ST. JOSEPH, Miss. and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A safety verified certification developed by Matrix Clinical Solutions, a Matrix Medical Network® (Matrix) business, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, was awarded to pork processor Triumph Foods for its efforts to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The program applies rigorous, comprehensive guidelines to establish and sustain healthy, safe, and productive workplaces. Triumph Foods is the third organization to receive the certification and is the second meat processing company to achieve the distinction.
“This certification is an important step in demonstrating to employees and stakeholders that Triumph Foods has taken the necessary steps to effectively limit the impact of COVID-19 in the workplace,” said Matrix Clinical Solutions Chief Medical Officer Daniel Meltzer, M.D., MPH, FACEP. “Matrix and Triumph have been working together for many months and will continue to monitor, assess, and provide on-site support to ensure continued workplace safety and business continuity.”
“We are honored to achieve this certification, which recognizes the hard work of our team members to stay safe during this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic,” said Triumph Foods Chief Executive Officer Mark Campbell. “Together, we aggressively worked to protect everyone’s health and wellness, and we were able to keep our operations running smoothly at the same time – so we are very proud of this accomplishment.”
An in-depth review of policies, procedures and work environment was conducted by Matrix Clinical Solutions to reach its determination that Triumph Foods follows the key safety standards and guidelines, as advised by its team of clinical experts, governing state regulations and guidelines issued by reputable industry bodies. The Safety Verified Certification assesses people, processes and structure. It includes policies and procedures, as well as all aspects of a workplace or other environments where people gather including density, traffic flow, ventilation and physical proximity to other risks.
The certification program follows a multi-disciplinary approach to safety verification, including:
- On-site assessments based on the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state regulations
- Best-in-class protocols based on the well-established clinical and industry expertise of Cleveland Clinic and Matrix
- Actionable recommendations to address identified health and safety gaps
- Official safety verification seal following alignment to certification standards
- Ongoing updates on evolving COVID-19 guidance and regulations
In January 2020, Triumph Foods began a proactive, early planning process that enabled the company to keep its team members safe and healthy from the earliest days of COVID-19. By the time the World Health Organization recognized the novel coronavirus as a pandemic, Triumph Foods had already taken several steps to mandate face coverings and ensure proper distancing and barriers on its production floor. It also added Plexiglass dividers throughout its facility, implemented mandatory temperature taking and hand sanitizing to enter the facility and made on-site testing available to all employees, among many other policies.
Triumph Foods has also offered short-term and long-term leave choices for employees that have needed to take additional extended leave. The company continues to supply free masks, sanitizer, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees and has installed new antivirus air handling technology to ensure a safe workplace. Further, Triumph Foods will continue working with public health authorities and employees to encourage safe practices both in and outside of the facility.
“We are proud that the Matrix team noted numerous times how our documentation and actions clearly showed we had a deliberate planning process that was executed throughout the pandemic,” Campbell said. “We will continue our work in keeping our team members healthy and safe.”
About Triumph Foods
Founded in 2006, Triumph Foods is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is one of the largest pork processors in the United States. An outstanding corporate citizen and leading local employer in the Northwest Missouri region, today Triumph Foods employs a workforce of more than 2,800 and remains true to its commitments to its team members, customers, shareholders and communities. For more information, visit triumphfoods.com.
About Matrix Clinical Solutions
Matrix Medical Network has provided expert care and health services to millions of at-risk individuals where they live and work for more than 20 years. The organization’s network of approximately 5,000 clinicians meets individuals wherever they are to assess their health and safety, identify and close care gaps, and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health.
Matrix Clinical Solutions helps America’s workers stay healthy while maintaining businesses’ productivity and continuity by designing custom workplace health solutions including testing, tracing, and return to work services. In collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, Matrix developed a safety verified certification program to help businesses and organizations assess, address, verify, and monitor workplace safety to help individuals return safely and confidently to work. For more information, visit https://matrixmedicalnetwork.com/clinical-solutions/.
*Matrix Medical Network is the registered trademark of Community Care Health Network, LLC.
