Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/403276
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2014 3 by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com SAFETY MILESTONE M artin Marietta's Beckmann Quarry recently achieved a remarkable milestone — 2 million consecutive employee hours without a reportable incident. The operation's safety track record extends back to 2007 when it set its sights on becoming a world-class operation in terms of safety metrics (it's already one of the largest production quarries in the United States). The achievement is one worth celebrating, but, even more importantly, worth sharing. In 2007, the management and staff set an ambitious goal for themselves: to record 1 million employee hours without a reportable injury. "It's really critical to set goals and to push ourselves to hit new milestones," says Chance Allen, regional vice president of Martin Marietta – Central Texas Aggregates. "It's part of the journey for us: knowing what the next goal is and that it's achievable." The first step was to empower employees at all levels to stop, correct, and fix any unsafe act. Through the Guardian Angel program, managers gave the staff not only the right, but also the responsibility to control their own safety program. Allen says behavior-based safety fosters trust among the staff so they can share information openly and correct one another's behaviors. Next, company leaders ensured that people in leadership positions believed in and supported the goals. Numerous long- time employees embrace the culture and have built the trust needed to make behavior-based safety effective. But, the operation also diligently educates new hires, recognizing that it takes approximately a full year for new employees to become truly immersed in the operation's safety culture. Another element to its success is understanding what Allen calls "the risks on the safety battlefield." For example, new hires pose one such risk because they aren't as familiar with the site, best practices, or fellow workers. In the first 90 days on the operation, they wear a different colored hardhat in recognition of that risk. It helps co-workers quickly identify them and pay particular attention to their safety. Finally, safety is a family affair at Beckmann Quarry. Because employees become immersed in the safety culture, they continue to use safety principles even after hours. Family members are encouraged to write up and share safe behaviors that happen at home. "This program has really allowed people to take ownership of the program," Allen says. "In past incidents, there were key safety elements that were not followed. The big change that I see is that we're not doing those things in off hours or when no one is looking. It's not because we're afraid of getting caught, it's because we really believe in the program." For more ideas on safety from Rogers Group, Inc.'s Whites Creek Quarry, turn to page 14. November 2014 Vol. 19, No. 11 aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Brian Ethridge editorial@aggman.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com Construction Media VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Officer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Audience Development: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com. Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company copyright 2014. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Hitting a Martin Marietta's Beckmann Quarry surpasses 2 million hours of safe operation.