Page 23 - MetalForming December 2012
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Excellence in Safety
Unirac Inc.
Unirac Inc., Albuquerque, NM, received the 2012 Pitcher Insurance Agency Safety Award, for its outstand- ing employee-driven safety and health program responsible for achieving more than three
years of injury-free perform- ance. Employing 140 people, Unirac designs, manufactures, distributes and installs photo- voltaic solar-industry mount- ing structures.
By using a “from the ground
up” approach versus a “top
down” management mandate
to improve its safety perform-
ance, the company has achieved full-scale buy-in from
its operators who self-monitor workcell activities, develop safe work practices and enhance material-handling pro- cedures. With the many pieces of equipment employed at the company, the handling of 4000-lb. bundles of raw material via forklifts and a fast-paced environment, the employees’ commit- ment to safety is evident. In January 2012, Unirac had a surprise OSHA audit with no findings.
Select portions of Unirac’s safety program include program oversight and administration at the COO level; use of daily, weekly and monthly safe- ty checklists and data collection that drive safety metrics and KPIs; a doc- umented process to evaluate acci- dents, incidents and near misses as a means of root-cause and corrective- action efforts; and an employee-run safety team with management involvement and commitment to sup- port the team in implementing their recommendations.
As part of the safety program, safe- ty audits are conducted across the fac- tory using “new sets of eyes” from out- side the audited area to look for safety concerns that may be overlooked by those who work there every day. Oppor- tunities for improvement are posted and the implementation of the recom- mendations tracked. In addition, spot
awards and employee-of-the-month recognition for self-directed safety- related actions are provided, and employees’ safety efforts are recog- nized in the company’s pay-for-per- formance bonus program. Unirac con- tinues its commitment to world-class
operational practices with its pursuit of OHS 18001, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems certifica- tion, anticipated by the end of 2012.
The Safety Award, sponsored by Pitcher Insurance Agency, Chicago, IL, acknowledges either an effective com- prehensive safety program or a specif- ic innovative idea in the context of an effective safety program.
Excellence in
Training and Education
Diemasters Manufacturing Inc.
Diemasters Manufacturing Inc., Elk Grove Village, IL, received the 2012 A.R. Hedberg Training and Education Award for its LISST Training Series, which sup- ports its Diemasters Productivity Sys- tem (DPS). LISST training incorporates lean manufacturing, inherent simplic- ity, six sigma, safety first ( a 10-module program) and TS-16949 to create a lean culture, promote the elimination of waste and establish clear focus on how best to satisfy customers. Diemasters employs more than 100 workers who create more than 250,000 stamped parts, assemblies and fabrications daily for the lawn and garden, automotive, medical and aerospace industries.
The primary objective of the LISST
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