COLUMBIA, S.C., May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonoco, the global
packaging company based in Hartsville, S.C., today received a 2006 Healthy
South Carolina Challenge community award from Governor Mark Sanford and
First Lady Jenny Sanford in a ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991006/SNCLOGO)
Sonoco received the business category award for successfully working to
improve the health of its employees and the community. In addition,
Darlington County, S.C., Sonoco's home county for more than a century, was
recognized as the winner of the Healthy S.C. Challenge.
"We are pleased that Sonoco, its employees and our community are being
recognized by this important program," said Cindy Hartley, senior vice
president of Human Resources. "Our proactive safety and wellness programs
focus on encouraging healthy lifestyles which improve the quality of life
for our employees and their families while increasing productivity and
reducing costs."
Hartley pointed to the following successes as examples of Sonoco's
efforts in improving its employees' health and safety:
- Safety: Sonoco's worldwide employees recorded the fifth consecutive
safest operating year on record in 2005 with a Total Incident Rate
(TIR) of .84 (annualized number of reportable injuries per 100
full-time employees). This record significantly surpassed the national
average of 6.6 for all of U.S. manufacturing. To encourage its safety
culture, Sonoco conducts extensive on-the-job safety training and
work place inspections, including quarterly audits of seat belt use by
its employees and contractors.
- Health Risk Assessments (HRAs): Approximately 250 of Sonoco's
Darlington County employees and spouses have completed HRAs, which were
analyzed by a professional third-party wellness firm. Individualized,
confidential results and recommendations are forwarded to participants
who have the opportunity to work with a health coach or participate in
recommended healthy lifestyle activities.
- Stop Smoking Program: Sonoco reimburses employees up to $325 for
nicotine patches, gum or other quit-smoking aids and conducts campaigns
to encourage them and their families to quit smoking.
- Walking Program: A walking trail was established around Sonoco's
Hartsville headquarters and manufacturing operations and employees are
encouraged to regularly use the trail as part of their individual
exercise programs.
- Health Care Education: Sonoco provides information to better educate
employees on the true cost of medical services and treatments. This
effort emphasizes ways to drive down medical costs paid by employees,
encourages participation in tax-advantaged programs, such as flexible
spending accounts, and educates employees on ways they can protect or
improve their health through lifestyle choices.
The Healthy S.C. Challenge is an outcome-based, cooperative effort
aimed at encouraging individuals, communities and organizations across the
state to show shared responsibility in developing innovative ways to
improve the health of South Carolina citizens. For more information about
the Healthy S.C. Challenge, please visit http://www.healthysc.gov, or contact
Meghan McGuire at 803/737-2325.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a $3.5 billion global
manufacturer of consumer and industrial packaging products and provider of
packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 35 countries, serving
customers in 85 nations. Additional information about Sonoco is available
at http://www.sonoco.com.
SOURCE Sonoco
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Related links:
http://www.sonoco.com
http://www.healthysc.gov
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991006/SNCLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Roger Schrum of Sonoco, +1-843-339-6018, or
roger.schrum@sonoco.com
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