FCM plant becomes first A. O. Smith Mexican facility to win President’s Safety Award three times
Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.—The employees of Fabricantes de Componentes de Motrices (FCM) in Juarez today achieved a safety milestone when they became the first A. O. Smith Mexican facility to receive the Lloyd B. Smith President’s Safety Award three times.
The award is named after Lloyd B. Smith, former chairman and chief executive officer of A. O. Smith Corporation and the great-grandson of the founder of the company. The award was established in 1954 and is given to the facility that compiles the best safety record in a calendar year.
FCM was one of 34 company facilities worldwide competing to receive this year's honor. The award is based on statistical evidence of improvement over a one-year period and sustaining a comprehensive facility-wide safety program focused on the goal of accident prevention.
“Providing a safe work place is one of A. O. Smith’s most important values. I am very proud of the work you have done to make FCM one of A. O. Smith’s safest facilities,” Christopher Mapes, president of A. O. Smith Electrical Products Company, said in a special award presentation ceremony at the plant today.
FCM is part of A. O. Smith’s Electrical Products Company and manufactures shafts for electric motors. The 37,000 square foot plant employs approximately 110 people.
A. O. Smith Corporation uses three statistical measures to determine a facility's safety performance:
• Lost workday case incidence rate--This measure relates to the most serious, work-related injuries or illnesses that result in one or more lost work days. FCM placed first in this category among the 34 plants evaluated;
• Recordable case incidence rate--Recordable incidents are significant, work-related injuries or illnesses beyond first aid as defined by the U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). FCM also placed first in this category;
• Lost workday incidence rate--This category measures a facility's total number of lost work days and provides a measure of accident severity. FCM placed second in this category.
Employee involvement is one of the most important reasons for FCM’s success in workplace safety. Approximately 34 percent of the employees participate voluntarily on one of the plant’s five safety-related committees; and, in some cases, employees serve on two or more teams, according to Ruben Moreno, FCM plant supervisor. All of the plant’s salaried employees serve on at least one team.
The plant’s safety committee oversees all safety-related activities and conducts monthly inspections throughout the facility. The inspections are designed to ensure that all machine guarding is in place and being used, employees are wearing personal protective equipment, and that departments are following good housekeeping procedures.
Last year, the committee inaugurated a Safety Week program to help focus employee awareness on safe practices in the workplace, environmental consciousness, and health. The event, held in October, included hands-on training exercises and presentations on safety and health.
On Saturday of Safety Week, the plant sponsored a safety fair for employees and their families. Physicians and dentists associated with the University of Juarez conducted medical, dental, and optical screenings for participants, and the State of Chihuahua Labor Department held seminars on health and the environment.
As part of the plant’s Continuous Improvement (CI) initiative, FCM has one team specifically focused on safety improvement projects. During 2009, the team has been working on methods to improve the safety of the grinders in the plant. The team has prepared new tooling, written new procedures for operating grinders, and is in the process of installing new guarding on the machines.
The plant also has two committees working to comply with the Voluntary Protection Program offered by Secretaria del Trabajo y Provision Social (STPS), Mexico's federal safety and health agency. The program is designed to determine if an industrial facility has proper safety procedures in place with the necessary documentation. It also monitors the training provided to employees.
FCM’s technical committee, made up of engineering and maintenance personnel, has been reviewing procedures and documentation to assure they comply with STPS provisions.
Members of the Safety Team are: Angel Barrientos, Antonio Nava, Dra. Barron, Emmanuel Castillo, Graciela Salais, Humberto Rascon, Irene Esparza, Manuel Sosa, Ramiro Andres, Ricardo Martinez, Roberto Reyes, Ruben Jaramillo, and Sabino Herrera.
Members of the Technical SASST team are: Angel Barrientos, Daniel Duarte, Enrique Marquez, Francisco Gomez, Francisco Villalba, Gaspar Dominguez, Manuel Altamirano, Mary Parra, Miguel A. Hernandez, Norberto Martinez, and Roberto Reyes.
Members of the Fire Brigade Committee are: Adolfo Marin, Alejandro Galvan, Angel Barrientos, Antonio Nava, Apolinar Flores, Armando Arenas, Arturo Reyes, Emmanuel Castillo, Ernesto Juarez, Esteban Montoya, Felipe Castillo, Felipe Ochoa, Francisco Dominguez, Francisco Villalba, Gaspar Dominguez, Jorge Covarrubias, Julio Cesar Aguilera, Ricardo Martinez, Roberto Reyes, Romualdo Mariscal, and Ruben Moreno.
Members of the Safety SASST Committee are: Dra. Barron, Enrique Marquez, Francisco Gomez, Graciela Salais, Jose Luis Zamora, Mary Parra, Norberto Martinez, and Ruben Moreno.
Members of the CI Team are: Enrique Marquez, Francisco Gomez, Gaspar Dominguez, Graciela Salais, Jose Luis Zamora, Mary Parra, Norberto Martinez, and Ruben Moreno.
FCM won the award in 1999 and 2003. Last year's recipient of the Lloyd B. Smith President’s Safety Award was the A. O. Smith Water Products Company facility in Johnson City, Tenn.
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.