Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/370990
AGGREGATES MANAGER September 2014 14 Safety first "In the last five to seven years, we've put an even greater emphasis on safety," Ma- loney says. "We haven't had a reportable lost-time incident for eight years. In 20 years, we only had one reportable lost- time incident/injury in the underground, but haven't had any in the processing area for 20 years. We're pretty proud of this accomplishment and expect it to continue into the future." The plant received a Safety Achieve- ment award from the Industrial Miner- als Association-North America and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for 200,000 continuous em- ployee work hours without a reportable injury or fatality in 2013. "This was our first time to get that award," Maloney says. "We also received a Certificate of Achievement in Safety from MSHA for 109,892 employee hours worked without a lost workday injury in 2012. We've received a few of these certificates during the last 10 years." This year, the plant won an internal company award for excellence in safety and health. Unimin divides its plants into three size categories — small, me- dium, and large — and gives three safety awards per year, to one operation in each category. The Guion Plant won in the large plant category. "It's a pretty challenging award to win, because it means no reportable or lost- time injuries, no housekeeping citations, achieving all company safety and health objectives, and making other safety and health efforts that go well above and beyond the minimum requirements established by our company leader- ship," Maloney says. "It's a hard thing to achieve because it's an underground mine competing against all surface mines in the large plant category. We're in- spected by MSHA four times a year, so we have twice as many opportunities to get citations. But the attention to detail and the willing participation of the entire workforce is what sets Guion apart." Among the programs Guion has used to achieve this stellar safety record is MSHA's SLAM Risk Program. Employ- ees are challenged to Stop; Look at the job that needs to be done and determine if they have the right tools and training necessary; Analyze what risks might be presented in doing the job; and figure out a way to Manage those risks. "In order to make the most of this program, we actually have a checklist that is built on those principles," Maloney says. "That's a corporate initiative that's helped people slow down and analyze the risks involved with what they're do- ing. It lets the employees know that their When the large two-boom jumbo drill was custom-built for the underground mine, it was one of the largest in North America. Once the sand is processed and separated into the various product bins, it is sent via conveyor belt to two loadout facilities, one of which is a truck loadout facility for local customers.