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| Workplace Safety and Health |
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Safeguarding employees has been a priority at John Deere throughout its history, and the company's commitment to the safety and health of employees remains a fundamental requirement at all John Deere operations, contributing to the sustainable growth of the company.
Employees show that they value a workplace where they are safeguarded from injuries through their loyalty, increased productivity and quality, and reduced absenteeism. Other benefits of a focus on safety and health include lower than average workers' compensation costs.
John Deere's goal is zero injuries. Pursuit of this aggressive goal, coupled with a long-held emphasis on employee safety and health, has made John Deere factories among the safest in the world. The company's worldwide injury frequency rate improved 7 percent in 2007 compared with 2006. The severity rate improved 10 percent from levels already far better than commonly found even in non-manufacturing sectors. Enterprise-wide, Deere's 2007 injury rates were at their lowest point ever.
Regularly cited as a leader in workplace safety, John Deere facilities and manufacturing operations are among the safest in the world. The company's Cylinder Division in Moline, Ill., for example, has operated for more than 12 years without a lost-time injury.
In 2007, the U.S. National Safety Council presented 77 awards to John Deere units
for their safety performances. Among the awards was the council's 2007 Industry
Leader Award, which went to Deere's Waterloo (Iowa) Works for having the best safety record in the United States in the heavy manufacturing group. In addition, John Deere Turf Care in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, received the council's Perfect Record Award.
The company has received 984 safety awards since NSC started its recognition program.
At the end of the 2007 fiscal year, 21 John Deere facilities had each worked more than a million hours without a lost-time injury.
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