Mid-South cotton gins turned in an excellent safety performance record during the 2017 season, with 17 gins in the five-state area earning Diamond Awards, the highest level conferred by the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. That was up from 11 Diamond winners the previous year.

Additionally, 21 gins won the next highest award, Platinum; 16 won gold; 22 won silver and 6 won bronze.

“It’s impressive to see a room full of gin managers and employees who are receiving awards for their safety accomplishments,” said Randy Ainsworth, SCGA president, in welcoming the group. “I recall when we started this effort we had about two tables of people getting awards.

“This program, with the cooperation of gin management and their constant emphasis on training, has made a tremendous difference in our member gins. Speaking personally, I love baseball, and I can’t imagine losing an arm or a leg and not being able to swing a bat or play pitch with my kids. We don’t want to see that, or worse, happen to anyone in our gins.

“Protecting our workers is paramount, but the program has had other benefits, including improvements in efficiency and a reduction in insurance costs.”

Ainsworth commended SCGA Safety Director William Lindamood and the Gin Safety Committee for their work to continually improve the program. Committee members are Buddy Cochran, Mississippi, chairman; Kevin Watts, Arkansas; Buddy Tanner, Louisiana; Scotty Morgan, Missouri; and Bubba Burks, Tennessee.

Related:Photos: 2018 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

The 2017 season saw an increase in cotton acreage, Lindamood said, and a late crop in many areas resulted in a later start to harvest and ginning, with some gins running into January. “We’re extremely pleased that there were no deaths during the 2017/18 period, and through the first week of December, no amputations. Then, unfortunately, there were two amputations within one week. We need to continually emphasize at weekly safety meetings how important it is to be aware of crew fatigue during the ginning season.”

Two accidents occurred despite electronic fail-safe devices, he said. “A worker assumed that the lint cleaner saw was stopped because the electronic locks allowed the door to be opened, and he didn’t verify that the saw was stopped. A press worker was injured trying to re-press a bale when the door automatically closed. He was standing on a safety pressure mat that didn’t prevent the door motion from occurring. Always practice lock-out/tag-out, with verification.”

There were two broken ankles during the ginning season, Lindamood said. “One happened on the yard, and one inside the gin. Training on fall protection and walking working surfaces continues to be important.

Related:Photos: Farm Show Feeds

“All of our award winners are striving to make their safety programs even better. Safety starts at the top, with owners and managers. They don’t want any employee to be hurt, and when they make safety No. 1 on their must-do list, it pays dividends all down the line. With everyone working tougher to keep attention focused on this goal, we can do everything possible to make our workplaces accident-free.”

SCGA continues to strive to eliminate workplace accidents “through teamwork to promote a culture of safety,” he said. “In 2018, we’ll continue to emphasize effective operational training and documentation, and will assist gins with regulatory compliance.”

In the past ginning season, Lindamood noted, there were 131 SCGA member gins operating in the Mid-South: 29 in Arkansas, 18 in Louisiana, 36 in Mississippi, 23 in Missouri, and 25 in Tennessee. “We’re hoping, in 2018, to see a continued increase in cotton acres and bales ginned — and a reduction in accidents.”

