Laconia, NH – On August 14th, the NHBB Astro Division (Laconia, NH) received an extremely prestigious award, recognizing the hard work and diligence of their employees. The “Two Million Work Hours Award” recognizes facilities that have gone two million consecutive hours without a lost time injury.
David C. Henderson, Executive Director of the National Safety Council (NSC), New England Chapter, was on hand to present the Two Million Work Hours Award to employees at Astro. “This is an extremely rare award,” said Henderson. “I was aware of the NSC One Million Hours Award and have presented it here on previous occasions, but I did not know that there even was a Two Million Hours Award as it is so seldom attained. I just hadn’t heard of it.” He then went on to explain that he jumps at the opportunity to present at NHBB. “I have never seen so many people smile at a safety meeting. It is apparent that management here takes safety seriously and you are very fortunate to work in a facility like this. I am honored and glad to be here today.”
Several NHBB executives addressed the group, expressing their appreciation and pride in a job well done. “The Astro Joint Loss Safety Committee was established at least twenty years ago, and it has been in place ever since,” said Ron Richard, Deputy General Manager of NHBB Astro. “Safety has been institutionalized here and begins the minute a new employee walks through the door. The three topics we stress to them are (1) safety, (2) safety and (3) safety.”
The Executive VP of NHBB, Rich Bardellini, expressed his full support. “The culture that the Safety Committee continues to foster reflects the steadfast commitment the company has made to safety,” said Bardellini. “It is clear to all employees that safety is a core value at NHBB.”
Chris Rawnsley, NHBB’s Director of Safety, Environment, and Sustainability Environmental, added, “Not only has this facility earned this Two Million Work Hours award, but also four previous Million Work Hours Awards, the latest in 2023. This facility’s outstanding safety culture is because of the involvement of every single employee. We are so proud of what this facility has achieved.”
Amy Barnard, President of USW Local 8566 and NHBB employee, said, “I love participating in the safety meetings. The company has always been very responsive to any concerns and address any issues that do come up in a timely manner. I really appreciate that.”
