Cargill Inc. is temporarily reducing a shift at its High River, Alberta, protein facility in an effort to protect workers and reduce the potential spread of coronavirus in the community, the company announced.
The decision to idle the second shift at the beef harvest facility as of yesterday “will allow us to minimize the impact of COVID-19 and continue to follow health department guidelines,” according to Jon Nash, Cargill Protein–North American Lead. “We also implemented additional safety measures like temperature testing, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, prohibiting visitors, adopting social distancing practices where possible and offering staggered breaks and shift flexibility,” he added in a statement emailed to Meatingplace.
The plant — which reportedly normally slaughters between 4,000 and 4,500 head per day — is expected to process 1,500 head during the single shift. The facility “will be back to operating at full capacity as soon as it is safe to do so,” Nash said in the statement.
Cargill shut down its case-ready protein plant in Hazelton, Pa., last week after 164 hourly workers reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The company did not offer a timetable for the plant reopening, but said it would do so when it will be safe for employees to do so.