“Safety is what keeps us in business," George LaCour, president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association, told 2012 winners of awards for outstanding safety achievements at their gins.

The award winners were honored at a luncheon held in conjunction with the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show.

"When the SCGA leaders appointed a Gin Safety Committee 14 years ago to develop a program to focus on gin safety and accident prevention, we couldn't have envisioned that it would have become as successful as it is today," LaCour said. "The dedication shown by the management and employees of our member gins has resulted in an exceptional record in reducing accidents and injuries.

"Much of the credit for this goes to Larry Davis, director of safety, and to SCGA leadership in making available the necessary resources for development of safety programs that include an extensive array of educational and training materials. Larry has been diligent in keeping safety at the forefront of gin operations, and the cooperation of gin management in making safety a No. 1 priority is commendable."

Safety in ginning operations "starts at the top with owners and managers," Davis says. "When they put safety at the top of their must-do list, it pays dividends all down the line. With everyone working together to keep attention focused on these goals, we can do everything possible to keep our workplaces accident-free."

Gins are continually striving to improve their safety scores and win higher awards, Davis says. "But even the Bronze Award represents a very high level of achievement. Every award winner should be proud of what they've accomplished toward a safer workplace."

Scoring for the awards is as follows, based on a 100-point system: Bronze Award, 94-96.9; Silver Award, 97-99.5; Gold Award, 99.6-99.7; and Platinum Award,  99.8-100. A new category, the Diamond Award, requires earning a 99.8-100 score five years in a row.

See more photos from this year's Mid-South Farm & Gin Show at:

2013 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show photos

Certified Ginners 2013

2012 SCGA Diamond Safety Award Winners

Youthful energy: FFA members package10,000 meals for needy during Farm and Gin Show