Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/932759
22 AGGREGATES MANAGER / February 2018 PLANT PROFILE It's still in the beginning stages, but the school has already been using it. "The outdoor classroom was such a unique project," Thompson notes. "The odds that we had that access right by the elementary school were slim, but it's a very short walk for the students. We pulled up tax maps to see how we could get into the property and got lucky. Wood Street dead ends at our property and a dirt road goes in, so it couldn't have been more perfect." The classroom is located in a small clearing in the woods that quarry personnel enlarged a bit. They also con- structed a trail and a small bridge over a low, wet area so the students could get in easily. Some boulders with fossils were also brought in from the quarry. "The concept was that, over the years, we would add to it, so it's a continuing project," Thompson explains. "Ultimately, we will have off shoot trails that go into several areas that have different features. We've put together ideas for the future and presented it to the school. We even did some research on the town and came up with some projects that the students can do in the outdoor classroom, related to town history." The environmental award The application Gurley Quarry submitted for the NSSGA 2017 Environmental Excellence Award included the bridge over Hurricane Creek, the outdoor classroom, the No Rise road through the floodplain, as well as the construction of a fuel storage building in the processing plant to house fuels and oils and any- thing that might contaminate the ground or water if left out in the open. The Platinum award caught the quar- ry by surprise. "We knew we were going to receive the Gold environmental award from the NSSGA, but they choose one applicant from all of those award winners to win a platinum award," West notes. "When Gurley Quarry was chosen for the award this year, it was a surprise to us. We were very honored and humbled to receive it." "I've always been very proud to work for Vulcan Materials, but getting to do something like this and knowing that Vulcan is willing to commit the resources, money, time, and the people — everything needed to make these things happen — and getting to do that first hand as part of your job, it's so much fun," Thompson says. "It takes pride in your company to a whole new level." AM Safety first A focus on safety is always on the top of the list at Gurley Quarry and Vulcan Materials. "Our safety culture has continued to grow and to morph and to get better and better," says Joey West, Vulcan's Northeast Alabama district operations manager, Southern and Gulf Coast Division. "In our division, we're experiencing our best safety record. Safety used to be something that the managers did, but that has evolved. While managers are still responsible, our employees are responsible for making the right decisions as well." Vulcan Materials believes that safety and environmental stewardship go hand in hand, so it has developed what it calls SHE Teams — safety, health, and environmental — that are made up of hourly employees who inspect the plants to look for unsafe conditions, health related issues, or environmental issues that they can address and take some ownership in the corrective actions. "By engaging the hourly employees, they feel a sense of pride in the plant's safety record," West explains, adding that hourly employees also lead safety meetings. "That causes them to be more focused and guarded to protect that record, which is what we want. It's in the forefront of their mind all the time, because they are proud of what they've been able to accomplish." Vulcan also implemented safety observations, where an hourly employee watches another employee work for 15-30 min- utes and gives him feedback on what they observed. The observation is not done unknowingly, as the one being observed is notified that he will be the subject of a behavioral safety watch. The observer then makes a list of what he observes, but doesn't name the worker being observed. The list is used to improve safety, not to point fingers. It also encourages employ- ees to give feedback to each other if they see someone doing something unsafe. They are also encouraged to report any near-misses, knowing that the information will be used for safety training, and not for discipline. Vulcan's Orange Hard Hat program puts orange hard hats on new hires and teams them up with a mentor for the first year. The new hire can go to the mentor with any questions. New hires also take a safety pledge. They are asked to not only work safely, but to help others work safely. It also asks them to work safely at home. "We don't want it to be a job that they learn and only use here," says David Wheeler, plant manager. "We want them to live it. If they're living it, it becomes more natural and not just part of the job." The 8-hour refresher training required by the Mine Safety and Health Administration takes on a whole new look at Vulcan sites. It's not a typical Power Point presentation. "We have really interactive refresher training," says Stacy Thompson, REM, Vulcan's environmental specialist, South Region. "We have teams. We have games. We've learned over the years that to have the most effective training, you have to engage your audience. We save the games for after lunch when people tend to get tired, and we give out prizes. It gets really competitive. It's a lot of fun, and we get great participation."