Page 54 - BV_May-June 2012

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54
BizVoice
/Indiana Chamber –
May/June 2012
SMALL/MEDIUM COMPANIES
When DSM’s Frankfort site
recently achieved the milestone
of 10 years without a recordable
OSHA incident, employees and
their families celebrated with
games, food, plant tours and
an awards ceremony.
W
hen speaking with team members at this Frankfort manufacturer, one theme is
consistently reinforced: safety first. The company boasts an array of Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certifications and some simply
remarkable accomplishments.
In fact, if this year concludes without a major accident, the global resins supplier will celebrate
11 years without an OSHA recordable (incident) and 25 years without a lost-time accident. That
culture of safety not only keeps employees out of harm, but it also keeps them engaged.
“We’re open to speak our mind about safety,” asserts shift leader Jason Coleman, a Frankfort
area native who’s been with the company for 17 years. “If you don’t have that communication
between people, the atmosphere tends to be a little rough. Everybody from the top level down
knows what they’re expected to do and everything is well planned from beginning to end.”
DSM (headquartered in the Netherlands and a provider of solutions for paints, coatings, composite
materials and fiber optic coatings) is also certified as an OSHA STAR location – the highest level
of certification for a chemical site – and is an OSHA Voluntary Protection Program member.
According to site manager Ben Hopkins, having a focus on safety requires serious commitment.
“One thing we say around here is we’ll never jeopardize safety for profit,” he relays. “We
really want our employees to go home the same way they came in every day. That takes a lot of
effort and money; there’s a lot of investment to maintain that safety.”
Power of the people
He also explains that the key to garnering a collective buy-in is combining that attention to
safety with an empowerment of employees.
“We have high employee involvement – and that’s through a suggestion program,” Hopkins
says. “All the employees can offer suggestions to make it safer. If they see something that
could’ve happened in the plant, they can go on our intranet and submit a ‘near miss’ report
about something they think could’ve possibly happened.”
He adds that the company then addresses the concern to determine how a worst-case
scenario could be prevented.
“That really helps build ownership of employees at the site,” Hopkins notes. “They know
their voices are being heard and that they are an asset to the company. They take ownership in
making sure their environment is safe.”
DSM also has a focus on inspirational leadership, external orientation and accountability for
performance. The former allows each employee to be a leader at his or her level.
“We empower them to make decisions,” Hopkins remarks, stating they
can stop contractors or production if they feel an unsafe practice is occurring.
Incentive and investments
In addition to empowerment, incentive is a prime motivator. When annual
and milestone safety achievements are realized, employees are rewarded with
amenities like gift cards. They were recently given fleece jackets sporting the
DSM and OSHA VPP logos. Additionally, if the 2012 safety objectives and
long-term milestones are achieved, staff will be rewarded with a Monte Carlo
casino-themed evening.
Staff is also encouraged – and paid – to make a personal time investment
in improving their work environment.
“One of the things we’re doing this year is a Care Package,” Hopkins
explains. ”It’s something they’re passionate about, and we allow them 16 to 24
hours each quarter to spend on that with pay. It’s not a normal work activity;
it’s just something to show their care for the plant, maybe improving
By Matt L. Ottinger
DSMCoating Resins
Safety, Empowerment Yield
Winning Workplace