Southern Cotton Ginners Association Excellence in Safety Award Winners 2018

ARKANSAS AWARDS

DIAMOND

Cotton Growers Inc., Dell

McGehee Producers Gin, McGehee

PLATINUM

Black Oak Gin Co. Inc., Black Oak

GPS Gin Co. Inc., Portland

Kiech-Shauver-Miller Gin Co., Monette

Lee Wilson and Company Gin, Wilson

Monette Coop Gin, Monette

Portland Gin & Warehouse, Inc., Portland

Senter & Sons Gin LLC, Osceola

GOLD

Childress Gin & Elevator Co., Inc., Monette

Delta Cotton Cooperative, Inc., Marmaduke

Dixie Gin of Poinsett Cty. Inc., Trumann

Graves Gin Corporation, Rector

McClendon Mann & Felton Gin, Marianna

McClendon Mann & Felton Gin #3, Brickeys

New Peoples Gin Co. Inc., Holly Grove

SILVER

Rabbit Ridge Gin & Whse., Dyess

Taylor Gin Co., Gould

MOST IMPROVED SCGA

W.B. deYampert Gin, Wilmot

LOUISIANA AWARDS

DIAMOND

Catavoy Cotton Gin, LLC, Jonesville

McNutt Gin Inc., Boyce

Tri-Parish Gin, LLC, Lettsworth

PLATINUM

Tanner & Co., Frogmore

Tensas Co-op Gin, Inc., Newellton

GOLD

Rapides Grant Gin II, Boyce

SILVER

Planters Gin Company, St. Joseph

BRONZE

Valley Gin Inc., Shreveport

MOST IMPROVED

Associated Producers Co-op, Winnsboro

MISSOURI AWARDS

DIAMOND

Bernie Farmers Gin, Malden

Blakemore Cotton & Grain LLC, Campbell

Farmers Union Gin & Warehouse Co. Inc., Senath

Portageville Farmers Gin, Portageville

Sandy Ridge Cotton Co. LLC, Malden

Vanduser Gin Co., Inc., Vanduser

White Oak Gin, White Oak

PLATINUM

A.C. Riley Cotton Co., Inc., New Madrid

Caruthersville Gin, Caruthersville

Stokes-Mayberry Gin Co., Inc., Malden

GOLD

4-Way Gin, Senath

Dalton Cotton Company, Senath

Graves Kennett Gin, Kennett

SILVER

Bootheel Cotton Co., Matthews

GT Cotton Company LLC, Cardwell

Mahan Gin Co, Parma

McCord Gin Company, Gideon

Peach Orchard Gin Co. Inc., Gideon

Richardson Gin, Inc., Marston

MOST IMPROVED

Cooter Cotton Gin, Cooter

MISSISSIPPI AWARDS

DIAMOND

Silver Creek Gin Co., Holly Bluff

Vance Gin Co. Inc., Clarksdale

PLATINUM

Avon Gin Inc., Avon

Bogue Chitto Gin, Macon

Hi Grade Gin Corp., Winona

Quito Gin Company, Itta Bena

Yalobusha County Gin Company, Inc., Coffeeville

Yazoo Planters Gin Co., Yazoo City

GOLD

Farmers Gin, Inc. of Hamilton, Hamilton

Vaiden Farmers Gin, LLP, Vaiden

SILVER

Como Consolidated Gin Co., Inc., Como

Four County Gin Inc., Calhoun City

Gaddis & McLaurin Gin, Bolton

Greenwood Gin Inc., Greenwood

Mattson Gin Inc., Lyon

North Delta Gin LLC, Marks

Tunica Gin Corp., Tunica

BRONZE

Bobo Moseley Gin Company, Lyon

Grundfest & Klaus Gin, Cary

Midnight Gin Co. Inc., Midnight

MOST IMPROVED

Tri County Gin Company, Batesville 

TENNESSEE AWARDS

DIAMOND

Burlison Gin Company, Inc., Burlison

Espey Gin Co., McLemoresville

Longtown Gin, Mason

PLATINUM

Arp Cotton Gin Co. LLC, Ripley

Cairo Farmers Gin, LLC, Alamo

Union Gin Co. Inc., Brownsville

GOLD

Crockett Mills Gin, LLC, Crockett Mills

Halls Gin Company, Halls

Hickory Valley Gin, Hickory Valley 

SILVER

Bemis Gin LLC, Jackson

Crockett Gin Co. LLC, Maury City

Farmers Friendship Gin, Inc., Friendship

Farmers Gin of Humboldt, Humboldt

L & H Gin, Alamo

Phoenix Gin Co., Tiptonville

BRONZE

Tennessee Gins & Warehouses, Covington

Two Way Gin Co., Inc., Brownsville

MOST IMPROVED

Nut Bush Gin Co. Inc., Brownsville