Johnson City employees recognized for achieving seven million hours without lost-time accident
Johnson City, Tenn.—The employees of A. O. Smith’s Johnson City plant continue to build upon a safety record nearly unprecedented in the history of the company.
The 1,200 employees today celebrated their latest safety milestone, working seven million hours without a lost-time accident, a streak that stretches back to Nov. 23, 2005. The plant marked the occasion with an ice cream social and the presentation of a commemorative plaque by Herbert L. Pirkey, corporate director of safety, health, and the environment for A. O. Smith Corporation.
Pirkey praised the efforts of the employees, plant leadership, and the Johnson City Safety Steering Committee. “Your safety program is a model for this area and for the rest of A. O. Smith Corporation. The statistics clearly speak for themselves, as of today, you have worked more than 7.2 million hours without a lost-time accident.”
In a letter to the employees, A. O. Smith Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul W. Jones wrote, “Working nearly three and one half years without a lost-time accident is a tremendous accomplishment, particularly when you consider the size and complexity of the Johnson City operation.”
“It is clear that you have spent a significant amount of time studying your processes and work practices to find ways to make them as safe as possible; and you should be justifiably proud of the results of this effort. In the entire 135-year history of A. O. Smith, just one plant has compiled a better safety record than yours,” Jones said.
While employees are aware of the plant’s lost-time record, the emphasis is on maintaining safe working practices, according to Safety Manager Everson Weekley. “We don’t talk about breaking records, we keep everything in the context of running a safe operation,” he pointed out.
A major part of that effort is running a positive safety program. In the rare event an accident does occur, the question plant leadership asks is “which system failed?
Whenever an incident takes place in the plant, the department manager meets with the 25-person Safety Steering Committee. "For any type of incident in the plant, we ask the department manager to meet with the committee to describe how the incident occurred, explain how the situation was handled, how the manager and department supervisor responded, and describe the corrective action," Andy Demski, director-operations of the Johnson City plant, explained. "It's not a matter of how large or small the incident, it's how can we prevent it from happening again."
“Employees see that, they see changes that take place on the floor,” Weekley added.
The plant has conducted regular safety training programs for all employees since 1995. Earlier this year, Johnson City began a pilot program using online safety training that covers topics from lock-out/tag-out procedures to fork lift driver recertification coursework.
Employees have been enthusiastic about the online training programs, which are held in a new computer lab set up in the plant, Weekley said. “It helps to keep the training fresh and keep people’s attention.”
Later this year, Johnson City will launch a new press operator training program and expand its office safety training program.
“We continue to emphasize a holistic approach to safety,” Weekley said. As part of that approach, Johnson City is participating in A. O. Smith’s “Healthy by Choice” wellness initiative that was introduced last month. The program is designed to help employees make better lifestyle decisions, such as modifying their diets, quitting smoking, and exercising regularly, to improve their overall health.
In spite of the plant’s official stance, employees continue to ask about the lost-time accident record.
“Everyone is excited, they don’t want to do anything that would mess up our hours,” Penney Davis, supervisor of nursing for the plant, said.
The Johnson City plant manufactures American brand residential gas and electric water heaters, American commercial gas and electric water heaters, and Polaris high efficiency gas water heaters.
A. O. Smith Corporation, with 2008 sales of $2.3 billion, is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment, offering a comprehensive product line featuring the best-known brands in North America and China. A. O. Smith is also one of the largest manufacturers of electric motors for residential and commercial applications in North America.