CONAGRA FOODS TRAGEDY AND GOOD CRISIS RESPONSE
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: The world is not interested in the storms you encountered — but did you bring in the ship? From “Apples of Gold”Compiled by Jo Petty
Little did I realize when we moved from NY to NC in mid-2006 that I was relocating to an area (near Raleigh) that would be so full of case studies for a crisis communications consultant! Since we arrived, we’ve had:
- members of the Duke University lacrosse team accused of gang rape;
- a major fire that destroyed a waste treatment and storage facility and caused the evacuation of 17,000 people in Apex, NC;
- an immediate past governor and his wife both accused of several instances of misuse of executive privilege which spilled over and caused the removal of some top officials of NC State University; and
- a gunman who entered a senior citizen residential facility and killed a number of staff people and residents.
Now, this month the headline reads:
EXPLOSION AT CONAGRA FOODS PLANT IN GARNER, NC KILLS THREE
Around 11:30 a.m. on June 9th, workers in this food manufacturing facility that makes Slim Jim snack products were terrified by a huge explosion that caused part of the building to collapse and started a fire. The scene in the opening moments was understandably chaotic as desperate employees tried to escape. Emergency responders did an excellent job of bringing order out of that chaos. It quickly became known that dozens of employees were sent to area hospitals, many with serious injuries, and that three employees were unaccounted for. Tragically, it turned out that those three employees died.
Nothing in the life of an organization can compare to the agony that occurs when employees do not return to their families one evening. Knowing that other employees are having to deal with debilitating and painful injuries is a terrible burden to bear. There will be repercussions for a long time, whether in the form of lawsuits from injured workers, post traumatic stress symptoms exhibited by survivors, or concerns about continuing employment, not to mention the decisions and costs of rebuilding.
WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM CONAGRA’S EXPERIENCE?
As I watched this breaking news story unfold just a half-hour away, I noticed several examples of excellent crisis communications planning and execution:
(1) In the first few hours, while employees were being accounted for and the uninjured sent by buses to a local Senior Center to be met by their families, it was the local police chief, fire chief, and mayor who provided regular updates to the media on the situation. This was appropriate, especially as they reported that managers from the company’s headquarters were immediately on their way to the site. They also provided an 800 number for family members to call to find out where their loved ones had been transported for medical care.
(2) When Stephanie Childs, a member of ConAgra Foods’ corporate communication team, arrived, she made statements at her first press conference that (a) expressed the company’s deepest sympathies for the affected workers and their families; (b) promised to do whatever possible to aid them; (c) and pledged complete cooperation with local authorities as they would thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident - but only after the safety and well-being of the employees and the emergency responders engaged in search and rescue were assured.
(3) Shortly thereafter, the CEO of ConAgra Foods, Gary Rodkin, was personally on the scene and available for press conferences. He echoed the spokesperson’s comments but went on to (a) say that the company would continue to pay its employees (though he could not be specific as to what length of time); (b) announce that a fund was being established to help victims of the accident, with ConAgra jumpstarting the fund with a sizeable donation; and (c) state that grief counselors would be available for any employees who wanted to talk with them. The company also took several other important steps:
- offered to pay for funeral expenses for the victims and transportation costs for immediate family members to come to the funerals or to the bedside of the injured;
- made arrangements for truckloads of food to be made available to the employees who were temporarily out of work;
- and announced the company’s partnering with the American Red Cross for a blood drive.
He also went out of his way to express his deep appreciation for all of the help received by various local officials and agencies and the support offered by local community members who pulled together to help each other.
(4) Press releases with the latest information about the accident and its aftermath were periodically posted on the company’s website.
PAST EXPERIENCE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
I tell the participants in my workshops all the time that your credibility is THE most important thing you have going for you in any crisis. The way you’ve responded to previous incidents is banked in the memories of reporters and their editors. They approach the most recent crisis with those past experiences in mind.
In ConAgra’s case, I witnessed this firsthand. A reporter who was live on the scene in the opening hours went to great pains to relate his personal experience with the company a year before. There had been some reports from employees of vision problems - some even experiencing temporary blindness. The media had become involved. This reporter had been very impressed with how openly the company had dealt with the issue, obviously concerned about the problem and determined to get to the bottom of it. They had been honest in their dealings with the media, not attempting to hide anything. It turned out the vision problems had been caused by some new type of bug-deterrent light bulb the company had installed, so they were able to solve the issue.
Based on the way the company handled this incident, the reporter at the scene of the explosion was obviously prepared to give the company the benefit of the doubt as they sought to deal with the current situation. It left a positive impression with those watching the accident coverage.
THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION STATUS AND SUBCONTRACTED WORK
As of this writing, it appears as if the accident was caused when a sub-contracted firm working on installing a new water heater inappropriately vented a natural gas line into an enclosed pump room where an as yet undetermined ignition source caused the explosion. The investigation is not yet final, but the Chemical Safety Board and investigators from the Department of Labor both seem to be pointing in that direction. Some of the injured employees have filed lawsuits naming several sub-contractors who may have been involved.
I am sure I am not the first person who has noticed how many industrial accidents have occurred when sub-contractors are on the facility site. It was a sub-contracting firm working in the boiler room of the chemical plant where I worked that ruptured an ammonia line that caused a plant evacuation. At an explosives manufacturer client of mine, it was a sub-contracted firm’s worker who pulled out a regular hammer to fix a nail in a doorsill and caused the dust in the building to explode, killing himself and two company employees. There are many other examples. Persons who don’t deal with the company’s products and processes every day are not as familiar with them and their hazards. It is therefore incumbent on all organizations to ensure through their rigorous safety program that their Contract Safety policies and procedures are scrupulously followed. It is a difficult task and a heavy burden, but vital in preventing a crisis. No burden is heavier than having to deal with the aftermath of an accident where employees are killed and/or severely injured. Even when the crisis communications aspects are handled well by the company, nothing can completely heal those wounds. It still holds true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Until next month….KEEP COOL!
Judy Hoffman
1-800-848-3907 PIN 2145
jchent@earthlink.net
