P&H and MinePro are committed to a zero injury workplace and have undertaken significant initiatives to instill an even greater safety focus and culture. These programs and the commitment of our entire team are driving our safety results as we engage on our journey to safety excellence.
Safety Leadership
A Global Safety Excellence Team was formed in 2003, comprised of individuals from throughout the world who lead our focus on safety excellence. This team meets annually, has conference calls monthly and has significant email contact to stay abreast of best practices around the world. With Mark Readinger, President, also serving as our Chief Safety Officer, and Les, Miller, our Vice President of MinePro Americas South as Executive Sponsor for Safety, leadership is both driving and supporting our safety culture.
National Safety Council Safety Perception Surveys
All P&H and MinePro locations conducted employee surveys in 2005 and 2006 using this standardized safety perception survey. Data from the survey was processed and localized summaries prepared by the U.S. National Safety Council, comparing our performance to a national database. Each MinePro and P&H team is using the data to identify and address areas of opportunity to improve their safety performance. This baseline survey serves as a measuring stick for our safety culture as we move forward on our "Journey to Safety Excellence".
DuPont Safety Resources
Our partnership with DuPont Safety Resources (DSR), a model for safe work practices, began in November of 2004. We have partnered with DSR for 3 work streams:
- Site Safety Assessments of 17 P&H Locations – Seventeen site assessments were conducted and findings presented to senior management. Regional Safety Action Plans were then set to assure all locations had safe practices and were addressing items of concern.
- Safety Leadership Workshops – One day workshops were conducted for senior management in each of the 5 major global regions.
- Eighteen 2 1/2 day Safety Leadership Workshops – These workshops were conducted for Management, Supervisors, Group Leaders and other key members of the organization. Through this training, we provided over 500 members of our management team with the skill sets to manage Safety at a World Class level.
SafeStart Principles and Training
Two day SafeStart training workshops were conducted worldwide. The SafeStart program is based upon a "4 by 4" principle. SafeStart training stresses that the 4 states of rushing, frustration, fatigue, and complacency can cause or contribute to any of the 4 critical errors of eyes not on task, mind not on task, being in the line of fire, or losing balance, traction or grip, which ALL increase the risk of injury. Employees found this simple 4 by 4 principle one that they could easily relate to and have adopted practices to steer clear of these four states and four critical errors.
Field Level Risk Assessments
Employees have been trained in performing the four critical steps in risk assessment before starting every job. Those steps are:
- Identify the Hazard
- Assess the Risk
- Control the Risk
- Resume Work
Employee Stretching Programs
Because strain and sprain injuries outpaced all other injuries in our factory workforce, a stretching program was introduced in the P&H large welding department in mid 2005, and the program was expanded throughout the OEM factory in 2006. The stretching program has been embraced by employees and has led to a significant reduction in strain and sprain injuries and resulting lost time at work. Stretching, led by volunteers from the employee ranks, is now routine for the first 15 – 20 minutes of a shift at the P&H factory and is helping us become an injury free workplace.
Global Safety Incident Management Database
P&H has invested in a safety incident management database that provides us the ability to document, analyze and share our safety incidents on a global basis. Through communications of near misses, accidents, first aid rendered, and the corrective actions to prevent the re-occurance of these incidents, we will help our entire company prevent them from happening within other locations. The database also has a corrective action and audit module that is utilized to identify root causes and to record our safety observations.
Safety Communications and Promotion
The company has an extensive internet site with safety references, uses original as well as purchased safety posters, features articles in newsletters, issues email messages, conducts toolbox talks, distibutes a President's annual safety video and uses a variety of other means to communicate the elements of the safety program and the results. Meetings throughout the company begin with "Safety Shares" to continually remind everyone to think safety in all they do.
Employee Involvement and Commitment
The most important part of a World Class safety organization is the involvement, participation, dedication and commitment of each and every employee. At P&H, employees are accountable for their personal safety and that of their co-workers. P&H is not only concerned about safety in the workplace, but encourages employees to take these same principles and apply them to their personal life. Annually, all employees globally sign a Safety Charter pledging to work safely. Beginning in 2007, each and every P&H employee has had a safety objective as an element of their performance plan. With many more safety "tools" in hand, they are better prepared than ever to live up to that pledge and return home safely to their families every day.
At P&H, we are committed to an injury free workplace.