JRS Custom Fabrication Earns SHARP Certification; from Amputation to Dramatically Lower DART Rate

A major accident at a small business can often be a catalyst to integrate safety into the workflow. For JRS Custom Fabrication in Ocala, a 2006 accident that resulted in a leg amputation, turned the company completely around into a now-model safety employer.

After the accident, the metal fabricator was referred by OSHA to the USF SafetyFlorida Consultation Program and it also hired Diane Morrissey as a full time safety manager. Morrissey says the company owner was willing to do whatever it took to make the company and its 70-plus employees safe. USF SafetyFlorida consultant Keith Brown responded to the company's request for consultation nearly four years ago and has worked with them ever since. "The consultation was very informative," says Morrissey about their first on-site visit. "He made sure we knew he was here to help and that these were the steps we would have to take."

The company, which had no previous workplace safety and health management system, began by implementing a program that fully engaged management and employees in hazard prevention and control as well as safety and health training. Employee buy-in was not easy at first, so positive reinforcement was paramount. "Letting employees know we appreciated them doing things to be safe meant a lot to them." Today, since their employees enjoy food, Morrissey is often seen on the production floor handing out Snickers bars with wrappers that read, 'Our safety is nothing to Snicker about.' "They love that," she says.

Another motivator is their B-Safe Bingo, in which everyone has an opportunity to win a cash prize. The game begins each month with $25 and builds by $5 per day there is no recordable incident. A key requirement of B-Safe Bingo is that employees must report accidents and incidents immediately, otherwise, the individual must forgo his or her participation until the start of the next month. The monthly game encourages employees to look after each other, since they look forward to the game and an opportunity to win money.

After working with USF SafetyFlorida, JRS dramatically reduced its TRC rate from 19.1 to 4.8 and its DART rate from 12.2 to 2.8. While cost savings is a benefit to safety, Morrissey says their commitment to keeping employees safe is about principles. "Safety is not about the money. We want employees to go home with all five fingers to hug their children and to hear their child's laughter."

What's Wrong With This Picture?
Photographs are a learning tool of how accidents can be prevented. Thank you to Mark Leon, our "What's Wrong With This Picture" USF SafetyFlorida contributor for April.

Violations
29CFR 1910.212(a)(1) Guarding of 10” rotating spindle (chuck) of Hercules AJAX lathe used on PVC plastics and some aluminum. These types of machines are used for turning wood, metals and plastics.

Consequences
Potential amputation if fingers are caught in rotating parts; lacerations, fractures; potential eye injury from flying chips and shavings; possible electric shock when performing maintenance.

Actions
1. Provide proper guarding around chuck to protect employee from flying chips. 2. Provide proper guarding at the point of operation where the actual tooling/cutting of the stock takes place and sharp ribbons of metal (shavings) are produced. This guard is typically a clear shield mounted on an articulating arm so it can be frequently adjusted to protect the operator from the chips and shavings. 3. Train employee in the safe operation of equipment. 4. Limit access to this equipment to employees trained in its safe operation.

Consultant's Corner: Completing the Safety Circuit: Employee Involvement



Jim Ulseth
Safety & Health Consultant

In our March Consultant's Corner, Gabe Garcia identified four steps to building an effective safety and health management system. This month, Jim Ulseth describes ways management can involve employees in their safety culture. Is there a safety topic you'd like to see in our Consultant's Corner? Let us know.

Your company has committed to embracing safety. Excellent! Yet after on-site consultation, hazard correction and controls, and safety and health training, there's another challenge that awaits: employee involvement. In order to have an effective safety culture, your employees must be involved in the process. (Read more …)

USF SafetyFlorida consultant Gabe Garcia delivered a safety and health presentation to 40 representatives of the Mechanical Contractors Association of South Florida (MCASF) during its March 17 meeting. MCASF represents members from Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties involved in heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, piping and mechanical services.

If your professional organization or association would like to include safety and health as part of its program agenda, visit www.usfsafetyflorida.com to request a guest speaker. Our consultants are glad to talk with groups about the importance of safety and health management systems and will work with you to tailor a discussion that best fits your audience.

Fly the Flag

Is your SHARP flag proudly on display at your worksite? If you'd like to share a photo of your SHARP flag and what it represents to your company, submit an image and description to eLetter@usfsafetyflorida.com. Selected companies will be featured monthly in our e-newsletter.

Your Opinion Counts: Reader feedback is important to us so let us know how we're doing. Your responses to a four-question survey will tell us what we can offer to make the e-Letter even better. We appreciate your time and suggestions.

Q: My company employs Spanish-speaking workers. How can we ensure safety is understood by everyone?

A:: If your company employs Spanish-speaking workers, USF SafetyFlorida can help. Our bilingual consultants provide free on-site consultation services and training in Spanish. Additionally, we offer the following Spanish-language resources on our website (Read more):
• OSHA's Hispanic outreach fact sheet (23K PDF)
• Safety videos on topics ranging from ergonomics and bloodborne pathogens to crane safety, electrical emergency response and more
• Safety brochures
• PowerPoint safety training presentations from the OSHA Training Institute
• SafetyWriter, a web-based safety management tool that allows companies to easily build a custom written safety plan
• Safety posters and safety cards

Along with my supervisory staff, this month I will attend the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Safety & Health on April 14-15 in Houston, Texas, hosted by OSHA and NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. The purpose of the summit is to reduce injuries and illnesses among the Latino community through education and awareness, and it will bring together workers and representatives from employer associations and labor unions, safety and health professionals, government officials, the medical community, educators and more. U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis will deliver the keynote address. Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary for OSHA, and Dr. John Howard, director of NIOSH, will also speak at the summit.

Workplace safety is to be inclusive of everyone, regardless of language. Call us today at 1-866-273-1105 and we'll help your safety management system become more comprehensive in both English and Spanish.


Charlene D. Vespi, MS. Ed., CWCP
Program Director
USF SafetyFlorida

'Widget' now available:
Show your support of safety with a USF SafetyFlorida widget. With this badge on your website, you will communicate that safety is a core value of your company, plus encourage others to take action when it comes to workplace safety. Visitors who click on the widget will be directed to the USF SafetyFlorida website, where they can request on-site consultation, download safety resources, borrow videos and more. Click here for more information.

2010 Safety Expo: The 10th annual South Florida Safety Expo will take place Saturday, May 15 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sheridan Technical Center in Hollywood. The expo will feature free safety courses (in English and in Spanish), safety demonstrations, door prizes and more. It is sponsored by the South Florida and Florida East Coast Associated General Contractors Association chapters and the Sheridan Technical Center. For more information, visit www.sfexpo.org.