February, 2007

Safety Pays Off

New safety initiatives keep MillTech’s edge SHARP.

By Cheryl Dangel Cullen

Everyone recognizes the importance of safety on the job, but few companies know how to implement safety measures that not only meet OSHA standards, but exceed them. MillTech Inc., a manufacturer of pre-hung doors and moulding in Aurora, Colo., is an exception.

A few years ago, MillTech made a concerted effort to initiate some new safety measures. The company’s work has not gone unnoticed. It recently received OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) award for instituting proactive measures to reduce injuries and illnesses on the job. “We tell our employees, ‘We want you to go home the way you came into work or even better, not worse,’” says Renaldo “Rey” Zeigler, safety coordinator.

For MillTech, safety has always been a priority. In fact, when it started its proactive safety program in 2003, its experience modification rating (E-MOD) was above the national average at 1.11. “Now it is down to a .88, which is outstanding,” Ziegler reports. “This is because the employees are looking at safety seriously now.”

Zeigler says the key to success with any safety program is education, training, and employee involvement. Before employees can operate a hand power tool and power machinery at MillTech, they must pass a written test covering safe operations, proper techniques of use, and lockout/tagout (LOTO). “If a worker is educated and trained, he or she knows how to protect themselves in the work environment,” Ziegler says. “The worker will recognize any potential hazards and report them. When safety becomes second nature to this employee, quality and productivity begin to increase.” 

Other initiatives MillTech has instituted include establishing an active safety committee, installing red fluorescent lights in the ceiling to indicate where fire extinguishers are located, installing an intrinsically safe dust collection system, initiating an open-door policy for employees to discuss safety topics each month, conducting random drug testing, providing translation for the company’s Spanish-speaking employees, and encouraging employees to do stretching exercises every day.

“Muscular strains are what I consider serious injury. This is a common area that drives your workers’ compensation through the roof,” says Zeigler, who has brought in anti-fatigue mats to ease the strain on workers who stand at one station for long periods of time, as well as rolling platform ladders that make it easier to retrieve items from the upper shelves of the company’s racking system.

Many of MillTech’s safety initiatives required minimal investment but pay plenty of dividends in keeping workers safe. “I believe for every dollar you spend, you will get $3 in return when it comes to safety,” notes Zeigler, who adds that his return on investment is not only monetary, but it includes increased efficiency, quality, morale, teamwork, and a dedication to safety among coworkers.

With its SHARP award in hand, MillTech is already targeting its next safety goal, achieving the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) status with OSHA. By mid-year 2007, MillTech also plans to tie its safety program into its equipment-training program.

Cheryl Dangel Cullen, a Chicago-area writer and author of 15 books and president of Cullen Communications Inc., has 20 years experience covering the LBM industry.