Utility’s Glade Spring, Virginia Manufacturing Plant Wins Safety Award
4th Liberty Mutual commendation earned
Sometimes success can lead people to lose their edge and become careless. But that hasn’t happened at Utility’s Glade Spring, Virginia manufacturing plant. Recently, Glade Spring received another Plant Safety Award from Liberty Mutual Insurance. “This is the 4th Liberty Safety Award for the Glade Spring plant. We couldn’t have achieved this Award without the continuous focus by our employees on safety,” said Bob Griffis, Corporate EHS Manager for Utility Trailer Manufacturing.
Liberty Mutual’s Safety Awards are based on the days away, restricted and transferred (DART) rate, which is calculated from the number of hours worked relative to the number of accidents at the plant. Lower numbers of accidents result in lower DART rates. In 2017, the Glade Spring plant had a low DART rate of only 1.41, with nearly 1 million worked hours. The average DART rate for the trailer manufacturing industry is significantly higher, at 3.4. A Safety Commendation Award is presented for DART rates that are 50% or lower than the industry average rate.
“Being recognized by Liberty Mutual for this Safety Award was a great accomplishment. Only through total participation by the entire Glade Spring team was this possible,” said Keith Walsh, Utility’s Glade Spring Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager.
Sam Cassell, Utility’s Glade Spring Plant Manager added, “The Glade Spring management team puts safety at the top of our daily agenda. If we do not place safety on our agenda and in our vision for the organization, it simply won’t happen. It does not stop there. Every day, those who build dry van trailers also make it part of their daily agenda. I cannot express how proud I am of each person on the shop floor.”
Front Row: Odie Barker, Rose Coleman, Kathy Armstrong, Donna DeBusk, Sam Cassell, Rick Williams, Wes Wolfe, Tim McVey – Back Row: Richard Carver, Ralph McMahan, Keith Walsh, Cody Boone, Kenny Johnson, Jeff Hendricks, Bart Henderson, Nathan Hodge
