SKF USA Inc. Receives State Award for Outstanding Safety and Health Record
March 27, 2013 - SKF USA Inc.'s Linear and Actuation Technology plant in Armada received the CET Gold Award today for an outstanding safety and health record from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
"We are honored to present this award to SKF USA. Manufacturing plants have significant workplace hazards and we are pleased to recognize SKF's exemplary record of protecting its workers," said LARA Deputy Director Shelly Edgerton. "Their dedication sends the message to Michigan employers that focusing on safety up front is a sound business decision."
MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder presented the award to Steven Brown, General Manager, and Bill Weig, Quality and EHS Manager for SKF USA. Local officials were invited to congratulate the company on its outstanding achievement. Invited guests, management personnel and employees attended the presentation and luncheon.
The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division recognizes the safety and health achievements of Michigan employers and employees through CET Awards, which are based on excellent safety and health performance. The CET Gold Award recognizes two years without a lost-time accident.
"Globally, SKF has very comprehensive Environmental, Health, and Safety program guidelines, which have been developed into an effective local program by the team in the Armada factory," says Brown. "I am very proud of the work done by Bill and his staff to lead this effort and by the active participation by all employees to make the facility a safe place to work and an environmentally responsible member of the community."
Besides going more than two years without a lost-time accident, the facility has completed the following criteria to receive the Gold Award:
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system;
- Established a safety and health committee, with both employee and management participation;
- Developed an employee training system, with an emphasis on how to do the work in a safe and healthful manner; and
- Worked diligently to change their workplace culture to reflect the importance of worker safety.
"Companies that establish an integrated safety and health program reap the benefits of significantly reducing their injury and illness rates," said Yoder. "Reducing these rates not only protects employees - it has a healthy impact on a company's bottom line."
The Armada plant has about 115 employees. The facility has worked with the MIOSHA CET Division for several years. CET Senior Safety Consultant Lee Jay Kueppers performed a hazard survey on site, which is a part of the award process. This survey allowed them an opportunity to walk through the facility with a MIOSHA representative and correct any problem areas that were noted.
SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2012 were SEK 64,575 million and the number of employees was 47,049. www.skf.com
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