelters and community cafes throughout the United Kingdom.

Pilgrim’s Sanford, NC, Chicken Production Facility

Occupational health and safety

JBS USA believes that safety is critical to operational excellence. The Company does not tolerate unsafe work conditions and is committed to providing an appropriate environment for its team members, in addition to implementing policies and procedures to guarantee best safety practices at every JBS USA facility.

JBS USA has a Director of Occupational Health, who provides continual improvements to our health protocols and ongoing training to our Occupational Health Staff to further share and implement best practices across all of our facilities.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) for team members is standard across all facilities. Facility Safety Managers conduct workplace hazard assessments regularly to survey PPE needs and provide training and technical assistance to team members, ensuring effective PPE usage.

JBS USA’s Ergonomic Improvement Program was designed to reduce the effects of repetition, contact stress and static postures. The program is tailored for each facility to control or eliminate potential conditions or work activities that pose ergonomic risks at each particular site. Annual training and assessments continually improve the program. Additionally, each plant undergoes an ergonomics audit annually, where ergonomic issues are identified, logged, and remediated within a reasonable period of time.

Each facility also has a safety committee, the members of which are team members from that same location, who meet regularly to assess workplace risks and propose mitigation strategies. Safety data is shared internally and each year there are specific safety targets for the Company, business units and facilities.

In the U.S., we conduct comprehensive safety audits to identify and reduce potential hazards. Based on the results of these audits, each year, we identify three high-priority initiatives—one that is companywide, one that is business unit-wide and two that are prioritized by each facility. In 2020, our company-wide initiative is machine guarding with a focus on conveyor belt guarding.

Regulations

The JBS USA General Safety and Health Policy focuses on training and educating our team members and eliminating work hazards. Safety management programs meet government requirements in each country.

Our U.S. and Puerto Rican facilities are in alignment with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

In Europe, programs meet the Regulations on Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR), put out by the Health and Safety Executive, a governmental agency in the United Kingdom responsible for fostering, regulating and applying health, safety and wellness actions in the workplace.

In Australia, each jurisdiction enacts its own Work Health and Safety Act and Work Health and Safety regulations, which the Company’s facilities comply with in each region. The overarching safety management system framework in the country is aligned with the National Audit Tool (NAT), which is based on Australian Standard 4804 for Occupational Health and Safety Management.

In Mexico, the Company complies with the requirements of the Labor Secretariat and with Safety and Health instructions, which are compliant with OSHA standards.

In Canada, the JBS Health and Safety Management System is aligned with the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) law. In addition, the Company’s facility holds a Certificate of Recognition (COR), granted by the Alberta Food Processing Association (AFPA); this means that the JBS Canada Health and Safety Management System has been evaluated by a certified auditor and meets the provincial standards established by Alberta OH&S.

Corrective actions

The health and safety of JBS USA team members is of the upmost importance to the Company. While the Company focuses on actions aimed at education, training, process improvements and cultural accountability, accidents do occur, and they must be acknowledged, reported and serve as a source for learning. There is a formal Incident Investigation Procedure aimed at clarifying incidents and geared toward reducing, mitigating or eliminating injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

The investigation process assists operations in preventing similar incidents from occurring and in identifying injury and illness trends as well as potential points for improvement in safety management.

See more in Chapter 2/Health and Safety.