February 17, 2010 - Cascade Engineering - Industrial Solutions, Container Group received the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) Star Award from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) on February 16th. The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
DELEG Deputy Director & Chief of Staff Susan R. Corbin and MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski presented the award to Jeff Miles, Plant Manager; Sharon Darby, Environmental, Safety & Sustainability Manager; Eric Herman, Director of Operational Excellence; Mindy Ysasi, Human Resources Generalist; and Noah McGhee, Shift Supervisor. Fred P. Keller, Chairman and CEO, Cascade Engineering, participated in the award ceremony.
"Cascade Engineering is a recognized leader, nationwide, in finding innovative and sustainable solutions in the areas of technology, community, diversity and environmental responsibility," said Corbin. "We are honored to recognize the Cascade Container Group for producing sustainable plastic products in an environment that protects the safety and health of their workers."
This is the most prestigious safety and health award given in Michigan. MIOSHA established the MVPP program in 1996 to recognize employers actively working toward achieving excellence in workplace safety and health. Since 1999, Michigan has recognized 26 MVPP Star companies. The Container Group received the MVPP Rising Star Award on September 29, 2006, and the MIOSHA Ergonomic Success Award on June 17, 2005.
"While increased morale and productivity were not the initial reasons we pursued implementation of our safety system, we are proud that these are the outcomes of seeking to do the right thing," said Keller. "Moving safety from a negative must do compliance to a positive morale boosting system, resulting in hundreds of voluntary improvements, is both the right thing to do and good for our bottom line."
The incidence rates at the Cascade Container Group are well below the industry average for their NAICS code 326199 - Plastics, Not Otherwise Classified. Their total case incidence rate (TCIR) was 2.3 in 2006, 5.6 in 2007, and 3.3 in 2008, compared to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) industry average of 7.5 in 2006, and 6.5 in 2007 and 2008. The total days away/restricted cases (DART) rate was 2.3 in 2006, 3.4 in 2007, and 1.1 in 2008, compared to the BLS industry average of 4.2 in 2006, and 3.7 in 2007 and 2008.
"The team at Cascade Engineering is dedicated to working safely each and every day, and it is a great honor to be recognized by MIOSHA for having an exemplary safety and health management system," said Miles. "I would like to thank our staff for their commitment and passion for safety. We also commend MIOSHA for taking a proactive approach on such an important issue - rather than focusing simply on compliance."
The Container Group employs 85 workers and is a plastic injection molding operations. They manufacture a variety of plastic carts and containers and produce about 1.2 million annually. The MIOSHA review team − Doug Kimmel, Team Leader and CET MVPP Specialist; Micshall Patrick, CET Senior Safety Consultant; and Gregg Grubb, CET Senior Industrial Hygienist − conducted 21 formal and six informal interviews during the site visit. The team examined each of the required elements of their safety and health management system, and found them to effectively address the scope and complexity of the hazards at the site.
"National VPP sites experience 60 to 80 percent less lost work day injuries than would be expected of an average site in their industry," said Kalinowski. "Not only does the MVPP program significantly reduce injuries and illnesses - it also has a tremendous impact on the bottom line."
Cascade Engineering is committed to creating a work environment in which all employees in the Cascade Family of Companies, regardless of cultural or individual differences, know they are respected and valued as human beings. Safety is more than just a program at Cascade Engineering, it is their culture. The goal of their safety program is employee involvement and ownership. They believe that safety begins with a commitment from each and every employee.
The Cascade Container Group added these elements to achieve Star status:
- Continuous Improvement Heijunka Board (CIHB) - employees use this safety/health hazard reporting system to report identified hazards to management;
- 5S Zones (sort, straighten, sweep, standardize, and sustain) have been created to monitor housekeeping and cleanliness;
- The Suitability, Adequacy, and Effectiveness (SAE) Review has been developed to set and monitor continuous improvement goals based on industry standards and/or best practices;
- A Safety Blitz program has been added company wide, where a site is randomly selected and a monthly Safety Blitz (audit) is performed;
- Safety Champions - this program that has been added to improve employee involvement;
- Company Operational Excellence/Lean Support personnel are more involved in the company's safety and health efforts; and
- Job rotation is now mandatory for those jobs that present potential ergonomic and/or bio-mechanical hazards.
Based in Grand Rapids, Cascade Engineering is a leader in the development, engineering and manufacturing of plastics solutions for multiple industries, including the automotive, industrial and solid waste markets. The Cascade Engineering Family of Companies employs more than 1,000 people, with more than 400 in the Grand Rapids area.
The company is a strong advocate for sustainable business practices that emphasize the key role business can play in building financial, social and environmental capital. For example, through its unique focus on workforce development - guiding welfare recipients toward long-term employment - Cascade has learned that becoming an "Employer of Choice" can be a powerful component of overall business strategy.
Read more releases from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
For more information about DELEG, please visit www.michigan.gov/deleg.
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