News
Five-Years No Lost Time Incidents
Safety has been first-priority since Star’s inception in 1988, and we officially crossed the threshold of five-years with No Lost Time incidents on Nov. 29, 2018 at our Ravenswood, WV facility. While we’re proud of our 1,800+ days without a hiccup, we still have a long way to go to break our personal record of seven-years without a lost time incident from the late 1990s.
“We’ve been working to get back to that record, and beyond,” stated Mike Moran, Plant Manager of our Ravenswood facility.
What’s no lost time incident mean? To us, it means no incident requiring time away from a shift. The first time we miss anything that’s scheduled, that’s lost time, and that’s an “incident” in our book. Our team takes pride in practicing safety measures and efficiency.
Star Plastics also reached another milestone of one-year with zero OSHA recordables on Dec. 15, 2018. This means no incident that required medical treatment beyond first aid occurred at our facility. This was another very positive safety goal that was achieved by our workforce.
“It starts with good training,” says Moran, “and correcting unsafe behaviors as they happen – mainly coworkers helping coworkers. We do a lot of self-policing.”
With heightened awareness and consistent cheerleading, we’re constantly beating the safety drum in every site meeting.
Several years ago, Star implemented an EH&S walk-through (Environmental, Health and Safety). Our Safety team, comprised of a variety of management and team leaders, do walkthroughs at each facility every other week. We cover different areas of the plant while reviewing a specific checklist in order to see the plant with fresh eyes. The goal is to determine if there are any potential environmental, health, or safety concerns that we can address before they become an issue.
We’ve implemented several internal facility improvements that have resulted in a direct, positive effect on safety, including:
- A powered roller system
- Lighting and layout improvements
- Equipment to help removal and installation of heavy molds
- Pre-emptive roof repairs
- Improved work procedures
Our track record on safety, and our commitment to it, proves we do what we say and we practice what we preach. When our employees are safe, they can focus on producing high-quality products. The procedures set in place for safety are also set in place to create an environment where quality products are made.
“We care about our employees and strive to create an environment where they can thrive, grow, learn, and improve,” said Moran. “The biggest thing for me is that our employees get to go back home after work safe and sound every day, to spend time with their loved ones, safe and injury free.”