Logan Pitts is shown giving a chemical reaction demonstration regarding hexane vapors at Louis Dreyfus Co.’s annual SHE Day event.

Text and Photos
By Caleigh Byrer
InkFreeNews

CLAYPOOL — Louis Dreyfus Co. shared new safety and environmental statistics with employees and guests at its annual Safety, Health and Environment Day event held Wednesday, March 15.

LDC employee Andre Tenorio handled the environmental portion of the day and noted numerous changes the company has seen over the past four years in this sector.

Since 2018, LDC has seen a 7% decrease in carbon emissions, 6% decrease in electricity usage, 13% decrease in water usage and a 74% decrease in waste production.

Tenorio also noted the company’s continued commitment to zero deforestation and consciousness of land use change.

The company’s dedication to environmental improvement is seen in the LDC assets and offices as it is recycling many types of waste such as paper, plastics, oils and lubricants, batteries, light bulbs and scrap metal.

LDC is also in the process of implementing more solar powered lighting and other energy-related projects such as power quality meters, electrical consumption meters and CCC and DC VFD fan projects.

The company has been able to reduce some of its carbon emissions through specialized equipment being used to press down open-top waste bins to minimize the amount of times it needs to be hauled. It also has initiatives to minimize energy losses in the steam distribution piping and to repurpose water that is used to cool the deodorized oil.

LDC plans to keep seeking innovative solutions and alternative avenues to continue the downward trend of its environmental impact.

Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Ben Logan received a check from LDC in support of the construction of two new homes in Claypool. From left: Gilberto Sifuentes, Logan and Jeremy Mullins.

Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Ben Logan attended the event to collect a check LDC provided in support of Habitat’s two local projects. Habitat will be building two side-by-side homes for low-income single mothers on land that the town of Claypool donated.

“We’re very grateful for your (LDC) sponsorship and support of the project. We’ll be breaking ground on Monday and things will start moving very fast the next few months,” Logan said.

Justin Moree presented statistics on the company’s safety over the course of the past four years, which reflected positive corrective action.

Safety performance was measured by frequency, gravity and severity; by these standards, the company has seen a steady, significant drop in injuries since 2018.

Moore also reviewed the company’s risk management plan: identify the risk, implement controls, verify implementation and review frequently.

He noted the increased audits and reviews the company has implemented over the years were a large factor in the betterment of safety performance.

The hierarchy of controls the company uses to handle potential health or safety concerns is elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protection equipment as a final measure.

Overall, SHE Day was an opportunity for LDC to commend its employees for their compliance regarding health and safety and their contributions to the decrease in the company’s environmental footprint. It also served as a reminder for employees to remain conscious of these matters and the company’s policies and standards on them.

Members of the Warsaw FFA attended the SHE Day event to serve breakfast to employees and guests. From left: Gilberto Sifuentes, Jeremy Mullins, Warsaw FFA members and FFA Advisor Jacob Riley.

LDC employees gathered in one of the warehouses to see numerous safety demonstrations.