ANOTHER SAFETY REVOLUTION
time limits were placed on report- ing incidents to upper management. Minor incidents and recordable inju- ries had to be initially reported before the end of the work shift, and a writ- ten report was due within two or three days. For lost workday cases, a written report authorized by the plant man- ager was filed with the manufacturing manager, divisional safety manager and UAW divisional representative within 48 hours. A common incident report was adopted as a teaching tool. Te fourth key element was imple-
menting Workplace Safety Practices, which include safety training, safety awareness, safety enthusiasm and detailed job safety instructions. Tese safety instructions became the respon- sibility of the manufacturing line organization to create, implement and monitor, and safety professionals were in place to provide oversight and guid- ance. Over the years, a concept called “task hazard recognition and control” evolved. It was observed that incidents occurred because all of the hazards of a task, especially low frequency tasks such as maintenance, were not adequately controlled in a task plan.
Plant Level Process Improvements At GM’s Saginaw Metal Casting
Operations the car maker implemented a system in which a task safety card was required to be completed in advance for each maintenance task. For many
Several years ago, the casting divi- sion of manufacturer Lufkin Industries, Lufkin, Texas, achieved more than 2 mil- lion man hours worked without a lost time accident. The company’s accident rate also fell well below the national average. Visit the link at right for more info.
tasks, the card was simple and com- pleted at the start of the shift or when the task was assigned. Tese cards were audited by supervisors and other leaders throughout the day. Every Monday dur- ing a dedicated meeting, the cards were made available for review by the Main- tenance Safety Team. Te joint main- tenance leadership then evaluated the tasks performed, the problems or safety issues identified and the corrections put into place. During a dedicated meeting the following day, all incidents (even minor ones) were reviewed in detail, and action plans were reviewed. On Turs- day, plans were developed for weekend work. Often, these tasks required special procedures, equipment and training to perform safely. Plans were approved by the senior maintenance leaders to be sure all aspects of the tasks were accounted for. Te results of these tasks were also reviewed at the Monday meeting. Te resulting Principles of a Task Hazard Recognition and Control concept was incorporated into the UAW-GM Maintenance Worker Safety Training program released in 2009. At all GM plants, Orange Crush
PUTTING GM IN CONTEXT
Like GM, the metalcasting industry as a whole has lowered its illness and injury rates over the years. Following is a look at the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Association safety rates for various segments of the metalcasting industry and all manufacturing.
Table 1. Recordable Injury and Illness Cases Per 100 Full-Time Workers Facility Type
All Manufacturing
Metalcasting Facilities Iron Metalcasters Steel Metalcasters
Steel Investment Casters Aluminum Metalcasters Copper Metalcasters Aluminum Diecasters
Other Nonferrous Diecasters
2008 5
10.6 12
13.7 8.6
10.2 9.3 8.5 7.1
Table 2. Cases with Days Away, Restricted or Transferred Employees Per 100 Full-Time Workers
2009 4.3
8.7
11.3 7.7 8.9 9
5.3 7.2 3.8
Facility Type All Manufacturing
Metalcasting Facilities Iron Metalcasters Steel Metalcasters
Steel Investment Casters Aluminum Metalcasters Copper Metalcasters Aluminum Diecasters
Other Nonferrous Diecasters
2008 2.7
5.8 5.9 8.3 4.9 6.5 5.5 4.4 3.3
2009 2.3
4.6 5.4 4.1 4.9 5.9 3.1 3.4 2.2
June 2011 MODERN CASTING | 29
ONLINE RESOURCE Visit
www.moderncasting.com for information on ferrous caster Lufkin Industries’ own safety revolution.
Zones were developed to restrict unau- thorized persons from entering plant areas congested with material handling vehicles. Tese were typically shipping and receiving docks and material stor- age areas. Tese areas were identified by bright orange aisle stripes and column signs. Persons entering these areas were required to wear highly visible orange vests so mobile equipment opera- tors could see them more easily while maneuvering in tight spaces. GM recognized through data analy- sis that incidents tended to increase after extended time off, particularly the Christmas and summer shutdown periods, production downtime weeks and even three- or four-day weekends. As a result, a Shutdown Safety Process was developed. Prior to the shutdown, safety messages were increased and focused on off-the-job safety. Special procedures were instituted for any work that was to be performed in plants dur- ing the shutdown. Set procedures were used to properly identify and control the potential task hazards of these jobs in advance. If the tools, materials, procedures and trained workers were
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