Five-years no lost time incidents noted at regional employer
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RAVENSWOOD, WV- Since Star Plastics’ inception in 1988, safety has been first-priority, and has announced they officially crossed the threshold of five-years with No Lost Time incidents on Nov. 29, 2018.
The company stated in a press release, “While we’re proud of our 1,800+ days without a hiccup, we still have a long way to go to break our personal record of seven-years without a lost time incident from the late 1990s.”
“We’ve been working to get back to that record, and beyond,” stated Mike Moran, Plant Manager of our Ravenswood facility.
What does a no lost time incident mean? To Star Plastics, it means no incident requiring time away from a shift. The first time the company misses anything that’s scheduled, that’s lost time, and that’s an “incident” according to the company. “Our team takes pride in practicing safety measures and efficiency,” the statement read.
Star Plastics also reached another milestone of one-year with zero OSHA recordables on Dec. 15, 2018. This means no incident that required medical treatment beyond first aid occurred at their facility.
“It starts with good training,” says Moran, “and correcting unsafe behaviors as they happen – mainly coworkers helping coworkers. We do a lot of self-policing.”
Several years ago, Star implemented an EH&S walk-through (Environmental, Health and Safety). The Safety team, comprised of a variety of management and team leaders, do walkthroughs at each facility every other week. They cover different areas of the plant while reviewing a specific checklist in order to see the plant with fresh eyes. The goal is to determine if there are any potential environmental, health, or safety concerns that we can address before they become an issue. If they did notice an area that had the potential to be dangerous, they made sure they invested in ways to make it safer, such as investing in a roof guardrail, for example.
Star Plastics has implemented several internal facility improvements that have resulted in a direct, positive effect on safety, including:
• A powered roller system
• Lighting and layout improvements
• Equipment to help removal and installation of heavy molds
• Pre-emptive roof repairs
• Improved work procedures
According to Star Plastics, “Our track record on safety, and our commitment to it, proves we do what we say and we practice what we preach. When our employees are safe, they can focus on producing high-quality products. The procedures set in place for safety are also set in place to create an environment where quality products are made.”
“We care about our employees and strive to create an environment where they can thrive, grow, learn, and improve,” said Moran. “The biggest thing for me is that our employees get to go back home after work safe and sound every day, to spend time with their loved ones, safe and injury free.”
About Star Plastics
Star Plastics, Inc. is a dependable compounder of engineering grade thermoplastics headquartered in Ravenswood, West Virginia. With an accomplished full service laboratory to develop, test, and process materials, Star Plastics offers high quality custom color compounding (known for lot-to-lot consistency), tolling, sourcing and supplying resins. The team at Star Plastics prides themselves on being responsive to customer requirements with a high level of technical aptitude and strong product knowledge. For more information visit www.starplastics.com.
