Astro's Safety Record Reaches One Million Hours
Shown receiving the award are (from l to r): Jim Petersen, VP of Finance, NHBB; Neville McMillan, Facilities Supervisor, Astro Division; Gary Groleau, Human Resources Manager, Astro Division; Herb Parkhurst, Facilities and Environmental Manager, Astro Division; Hitoshi Wakuri, Assistant Operations Manager, Astro Division; Dana Lamprey, Safety Coordinator, Astro Division; Gary Yomantas, President, NHBB; David Henderson, Executive Director of the Safety & Health Council of Northern New England; Jim St. Pierre, Operations Manger, Astro Division; Richard Bardellini, VP Manufacturing, NHBB.
April 13, 2010 (Laconia, NH): Rare and impressive is how David Henderson, Executive Director of the Safety & Health Council of Northern New England, described Astro's flawless safety record from December 20, 2008 to March 8, 2010. This unblemished stretch amounted to 1,000,000 labor hours accrued by Astro's 400 plus employees without a single work related injury or illness leading to lost time.
This feat has earned Astro a Perfect Record Award, a nationally recognized honor, from the National Safety Council (NSC), an organization dedicated to improving safety at home, at work, and on the Nation's roadways.
‘Just five of the 700 members in the region achieved a perfect safety record during the past year,’ said Henderson. ‘It's tough enough for such a large industrial facility like Astro’s to achieve a perfect safety record in a single month, let alone an entire year, which makes their accomplishment all the more impressive.’
The Vision
The seeds of perfection were planted several years ago by Herb Parkhurst, who, as Astro's Facilities and Environmental Manager, oversees the safety program. Prior to 2007, Astro's safety record was described as first-rate, but Parkhurst saw room for improvement. He said it was hard to convince others at first because the numbers were not that alarming.
‘The data not withstanding, I was convinced that the size of our workforce dictated a full-time safety position,’ said Parkhurst. ‘I also believed that, in order for us to maintain world class manufacturing standards, we needed to develop a world class safety program.’
In 2007, Astro made safety one of its top priorities by creating a full time position dedicated solely to workplace safety. The position was filled by Dana Lamprey, one of Astro’s maintenance supervisors who possessed a strong background in, and passion for, employee safety.
An Effective Safety Committee
As part of his duties Lamprey oversees the activities of the facility’s Safety Committee, which includes at least one employee from every department and each shift. The committee convenes once a month to conduct training and report on safety concerns identified by committee members and other employees. Lamprey uses their input to establish his goals and objectives for eliminating workplace hazards. He reports on his progress during the monthly meetings and through the publication of an internal safety newsletter.
Lamprey credits the committee for making the Perfect Record Award possible. ‘Our safety committee is one of the largest and most active in the region,’ he said. ‘We definitely take our mission to the extreme.’
Safety and Good Customer Service
While the committee's diligence has paid off in preventing injuries on the job and keeping people at work, it also helps to support customers' just-in-time product needs. ‘Having just one employee sidelined due to an injury can make the difference.’ said Jim St. Pierre, Astro's Operations Manager. ‘So, an excellent safety program becomes another important facet of maintaining and improving good customer service.’
Dana Lamprey, Safety Coordinator, Astro Division
Dana Lamprey's passion for creating a safe work environment springs from personal experience. He was not able walk for more than a year after he sustained 32 fractures in his left foot when 2,700 lbs of brass bar stock fell on him. ‘I experienced first hand the consequences of a serious workplace injury,’ said Dana. ‘It can have lasting consequences, both personally and professionally. At Astro, we aim to eliminate such risks in order to keep our employees safe, healthy, and productive.