"If it is to be, it is up to me." -- Robroy Shield Motto
Not too long ago, many manufacturing companies considered accidents and their resulting costs to be part of the expense of doing business. However, today's progressive business managers understand that reducing or eliminating costs related to safety failures has a positive impact on the bottom line. As a result, companies are creating better safety programs that not only benefit the financial health of the organization but also significantly improve protection provided to individuals on the job.
Robroy Industries recognize that associates must be partners in the effort of ensuring safety and health in the working environment. The company also knows that making any change in the plant environment can be difficult. Part of that challenge lies in getting everyone from management to plant floor associates to fully participate. Therefore, when Robroy committed to creating an effective safety program for its plants, the planners knew that they had to involve every level of the team in the development and implementation.
The Shield Program: Include All Team Members
During the development phase of the Robroy Industries safety program, a company-wide development group was established, comprised of a wide variety of associates from every area of the business --- the goal of which was to create the program's master guidelines. The group proposed standards and non-negotiable safety criteria that were developed on the basic understanding that each individual knows his or her job better than anyone else. That knowledge includes a distinct awareness of everyday hazards and risks. Consequently, the resulting guidelines form an effective foundation for a comprehensive, associate-generated safety program. Because this effort is intended to protect people, the group named it The Shield Program.
The Five Basic Shield Program Guidelines:
- Safety Habits: Maintain safe work habits.
- Safety Interaction: You are responsible for ensuring all your team members are informed and prepared to effectively do their job.
- Safety Education: Education and Proper Training pays off.
- Safety Lifestyle: Taking care of your mind and body determines how effective you'll be on the job.
- Safety Diligence: Don't take unnecessary risks.
Results: Positive Long-Term Changes
The Shield program has been very effective in creating an open dialogue that has allowed employees to solve safety problems in the plants -- but also to anticipate and prevent such problems. Two associates -- Chuck Hibner, production manager, and Jerry Davis, production supervisor -- have this to say about the Shield program:
"Since starting the Shield program our plant associates have become more conscious, more involved, and more responsive because they have more of a ‘say’ in what is happening around the plant. Now, our associates are basically running the program with their suggestions and we as management have become their support. Our SMP (Self Managed Performance) Program also ties also into this because everyone is responsible for this company, the products we produce and the service we provide, and the safety of our associates."
Some examples of safety changes made in several plants since the start of the Shield Program:
Robroy -- Threader Machine: This machine can produce sparks when the pipe is being threaded at each end. Two people work on the machine at the same time, one at each end. What would happen is that sparks would fly out of both ends of the machine, posing a safety hazard for each operator. Those operators brought this problem to the attention of the ShieldT council with the recommendation that a clear safety shield be placed in the middle to block the sparks from flying. The shield was installed and the safety of both operators has been greatly improved.
-- Chuck Hibner, Production Manager and Jerry Davis, Production Supervisor, Robroy Conduit Division, Gilmer,TX
Robroy -- Heating Elements: In our plant at Robroy it is necessary to replace the heating elements on top of a production-related oven. However, when the oven was first installed we did not fully understand how difficult such a replacement procedure could be. There were, at that time, no rails to hang on to and it was difficult to maintain balance. Our associates, through the ShieldT program, suggested to management that rails and chains should be installed to correct that danger. Management supported the recommendation and installed the rails and chains. That not only helped our balance, but our backs too.
-- Garvin Williams, Robroy Conduit Line Associate and Shield Council Member, Gilmer, TX
Duoline -- Emergency Stop on Casing Machines: On the casing machines at Duoline they installed a manual operating emergency stop switch on the extracting back end (helper end). Previously the machines just had one emergency stop switch on the front side (operator side). Now with both ends of the machine having emergency stop switches, both the operator and the helper can shut down the machine in an emergency situation.
-- Rocky Dyer, Duoline Project Manager, Duoline Technologies, Odessa,TX
Duoline -- First Responder Training: CPR, AED, and First Aid training for all supervisors and specified associates. These individuals are those to be first called upon during an injury or accident in the Duoline Plant. They assess the incident and give first aid, CPR, or AED assistance as needed. Currently, 16 associates have had First Responder Training. All of the trained First Responders now have red uniforms to differentiate themselves from the other associates, making them clearly visible throughout the plant.
-- HR Administrator Florence Burk, Duoline Technologies, Odessa, TX
Stahlin -- Safety Carried Over to Customers: Recently, Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures launched the expansion of its Control Tower Series of large industrial enclosures. Added into this expansion was a slim version of the standard free-standing design up to 90 x 72 in. Overlooked was the potential for the enclosure to tip forward onto the person if the doors were opened before the enclosure was secured to its mounting surface. As the Lead Associate in Stahlin's Hand Lay Up Department I was the first to notice this condition during the initial production runs and immediately brought it to engineering's attention. While I was not concerned so much for Stahlin's internal processes (the enclosure is mostly lying on its back during final assembly), it was a definite concern to safeguard customers installing the units in the field. Our department and engineering immediately developed a stabilizing method and got a warning sticker placed on the outside of each door to warn the customer of a tipping hazard. This method is now incorporated into all designs that have the tendency for tipping during installation.
-- Mark Becker, Lead Associate, Hand Lay Up Group, Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, Belding, MI
ROI/Conclusion
Maintaining safety and health in the workplace allows Robroy Industries not only to protect its team members but also to achieve its business goals and maintain its competitive edge. That competitive edge is what guarantees continuing success. Since all plants implemented this program in 2002 the company has seen positive results. Not only have they been able to significantly reduce the number of incidents in the plants but also the severity of an incident (lost time). Some plants reported 0 lost days in 2006 and 2007, while the others reported less than 30, compared to earlier years of reporting over a hundred, before the program was in full swing.
