Innovation Award: Medium-sized Company
PAOLI Furniture has been in business for 86 years, primarily manufacturing desks, chairs, book cases and conference tables. The company employs 481 Hoosier workers in Paoli. In 2012, the PAOLI safety department performed ergonomic studies across the entire manufacturing process to find the tasks that were causing the most difficulties for employees. The position most likely to cause injury was “tufting,” the highly skilled process of pleating leather or fabric on an executive chair and then holding those pleats in place by inserting a button. By bringing together a team made up of engineers, safety team members and employees involved in the tufting process, PAOLI was able to redesign the machines used and the process involved in tufting. This redesign of technique and machinery minimized ergonomic injuries in the tufting process. PAOLI Furniture’s OSHA recordable case rate has remained five to ten times lower than others in their industry, and there were no days away from work, job restriction or transfer in 2012. PAOLI Furniture is also an Indiana Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) participant.
Innovation Award: Large-sized Company
The Seymour branch of Cummins, Inc., employs approximately 550 employees. The site manufactures a wide variety of diesel and natural gas engines. These engines are used for government, mining, marine, construction, locomotive, power generation and a wide variety of other applications. Proactively addressing workplace safety and health is of paramount importance at the Seymour engine plant.
A Safety Empowerment Card system was created allowing anyone to stop an action or process that might be unsafe. This means employees, contractors or even visitors have the authority and responsibility to stop, correct and report any unsafe act or condition witnessed throughout the plant. By giving everyone the ability to correct safety issues, Cummins’ Seymour Engine Plant has become a model of safety for other large manufactures to emulate. Cummins’ Seymour Engine Plant has maintained an OSHA total recordable case rate and days away, restricted or transferred rate far below others in their industry.
Innovation Award: Specialty Contractor
Gribbins Insulation Company, Inc., was founded in Evansville in 1985 as a commercial and industrial mechanical insulation contractor with the mission to provide the highest level of safety, quality and productivity. After 28 years in business, Gribbins has expanded to seven locations spanning three states. Gribbins Insulation created an employee-powered, behavior-based safety program to monitor six risk areas: eye protection, hand protection, body mechanics, working from ladders, working from scissor lifts and the use of appropriate fall protection. Currently, more than 100 employees have been trained to watch for and correct issues in these six areas. The new program has been responsible for a 35 percent reduction in sited jobsite violations and a 30 percent decrease in recordable injuries. The company has maintained an OSHA total recordable case rate at least 50 percent lower than the industry average for the last three years. There were no injuries resulting in days away, restricted or transferred in 2010 or 2012.
Education & Outreach Award: Small-sized Company
Lord Corporation is a worldwide leader in adhesives and coatings, vibration and motion control and magnetically responsive technologies. Based in Indianapolis, Lord Corporation employs 58 Hoosier workers who manufacture adhesives, coatings and specialty chemicals for the automotive industry, general industry and railroad and off-highway markets. To maximize workplace safety, Lord developed a system of visual safety standards that accompany all tasks most likely to cause an injury. These step-by-step, image-driven pages are posted around the plant and used in both new employee training and as reminders to current employees as to how jobs should be completed safely. Team members are audited throughout the year to ensure they are following the safety standards every time. Lord Corporation had no OSHA recordable cases in 2010 or 2011 and no days away from work, job restriction or transfer in 2010, 2011 or 2012.
Education & Outreach Award: Medium-sized Company
Aisin Drivetrain, Inc., employs 260 Hoosiers who manufacture drive train and chassis components for both the industrial and automotive markets in Crothersville, Indiana. Aisin focuses on workplace safety and health by maximizing employee involvement. All employees are encouraged to directly suggest any improvement which may lead to greater safety in the workplace. In a recent audit, 77 employee safety and health improvement suggestions were made to improve the Aisin health and safety system.
This level of involvement, including regular safety meetings and an open-door management policy, has lead to a health and safety record far better than others in the industry. Aisin Drivetrain, Inc., had no OSHA recordable cases in 2010 and no days away from work, job restriction or transfer in 2011 or 2012.
Education & Outreach Award: Large-sized Company
Founded in 1895, the 1,300 employees of Warsaw’s DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction manufacture orthopedic hip, shoulder and revision knee medical devices which are put to use helping people worldwide. Following the slip and fall injury of an employee in 2011, DePuy embarked on a site-wide campaign to increase awareness of slip, trip and fall hazards. The outreach involved multiple forms of communications including: electronic media, posters, table tents and large outdoor signage. The most obvious warnings were from flashing road signs, which were installed at all three parking lots. These signs automatically activated throughout the winter whenever temperatures approached freezing to warn employees of possible icy conditions. After the campaign, DePuy saw a 30 percent reduction in injuries reported from a slip, trip and fall. DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction has maintained a lower OSHA recordable case incident rate and lower days away from work, job restriction or transfer rate than all other equivalent companies.
Education & Outreach Award: External
Formerly known as Cerro Wire, LLC, Marmon Retail Home Improvement Products, Inc., was founded in 1920. They are a leading manufacturer of copper and metal clad wiring for both the commercial and residential building industries. Today, the company has a presence in three states and employs 120 workers. Many remember the terrible tornados that tore apart southern Indiana a year ago. Places like Henryville, Marysville and Nabb were leveled, leaving nothing but debris where vibrant communities of homes and businesses once stood. Employees of Marmon Retail Home Improvement Products immediately jumped into motion and began sending much-needed supplies to ensure clean-up workers and volunteers were safe and healthy.
The company donated dumpsters, work gloves, flashlights and batteries, generators, extension cords and safety supplies while employees filled donation bins with everything from pet food and baby supplies to blankets and pillows. Marmon Retail Home Improvement Products also gathered monetary donations with a company match and organized a volunteer crew of 15 workers to help with clean-up efforts. Marmon Retail Home Improvement Products, Inc., also has certification status in the Indiana Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (INSHARP).
Partnership Award: Construction (Residential Contractor)
Lebanon Community School Corporation’s High School Building Trades Program offers real-world experience to high school students in the essential skills related to residential, civil and commercial building construction. In the three construction courses offered, students design and build residential homes from the ground up on lots purchased by the school. This hands-on experience is essential, but increases the potential for students to experience injury. To mitigate that concern, Lebanon Community School Corporation became the first school in Indiana to require students to participate in an OSHA 10-hour course before they could step foot onto an active construction site. The high school’s Building Trades Program partnered with Trinity Safety Group to make sure a dynamic 10-hour course was being presented to its students. Trinity used subject matter experts to cover each specialized area during the classroom training. Students were then taken on a project tour, which provided them the opportunity to physically see some of the topics covered by the classroom training.