The first nine months' safety statistics, just released, reflect the increased hours being recorded in U.S. salt mines and, despite the production push, an improvement in both the incidence and severity of worker injuries. Hours worked surged 8.53% while reportable incidence fell 14.88% and the severity rate by 53.99%.

Cargill had the best large-company safety record through September. Among smaller companies, Lyons Salt and Detroit Salt had unblemished records and no small company has had a single lost time injury for the entire year. In all, 23 facilities have perfect records in 2008. By category, they include:

Large processing: Morton Salt's Rittman, OH; Silver Springs, NY; and Manistee, MI evap plants and Cargill Salt's evap plants in St. Clair, MI and Hutchinson, KS.

Mining: Cargill Deicing Technology's Cayuga Mine in Lansing, NY; Lyons Salt in Lyons, KS and Detroit Salt in Detroit, MI.

Small processing: Cargill Salt's facilities in Watkins Glen, NY; Akron, OH; Port Newark, NJ; Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles; Freedom, OK and Tampa, FL; United Salt's Carlsbad, NM saltworks; Canadian Salt's Lindbergh, AB evap plant; Compass Minerals's Chicago operation and Compass/Sifto's Amherst, NS evap plant; and Morton Salt's Elston Dock facility in Chicago and its Glendale, AZ saltworks.

Morton Salt and Canadian Salt had perfect safety records in their terminals and warehouses as well.

Keep up the good work!